Flank Wear Estimation Under Varying Cutting Conditions

Abstract

A model-based methodology, designed to operate under varying cutting conditions, for on-line estimation of flank-wear rate based on cutting force measurements is introduced. The key idea is to employ a model of the relationship between force and flank wear, together with on-line parameter estimation methods. This permits separation of the direct effect of changing cutting conditions on force from the indirect effect where changing cutting conditions affect the wear which, in turn, affects the force. Simulation results confirm the effectiveness of this strategy for turning with varying speed, feed, or depth of cut. Experiments, conducted for turning operations with a varying depth of cut, show good agreement between estimated wear values and the actual values of tool wear measured intermittently during the cut.