Automated tool breakage recognition ensures reliable milling and drilling operations
The factory has more than 15 machining centers, including DMU50, DMU60 and DMU70 vertical machining centers. This outsourcing factory located in Rottau, Germany has accumulated considerable experience in high-speed cutting and 5-axis machining over the years, and has an outstanding reputation because Stefan Feichtbauer always pays attention to the development trend of processing technology in advance. Many industry manufacturers are very satisfied with the company's services, and many customers trust the processing quality of this outsourcing manufacturer. As Mr. Stefan Feichtbauer said: Even in the local area, we need to face strong suppliers and must be competitive. For this, we must increase productivity. And when the machine tool can run as usual when unattended, it can obtain higher production capacity.
When using small-diameter tools for processing, the tools are easy to break, causing great problems. However, at Feichtbauer factory, there is more demand for machining with small-diameter tools-many precision mechanical parts need to mill deep grooves with a width of only 1 to 2 mm, and drill deep holes with a diameter of less than 3 mm. Due to the geometric shape of many workpieces, it often takes several hours of processing time. In addition, sometimes it is necessary to process some special materials, such as special aluminum alloy or high-quality steel.
"If every 3 to 5 workpieces are processed, a piece of waste will be generated because the drill bit is broken. The consequences are too serious-we need to spend a lot of money to repurchase damaged tools and raw materials, and what is more serious is that we cannot comply with the delivery date. It will cause great dissatisfaction with customers and damage our image-this loss is often difficult to make up for,” explains Mr. Stefan Feichtbauer. Therefore, we must try to ensure timely delivery.
The factory's vertical machining center uses the tool breakage identification system TRS2 produced by Renishaw, UK. It is installed in the machining area of the machine tool and can emit a laser beam, which is reflected from the tool to be inspected. With this laser reflection, the tool breakage identification system TRS2 can identify whether the tool has been broken or intact.
Tool breakage identification is almost 100% reliable
The system uses a special algorithm to analyze and process the reflected laser beam, which can avoid leaving cooling lubricant or small chips on the tool, hindering the normal operation of the monitoring system, or producing measurement results that are not in line with the actual situation. Mr. Stefan Feichtbauer said: TRS2 monitoring system can reach almost 100% recognition reliability. It is particularly important that the identification of even small diameter tools is very reliable-the TRS2 system can inspect tools as small as 0.2mm in diameter.
Mr. Michael Vogt, who is in charge of technical consulting for Renishaw in southern Germany, explained: “The tool breakage monitoring device can complete the tool detection in about 1 second. For complex tools and some taps, sample detection can improve recognition reliability. Sex helps a lot."
After processing or after removing the tool from the tool magazine and replacing it on the spindle of the machine tool, the machining center stops the tool at a distance of about 300mm before the TRS2 monitoring device. Turn on the laser measuring instrument according to the detection cycle to identify possible tool damage. The main advantage of the TRS2 tool breakage monitoring device is that only one component for laser emission and reception can be used to perform the work of the monitoring device, which simplifies the installation and debugging of the monitoring device in the processing area of the machining center.
The tool monitoring device is fully protected in accordance with the IPX8 waterproof level to prevent the interference of chips and splashed cooling lubricant. Therefore, the monitoring device can work reliably for a long time even in the processing area where the processing center is full of mist.
"We get a lot of benefits from the broken tool identification device," Mr. Stefan Feichtbauer gave a specific example: "It helps us eliminate the waste caused by broken tools, protect the tools from damage, and make them fully used before their service life. Great savings in tool costs-considering that in the case of small production batches and frequent changes in workpiece materials, we are unlikely to predict the life of the tool. Moreover, sometimes the machine tool needs to work unattended."
In particular, the latter case is conducive to maintaining production efficiency and improving production competitiveness. During the processing of one machine tool, the machine operator can load and unload or program the second machine tool. "The automatic tool breakage recognition device also gives us confidence in the production process. Machine operators do not always have to work in a hurry," Stefan Feichtbauer said.
All machining centers should be equipped with Renishaw TRS2 tool breakage monitoring device. When investing in other machine tools, he will determine in advance whether the machine tool manufacturer has installed such a system.
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