Machine Tool Monitoring: All You Need to Know
Machine tool monitoring helps protect and extend the life of your machine tools by ensuring that problems are caught before causing any irreparable damage. Machine tools are used to machine metal and other rigid materials through cutting, boring, grinding, and shearing processes or other forms of deformation.
The type of action that machine tools are involved in means that they need constant monitoring to make sure that they function well and don't break down unexpectedly. Machine tool monitoring can go a long way to ensure that your machine tools can function as efficiently as possible and as long as possible.
This, in turn, leads to further advantages such as avoiding unscheduled downtimes and the extra costs of frequently replacing machine tools. In this article, I discuss briefly 1. what machine tool monitoring is, 2. its various approaches, and 3. how the tools and software designed by G-TECH can help you develop a successful predictive maintenance strategy for your machine tools.
What Is Machine Tool Monitoring?
Machine tool monitoring describes the process of identifying unusual vibrations during machining in order to prevent unwanted outcomes such as poor surface finish, reduced tool life, and machine damage. The process involves a three-part process. The first part of the process is spent collecting data using vibration meters (such as G-TECH’s vPod Pro), vibration monitoring sensors, or accelerometers.
In the second part of the process, the collected data is analyzed. This analysis can include signal processing techniques like Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) or machine learning algorithms to catch patterns that may indicate issues. The most efficient approach to monitoring includes comprehensive health monitoring systems, such as G-TECH’s iSee Online System.
Abnormal vibration signals from machine tools in operation is typically referred to as chatter. Therefore, the term chatter detection is another term that can be used to describe machine tool vibration analysis. The last and third part of the process involves triggering an alert or response to chatter detection. Such a response could mean adjusting spindle speed, replacing parts or components, and other actions. The most effective machine tool monitoring processes rely on automated processes and complicated predictive analytical equipment and systems.
Luckily, at G-TECH, we offer both the hardware and software that are required to ensure that you are in a position to deliver effective machine tool monitoring. Our products and software are designed to ensure that you make use of the latest predictive maintenance strategies and IoT concepts to create a monitoring system that is efficient, precise, and coordinated. But before we go into the details of the products we have available, let’s look at the approaches to and advantages of machine tool monitoring.
Approaches to Machine Tool Monitoring
Machine tool monitoring approaches can vary from simple to complex. We can also think of it as existing on three levels, and in an ascending order of efficacy. The higher, the more complex. It can be broken down into:
- Level 1: Reactive
- Level 2: Basic predictive analytics
- Level 3: Advanced predictive analytics
1. Reactive. Level 1, or the reactive approach to machine tool monitoring, can be thought of as the more traditional method. It involves allowing the tool to run to failure and using failure points to determine an average. This average can then be used as a guideline to replace tools or parts. However, this method comes with several disadvantages.
This method can be somewhat subjective, especially if the machine is used on different materials. There are also other variables that make such a method unreliable. For example, if the machine lies idle for long periods compared to other previous periods of use. All this means that the average setpoint may be inaccurate and unreliable.
2. Basic predictive analytics. A basic predictive analytics approach is more advanced, and it means relying on waveform analysis of vibrations and noise from a machine to predict failure points. It effectively eliminates the problem of subjective averages in the first reactive approach. However, it is not nearly as comprehensive, complete, and reliable as the more advanced approach.
3. Advanced predictive analytics. This is an approach to machine tool monitoring that relies on advanced software and analytical systems. Such systems include advanced algorithms, high-frequency data, and the use of sensors to continually collect such data. This approach makes it possible to more accurately predict machine failure and allows you to make the most of your machine tools.
AT G-TECH, our predictive maintenance tools and software are designed to take full advantage of advanced predictive analytics for your machine tools. The last section of the article takes a brief look at how our various tools and monitoring systems can work toward helping you achieve effective predictive maintenance of your machine tools.
Advantages of Advanced Machine Tool Monitoring
Machine tool monitoring offers several advantages. Taken together, these advantages contribute to operations that run more smoothly and efficiently, which in turn leads to cutting costs and generating greater profits. Let’s look at each individually. They include:
- Quality control
- Expanding tool life
- Process optimization
1. Quality control. Chatter in machine tools can compromise the quality of the finished product being subjected to machining processes. This means things like poor surface finishes and inaccuracies in dimensions. Effective tool monitoring allows for chatter to be caught early in the process and thus improving or maintaining consistency in quality in the final product.
2. Expanding tool life. The life of your assets can be lengthened by making sure that they benefit from timely diagnosis and repairs through effective monitoring. Chatter in machine tools is an indication that something is wrong. When they are caught early, it means that corrective action can be taken more quickly.
3. Optimizing processes. Monitoring, evaluating, and correcting chatter means that manufacturers create a process whereby the performance of machine tools is constantly being improved. This continual improvement, in turn, means that the process is optimized, and your operations can achieve maximal efficiency.
G-TECH Machine Tool Monitoring Systems
G-TECH has a range of both hardware and systems to help you run an effective predictive maintenance system for your machine tools. This includes the impaq Plus, which is a handheld vibration analyzer that can be used to directly collect data from the machine.
In addition to this type of hardware, we have software and systems in place to help effectively analyze the data, come up with accurate diagnoses, and send alerts when anomalies are detected. Let’s take a look at some of them below.
1. impaq Plus Portable 4-channel dynamic signal analyzer
Machine tool monitoring begins with the accurate collection of data. This is what you get with the impaq plus. It’s a tough and portable 4-channel spectrum analyzer with an IP 65 industrial protection rating. That means it's built for use in the harshest and most dynamic field conditions.
In addition to being tough, this handheld vibration analyzer has an easy-to-use and intuitive interface, which is combined with its comprehensive functionality. This is reflected in its large 10.1-inch multi-touch color display, 24-bit signal acquisition DAQ, and a maximum measurement bandwidth of 40 kHz. It covers all vibration and acoustic measurements and also supports ultrasonic measurement bands.
2. Spindle Thermal Drift Measuring System
Spindles are crucial components in machine tools, which makes monitoring them essential. STDM (or Spindle Thermal Drift Measuring System) is a measurement device that is used to detect thermal deformation and deflection of the spindle in a machine tool.
Our STDM can measure the displacement of the spindle in three axes and the temperature value of each point of the machine. It can effectively help you monitor spindle components to ensure smooth and optimal performance of your machine tool.
3. EdgeQ-V 4-channel dynamic signal recorder and transmitter
EdgeQ-V is an online monitoring and predictive maintenance module for machine vibration. It can be used for machine tool condition monitoring in the areas of machine tool cutting chatter analysis, machine tool cutting process optimization, and machine crash prevention.
To learn more about how these tools and systems can be incorporated into an effective predictive maintenance strategy, click on the pic for each product. You can also check out our full list of machine health monitoring and predictive maintenance products.