Importance

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Abstract

A process for making a cutting instrument includes cutting a blank from a plate or strip of Type 60 Nitinol, having a thickness of between 0.005'-0.500' using an abrasive waterjet, wire electron discharge machining or laser cutting, and grinding top and bottom surfaces of the blank by rotating a grinder having cubic boron nitride or diamond abrasive particles on a cutting surface of said grinder against the knife blank at a surface speed of about 5000 to 7000 surface feet per minute and grinding to a depth of about 0.001 to 0.005 inches per pass to remove material along the blade surface. The surface of the blade is polished to a surface finish smoother than 20 microinches RMS using Turkish emery abrasive grinding/polishing materials on a buffing wheel driven by a high power motor. The blade is then finish polished to a mirror-like luster of 2 microinches RMS or less using a fine diamond buffing compound and a buffing wheel running at about 3000 RPM. An edge is ground into the polished blade blank using an Arkansas stone grinder.

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First Claim