Process monitoring with sensory machine tool components

Increasing automation paired with demands from high speed and high performance cutting leads to the need for process monitoring methods which avoid faulty or destructive conditions. This paper describes new monitoring methods using a sensory machine tool. By integrating a sensing fixture and an adaptive sensory milling spindle the process and workpiece behavior can be observed from both sides of the process. Interaction of these components allows new monitoring capability. A new concept for sensor fusion results in methods for automated self-calibration and a detailed insight into the process. Effects from spindle, workpiece and process dynamics can be separated. (C) 2010 CIRP.