Kennametal Inc.
ROTARY CUTTING TOOL WITH TUNABLE VIBRATION ABSORBER ASSEMBLY FOR SUPPRESSING TORSIONAL VIBRATION

Abstract:

A rotary cutting tool includes a tool body including a chip flute portion having a plurality of helical chip flutes separated by lobes. In one aspect, a tunable vibration absorber assembly is disposed within a cavity formed in the chip flute portion. In another aspect, the tunable vibration absorber assembly is disposed within a cavity of a replaceable cutting head. In each aspect, the tunable vibration absorber assembly includes one or more tunable absorber masses, a resilient material between the one or more absorber masses and the cavity, and one or more connecting members for preventing relative angular displacement of the one or more tunable absorber masses. The one or more tunable absorber masses are suspended only by the resilient material, thereby enabling the tunable vibration absorber assembly to be tuned to a desired frequency for suppressing torsional vibration of the rotary cutting tool during a cutting operation.