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    Monitoring and Managing Cutting Tool Lifespan

    From the past to the present, "tool life" has consistently been a concern for manufacturing personnel. Typically, tool life is assessed based on manufacturer recommendations or past experiences, leading to premature tool changes due to the fear of tool failure. In many cases, tools are discarded before reaching their maximum efficiency, resulting in prolonged costs for both tools and labor.

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    What is cutting tool life?

    In the process of machining, cutting tools play the most direct and crucial role. They endure cutting forces, high temperatures, friction, high-speed rotation, and moisture from all directions. Operating relentlessly in such harsh conditions, these tools face inevitable risks of wear and damage. As cutting time extends, the wear on the tool increases, accompanied by a rise in cutting forces, temperature, and surface roughness. The time elapsed from the initiation of tool usage until it becomes incapable of further cutting is referred to as "tool life." Typically, a threshold value of tool wear or the occurrence of a specific phenomenon serves as the basis for determining tool life.

    Methods for Determining cutting tool life

    According to traditional methods, the inspection of cutting conditions, workpiece quality, and process noise is often done manually. Alternatively, downtime is required for measuring tool wear. These approaches heavily rely on the experience of operators and demand a significant amount of time for monitoring. Despite attempts to introduce automation by enforcing tool changes based on fixed cutting time or processing cycles, early tool replacement may not fully utilize the tool's lifespan. Conversely, delaying tool replacement may impact processing quality, ultimately leading to increased costs.


    The tool life is most significantly affected by the extent of tool wear, which can be attributed to various internal and external factors. Internally, factors include tool material, coatings, and dimensions, while external factors encompass clamping force, cutting parameters, workpiece material, tool holder wear, machine equipment conditions, and the selection of cutting fluid. The lifespan of the tool can be influenced by improper selection or configuration of these factors. Understanding these elements allows for adjustments tailored to different conditions and facilitates finding directions that can prolong tool life.

    【Learn more】How to choose the right tools: cutting tools material and performance

    Is there a way to monitor tool life?

    Yes, there are various methods for monitoring tool life today. Through different sensors and principles, measurements can be taken during various cutting processes. Common methods include:


    • Image processing method: Utilizing charge-coupled devices and optical fiber sensors to monitor the reflected light intensity changes on the worn surface, enabling the assessment of the current tool wear condition. However, achieving real-time monitoring with this method can be challenging.


    • Cutting force method: Observing changes in cutting forces through strain gauges and dynamometers, this method offers high sensitivity and a wide range of applications.


    • Spindle Power Method: This approach involves monitoring changes in motor power and current, applicable to turning, milling, and drilling processes. While it has the advantages of low cost and easy installation, its sensitivity is relatively low.


    • Cutting Temperature Method: Monitoring the temperature between the tool and the workpiece to assess tool wear, this method is applicable to turning processes. However, it has low sensitivity and cannot be used with cutting fluids, making it challenging for widespread application.


    • Vibration Method: Utilizing accelerometers to monitor the acceleration changes in machining vibrations, this method is applicable to various cutting processes. However, it requires addressing environmental vibrations and machine natural vibrations to ensure accurate monitoring.

    How to Effectively Manage Cutting Tool Life?

    The aforementioned methods are commonly used for monitoring, but each has its applicable environment and cannot comprehensively cover all situations. Some methods may have limitations that need to be addressed before achieving complete tool life monitoring. The 'Smart Tool Holder' integrates various tool life monitoring methods to solve most environmental issues. It enables real-time monitoring of tool life while accurately collecting data on torque, axial force, torsional force, temperature, and acceleration changes. Even in harsh conditions with high-speed rotation and elevated temperatures, it maintains high-precision sensing capabilities. This comprehensive data collection allows for in-depth analysis of cutting data, effectively addressing issues and analyzing tool life.



    When effective tool life management is implemented, it not only enhances production stability but also allows for the identification of suitable tools through big data analysis. This optimization enables machine tools to operate at their limits, ultimately increasing customer satisfaction with the quality. Thus, the advantages of smart manufacturing are realized within the industry.


    Main photo by Istock

    Reference: Machinery Industry

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