Systems and methods of processing a rotatable assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11577365-B2
Application number	US-201916376055-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 5, 2019
Priority date	Apr 5, 2019
Publication date	Feb 14, 2023
Grant date	Feb 14, 2023

Abstract

A method of processing a rotatable assembly is described herein. The method includes mounting a grinding wheel on an arbor to form the rotatable assembly. The grinding wheel has a ring-structure formed from a plurality of grit particles dispersed within a metallic material. The method also includes mounting the rotatable assembly within at least one dressing machine, wherein the rotatable assembly is rotatable relative to a dressing tool within the at least one dressing machine, and shaping the grinding wheel with the dressing tool to define a final outer profile of the grinding wheel configured to machine a workpiece.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of processing a rotatable assembly, the method comprising:
forming the rotatable assembly by:
mounting a gear and bearing system on an arbor; and
mounting a grinding wheel on the gear and bearing system,

wherein the grinding wheel has a ring-structure formed from a plurality of grit particles dispersed within a metallic material, wherein the arbor comprises a threaded end that enables the rotatable assembly to be selectively coupled to, and removed from, different machines;
removably mounting the rotatable assembly, via the threaded end, within at least one dressing machine such that the grinding wheel is rotatable relative to a dressing tool within the at least one dressing machine; and
shaping the grinding wheel with the dressing tool to define a final outer profile of the grinding wheel configured to machine a workpiece.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising: mounting the rotatable assembly within a truing and conditioning machine; and truing the grinding wheel mounted on the arbor.

3. The method in accordance with claim 2 further comprising conditioning, within the truing and conditioning machine, the grinding wheel mounted on the gear and bearing assembly.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising: removing the rotatable assembly from the at least one dressing machine; and coupling the rotatable assembly to a groove grinding machine configured to machine the workpiece with the grinding wheel.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising: removing the rotatable assembly from the at least one dressing machine; re-mounting the rotatable assembly within the at least one dressing machine; and reshaping the grinding wheel with the dressing tool to redefine the final outer profile.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein shaping the grinding wheel comprises defining the final outer profile configured to machine a feature into the workpiece, and configured to form the feature having a dimensional tolerance within a predefined range.

7. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein shaping the grinding wheel comprises: moving the dressing tool towards the grinding wheel; and using an acoustic sensor to determine when contact is achieved between the dressing tool and the grinding wheel.

8. A method of processing a grinding wheel, the method comprising:
mounting a rotatable assembly including the grinding wheel within at least one dressing machine, wherein the grinding wheel includes a ring-structure, and wherein the rotatable assembly is rotatable relative to a dressing tool within the at least one dressing machine;
wherein the rotatable assembly further includes a gear and bearing system on an arbor, wherein the arbor comprises a threaded end that enables the rotatable assembly to be selectively coupled to, and removed from, different machines;
channeling a stream of fluid between the grinding wheel and the dressing tool;
calibrating the at least one dressing machine, wherein calibrating comprises:
positioning the dressing tool at a constant radial distance relative to a longitudinal centerline of the grinding wheel such that a gap is defined between the dressing tool and the grinding wheel;
moving the dressing tool longitudinally towards the grinding wheel while maintaining the constant radial distance; and
using an acoustic sensor to determine, via an audible communication path provided by the stream of fluid, when contact is achieved between the dressing tool and the grinding wheel, thereby determining at least one registration point on the grinding wheel.

9. The method in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the calibrating further comprises: determining a first registration point of the at least one registration point, on a first side of the grinding wheel; determining a second registration point on a second side of the grinding wheel; and determining a longitudinal center point on the grinding wheel based on the first and second registration points.

10. The method in accordance with claim 9 further comprising shaping the grinding wheel with the dressing tool to define a final outer profile that is symmetric relative to the longitudinal center point.

11. The method in accordance with claim 8 further comprising receiving, by the acoustic sensor, an acoustic signal through the audible communication path when contact between the dressing tool and the grinding wheel is achieved.

12. The method in accordance with claim 8 further comprising: machining a feature into a test coupon with the grinding wheel; and evaluating the test coupon to determine if the feature has a dimensional tolerance within a predefined range.

13. The method in accordance with claim 8 further comprising shaping the grinding wheel with the dressing tool to define a final outer profile of the grinding wheel configured to machine a workpiece.

14. A system for use in shaping a grinding wheel, the system comprising:
at least one dressing machine comprising a dressing tool; and
a rotatable assembly removably mounted within the at least one dressing machine, the rotatable assembly comprising:
an arbor comprising a threaded end that enables the rotatable assembly to be selectively mounted within, and removed from, different machines;
a gear and bearing system coupled to the arbor; and
a grinding wheel coupled to the gear and bearing system, wherein the grinding wheel includes a ring-structure formed from a plurality of grit particles dispersed within a metallic material.

15. The system in accordance with claim 14 , wherein the plurality of grit particles are formed from a cubic boron nitride material.

16. The system in accordance with claim 14 , wherein the grinding wheel is fully formed from a combined mixture of the plurality of grit particles and the metallic material.

17. The system in accordance with claim 14 , wherein the rotatable assembly is selectively removable from the at least one dressing machine as a unitary structure.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Artz Spencer
• Suber Michael

Classifications

• B24B53/062 Primary

  using rotary dressing tools (B24B53/07 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B24B53/14

  Dressing tools equipped with rotary rollers or cutters; Holders therefor · CPC title