Real Time Tool Monitoring System : Predicting Tool Failures

Smart machines, smart monitoring, smart control and smart scheduling can be achieved with the help of Industry 4.0 that should take automation to the next level. The tool monitoring system is one such solution that minimizes the downtime needed to check the tool status.

As per the several monitoring methods, tool condition monitoring methods are differentiated into direct measurement as well as indirect measurement. Indirect detection measurement depends on the features of cutting force, acoustic emission, current, vibration, temperature and other signals concerned with tool damage. Though, there are some faults in the analyzing method based on sensor signal: Firstly, it utilizes a lot of human resources and needs thorough knowledge to take out features related to tool damage from the signal; Secondly, the prediction model depends on multi-sensor signal is a definite mapping under the certain machine type and processing parameters.

Tool Monitoring System

Today, machine tool monitoring systems are leveraged for the purpose of monitoring CNC machines. These systems collect information from CNC machine components or parts and process them to understand their working conditions and the lifecycle of the tool. The more accurate the prediction of tool failure, the lower the overall tool or machine cost incurred.

After monitoring different factors, tool life monitoring software can notify operators about the tool wear and predicted tool life. This provides greater visibility into the process and enables operators to get as much life as possible from each tool. They can also handle their time better to perform changes with minimum downtime. Estimating the tool failure enables operators to replace the tool at an optimum point, while avoiding damage to the machine, tool costs. 

Also, the tool monitoring supports recognizing the amount of power utilized by several CNC machine tools to cut various materials. If a tool utilizes a long time to cut the material, the power consumption is high in that case. Then the machine tool stops and underlines the affected concern by utilizing graphs or statistical data.

How do Tool Monitoring Systems exactly Work?

For industries performing tool monitoring systems, there are importantly three levels of perspective. Each provides a varying degree of reliability to indicate when a tool failure will happen and as a result, each step provides varying degrees of effectiveness.

The most basic widely utilized level across the machining industry is level 1. It is simply just a variation on an old inactive maintenance practice where the tool is enabled to operate to failure. This method utilizes the failure points to generate an average utilized as a replacement guide. Near about 95% of the industry is using this method.

Further, there can be all sorts of other variables that are not considered for those who obstruct the work of the tool, causing it to deviate from the average. This results in one of below two things:

1. Huge amounts of scrap parts by enabling tools to run to failure or
2. Wasted tool life and unessential high tooling costs

The second more advanced level system monitor’s the power being utilized by the spindle and tracks the waveform, such as the sound waves on a recording, to recognize failure points. By reading the extent of the power over time, improves and decreases in the load can specify the failure point.

The most complex solution available, this approach to tool monitoring uses algorithms that can recognize a perspective to failure in time to replace the part within an allowable maintenance stop and with crucially minimized scrap.

And the third level tool monitoring system utilizes high-frequency data and advanced algorithms to determine, forecast and avoid failures.

These systems also need no sensors to analyze the tool. By estimating high-frequency data from torque utilization, data can be analyzed, cleaned, and monitored. This data is drawn directly from the machine control, thus increasing tool monitoring to enclose the last mile and becoming an essential part of a more advanced machine condition monitoring system

Benefits of Tool Monitoring System

There are various benefits to a tool monitoring system, some benefits are as mentioned below:

• Optimizing Performance: Machine tool monitoring assists to optimize performance of CNC machines by offering essential information about their entire operation. This supports to eliminate the high costs caused due to replacing worn tools, lost machine parts, etc.
• Condition Monitoring: Operators are informed about the broken or worn tools which will help them to prevent damage to machine parts or machines.
• Increased Tool Lifecycle: It is also referred as tool optimization, optimizing the replacement of tools means the lifecycle is improved and the tool is never restored too early or too late.
• Improved Productivity and Quality:  Worn tools can also create scrap by generating pieces that are moderately out of specifications. Tool monitoring can recognize these worn tools to prevent them from further utilization.Overall equipment effectiveness is improved as a result of constant machine tool monitoring process. This improved effectiveness assists improve the company’s ROI and productivity.
• Predictive Maintenance: Predictive maintenance is the most effective method available for increasing quality and minimizing It has the capability to accurately recognize tool failure and alert teams to resolve the problem, avoiding scrap altogether.

All above mentioned advantages clear that why machine tool monitoring  is getting prominence in several industries. To see how remote machine monitoring system can be utilized for your CNC machines, book a demo with our team today.