New method for determining single cutting edge breakage of a multi-tooth milling tool based on acceleration measurements of an instrumented tool holder

In machining applications predominantly for automated machining cells, tool life is often not used to its full extend and cutting tools are exchanged prematurely to avoid tool breakage and thus machine downtime or even damage at work piece or machine. Both effective process monitoring and adequate process control require reliable data from sensors and derived indicators that enable meaningful evaluation. Acceleration measurement by the instrumented tool holder provides signals with high quality from close to the cutting zone. Using the monitoring system, the gained data of the instrumented tool holder can be analyzed especially for the use case of unexpected tool wear, chipping of the cutting edge or breakouts at end mills. This paper describes the data analysis based on the rotational sensor and the corresponding effects on the measurement, an advanced assessment of the spectral distribution in the frequency domain and the experimental results of a test series.