A Milling Process for Threads - Cyclone Milling

What is Cyclone milling?

Cyclone milling is a milling process for threads from a workpiece through a hard alloy forming tool mounted on a high-speed rotating cutter head. Due to its high milling speed (speed reaches 400m/min), the processing efficiency is several times or even ten times higher than the traditional turning, and the cutting splash is like a whirlwind, so it is called cyclone milling. Cyclone milling can do dry cutting, heavy-duty cutting, difficult-to-machine materials, and ultra-high-speed cutting, with low power consumption. The surface roughness can realize Ra0.8μm. The rotational speed of the machine tool spindle is slow during cyclone milling, so the machine tool has high motion accuracy and good dynamic stability. It is the most advanced thread processing method.

Movement form of Cyclone milling:  

Cyclone milling needs to complete five machining movements during the machining process:

1. The cutter head drives the cemented carbide cutter to rotate at high speed (main motion)

2. The machine tool spindle drives the workpiece to rotate slowly (auxiliary motion)

3. Cyclone milling moves along the axial direction of the workpiece according to the thread pitch or lead of the workpiece, and the centering machine is the feed motion of the bar (feed motion)

4. Cyclone milling radial motion (cutting motion)

5. Cyclone milling also has the freedom to adjust the spiral elevation angle within a certain angle range (rotational movement)

The cutting form of cyclone milling and the types of parts that can be processed by cyclone milling:  

The cutting forms of cyclone milling are divided into internal cutting type and external cutting type.   

Cyclone milling can process bone screw, thread, screw, worm and screw parts.

Realization of cyclone milling:

1. Special cyclone milling machine: Although this method has high precision and a wide processing range, it requires huge investment in special equipment; and the flexibility is poor, and it cannot complete a series of other processing procedures such as subsequent turning, milling and drilling, etc. After the advent of the rotary cutter milling tool holder of the centering machine, this special machine has been completely eliminated in the fields of processing small worms and miniature screws of bone screws.

2. Ordinary lathe + cyclone milling cutter seat: This method is a transformation method adopted in China. It has a small investment but is relatively low-end. It can only process large screws and other components, and can not process micro-parts such as bone screws and has limited accuracy.

3. Swiss turning machine + cyclone milling cutter seat: this method only needs to install a cyclone milling cutter seat on the core walking machine, which has high precision, CNC automatic processing, a wide processing range and no need to purchase special machine tools, less investment and benefit High, and can complete a series of other processing procedures such as turning, milling and drilling, can achieve unattended and efficient processing; is the most advanced processing solution for components such as bone screws and small worms.