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CNC-TSA™ - CNC-Tool Status Advisor

AKA - Advanced Broken Tool Detection System

This system is designed for online inspection of machine cutting tool in Computer Numerical Controlled (CNC) machining equipment.  The system will identify tools that have been damaged during use in production.  There are several versions of the instrument that range from simple tool presence to advance tool wear and predictive maintenance.

Phoenix Imaging has been working on several versions of this instrumentation in order to accommodate the widest range of customers.  The simplest form of the instrument (Level 1) is use a fixe position sensor with a large field of view.  This Instrument is used to identify when a tool has macroscopic damage, i.e. large chips or portions of the flank removed.  A higher resolution version of the instrument (Level 2) uses a smaller field of view with the sensor mounted on a translation stage programmed to move above the area of interest.

The CNC-TSA™ system automatically measures tool length, diameter and feature angles after the initial system installation.  As an option the customer may specify the acceptable tool dimensional ranges and the system will isolate any product that fall outside the customer specified tolerances.

CNC machine operations are consistently challenged with the problem of broken  or worn tools during production.  Traditional dedicated machining line Poke-Yokes and mistake proofing feature probes and sensor are not applicable to flexible CNC lines.  CNC operators must rely on scheduled tool change intervals, CMM/Gauge checks or visual inspections on finished component features for prevention and discovery.  This process contributes to high PFMEA detection numbers and non-feasible rankings.  Identifying when and why the machined feature was defective can be difficult, allowing scrap, rework, machine downtime and delay to contribute to a reduction in productivity, an increase in cost and defect pass-through risk to customers.

The CNC-TSA™ product is designed to help manufacturers reduce unnecessary rework because of a tool malfunction in the CNC machining center.  Unlike common instrumentation for detection of broken tools (i.e. mechanical touch probes and laser based detectors), the CNC-TSA™ actually compares an image of the tool after each use.  If the CNC-TSA™ system recognizes a change in the tool profile (beyond a specific level) it will provide a signal to the CNC to change the tool before next use.

CNC-TSA™ measures the dimensional profile of the selected cutting tool features on every use cycle allowing immediate defect detection.  This prevents suspect product from entering finished product flow.  This improves Productivity, Quality and Profitability while eliminating scrap, rework and downtime!

In addition to defect prevention and immediate detection, the CNC-TSA™ system also provides real time tool wear monitoring and when used in relationship to actual feature size measurements further increases productivity and tool cost savings.

 Several Configurations are available

The CNC-TSA™ product is offered in several different configurations to meet specific project requirements.  The most basic of system configurations is the use of a single sensor in a fixed location in the CNC tool changing area.  This configuration is a low cost alternative to a mechanical feeler or laser probe, designed specifically to identify broken tools.  The system in the illustration above is more sophisticated and the sensor rides on a linear track to position the sensor at or near the end of the tool.  This allows for a higher resolution image and provides the ability to perform measurements on the tool.  As an alternative to this solution, there is the use of multiple fixed sensors module on which the sensor positioned above the tool end is selected for use.  This eliminates the need for the translation device and can check multiple location along the tool length.

The system can be configured with one, two or three sensors.  The sensors can be ordered in 1.3, 2 or 5 Megapixel resolutions.  The sensors have Gig-E interface and we can link up to 128 modules together! 

AN OEM product has been offered to a CNC Machine Manufacturer and the development is nearly completion.  This product will be offered as an option of new machines that what to use this technology.  The North American supplier selected for this product is MAG of Sterling Heights, Michigan.  The name of the product and supplier availability will be announced at a future date.

The technology was recently reviewed as the cover article in Machine Vision Design's July/August 2013 issue.  A link to the article is provided here:

http://www.vision-systems.com/articles/print/volume-18/issue-7/features/vision-system-makes-predictive-maintenance-of-machine-tools-a-snap.html

Phoenix Imaging's CNC-TSA™ System examines Tap.

 

The Retro-fit / After-Market CNC-TSA™ System is be provided by Phoenix Imaging directly.  This is a special configuration package and is designed to work with most CNC tool changer / holder systems.  It requires the addition of a translation stage that can move the sensor / illumination system to the proper position for inspection of the tool end.  The basic Level I configuration is a single sensor solution that examine the tool profile from one side.  The level II configuration adds a sensor and illumination system to examine the tool with an end-on view.

TYPICAL APPLICATION

The CNC-TSA™ system is designed to isolate potential tooling issues before they become a problem.  It does this by measuring the critical tool features immediately after the tool has been used.  The tool is examined in tool changer or the tool magazine where it is held with a known orientation.

The example at the left illustrates a typical drill point.  The Centerline and the tip of the tool are identified and measured.

All of the edges of the tool are then identified and the angle between them are determined.  An alternative is to measure the distance between the theoretical intersection of the line projections and the actual corner of the tool.  If the distance exceeds a pre-determined limit the tool is identified as worn.

The user may select as many features as required to ensure that the tool is functional.  A database is constructed to store information about all of the tools used in a particular CNC machine.  Duplicate files may be transferred to additional installations but some scaling may be required.

The most basic use of the system is to measure tool length and diameter in the vicinity of the tool tip.  This method allows for detection of the tool and to determine if it has a major flaw, i.e. large chip or end breakage.  For non-symmetric tool that have a random placement in the tool holder the system can store an image of "first use" and then compare the image with images after each use to determine if a tool change has occurred.

More advanced versions of the CNC-TSA™ system provide measurements at much higher image resolution and can be used to the predictive tool wear measurements, i.e. the cutting edges have changed position and may indicate that a tool of component malfunction is likely to occur. This information is preliminary in nature and system specifications may change without notification.

Advanced Technology

CNC machine operations are consistently challenged with the problem of broken or worn tools during production.  Traditional dedicated machining line Poke-Yokes and mistake proofing feature probes and sensors are not applicable to flexible CNC lines.  CNC operators must rely on scheduled tool change intervals, CMM/Gauge checks or visual inspections on finished component features for prevention and discovery.  This process contributes to high PFMEA detection numbers and non-feasible rankings.  Identifying when and why the machined feature was defective can be difficult, allowing scrap, rework, machine downtime and delay to contribute to a reduction in productivity, an increase in cost and defect pass-through risk to customers.

The CNC-TSA™ product is designed to help manufacturers reduce unnecessary rework because of a tool malfunction in the CNC machining center.  Unlike common instrumentation for detection of broken tools (i.e. mechanical touch probes and laser based detectors), the CNC-TSA™ actually compares an image of the tool after each use.  If the CNC-TSA™ system  recognizes a change in the tool profile (beyond a specific level) it will provide a signal to the CNC to change the tool before next use.

CNC-TSA™ measures the dimensional profile of the selected cutting tool features on every use cycle allowing immediate defect detection.  This prevents suspect product from entering finished product flow.  This improves Productivity, Quality and Profitability while eliminating scrap, rework and downtime!

In addition to defect prevention and immediate detection, the CNC-TSA™ system also provides real time tool wear monitoring and when used in relationship to actual feature size measurements further increases productivity and tool cost savings.

 

 

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Last modified: May 25, 2016