Tool Wear Offset System

This setting selects how tool size is specified for cutter compensation. Set to either RADIUS or DIAMETER. The selection also effects the Tool Diameter geometry and wear values displayed on the TOOL OFFSETS table. If setting 40 is changed from RADIUS to DIAMETER, the displayed value is two times the value entered before.

The system for tool wear measurement described above enables one to measure the flank wear of each single insert of a milling cutter with high precision and in the working range of a machine tool. A comparison of the results of the vision system with those of a measuring microscope verifies the method of optical tool monitoring. Further examinations concentrate on the one hand on the optimization of the system for an industrial use and on the other hand on various methods to analyze the image data. The use of neuronal networks might help to process the pixel information in a much shorter time. An automatic calculation of tool offset values will also be needed in future.

The inline automatic calibration system was successfully implemented for the measurement of tool wear parameters. With this calibration system, there is no need for separate calibration of the vision system. The measurements of an average tool wear width with the present vision system are found to be in close agreement with that with the digital microscope. The average absolute error in measuring average tool wear width for all the twelve inserts was found to be 3.08%. Average wear width, wear area, and wear perimeter were seen increasing with the machining time. The scanning electron micrographs indicate severe abrasion marks and damage to the cutting edge in the case of higher machining time.