Artificial intelligence for automatic prediction of required surface roughness by monitoring wear on face mill teeth

Nowadays, face milling is one of the most widely used machining processes for the generation of flat surfaces. Following international standards, the quality of a machined surface is measured in terms of surface roughness, Ra, a parameter that will decrease with increased tool wear. So, cutting inserts of the milling tool have to be changed before a given surface quality threshold is exceeded. The use of artificial intelligence methods is suggested in this paper for real-time prediction of surface roughness deviations, depending on the main drive power, and taking tool wear, \(V_{B}\) into account. This method ensures comprehensive use of the potential of modern CNC machines that are able to monitor the main drive power, N, in real-time. It can likewise estimate the three parameters -maximum tool wear, machining time, and cutting power- that are required to generate a given surface roughness, thereby making the most efficient use of the cutting tool. A series of artificial intelligence methods are tested: random forest (RF), standard Multilayer perceptrons (MLP), Regression Trees, and radial-based functions. Random forest was shown to have the highest model accuracy, followed by regression trees, displaying higher accuracy than the standard MLP and the radial-basis function. Moreover, RF techniques are easily tuned and generate visual information for direct use by the process engineer, such as the linear relationships between process parameters and roughness, and thresholds for avoiding rapid tool wear. All of this information can be directly extracted from the tree structure or by drawing 3D charts plotting two process inputs and the predicted roughness depending on workshop requirements.     

Effect of tool vibrations on surface roughness during lathe dry turning process

Choice of optimized cutting parameters is very important to control the required surface quality. In fact, the difference between the real and theoretical surface roughness can be attributed to the influence of physical and dynamic phenomena such as: built-up edge, friction of cut surface against tool point and vibrations. The focus of this study is the collection and analysis of surface roughness and tool vibration data generated by lathe dry turning of mild carbon steel samples at different levels of speed, feed, depth of cut, tool nose radius, tool length and work piece length. A full factorial experimental design (288 experiments ) that allows to consider the three-level interactions between the independant variables has been conducted. Vibration analysis has revealed that the dynamic force, related to the chip-thickness variation acting on the tool, is related to the amplitude of tool vibration at resonance and to the variation of the tool's natural frequency while cutting. The analogy of the effect of cutting parameters between tool dynamic forces and surface roughness is also investigated. The results show that second order interactions between cutting speed and tool nose radius, along with third-order interaction between feed rate, cutting speed and depth of cut are the factors with the greatest influence on surface roughness and tool dynamic forces in this type of operation and parameter levels studied. The analysis of variance revealed that the best surface roughness condition is achieved at a low feed rate (less than 0.35 mnt/rev), a large tool nose radius (1.59 mm) and a high cutting speed (265 m/min and above). The results also show that the depth of cut has not a significant effect on surface roughness, except when operating within the built-up edge range. It is shown that a correlation between surface roughness and tool dynamic force exist only when operating in the built-up edge range. In these cases, built-u edge formation deteriorates surface roughness and increases dynamic forces acting on the tool. The effect of built-up edge formation on surface roughness can be minimized by increasing depth of cut and increasing tool vibration. Key words:design of experiments, lathe dry turning operation, full factorial design, surface roughness, measurements, cutting parameters, tool vibrations.     

刀具参数对加工表面粗糙度影响的研究

通过车削加工试验和数据测量,研究了刀具参数及刀具磨损量对加工表面粗糙度的影响。应用Matlab计算得出刀具参数变化和刀具磨损量对加工表面粗糙度的定量关系,为加工时选用刀具参数及控制刀具磨损量提供理论依据。     

Condition monitoring of CNC machining using adaptive control

In this work, an adaptive control constraint system has been developed for computer numerical control (CNC) turning based on the feedback control and adaptive control/self-tuning control. In an adaptive controlled system, the signals from the online measurement have to be processed and fed back to the machine tool controller to adjust the cutting parameters so that the machining can be stopped once a certain threshold is crossed. The main focus of the present work is to develop a reliable adaptive control system, and the objective of the control system is to control the cutting parameters and maintain the displacement and tool flank wear under constraint valves for a particular workpiece and tool combination as per ISO standard. Using Matlab Simulink, the digital adaption of the cutting parameters for experiment has confirmed the efficiency of the adaptively controlled condition monitoring system, which is reflected in different machining processes at varying machining conditions. This work describes the state of the art of the adaptive control constraint (ACC) machining systems for turning. AISI4140 steel of 150 BHN hardness is used as the workpiece material, and carbide inserts are used as cutting tool material throughout the experiment. With the developed approach, it is possible to predict the tool condition pretty accurately, if the feed and surface roughness are measured at identical conditions. As part of the present research work, the relationship between displacement due to vibration, cutting force, flank wear, and surface roughness has been examined.     

Micro-milling performance of AISI 304 stainless steel using Taguchi method and fuzzy logic modelling

In this study, micro-milling of AISI 304 stainless steel with ball nose end mill was conducted using Taguchi method. The influences of spindle speed, feed rate and depth of cut on tool wear, cutting forces and surface roughness were examined. Taguchi’s signal to noise ratio was utilized to optimize the output responses. The influence of control parameters on output responses was determined by analysis of variance. In this study, the models describing the relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variables were also established by using regression and fuzzy logic. Efficiency of both models was determined by analyzing correlation coefficients and by comparing with experimental values. The results showed that both regression and fuzzy logic modelling could be efficiently utilized for the prediction of tool wear, cutting forces and surface roughness in micro-milling of AISI 304 stainless steel.     

Digital twin-driven surface roughness prediction and process parameter adaptive optimization

In the process of parts machining, the real-time state of equipment such as tool wear will change dynamically with the cutting process, and then affect the surface roughness of parts. The traditional process parameter optimization method is difficult to take into account the uncertain factors in the machining process, and cannot meet the requirements of real-time and predictability of process parameter optimization in intelligent manufacturing. To solve this problem, a digital twin-driven surface roughness prediction and process parameter adaptive optimization method is proposed. Firstly, a digital twin containing machining elements is constructed to monitor the machining process in real-time and serve as a data source for process parameter optimization; Then IPSO-GRNN (Improved Particle Swarm Optimization-Generalized Regression Neural Networks) prediction model is constructed to realize tool wear prediction and surface roughness prediction based on data; Finally, when the surface roughness predicted based on the real-time data fails to meet the processing requirements, the digital twin system will warn and perform adaptive optimization of cutting parameters based on the currently predicted tool wear. Through the development of a process-optimized digital twin system and a large number of cutting tests, the effectiveness and advancement of the method proposed in this paper are verified. The organic combination of real-time monitoring, accurate prediction, and optimization decision-making in the machining process is realized which solves the problem of inconsistency between quality and efficiency of the machining process.     

Online tool wear prediction system in the turning process using an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system

Tool wear is a detrimental factor that affects the quality and tolerance of machined parts. Having an accurate prediction of tool wear is important for machining industries to maintain the machined surface quality and can consequently reduce inspection costs and increase productivity. Online and real-time tool wear prediction is possible due to developments in sensor technology. Recently, various sensors and methods have been proposed for the development of tool wear monitoring systems. In this study, an online tool wear monitoring system was proposed using a strain gauge-type sensor due to its simplicity and low cost. A model, based on the adaptive network-based fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), and a new statistical signal analysis method, the I-kaz method, were used to predict tool wear during a turning process. In order to develop the ANFIS model, the cutting speed, depth of cut, feed rate and I-kaz coefficient from the signals of each turning process were taken as inputs, and the flank wear value for the cutting edge was an output of the model. It was found that the prediction usually accurate if the correlation of coefficients and the average errors were in the range of 0.989–0.995 and 2.30–5.08% respectively for the developed model. The proposed model is efficient and low-cost which can be used in the machining industry for online prediction of the cutting tool wear progression, but the accuracy of the model depends upon the training and testing data.     

基于图像连通区域数的刀具磨损状态特征提取实验研究

为了利用计算机视觉技术进行刀具状态监测,设计了机械加工刀具状态监测实验系统,并通过将图像处理技术引入到机械加工刀具磨损状态监测中,提出了一种通过提取工件表面图像的连通区域数来判断刀具磨损状态的新方法。该方法首先采集被加工工件的表面图像;然后对图像进行预处理,并对区域行程算法进行了改进,再用改进的区域行程标记算法对机械加工工件表面图像进行标记;最后通过统计连通区域数来判断刀具的磨损状态。理论和实验分析表明,由于加工工件表面图像的连通区域数和刀具磨损有很强的相关性,其可以间接判断刀具磨损情况,从而可达到对刀具状态进行监测的目的。实验表明,该方法计算简单、识别速度快,可以有效地判断刀具的磨损状态。     

Cutting tool wear estimation for turning

The experimental investigation on cutting tool wear and a model for tool wear estimation is reported in this paper. The changes in the values of cutting forces, vibrations and acoustic emissions with cutting tool wear are recoded and analyzed. On the basis of experimental results a model is developed for tool wear estimation in turning operations using Adaptive Neuro fuzzy Inference system (ANFIS). Acoustic emission (Ring down count), vibrations (acceleration) and cutting forces along with time have been used to formulate model. This model is capable of estimating the wear rate of the cutting tool. The wear estimation results obtained by the model are compared with the practical results and are presented. The model performed quite satisfactory results with the actual and predicted tool wear values. The model can also be used for estimating tool wear on-line but the accuracy of the model depends upon the proper training and section of data points.     

Design of neural network-based estimator for tool wear modeling in hard turning

Hard turning with cubic boron nitride (CBN) tools has been proven to be more effective and efficient than traditional grinding operations in machining hardened steels. However, rapid tool wear is still one of the major hurdles affecting the wide implementation of hard turning in industry. Better prediction of the CBN tool wear progression helps to optimize cutting conditions and/or tool geometry to reduce tool wear, which further helps to make hard turning a viable technology. The objective of this study is to design a novel but simple neural network-based generalized optimal estimator for CBN tool wear prediction in hard turning. The proposed estimator is based on a fully forward connected neural network with cutting conditions and machining time as the inputs and tool flank wear as the output. Extended Kalman filter algorithm is utilized as the network training algorithm to speed up the learning convergence. Network neuron connection is optimized using a destructive optimization algorithm. Besides performance comparisons with the CBN tool wear measurements in hard turning, the proposed tool wear estimator is also evaluated against a multilayer perceptron neural network modeling approach and/or an analytical modeling approach, and it has been proven to be faster, more accurate, and more robust. Although this neural network-based estimator is designed for CBN tool wear modeling in this study, it is expected to be applicable to other tool wear modeling applications.     

A geometrical model for surface roughness prediction when face milling Al 7075-T7351 with square insert tools

Surface quality is important in engineering and a vital aspect of it is surface roughness, since it plays an important role in wear resistance, ductility, tensile, and fatigue strength for machined parts. This paper reports on a research study on the development of a geometrical model for surface roughness prediction when face milling with square inserts. The model is based on a geometrical analysis of the recreation of the tool trail left on the machined surface. The model has been validated with experimental data obtained for high speed milling of aluminum alloy (Al 7075-T7351) when using a wide range of cutting speed, feed per tooth, axial depth of cut and different values of tool nose radius (0.8 mm and 2.5 mm), using the Taguchi method as the design of experiments. The experimental roughness was obtained by measuring the surface roughness of the milled surfaces with a non-contact profilometer. The developed model can be used for any combination of material workpiece and tool, when tool flank wear is not considered and is suitable for using any tool diameter with any number of teeth and tool nose radius. The results show that the developed model achieved an excellent performance with almost 98% accuracy in terms of predicting the surface roughness when compared to the experimental data.     

Monitoring the tool wear,surface roughness and chip formation occurrences using multiple sensors in turning

Tool wear, chip formation and surface roughness of workpiece under different cutting conditions have been investigated in machining using acoustic emission (AE) and vibration signature in turning. The investigation has shown that the AE and vibration components can effectively respond to the different occurrences in turning including tool wear and surface roughness. The AE has shown a very significant response to the tool wear progression whereas the resultant vibration (V) represented the surface roughness in turning. The vibration components V_x, V_y and V_z described the chip formation type and are found to have the most significant response to the change of feed, depth of cut and cutting speed respectively. The amplitude of vibration components, V_x, V_y and V_z increased with the increase of feed rate, depth of cut and cutting speed respectively. Even though the frequency of different signal components fluctuated at the different stages of tool wear and at different cutting conditions, the frequency of vibration components was always within a band of 98–40 kHz, and the AE has varied between 51 kHz and 620 kHz.     

Tool wear monitoring and selection of optimum cutting conditions with progressive tool wear effect and input uncertainties

One of the big challenges in machining is replacing the cutting tool at the right time. Carrying on the process with a dull tool may degrade the product quality. However, it may be unnecessary to change the cutting tool if it is still capable of continuing the cutting operation. Both of these cases could increase the production cost. Therefore, an effective tool condition monitoring system may reduce production cost and increase productivity. This paper presents a neural network based sensor fusion model for a tool wear monitoring system in turning operations. A wavelet packet tree approach was used for the analysis of the acquired signals, namely cutting strains in tool holder and motor current, and the extraction of wear-sensitive features. Once a list of possible features had been extracted, the dimension of the input feature space was reduced using principal component analysis. Novel strategies, such as the robustness of the developed ANN models against uncertainty in the input data, and the integration of the monitoring information to an optimization system in order to utilize the progressive tool wear information for selecting the optimum cutting conditions, are proposed and validated in manual turning operations. The approach is simple and flexible enough for online implementation.     

Machine tool condition monitoring using workpiece surface texture analysis

Tool wear affects the surface roughness dramatically. There is a very close correspondence between the geometrical features imposed on the tool by wear and micro-fracture and the geometry imparted by the tool on to the workpiece surface. Since a machined surface is the negative replica of the shape of the cutting tool, and reflects the volumetric changes in cutting-edge shape, it is more suitable to analyze the machined surface than look at a certain portion of the cutting tool. This paper discusses our work that analyzes images of workpiece surfaces that have been subjected to machining operations and investigates the correlation between tool wear and quantities characterizing machined surfaces. Our results clearly indicate that tool condition monitoring (the distinction between a sharp, semi-dull, or a dull tool) can be successfully accomplished by analyzing surface image data. Received: 9 June 1998 / Accepted: 6 October 1999     

Taguchi-fuzzy multi output optimization (MOO) in high speed CNC turning of AISI P-20 tool steel

This paper presents the application of Taguchi method with logical fuzzy reasoning for multiple output optimization of high speed CNC turning of AISI P-20 tool steel using TiN coated tungsten carbide coatings. The machining parameters (cutting speed, feed rate, depth of cut, nose radius and cutting environment) are optimized with considerations of the multiple performance measures (surface roughness, tool life, cutting force and power consumption). Taguchi’s concepts of orthogonal arrays, signal to noise (S/N) ratio, ANOVA have been fuzzified to optimize the high speed CNC turning process parameters through a single comprehensive output measure (COM). The result analysis shows that cutting speed of 160 m/min, nose radius of 0.8 mm, feed of 0.1 mm/rev, depth of cut of 0.2 mm and the cryogenic environment are the most favorable cutting parameters for high speed CNC turning of AISI P-20 tool steel.     

Flank wear detection of cutting tool inserts in turning operation: application of nonlinear time series analysis

It has been established that turning process on a lathe exhibits low dimensional chaos. This study reports the results of nonlinear time series analysis applied to sensor signals captured real time. The purpose of this chaos analysis is to differentiate three levels of flank wears on cutting tool inserts—fresh, partially worn and fully worn—utilizing the single value index extracted from the reconstructed chaotic attractor; the correlation dimension. The analysis reveals distinguishable dynamics of cutting characterized by different values for the dimension of the attractor when different quality tool inserts are used. This dependence can be effectively utilized as one of the indicators in tool condition monitoring in a lathe. This paper presents the experimental results and shows that tool vibration signals can transmit tool wear conditions reliably.     

Tool condition monitoring in interrupted cutting with acceleration sensors

Tool breakage is a serious issue in conditions with highly variable stress such as interrupted turning. The tool may fail suddenly though commonly tool failure is preceded by other symptoms such as chipping or fracture of tool edges and tool wear before the complete failure. These symptoms can be used to predict reliably complete tool failure. In the case of a complete failure, the surface integrity of the workpiece is commonly ruined causing waste, making the individual events one of the most expensive failures in small series and flexible manufacturing in addition to collisions. In earlier studies, tool wear has been monitored by force sensors. There are also methods for estimating cutting force with acceleration sensors. In this study, it is demonstrated that it is possible to estimate tool deflection, connected to main cutting force, with acceleration sensor and use this information for detecting the chipping and small fracture of the tool edge. The method presented in this study can be used as a predictor for complete tool failure and thus prevent waste.     

Investigation and FEA-based simulation of tool wear geometry and metal oxide effect on cutting process variables

In machining, it is clearly noticed that the cutting tool wear influences the cutting process. However, it is difficult with experimental methods to study the effects of tool wear on several machining variables. Thus, in the literature, some earlier studies are performed separately on the effect of tool flank wear and crater wear on cutting process variables (such as cutting forces and temperature). Furthermore when the workpiece material adheres in cutting tool, it affects considerably the heat transfer phenomena. Accordingly, in this work the finite element analysis (FEA) is performed to investigate the influence of combination of tool flank and crater wear on the local or global variables such as cutting forces, tool temperature, chip formation on the one hand and the effects of the oxidized adhesion layer considered as oxide (Fe₂O₃/Fe₃O₄/FeO) on the heat transfer in cutting insert on the other hand. In this investigation, an uncoated cutting insert WC–6Co and medium carbon steel grade AISI 1045 are used. The factorial experimental design technique with three parameters (cutting speed Vc, flank wear land VB, crater wear depth KT) is used for the first investigation without adhesion layer. Then, only linear investigation is performed. The analysis has shown the influence of the different configurations of the tool wear geometry on the local or global cutting process variables, mainly on temperature and cutting. The simulation’s results show also, the highly influence of the oxidized adhesion layer (oxide Fe₂O₃/Fe₃O₄/FeO) on the heat transfer.     

Tool condition classification using Hidden Markov Model based on fractal analysis of machined surface textures

The texture of a machined surface generated by a cutting tool, with geometrically well-defined cutting edges, carries essential information regarding the extent of tool wear. There is a strong relationship between the degree of wear of the cutting tool and the geometry imparted by the tool on to the workpiece surface. The monitoring of a tool’s condition in production environments can easily be accomplished by analyzing the surface texture and how it is altered by a cutting edge experiencing progressive wear and micro-fractures. This paper discusses our work which involves fractal analysis of the texture of surfaces that have been subjected to machining operations. Two characteristics of the texture, high directionality and self-affinity, are dealt with by extracting the fractal features from images of surfaces machined with tools with different levels of tool wear. The Hidden Markov Model is used to classify the various states of tool wear. In this paper, we show that fractal features are closely related to tool condition and HMM-based analysis provides reliable means of tool condition prediction.     

刀具状态在线监测与智能识别方法研究

切削加工中刀具状态是影响加工质量的关键因素,刀具的磨损直接影响工件的加工精度和表面粗糙度.选择加速度传感器监测切削加工中的振动信号,针对刀具状态变化时振动能量分布随之变化的特点,提取不同频段振动能量作为特征量,利用RBF神经网络进行聚类辨识.实验结果表明,该方法具有良好的识别效果和工程应用价值.