Tool monitoring apparatus
First Claim
1. A method for detecting a tool condition in a multiple tool spindle, the method comprising the steps of:
- determining total machine energy supplied to a multiple tool spindle containing a plurality of tools in each of a plurality of machine cycles;
determining the average machine energy supplied over a plurality of consecutive machine cycles;
determining a relative machine energy of a most recent machine cycle as a ratio of total machine energy in the most recent machine cycle to the average machine energy;
establishing a limit of relative machine energy to average machine energy; and
comparing one of the relative machine energy and the average machine energy with the limit to determine a condition of at least one of the tools of the plurality of tools.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for determining a dull/broken tool in a multi-tool spindle executing successive machine cycles. The total machine energy supplied to the spindle is determined. The average total machine energy supplied to the spindle in a plurality of successive machine cycles is also determined. The relative machine energy of the last machine cycle is determined by a ratio of the total machine energy to the average machine energy. A limit of the relative machine energy to the average total machine energy is established. The relative machine energy is compared with the limit to determine a tool condition, i.e., a broken tool. The instantaneous energy supplied to the plurality of machine tools is sampled a plurality of times during each machine cycle, and integrated to obtain the total machine energy for each machine cycle. The average total machine energy is updated with each new machine cycle over a predetermined number of most recent cycles.
31 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method for detecting a tool condition in a multiple tool spindle, the method comprising the steps of:
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determining total machine energy supplied to a multiple tool spindle containing a plurality of tools in each of a plurality of machine cycles; determining the average machine energy supplied over a plurality of consecutive machine cycles; determining a relative machine energy of a most recent machine cycle as a ratio of total machine energy in the most recent machine cycle to the average machine energy; establishing a limit of relative machine energy to average machine energy; and comparing one of the relative machine energy and the average machine energy with the limit to determine a condition of at least one of the tools of the plurality of tools. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus for determining a tool condition in at least one tool of a plurality of tools in a multiple tool spindle during any of a plurality of successive machine cycles, the apparatus comprising:
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means for determining total machine energy supplied to a plurality of machine tools in each of a plurality of consecutive machine cycles; means for determining the average machine energy supplied in a plurality of consecutive machine cycles; means for determining relative machine energy of a most recent machine cycle; means for establishing a limit of at least one of the machine energy and the average machine energy; and means for comparing the relative machine energy with the limit to determine a condition of at least one of the tools of the plurality of machine tools. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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Specification