The Deterministic Nature of Sensor-Based Information for Condition Monitoring of the Cutting Process

Abstract

Condition monitoring of the cutting process is a core function of autonomous machining and its success strongly relies on sensed data. Despite the enormous amount of research conducted so far into condition monitoring of the cutting process, there are still limitations given the complexity underlining tool wear; hence, a clearer understanding of sensed data and its dynamical behavior is fundamental to sustain the development of more robust condition monitoring systems. The dependence of these systems on acquired data is critical and determines the success of such systems. In this study, data is acquired from an experimental setup using some of the commonly used sensors for condition monitoring, reproducing realistic cutting operations, and then analyzed upon their deterministic nature using different techniques, such as the Lyapunov exponent, mutual information, attractor dimension, and recurrence plots. The overall results demonstrate the existence of low dimensional chaos in both new and worn tools, defining a deterministic nature of cutting dynamics and, hence, broadening the available approaches to tool wear monitoring based on the theory of chaos. In addition, recurrence plots depict a clear relationship to tool condition and may be quantified considering a two-dimensional structural measure, such as the semivariance. This exploratory study unveils the potential of non-linear dynamics indicators in validating information strength potentiating other uses and applications.