KEVOS® MAKEOS · Manufacturing
Form Tool Profile Plan (Step Depths and Angles on a Flat or Circular Tool)
For a form tool cutting a stepped or angled profile, what depths and angles must be ground on the tool for each step, and does the profile fit the tool?
Plan of a form tool profile with up to four steps measured from the largest diameter of the work: for a flat tool with front clearance, the depth and angle of each step on the tool (as the forming tool depth tool, flat mode); for a circular tool with its face below centre, the radius of the tool at each step (as the same tool, circular mode), against the usable depth of the flat tool or the smallest radius the circular tool can have.
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How this tool works
Inputs, units and where to find them
| Input | Unit | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Tool | choice | Flat (dovetail) form tool or circular form tool. |
| Front clearance angle (flat) | ° | Front clearance angle of the flat tool. |
| Largest radius of the circular tool | mm | Radius of the circular tool at the largest work diameter. |
| Face offset below centre (circular) | mm | How far the cutting face is below the tool centre (gives the circular tool its clearance). |
| Step 1 | ||
| Radial depth from the largest work diameter (0 = unused) | mm | Radial depth of step 1 below the largest diameter of the work. |
| Flank angle on the work (flat) | ° | Angle of the step 1 flank on the work (flat tool). |
| Step 2 | ||
| Radial depth from the largest work diameter (0 = unused) | mm | Radial depth of step 2. |
| Flank angle on the work (flat) | ° | Angle of the step 2 flank. |
| Step 3 | ||
| Radial depth from the largest work diameter (0 = unused) | mm | Radial depth of step 3. |
| Flank angle on the work (flat) | ° | Angle of the step 3 flank. |
| Step 4 | ||
| Radial depth from the largest work diameter (0 = unused) | mm | Radial depth of step 4 (0 if unused). |
| Flank angle on the work (flat) | ° | Angle of the step 4 flank. |
| Limits | ||
| Usable profile depth of the flat tool | mm | Deepest profile the flat tool blank allows. |
| Smallest radius allowed on the circular tool | mm | Smallest radius the circular tool may have (bore and wall). |
Method and formulas
- Flat tool: depth on the tool = depth on the work × cos C; angle on the tool = atan (tan A × cos C) (as the forming tool depth tool).
- Circular tool: k = √(R_t² − offset²); radius at a step = √((k − depth)² + offset²) (as the same tool).
- Deepest tool depth or smallest tool radius against the limit.
- Example: the deepest step is 7.7274 mm on the tool.
Limitations
- Steps measured radially from the largest work diameter; axial positions are unchanged on the tool.
- Zero top rake; a raked tool changes the depths (use the rake mode of the forming tool depth tool).
- Example values are illustrations. Replace them with values for your actual task.
Typical uses
- Grind a flat form tool for a stepped part
- Lay out a circular form tool profile
- Check a profile is not too deep for the tool
Who it is for
- Toolmakers
- Machinists
- Screw machine setters
What you get
- Depth and angle of each step on the tool
- Deepest step or smallest radius
- Against the tool limits
Interpreting the result
- Clearance shortens every depth on the tool by the same factor, so a profile ground to work depths cuts too deep.
References
- Machinery’s Handbook, 29th edition (Industrial Press, 2012), printed pp. 797–801. Topic reference; no source tables or recommended settings are reproduced.
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Open the Form Tool Profile Plan (Step Depths and Angles on a Flat or Circular Tool) calculator
