A machining process delivers excellent results as long as the sharpness of the cutting tool is within the tolerance limits of quality control. Worst case scenario: the edge is too worn and makes the surface of the workpiece useless.
Optimizer4D of QASS analyses pulsed acoustic signals that occur during machining. The sharper the cutting tool, the more periodic the emissions. With decreasing sharpness, the high frequented impulses are becoming irregular, because the tool is rather tearing the material than cutting it.
Once the tolerance limits are preset, Optimizer4D can automatically trigger a signal, if an edge is too worn. This happens in real-time and in-process. Which means that the machine can actually be maintained when it needs to, rather than being checked in fixed intervalls.
Optimizer4D detects the condition of a cutting edge with an integrated pattern recognition. The system reacts to deviations in the cutting emissions. Characteristic patterns in the Optimizer4D signal landscape indicate the milling cutter breakage in advance. The processing machine can react immediately to these signals, so that a breakdown can be prevented as a preventive measure and without further rejects caused by a damaged milling head.
Detection of wear
Optimizer4D measures pulsed acoustic signals during the machining process. The more blunt the cutting tool, the more irregular and rough are the signals in the HFIM-depiction (High-Frequency-Impulse-Measurement). The left image shows signals of an intact machining tool, the tool in the right image is worn out.
