References

Sensor technology: Effective power measurement (WLM-3)

Monitored machines: Index G 300 and Boehringer VDF 25 lathes

Quote: "The feed is stopped immediately in case of excessive wear or cutting-edge breakage, which works very well. As a rule, the monitoring system stops the machine just before the cutting edge breaks, so that it does NOT break. This made it possible to increase tool life, and the dimensional accuracy of the manufactured camshafts is now more independent of the state of wear."

Sensor technology: Acoustic emission sensor (SEA-Mini)

Monitored machine: Tornos Deco 8sp

Quote: "As a manufacturer of solenoid valves, we produce many of the individual parts we use ourselves with a high degree of vertical integration. For a major project, a Tornos Deco 8sp CNC turning automatic was purchased and put into operation. Due to the increase in quantities over the course of the project, we were forced to produce in a third shift as well. The component to be produced is a sensitive part with very tight tolerances using the smallest tool dimensions. Before its use, tool breakages kept occurring, especially in the third shift, which subsequently led to a high sorting effort. Since putting the Nordmann tool monitoring into operation — which was very difficult because of the small tool dimensions — this sorting effort has been eliminated completely. The system has run reliably ever since. What we would particularly like to mention is the competent expert advice and the practical problem-solving on the part of Nordmann. We are currently preparing further installations in cooperation with Nordmann."

Sensor technology: Acoustic emission sensor (SEA-Mini)

Monitoring application: Breakage and wear detection

Monitored machine: Schütte multi-spindle lathe

Quote: "My employees no longer let the machines run without the Nordmann tool monitoring, because they know that breakages are reliably detected and consequential damage is thereby prevented. In addition, the tool feeds are sometimes increased to achieve greater productivity. The tool monitoring ensures the protection of the tools in this case."

Sensor technology: Effective power module (WLM-3), acoustic emission sensor (SEA-Mini)

Monitoring application: Spark-in and wear detection during grinding, polishing and deburring

Quote: "With Nordmann tool monitoring we always have a sophisticated solution, even for our demanding applications. The fast reaction times of 1.9 ms allow high approach speeds and result in a time saving per part cycle."

Sensor technology: WLM-3, WLT

Monitoring application: Micron Multifactor

Quote: "Great Service. System saves on sorting parts. The WLT works perfect! I know immediately if the work piece is in the right position. The service has always been excellent. The Nordmann technician had the idea with the WLT. If he wouldn't be here, we couldn't save so much money in sorting parts."

Sensor technology: Effective power module (WLM-3), acoustic emission sensor (SEA-Mini)

Monitoring application: Tool wear detection, dimensional workpiece control

Monitored machine: Traub TNA 300

Quote: "The production processes are monitored via effective power and acoustic emission. For several months now, the system has been running 100% satisfactorily! The 'networking' of several CNC machines with a single measuring device also saves costs. After some optimisation, the monitoring works perfectly, and tool breakage as well as rejects can now be avoided almost completely!"

Sensor technology: Effective power measurement on the tool spindle

Monitoring application: Breakage and wear detection of drills, mills & screw taps

Quote: "In the past, we had inline testing stations on our transfer machines, that did use a mandrel to control the presents of the hole and therefor the drill. Since we use Nordmann Tool Monitoring Systems we can offer our customers shorter machine beds. Thanks to Nordmann the customer can buy on better terms and besides that he can detect drill and mill breakage and wear, he also can monitor screw tapping and thread rolling, which was earlier, before Nordmann, very difficult to do."

Sensor technology: Effective power measurement with the effective power module (WLM-3)

Monitoring application: Tool breakage control in a Wirth & Gruffat rotary transfer machine

Quote: "It is very good that a bearing defect of the tool spindle can be detected from the fluctuation of the no-load power measured by your effective power module."

Product: Manufacture of rotary transfer machines on which high-precision small parts are produced.

Sensor technology: Effective power measurement of the workpiece or tool spindle;
acoustic emission via acoustic emission hydrophone (SEH) using a coolant jet;
tool length and workpiece position control via fork light barrier (SDS).

Monitoring application: Breakage and wear detection of drills, mills, reamers and turning tools.

Quote: "With Nordmann tool monitoring systems we have always found a solution, even for difficult monitoring tasks. This applies in particular to the monitoring of the smallest drills in the range of a few tenths of a millimetre in diameter. Here, acoustic emission measurement via hydrophone using the coolant jet as a sound waveguide, or jet light barriers via the coolant jet, are used. With effective power measurement, depending on the spindle drive, digital measurement via Profibus and analogue three-phase measurement can be used flexibly on the same Tool Monitor. When my customer wants tool monitoring for their machine, I propose a solution with Nordmann."

Sensor technology: Eddy current displacement sensor (BDA-L) for part position detection;
acoustic emission from the workpiece at the support blade with sensor (SEA-Mini).

Monitoring application: Position control of robot-loaded parts, spark-in control during centreless grinding, collision monitoring and dressing monitoring.

Quote: "With the help of Nordmann tool monitoring we can precisely check the position of robot-loaded parts, can prevent collisions and their consequential damage, and realise spark-in and dressing control with a reaction speed of 1.9 ms. Thanks to Nordmann technology, our customers can: 1. reduce cycle times, 2. detect waviness of the grinding wheel, 3. detect chatter, 4. save abrasives."

Sensor technology: Effective power measurement with the effective power module (WLM-3)

Monitoring application: Tool breakage control of various very small tools on a Pfiffner Hydromat

Quote: "The auto-zoom via the quick-access menu is ideal — within seconds you have the optimal measuring range."

Sensor technology: Acoustic emission from the tool with the acoustic emission sensor SEA-Mini;
effective power measurement of the workpiece or tool spindle (machine-dependent) with (WLM-3).

Monitoring application: Breakage and wear detection of turning and drilling tools, also in unmanned operation, e.g. on night shifts.

Quote: "I have equipped all my machines — whether sliding-head lathes or rotary transfer machines — with Nordmann tool monitoring, because without it I would not be competitive at all. I am obliged to produce in three shifts to meet deadlines, but I could not pass the labour costs of the night shift on to the parts, because I would then be too expensive. I produce unmanned at night and sleep soundly thanks to Nordmann, because I am sure that my production is monitored and that my employees are only woken by mobile phone (via a telephone dialler triggered by the Nordmann alarm) in the case of time-critical workpieces, and only then have to drive to the company to intervene. That saves nerves, time and money. The connection and menu navigation are almost self-explanatory and logically structured, so that I install it myself when needed, and even new employees do not require any training from Nordmann but receive a short briefing from me. Without Nordmann I could have closed my company long ago."

Sensor technology: 1. Effective power measurement of the tool spindle with the effective power module (WLM-3).
2. Acoustic emission measurement via acoustic emission hydrophone (SEH) using a coolant jet as a sound waveguide, picking up the acoustic emission directly from the tool at very small diameters.

Monitoring application: Wear and breakage detection of drills, mills, reamers and saws in the rotary transfer machines produced by Precitrame.

Quote: "Since our customers (often renowned watchmaking companies) manufacture high-precision parts and use delicate tools for this (often only a few tenths of a millimetre in diameter), we have to equip the machines with tool monitoring. We work with Nordmann tool monitoring and, thanks to Nordmann's continuous further development, we are always up to date with this product."

Monitored machines: Matsuura machining centres, Robodrill, CNC lathes: Nakamura, Okuma, Index

Sensor technology: Effective power module (WLM-3), acoustic emission hydrophone (SEH), acoustic emission sensor (SEA)

Monitoring method: Monitoring with straight limits, envelope curves and mean heights.

Quote: "The Nordmann system is and has been crucial to our plant's ability to monitor our cutting tools in-process. The immediate graphical display of the cutting process gives us the instant feedback we need to make decisions about tool parameters or tool selection. The Nordmann system has made a considerable contribution to reducing costs, avoiding machine-tool costs and improving processes. A system like theirs is an indispensable tool for any company that takes its manufacturing processes seriously."

Monitoring application: Wear and breakage

Sensor technology: Power measurement of the feed axes via the analogue outputs of the frequency converters, with direct connection to the Tool Monitor SEM-Modul.

Monitoring method: Control of the acoustic emission and power measurement curves with envelope curves and separate limits for each feed rate.

Quote: "I.T.S. SRL Italy purchased Nordmann's product, the SEM-Modul, and applied it as tool-force monitoring on the CNC lathes (12 axes) we manufacture, achieving excellent results and great satisfaction on the part of the end customer."

Monitoring application: Detection of out-of-round blanks, detection of incompletely ground parts, chatter detection, grinding wheel breakage detection.

Sensor technology: Acoustic emission from the workpiece via a coolant jet as a sound waveguide (SEH), in parallel with effective power measurement (WLM-3) of the grinding spindle.

Monitoring method: Control of the acoustic emission and power measurement curves with envelope curves and separate limits for each feed rate.

Quote: "The operation of the SEM-Modul is very easy to understand, so it was no problem to put the device into operation on my own. I did not even need the operating manual. The installation instructions for fitting the sensors are easy to understand."

Monitoring application: Drill breakage detection on 2- and 3-spindle multi-spindle drilling heads in rotary transfer machines with twist drills (dia. 3.3 and 4.2 mm) and taps (M3 and M4).

Sensor technology: Acoustic emission picked up directly from the workpieces — which are clamped on a rotary indexing table — via a spring-steel sound waveguide (SEA-Feder) and a coolant jet.

Monitoring method: Upper limit that detects the "breakage peak" of the acoustic emission.

Quote: "I have already tried devices from other suppliers. But with your system, the drill breakage control of the multi-spindle drilling heads works great. Drill breakage shows up as a clear peak in the acoustic signal. I will equip the next machine, which is likewise fitted with multi-spindle drilling heads, with this measuring principle as well."

Mr Geiger wrote his technician's thesis on the selection of a tool monitoring system for machining aluminium in machining centres, compiling a list of all relevant characteristics (user-friendliness, versatility, etc.) of 5 different suppliers:

Quote: "Comparing your system with the devices of the competitors, I came to the conclusion that the Nordmann system (Tool Monitor) is the Mercedes among tool monitoring systems. In particular, the user-friendliness and the wide range of measuring options convinced me."

Thesis topic: Comparison of the functionality of various tool monitoring systems.

Quote: "I would like to take this opportunity to thank you very much for the free installation and provision of your monitoring system (Tool Monitor). Since your system performed very well in the comparison, I would also like to demonstrate it 'live' at my final presentation at the end of January…"

Monitoring application: In-process inspection of the central grinding of gears on Kapp gear grinding machines, in order to avoid partially one-sided grinding of tooth gaps and to achieve longer service lives of the electroplated CBN grinding wheels.

Sensor technology: Non-contact displacement sensor (BDA) at the end of the grinding spindle, mounted in the cover of the toothed-belt housing.

Monitoring method: Measurement and limit control of the elastic displacement of the grinding spindle. If limits are exceeded, correction of the angle of the workpiece rotation axis (A-axis) in both directions.

Quote: "The service lives went up by 50%. In addition, the workpieces now have to be measured much less often."