Development of a system for monitoring tool condition using acousto-optic emission signal in face turning—an experimental approach

In automated manufacturing systems, one of the most important issues is accurate detection of the tool conditions under given cutting conditions so that worn tools can be identified and replaced in time. In metal cutting as a result of the cutting motion, the surface of workpiece will be influenced by cutting parameters, cutting force, and vibrations, etc. But the effects of vibrations have been paid less attention. In the present paper, an investigation is presented of a tool condition monitoring system, which consists of a fast Fourier transform preprocessor for generating features from an online acousto-optic emission (AOE) signals to develop a database for appropriate decisions. A fast Fourier transform (FFT) can decompose AOE signals into different frequency bands in the time domain. Present work uses a laser Doppler vibrometer for online data acquisition and a high-speed FFT analyser used to process the AOE signals. The generation of the AOE signals directly in the cutting zone makes them very sensitive to changes in the cutting process due to vibrations. AOE techniques is a relatively recent entry into the field of tool condition monitoring. This method has also been widely used in the field of metal cutting to detect process changes like displacement due to vibration and tool wear, etc. In this research work the results obtained from the analysis of acousto-optic emission sensor employs to predict flank wear in turning of AISI 1040 steel of 150 BHN hardness using Carbide insert and HSS tools. The correlation between the tool wear and AOE parameters is analyzed using the experimental study conducted in 16 H.P. all geared lathe. The encouraging results of the work pave the way for the development of a real-time, low-cost, and reliable tool condition monitoring system. A high degree of correlation is established between the results of the AOE signal and experimental results in identification of tool wear state.