Tool wear monitoring through online measured cutting force and cutting temperature during face milling Inconel 718

Tool wear monitoring has been an indispensable strategy for workshop operators to know the tool wear state accurately. Tool wear monitoring system can illustrate the effects of various wear patterns by using analytical tool wear models. However, the current tool wear monitoring methods rarely consider analytical modeling of tool wear patterns in milling process. In this research, the indirect tool wear monitoring system with online measured cutting force and cutting temperature is proposed. The proposed tool wear monitoring system is composed of five sections. These sections include local cutting force prediction modeling, tool wear modeling for tool flank face, cutting force and cutting temperature sensing, cutting force modifying, and tool wear width calculating. Firstly, the local cutting force model was modified as a function of flank wear width VB to fit the method. Secondly, the analytical model of WC–Co carbide tool flank wear rate was proposed as a function of cutting force and cutting temperature in milling process. Finally, the flank wear width was calculated and modified based on the flank wear rate model and the measured cutting force and cutting temperature. The system proposed for tool wear monitoring was verified with interrupted face milling Inconel 718 experiments. The monitoring error and robustness are also analyzed. This tool wear monitoring system can be extended to monitor the shape of tool flank wear zone and can provide guidance for workshop application.