Diamond plated grinding endmill for advanced hardened ceramics machining

1. A rotary grinding tool, comprising:

a generally cylindrically shaped body comprising a first end and second end, a grinding portion adjacent to the first end and a shank portion adjacent to the second end;

a plurality of flutes formed in the grinding portion of the body, said flutes extending from the first end toward the shank portion of the body;

a plurality of grinding elements formed in the grinding portion of the body, said grinding elements extending from the first end toward the shank portion of the body, each of said grinding elements disposed between consecutive flutes along the grinding portion, and each of said grinding elements comprise a grinding surface, each grinding surface comprises a leading edge between a flute and a portion of the grinding surface adjacent to the leading edge that first contacts a surface to be ground and a trailing edge between the next consecutive flute and a portion of the grinding surface adjacent to the trailing edge that last contacts the surface to be ground; and

wherein a first radius of the tool at the leading edge of each grinding element is smaller than a second radius of the tool at the trailing edge of each grinding element, and all first radii are substantially equal and all second radii are substantially equal.

2. The rotary grinding tool of claim 1 , wherein the rotary grinding tool comprises an electroplated diamond coating on an outer surface of the rotary grinding tool, said diamond coating comprising small particles of diamond disposed in a matrix.

3. The rotary grinding tool of claim 1 , wherein a central conduit is formed along an axial length of the body of the tool, wherein the diameter of the central conduit is greater at the second end of the tool than at the first end of the tool, said central conduit is configured to deliver a coolant to the first end of the rotary grinding tool.

4. The rotary grinding tool of claim 3 , wherein the rotary grinding tool comprises one or more radial conduits extending radially from the central conduit to at least one of said plurality of flutes, said one or more radial conduits are configured to deliver a coolant to an outer surface of the rotary grinding tool.

5. The rotary grinding tool of claim 3 , further comprising at least one end face groove on the first end of the tool, said end face groove extending from a first end of the central conduit to one of the plurality of flutes.

6. The rotary grinding tool of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of grinding elements and the plurality of flutes extend from the first end to the second end of the body of the tool.

7. A rotary grinding tool for reducing damage to the tool during a milling operation, comprising:

a generally cylindrical body comprising a first end and a second end, a grinding portion adjacent to the first end and a shank portion adjacent to the second end;

an outer surface of the tool comprising a diamond coating disposed on at least a grinding portion thereof;

two or more flutes formed in the grinding portion of the body, said flutes disposed along a longitudinal axis of the tool; and

at least one grinding element formed in the grinding portion of the body along a longitudinal axis of the tool, said at least one grinding element disposed between said two or more flutes, said grinding element comprising a grinding surface, a leading edge between a flute and a portion of the grinding surface that first contacts a surface to be ground adjacent to the leading edge and a trailing edge between the next consecutive flute and a portion of the grinding surface that last contacts the surface to be ground adjacent to the trailing edge;

wherein a first radius of the tool at the leading edge of the at least one grinding element is smaller than a second radius of the tool at the trailing edge of the at least one grinding element.

8. The rotary grinding tool of claim 7 , wherein the diamond coating is formed on the outer surface of the tool by an electroplating process such that small particles of diamond are disposed in a matrix on the outer surface of the tool.

9. The rotary grinding tool of claim 7 , wherein a central conduit is formed along an axial length of the tool, wherein the diameter of the central conduit is greater at the second end than at the first end, said conduit is configured to deliver a coolant to the first end of the body of the rotary grinding tool.

10. The rotary grinding tool of claim 9 , further comprising one or more radial conduits extending radially from the central conduit to an outer surface of the two or more flutes, said one or more radial conduits configured to deliver a coolant to an outer surface of the rotary grinding tool.

11. The rotary grinding tool of claim 9 , further comprising at least one end face groove on the first end of the tool, said end face groove extending from a first end of the central conduit to one of the two or more flutes.

12. The rotary grinding tool of claim 7 , wherein the at least one grinding element and the two or more flutes extend from the first end to the second end of the body of the tool.

13. A rotary grinding tool comprising:

a generally cylindrically shaped body comprising a first end and second end, a grinding portion adjacent to the first end and a shank portion adjacent to the second end;

a plurality of flutes formed in the body, said flutes extending from the first end toward the shank portion of the body;

a plurality of grinding elements formed in the body, said grinding elements extending from the first end toward the shank portion of the body, wherein each of said grinding elements are disposed between consecutive flutes along the body, and wherein each of said grinding elements comprise a grinding surface, wherein each grinding surface comprises a leading edge between a flute and a portion of the grinding surface that first contacts a surface to be ground adjacent to the leading edge and a trailing edge between the next consecutive flute and a portion of grinding surface that last contacts the surface to be ground adjacent to the trailing edge; and

wherein a thickness of the surface to be ground increases as at least one of the plurality of grinding elements rotate past a cutting plane of the tool.

14. The rotary grinding tool of claim 13 , wherein a first radius of the tool at the leading edge of each grinding element is smaller than a second radius of the tool at the trailing edge of each grinding element, and all first radii of the tool are substantially equal and all second radii of the tool are substantially equal.

15. The rotary grinding tool of claim 13 , wherein a first radius of the tool at the leading edge of each grinding element is substantially equal to a second radius of the tool at the trailing edge of each grinding element, and wherein each grinding element forms a generally convex shape between the leading edge and the trailing edge.

16. The rotary grinding tool of claim 13 , wherein the grinding tool comprises an electroplated diamond coating on at least a portion of an outer surface of the grinding tool, said diamond coating comprising small particles of diamond disposed in a matrix.

17. The rotary grinding tool of claim 13 , wherein a central conduit is formed along an axial length of the body of the tool, wherein the diameter of the central conduit is greater at the second end of the tool than at the first end of the tool, said central conduit is configured to deliver a coolant to the first end of the grinding tool.

18. The rotary grinding tool of claim 17 , further comprising one or more radial conduits extending radially from the central conduit to at least one of said plurality of flutes, said one or more radial conduits are configured to deliver a coolant to an outer surface of the grinding tool.

19. The rotary grinding tool of claim 17 , further comprising at least one end face groove on the first end of the tool, said end face groove extending from a first end of the central conduit to one of the plurality of flutes.

20. The rotary grinding tool of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of grinding elements and the plurality of flutes extend from the first end to the second end of the body of the tool.