I found a really interesting article from around 2004 while puttering around Gear Solutions magazine's archives. It's about a "miracle tool" for producing parts from bar stock, such as gear blanks. You'd probably be really surprised (or, unsurprised, if you paid attention to the graphic at the beginning of this post) to hear that this miracle tool is the buzz saw. The author, Fritz Greulich, discusses the pros and cons of using a multiple cutting edge tool to manufacture gear parts, making note of how the stability, consistence and reliability of circular cutting tools have increased rapidly over the last few years. Here's an excerpt from the article:
"Not only is RSC a viable reality, it is also far superior to single point tooling in its capabilities. The multiple cutting edges of a circular saw eliminate the problems of high heat buildup, undesirable chip formation, and high chip load. The result is a myriad of technical advantages that increase production levels, improve quality, and lower production costs: more parts per hour, more parts per bar, better finishes, increased tool life, easier and less costly scrap handling, and increased machining capabilities. A rotating circular saw cutting through a rotating bar of stock builds up very little heat for a number of reasons. First, saws are ground with side clearance. Clearance reduces the friction between the workpiece and the cutter. Second, cutting with a rotating circular saw is an "interrupted" cut, since each tooth cuts for only a brief moment. Third, as a single saw tooth makes a cut, the chip (and heat) is immediately removed from the cutter by the strong coolant flow and the centrifugal force of the rotating saw. Finally, each cutting edge is removing only a small amount of material, keeping the chip load low."
So, what benefit does this article hold for those of us in the gear manufacturing industry? Most notably that with all of the recent advances in our engineering technology and the big expo coming up, it may be easy to only look toward the future for ways to improve our efficiency - but we also shouldn't forget the past. Articles like this one that promote ingenuity and thinking outside the box should be heralded for their ability to take a process that many think has been "perfected" and apply a new twist to it that increases quality, decreases waste and eventually will augment profit.
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