U.S. patent application number 11/401502 was filed with the patent office on 2007-10-11 for finishing process.
Invention is credited to Mickey Dyer.
Application Number | 20070238397 11/401502 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38575930 |
Filed Date | 2007-10-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070238397 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Dyer; Mickey |
October 11, 2007 |
Finishing process
Abstract
A method of finishing a workpiece is disclosed. The method
includes the use of a container, preferably a drag finishing
machine to displace a workpiece or part about a substantially
vertically oriented axis. The workpiece is immersed in a media and
an abrasive that adheres to the media via surface tension of a
liquid disposed in the container or drag finisher. The workpiece is
then displaced and the workpiece contacts or impacts the abrasive
to provide the desired finishing. The abrasive may move from media
to media as it is loosely attached via the surface tension of the
liquid.
Inventors: |
Dyer; Mickey; (Grand Rapids,
MI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ROBERT J. SAYFIE, P.C.
161 OTTAWA AVENUE NW, SUITE 407
GRAND RAPIDS
MI
49503
US
|
Family ID: |
38575930 |
Appl. No.: |
11/401502 |
Filed: |
April 11, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
451/36 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B24B 31/003
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
451/036 |
International
Class: |
B24B 1/00 20060101
B24B001/00 |
Claims
1. A method of finishing a workpiece, comprising: providing a
container; providing a solid media disposed within said container;
providing a solid abrasive disposed within said container, said
solid abrasive having an ANSI grit size between about 60 to about
220, said solid abrasive adhering to said media to form a
media-abrasive mixture said solid abrasive having different
properties than that of the solid media; and displacing the
workpiece within said media-abrasive mixture at speeds between
about 300 feet per minute and about 500 feet per minute.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said container is a drag
finishing machine.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said container is a plunge
machine.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said media is at least one of a
metallic media, ceramic media, or porcelain media.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said abrasive has a plurality of
sharp edges.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein said abrasive is at least one of
an aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, diamond powder, zirconia, or
quartz.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein said abrasive has a grit size of
about 60 or coarser.
8. (canceled)
9. The method of claim 1, wherein said abrasive is dry.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein said abrasive is viscous.
11. A method of finishing a workpiece, comprising: providing a
container; providing a solid media disposed within said container;
providing a-solid abrasive disposed within said container, said
solid abrasive having an ANSI grit size between about 60 to about
220, said solid abrasive capable of adhering to said media to form
a media-abrasive mixture, and displacing the workpiece within said
media-abrasive mixture at speeds between about 300 feet per minute
and about 500 feet per minute, wherein a liquid is added to the
media-abrasive mixture, and said abrasive adheres to said media via
a surface tension of said liquid.
12. (canceled)
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the workpiece has and RA in
micro-inches of between about 5 and about 150 before the workpiece
is displaced relative to said container.
14. The method of claim 1, wherein said media acts as a carrier of
said abrasive.
15. The method of claim 1, wherein said abrasive has a sharp
edge.
16. A method of finishing a workpiece, comprising: providing a drag
finishing machine; providing a media disposed within said drag
finishing machine; providing an abrasive disposed within said drag
finishing machine, said abrasive having a different shape than that
of the media, said abrasive adhering to said media to form a
media-abrasive mixture; and displacing the workpiece within said
drag finishing machine.
17. A method of finishing a workpiece, comprising: providing a
container; providing a media disposed within said container;
providing an abrasive disposed within said container said abrasive
having a different shape than that of the media, providing a liquid
within said container, said liquid having a surface tension, said
surface tension causing said abrasive to adhere to said media to
form a media-abrasive mixture; and displacing the workpiece within
said container.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention generally relates to a method for finishing
parts. More particularly, this invention relates to displacing a
workpiece within and relative to media and an abrasive.
[0002] U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,409 discloses a method of drag finishing
a housing that comprises lowering a workpiece or housing into
media. When the housing is in the media, the housing is revolved in
a first rotational direction about a vertical axis and also moved
in first angular direction about a vertical axis. Then the housing
is also revolved in a direction opposite to the first rotational
direction, and moved in a second angular direction.
[0003] U.S. Pat. No. 6,261,154 discloses a method and apparatus for
media finishing. The workpiece or wheel is angularly displaced
while being rotated about an oblique angle.
[0004] Advances in the drag finishing arts include the method of
moving a workpiece relative to the tub and media within the tub.
The prior art also includes processes that utilize media and
abrasive additives in vibratory and barrel finishing machines.
[0005] Processes utilizing media and abrasives or abrasive
additives have been used in the past in vibratory and barrel
finishing processes to refine the surfaces and smooth the surfaces
of parts or workpieces. Use of the vibratory or barrel finishing
processes may be useful to reduce the surfaces of about 5
micro-inches to about 50 micro-inches. This process may take about
10 hours to 20 hours to complete.
[0006] A drag finishing process has been used to recover the
surfaces of workpieces that incurred surface degradation or surface
roughness of about 10 RA micro-inches to about 15 RA micro-inches,
from a prior operation, for cosmetic or bearing surface
purposes.
[0007] As can be seen, there is a need for improved apparatus and
methods in the media that is disposed in the tubs used in the drag
finishing apparatus and method. There is a need to reduce (1)
processing costs, (2) the amount of media used, (3) the amount of
solids (effluent) required to be treated, (4) disposal costs of the
used media solids (effluent), (5) the amount of solids that are
required to be sent to a land fill, and (6) multiple step finishing
operations. There is also a need to accelerate the finishing and
stock removal rate.
[0008] There is also a need to reduce surfaces from between about
150 RA micro-inches to about 5 RA micro-inches. Surface roughness
can be measured by a profilometer, which is a stylus device used to
trace across the surface profile. The results are expressed either
as RA, which is the arithmetic average deviation from the center
line of the surface, or as RMS, which is the root mean square of
the deviations from the center line. RA or RMS values are given in
either microns (same as micrometers or .mu.m) or micro-inches
(.mu.). Typically RMS may be about 11 percent higher than the RA
number for a given surface.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] One aspect of the present invention is a method of finishing
a workpiece, comprising: providing a container; providing a media
disposed within said container; providing an abrasive disposed
within said container, said abrasive capable of adhering to said
media to form a media-abrasive mixture; and displacing the
workpiece within said media-abrasive mixture.
[0010] Another aspect of the present invention is a method of
finishing a workpiece, comprising: providing a drag finishing
machine; providing a media disposed within said drag finishing
machine; providing an abrasive disposed within said drag finishing
machine, said abrasive capable of adhering to said media to form a
media-abrasive mixture; and displacing the workpiece within said
drag finishing machine.
[0011] Another aspect of the present invention is a method of
finishing a workpiece, comprising: providing a container; providing
a media disposed within said container; providing an abrasive
disposed within said container, said abrasive capable of adhering
to said media to form a media-abrasive mixture; and displacing the
workpiece within said container.
[0012] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the
present invention will become better understood with reference to
the following drawings, description and claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective of one exemplary embodiment
of a container;
[0014] FIG. 2 illustrates an abrasive and a media forming a
media-abrasive mixture; and
[0015] FIG. 3, illustrates the steps of the process of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0016] The following detailed description is of the best currently
contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. The description
is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the
purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention,
since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended
claims.
[0017] The process of the present invention utilizes the
combination of (1) a media 20 and (2) an abrasive 30.
[0018] The process involves displacing a workpiece 10 relative to
the media 20 and abrasive 30. The media 20, abrasive 30, and
workpiece 10 are disposed in a container 40. In one exemplar
embodiment of the present invention, the container 40 is a drag
finisher.
[0019] In one exemplary embodiment, the media 20 may be either a
preformed media 20, a random media 20, a metallic media 20, or it
may be a cast shape or a metal punching. One exemplary embodiment
of the preformed media 20 is preformed ceramic media 20 or a
preformed porcelain media 20.
[0020] As a workpiece 10 is displaced within the media 20, the
media 20 exerts pressure on the abrasive 30, which contacts the
workpiece 10 for finishing as the workpiece 10 moves through and
past the media 20. The media 20 acts as a carrier for the abrasive
30. The cutting or metal removal function may be caused by the
media 20 carrying or grinding the abrasive 30 between the media 20
and the workpiece 10. The media 20 may contact the workpiece 10 and
cause incidental finishing. The abrasive 30 may have one or a
plurality of sharp edges 60 that are used to finish the workpiece
10.
[0021] In one exemplary embodiment the abrasive 30 or abrasive
additive 30 may be a fused aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, diamond
powders, zirconia, or quartz. The types of abrasives 30 can be
altered to achieve the desired effects and assist in the efficiency
of the process. The abrasive 30 size may vary depending on the
desired breakdown rate of the abrasive 30. The breakdown rate is
its effective life of usefulness as an abrasive 30. Throughout use
the abrasive 30 may become smoother. In other words, the abrasive
30 in its new or virgin state may be more aggressive and may impart
a deeper cut pattern into the workpiece 10 surface. However, as the
loose abrasive 30 wears down, its cutting ability may be reduced,
which may impart a smoother surface or a shallower cut or scratch
into the workpiece 10. In one exemplary embodiment of the present
invention the abrasive 30 may have an ANSI grit size of about 150
grit or coarser. In one exemplary embodiment, the ANSI grit size by
be about 60 to about 220. The abrasive 30 may be either dry or
viscous.
[0022] In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention,
renewal of the cutting ability through out the process cycle may be
accomplished by either a periodic or a continuous addition of the
abrasive 30 or abrasive additive 30 to the media 20. In one
exemplary embodiment of the present invention the abrasive 30 may
be added either continuously or intermittingly, and then addition
of the abrasive may cease towards the end of the process cycle, to
allow coarser abrasives to wear down or erode, thus imparting a
smoother finishing as the size of the abrasive 30 degrades or
becomes finer. In one exemplary embodiment of the present
invention, one may start the process cycle with coarser abrasives
to provide for faster stock removal than the prior art, and then
add finer or different abrasives 30 towards the end of the process
cycle.
[0023] It may be important to use the media 20, or media mass 20
with respect to the final finishing capability of the abrasive 30
characteristic of the preformed media 20, media 20, or media mass
20. This may be because the content level of the abrasive 30 of the
media 20 may allow the final step or steps of the process cycle to
achieve the desired surface condition of the workpiece 10. This may
also be because the shape of the media 20 may provide the maximum
efficiency for the media 20 to carry the abrasive 30 to contact the
workpiece 10 or part 10.
[0024] In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention the
abrasive 30, additive 30, or abrasive additive 30 may adhere to the
media 20 by the surface tension created by the addition sufficient
amounts of a liquid 50, such as water 50 or a finishing compound
50.
[0025] In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the
media 20, abrasive 30, and workpiece 10 may be disposed in a
container 40, whereby the workpiece 10 may be displaced to create a
force between the abrasive 30 and the workpiece 10. The abrasive 30
may adhere to the media 20 via the surface tension of a liquid 50.
Some abrasive 30 may be loose, i.e. may not be adhered to the media
20. In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention the
container 40 may be a high energy machine 40, such as a plunge
machine 40. In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention
the container 40 may be a drag finisher 40. In one exemplary
embodiment, the drag finisher 40 may be a machine that has a "Lazy
Susan"-like spinner, which has a series of parts hanging on
stations or fixtures below. The spinner then lowers the workpiece
10 into the media 20-abrasive 30 mixture as the workpiece 10 moves
or revolves, or it can held statically and displaced around a
vertical axis, into a bed of media 20-abrasive 30 mixture that is
contained in an annular ring bowl. As the workpiece 10 "plows"
through the media 20-abrasive 30 mixture, the process accomplishes
its prescribed or desired work objective, depending on the selected
media 20 and abrasive 30. The drag finishing machine 40 and process
may accomplish the desired pressure and velocity by displacing the
workpiece 10 relative to the container 40 at velocities or angular
velocities of about 300 to about 500 or more feet per minute. In
one exemplary embodiment of the present invention utilizing a drag
finisher 40 may speed up the finishing process by about 20 to about
40 times as compared with a vibratory finisher. For example, what
may take only about less than two hours when using a drag finisher
may take 24 hours or more when using a vibratory finisher.
[0026] The present invention may use different types of containers
40. In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the
container 40 may pull, push, or drag the workpiece 10 in either a
statically held position or in a rotational movement through the
media 20 and abrasive 30.
[0027] In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention,
desired material removal or metal removal is accomplished by proper
sizing of the abrasive 30 or the abrasive additive 30. In one
exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a surface having
about 150 RA micro-inches to about 5 RA micro-inches may be
smoothly finished.
[0028] To remove the abrasive 30 from the media 20, copious amounts
of liquid 50, such as water 50, may be added, which may break the
surface tension and rinses the abrasive from the container 40 via a
drain (not shown).
[0029] The steps of the present invention include providing a
container 100, providing a media disposed within said container
200, providing an abrasive disposed within said container 300, and
displacing the workpiece within said media-abrasive mixture 400. In
one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the steps need
not take place in any specific order.
[0030] It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing
relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that
modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.
* * * * *