PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING ENDODONTIC INSTRUMENTS

摘要

An improved process for producing an endodontic instrument with a predetermined taper having a plurality of flutes, each with a predetermined number of spirals over a predetermined length of the instrument are provided. The process basically comprises providing a grinding wheel rotated about a first axis having a plurality of flute grinding ribs and a rolled deformed metal grinding rib extending from a periphery thereof. A rotating wire stock is fed past the plurality of flute grinding ribs and the rolled deformed metal grinding rib at a controlled rate along a second axis so that a separate flute is ground on the wire stock by each of the flute grinding ribs and rolled deformed metal is removed from the ground wire stock by the rolled deformed metal grinding rib. Simultaneously with feeding the rotating wire stock, the grinding wheel or the wire stock is translated such that a distance between the first and second axes increases as the bar stock is fed whereby the wire stock is tapered as the flutes are ground thereon.