Monitoring of End-Mill Process Based on Infrared Imagery with a High Speed Thermography

Abstract

In this study, we perform the end-mill process of a difficult-to-cut material (JIS SUS310 stainless steel) and observe it with high performance infrared thermography. Considering the rotating angle of end-mill tool, a pixel temperature in each frame is investigated to obtain the tool temperature variation after cutting of each tooth in end-mill process. The tool temperature distribution can be analyzed at each rotating tool position in end-mill process from imageries, considering the relationship between the time duration of each frame and the rotating speed of an end-mill tool. Moreover, the tool/holder shape and the number of cutting teeth can be seen to affect the cutting temperature because the tool heat capacity and the heat input are different. The examination and analytical results show this method to be effective to estimate the tool temperature in the end-mill process sufficiently.