Tool Condition Monitoring
What Is Tool Condition Monitoring?
Tool Condition Monitoring is a technology that allows you to detect and supervise tool conditions, including wear, breakage, missing tools, and collision, in the machining process. Tool Condition Monitoring systems can also function as excellent process monitoring systems with additional capabilities such as metalworking fluid flow monitoring, spindle health and maintenance monitoring, and adaptive control.
Is It Right for Me?
- Tool Condition Monitoring is extremely advantageous to companies with:
- High volume of parts (high volume, low mix)
- High tool usage with no or poor control of tool wear
- Tools that break often or a slowed process due to concerns over tool breakage
- Expensive parts/toolsUnmanned/lights-out operations
- A desire for automation
- Machined parts that require high consistency (tight tolerance parts)
- A need for data collection for future comparison or analysis
What Are the Benefits?
- Improves Tool Usage - Change your tools when the tool wear limit is reached, rather than changing them every fixed number of parts or features machined
- Reduces Scrap - Scrap fewer parts by detecting tool life limit on time
- Prevents Fatal Damage - Prevent catastrophic tool breakage, part damage, and machine tool damage by proactively detecting collision or tool breakage
- Improves Part Consistency - Reduce the deviation from intended surfaces/dimensions by reducing machining with excessively worn tools
- Reduces Idling of Your Equipment - Detect missing tools in your cutting process
- Improves Safety - System will detect unusual loads or behavior of the process and signal an alarm
- Supports Machine Maintenance System - Add sensors to your system to help detect the condition of the spindle
