Title: Analysis and optimisation of the hard broaching process with diamond tools

Authors: Guilherme Evangelista Vargas, Konrad Wegener, Friedrich Kuster, Thomas Schnider

Addresses: Institute of Machine Tools and Manufacturing, ETH Zurich, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland. ' Institute of Machine Tools and Manufacturing, ETH Zurich, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland. ' Institute of Machine Tools and Manufacturing, ETH Zurich, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland. ' Fassler AG, CH-8600 Dubendorf, Switzerland

Abstract: Hard broaching is a finishing process to correct geometrical deviations of inner profiles on hardened work pieces, using a hardened steel body overlaid with a single layer of metal-bonded diamond grits. The process is characterised by a pendulum movement of the broaching tool. The tool consists of a conical roughing and a cylindrical finishing part. The finishing part increases the surface quality and reduces the tolerances. To get a deeper understanding of the process, and also for its optimisation, a stochastic model of the broaching tool was developed. The model-based analysis showed several suggestions for the improvement and optimisation of the hard broaching process, which have been experimentally verified in this work. With a modified pendulum strategy a relevant process time reduction of about 60% can be achieved.

Keywords: hard broaching; diamond tools; grinding; conical roughing; cylindrical finishing; surface quality; modelling.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMMS.2008.023225

International Journal of Mechatronics and Manufacturing Systems, 2008 Vol.1 No.4, pp.365 - 376

Published online: 14 Feb 2009 *

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