The Proposition of an Automated Honing Cell with Advanced Monitoring

Abstract

Honing of holes allows for small shape deviation and a low value of a roughness profile parameter, e.g., Ra parameter. The honing process heats the workpiece and raises its temperature. The increase in temperature causes thermal deformations of the honed holes. The article proposes the construction of a honing cell, containing in addition to CNC honing machine: thermographic camera, sound intensity meter, and software for collecting and analyzing data received during machining. It was proposed that the level of sound intensity obtained during honing could be monitored continuously and that the images from a thermographic camera could be analyzed on-line. These analyses would be aimed at supervising honing along with the on-line correction of machining parameters. In addition to the oil cooler, the machining cell may have an automatic selection of the grain trajectory shape, with specified value of the radii of curvature of the abrasive grain trajectories, according to the wall thickness of the honed workpiece, which will result in reducing the temperature generated during honing. Automated honing cell can mostly increase honing process efficiency. Simulations in FlexSim showed the possibility of increasing the efficiency of the honing process more than 20 times.