METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING A TOOL SYSTEM MODULE, AND TOOL SYSTEM MODULE PRODUCED ACCORDINGLY

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for assembling a tool system module, having a main body (G3C), which comprises a standard shank, such as a hollow-shank-taper (HSK) shank, and having a functional section (F5Y), such as a tool holder. In order to produce such tool system modules particularly economically, the functional section (F5Y) is paired with a main body (G3C) that is produced on separate production line, which is independent of the design or the production line of the functional section.

Claims

1. A method for assembling a tool system module, which comprises a main body with a standard shank and a functional section, wherein the functional section is paired with a main body, which is at least sectionally produced by means of a generative or additive production process, on a separate production line that includes storage and is independent of the design or the production line of the functional section.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least the main body is applied on a cylindrical blank with or without support structure by means of 3D printing.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least the main body is subjected to a heat treatment, and/or to a thermochemical surface treatment.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the main body is integrally connected to the functional section.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least the additively produced main body is subjected to a mechanical machining process to its final dimensions.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the essential component of the main body is steel or hard material.

7. A tool system module, which comprises a main body with a standard shank and a functional section, wherein the main body is at least sectionally produced by means of a generative or additive production process, and integrally connected to the functional section.

8. The tool system module according to claim 7, wherein the main body is applied on a cylindrical blank with or without support structure by means of 3D printing.

9. The tool system module according to claim 7, wherein the main body is subjected to a heat treatment, and/or to a thermochemical surface treatment.

10. The tool system module according to claim 7, wherein the main body is subjected to a mechanical machining process to its final dimensions.

11. The tool system module according to claim 7, wherein the essential component of the main body is steel or hard material.

12. The tool system module according to claim 7, wherein the main body has a flange with gripper groove, coding bore and indexing groove adjacent to the standard shank.

13. The tool system module according to claim 7, wherein the functional section forms a tool carrier shank, a tool shank or a tool clamping receptacle in the form of a hydraulic expansion chuck, a shrink-fit chuck, a power chuck, a straight shank chuck Weldon/Whistle Notch or a draw-in collet chuck.

Description

[0017] The invention is described in greater detail below with reference to schematic drawings. In these drawings:

[0018] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of three different tool system modules in the form of HSK clamping chucks;

[0019] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary set of a conventional assortment of tool system modules;

[0020] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary shop drawing of a main body equipped with a steep taper;

[0021] FIG. 4 shows an exemplary shop drawing of a main body equipped with a hollow-shank-taper (HSK);

[0022] FIG. 5 A shows a schematic representation of the inventive production lines for the main body and for the functional section; and

[0023] FIG. 5 B shows a perspective view of a tool system module assembled in accordance with the invention.

[0024] FIG. 1 shows examples of three different tool system modules that are designed as tool receptacles in the form of HSK clamping chucks, which respectively comprise a main body 10 with a HSK standard shank 12 and a flange 14 and different functional sections 20-1, 20-2 and 20-3 carried by this main body. In the example shown, the functional section 20-1 is formed by a hydraulic expansion chuck, the functional section 20-2 is formed by a precision clamping chuck and the functional section 20-3 is formed by a shrink-fit chuck.

[0025] FIG. 2 illustrates the variety, in which such tool system modules are nowadays offered. Functional sections of the same design are produced with different types of taper shanks, namely also with standard steep taper shanks. Furthermore, these system modules are used and accordingly produced in different sizes on the part of the standard shank (HSK or steep taper), as well as on the part of the functional section for clamping tools of various diameters. In addition to shrink-fit chucks, FIG. 2 also shows examples of straight shank chucks 20-4, e.g. of the Weldon/Whistle Notch design, draw-in collet chucks 20-5 and shrink-fit chucks/shrink-fit extensions 20-6.

[0026] FIGS. 3 and 4 not only show that the functional section 20 has a relatively complex design, but also that the main body 10 can only be manufactured with significant production efforteven though the shank is subject to standardization. These figures show the extensive dimensioning with very narrow tolerance fields not only in the region of the standard shank 12, but also in the region of the adjacent flange 14 with gripper groove 16, coding bore 17 and indexing groove 18.

[0027] In order to manufacture the tool system modules, particularly tool holders, even more economically, faster and with even greater flexibility, the inventive method is characterized in that the functional section 20 is not paired with a main body 10 until the latter has been produced on a separate production line, which is independent of the design or the production line of the functional section. This is schematically illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B:

[0028] The production lines for the main body and for the functional section are realized separately and independently of one another. Consequently, the production of main bodies of various shapes and sizesindicated by the matrix with the columns 1 to n and the lines A to Zis decoupled from the manufacture of the functional sections 20in likewise different types and sizes. The production may also take place in accordance with a multidimensional matrix. In addition, the individually produced system module components 10, 20 can be intermediately stored for on-demand retrieval.

[0029] The appropriate main bodies and functional sections are paired and rigidly joined to one another, e.g. bonded or welded, depending on the configuration of the system module requested by the customer. In the example illustrated in FIG. 5, the main body G3C is paired with the functional section F5Y, preferably integrally connected thereto.

[0030] In this way, various geometries of the main body and the functional section can be respectively manufactured independently of the production process of the other system module component. This not only saves material and minimizes the volume of metal to be removed by cutting, but also makes it possible to assemble arbitrary combinations of the system module components as quickly as possible. Consequently, these system module components can be produced in an optimized manner with respect to their manufacturing technology and even be stored independently of one another such that the customer can be provided with tool system modules of arbitrary composition as quickly as possible.

[0031] The inventive method makes it possible to manufacture all popular tool system modules, in which standard shanks are paired with different functional sections such as with a tool carrier shank, a tool shank or a tool clamping receptacle in the form of a hydraulic expansion chuck, a shrink-fit chuck, a power chuck, a straight shank chuck Weldon/Whistle Notch or a draw-in collet chuck.

[0032] According to an advantageous embodiment, at least the main body 10, the essential component of which may be steel or hard material, is at least sectionally manufactured by means of a generative or additive production process, particularly by using a laser melting process such as selective laser melting (SLM). In this context, any previously known additive production process or any additive production process currently in development may be used, for example the additive production processes known under the designations stereo lithography (SL), 3D printing, fused deposition modeling (FDM), selective sintering, selective laser sintering (SLS), selective laser melting (SLM), laser metal deposition (LMD) and electron beam melting.

[0033] The additively produced system module component (main body 10 and/or functional section 20) may also be applied on a cylindrical blank with or without support structure by means of 3D printing. The additively produced system module component (main body 10 and/or functional section 20) is then advantageously subjected to a heat treatment, particularly an artificial aging process, and/or to a thermochemical surface treatment.

[0034] The additively produced system module component, i.e. the main body 10 and/or the functional section 20, preferably is mechanically machined to its final dimensions.

[0035] The invention therefore creates a method for assembling a tool system module, which comprises a main body with a standard shank such as a hollow-shank-taper (HSK) shank and a functional section such as a tool holder. In order to manufacture such tool system modules in a particularly economical manner, the functional section is paired with a main body that is produced on a separate production line, which is independent of the design or the production line of the functional section.