In any manufacturing unit, machines and tools are used to manufacture a certain part or product and hence undergo continuous use. This may lead to wear and tear and, at times malfunctioning, which needs to be prevented at any cost. Tool monitoring systems are used by manufacturers to monitor the health of their machines and equipment periodically. This forms a significant part of their capital investments but helps cut down on unnecessary costs and downtime. This is because they evaluate machine components and processes to ensure efficient machining and allow the operator to take required steps to avoid downtime and overall repair costs. Most tool monitoring systems can perform different monitoring functions. This post introduces you to some common monitoring functions performed by these tools.
Top 5 Conditions Monitored by Tool Monitoring Systems
Here is a list of the conditions and components monitored using tool monitoring systems to predict future failures, identify condition-based maintenance activities, and much more. So, let’s have a look at them.
- Tool Failure:
Tool monitoring systems allows you to identify broken and dull tools which helps identify tool failure at an early stage. Estimating tool failures before they occur helps prevent severe damage to the system’s head and feed mechanisms. The ability to detect tool breakage can help to prevent manufacturing bad or scrap parts.
- Vibration Monitoring:
Different vibration patterns indicate different defects. This is one factor which may impact the durability of the tool or system. In most cases, the vibration of a cutting tool will be the same from part to part. Excess vibration may indicate a problem with the tool or spindle. Monitoring the vibration patterns helps prevent these problems from occurring. There are three parameters measured to evaluate the vibration of any equipment or machine – acceleration, displacement, and velocity. These parameters help detect failures even before they occur, reducing downtime and increasing reliability.
- Ball Bearing Wear:
Ball bearing wear mainly occurs during the machine’s start timing and slowdown timing. This is because the fluid pressure inside the machine is not high enough to maintain lubrication. Additionally, bearing wear can occur due to the use of wrong or inadequate lubricant. This, in turn, causes damage to the manufacturing equipment or machines. By frequently monitoring the bearing conditions, machine downtime and costly maintenance can be prevented.
- Load Monitoring:
Different machines perform different manufacturing operations. There are many types of machines that are used to cut, bend, and form materials in the required shapes and dimensions. The functioning of these may cause depreciation and increase the power load due to wear and constant usage. This increased load decreases the tool life and may incur extra repair and maintenance costs. Therefore, load monitoring is important to ensure the longer lifespan of the machine.
- Spindle Speed:
It is an apparent indicator of several potential problems within the machine. The machine tool monitoring systems help analyze the power being used by the spindle. If a spindle speed is changed during a cut it will reflect this change in the graph. Knowing the proper spindle speed is important in maintaining proper cutting and tool wear.
Aside from this, there are several other conditions that can be monitored using tool monitoring systems. Furthermore, this machine data can be analyzed to understand the patterns pertaining to the health of the machine and take the required action to maintain them in the long run. Considering the immense significance of these systems, it is important to source them from a reliable and experienced industry player such as Techna-Tool. With vast years of market presence, the company specializes in manufacturing and supplying performance-driven tool monitoring systems and accessories for diverse applications.