Development of an innovative tool wear monitoring system for zero-defect manufacturing

High speed machining (HSM) is a technology employed in various industries and is characterised by high flexibility regarding geometrical forms, high productivity as well, as improved workpiece surface quality. In order to exploit the full potential of HSM, the most significant challenges which must be overcome are the frequent process disruptions and the high tool wear rates. This paper outlines a feasibility study of improving the efficiency in the utilisation of HSM by developing an innovative tool wear monitoring system interconnected with an intelligent adaptive control system. The tool wear monitoring system would achieve accuracy and reliability on an unseen level for the on-line quantification of tool wear by integrating indirect measurement methods, sophisticated wear models and intelligent computational methods. The adaptive control system connected with the machine tool will use the tool wear information in order to determine the most appropriate moment for tool change while balancing maximum workpiece quality and maximum tool life. The optimised use of tools will enable stable workpiece quality and significant cost savings. Through the real-time adaptation of cutting parameters, an optimised tool change can be achieved despite varying process parameters. The proposed system will be portable and adaptable to diverse machine tool controls and machine tools, independent of the manufacturer. It will be applicable to various workpiece and tool types, with minimised learning effort required due to the use of intelligent descriptors to describe the wear influencing variables. The system would enable end-users to efficiently use HSM technology. Its benefit in the form of improved process capability and additional cost savings could be quite vital in future projects within the automotive mould and die industries.