Using sensory tool holder data for optimizing production processes

Today's highly automated manufacturing specifies the service time of a tool in a way that the tooling costs are balanced against the potential costs of a tool failure. However, the potential cost induced by a tool malfunctioning are rather high. Therefore, the current state-of-the art tackles this issue by replacing the tools prematurely at fixed intervals. To tap into the potential of under-utilized tool runtime this work purposes the use of sensory-tool holders and an interfering feedback loop to the machine tool control system. Besides its real-time closed loop control, to avoid tool failure, it also provides data in the context of (a) the work order, (b) the produced part, (c) the NC-block and command line, on (d) specific machines. Based on this data an ex-post analysis to optimize tool-life and productivity scenarios becomes possible, e.g. custom NC-programs for certain work-orders, configurations and machines. Furthermore, downstreamed work steps can be changed e.g. only to measure produced workpieces if abnormal vibrations are reported by in-process-monitoring.