References

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 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."

Monitoring application: Machining centers from Matsuura, Robodrill, CNC lathes from: Nakamura, Okuma, Index

Sensor technology: WLM-3, SEH, SEA

Monitoring strategy: Monitoring with straight limits, envelopes and mean height.

Quote: "The Nordmann system is and has been instrumental in our plant being able to monitor our cutting tools in-process. The true measure of how a tool is performing is being able to see how it removes material as efficiently as possible. The immediate graphical representation of the cutting process gives us the instant feedback we need to make cutting tool parameter or selection decisions. The Nordmann system has been invaluable in assisting us diagnose and fix some of our most trouble-some tool problems. We have also been able to utilize the Nordmanns to evaluate machine conditions indirectly such as spindle draw bars, spindle motor performance, fixture clamping, and axis movement during a cut. The easy to use graphical interface also allows us to monitor a tool exactly when, where, and how we want to with minimal (or no) parameter configuration changes. The Nordmann system has had a tremendous impact in cost reductions, machine tool cost avoidances, and process improvements. A system such as theirs is a vital tool necessary for any company serious about their manufacturing processes."

Monitoring application: Detection of irregular blanks, detection of incomplete grinded parts, detection of chatter, detection of grinding wheel breakage.

Sensor technology: Receiving acoustic emissions from the work piece using a coolant jet as waveguide, parallel measurement of the effective power from the grinding spindle.

Monitoring strategy: Detection of the acoustic emission and power measurement on height and dynamic portion with envelope and separate limits for different feed rates.

Quote: "The operation of the SEM-Modul is easy to understand, therefore it was no problem to make the set-up by myself. I didn't even need the manual. The installation guide to install the sensors is very understandable."

Monitoring application: Detection of drill breakage on 2 & 3-spindle multispindle drill-heads in rotary transfer machines with spiral drills (3.3 & 4.2 mm diameter) and screw taps (M4 & M5).

Sensor technology: Receiving acoustic emission using a spring steel and a cooling jet as waveguide directly from the work pieces, clamped on a rotary transfer table.

Monitoring strategy: Upper limit to detect the breakage peak from the acoustic emission.

Quote: "I already tried systems from other vendors. But with your system the drill breakage control works great. The drill breakage is shown by a clear peak of the acoustic signal. On the next machine, that is equipped with multispindle drill-heads, I will provide the same system."

Mr. Geiger wrote his Technical Certification Exam about a selection of tool monitoring systems for the machining of aluminium in machining centers. He made an assessment of all relevant attributes (user-friendliness, versatility etc.) of 5 different vendors.

Quote: "Comparing your system with the units of other vendors, I conclude that the Nordmann system is the Mercedes among the tool monitoring systems. Especially the operator convenience and the variety of measurement alternatives did convince me."

Diploma Thesis: Comparison of the functionality of different tool monitoring systems.

Quote: "At this point I would like to thank you for the installation and the supply of the monitoring system free of charge. Because of the great performance of your system I would like to use it for my final 'live' presentation at the end of January…"

Application: Online detection of the centrical grinding of gearwheels on gearwheel grinding machines from Kapp, to avoid partly grinded tooth gaps and to increase the tool life of galvanically coated CBN-grinding wheels.

Sensor technology: Non-contact distance sensor, installed at the end of the grinding spindle inside the cover of the drive-belt casing.

Monitoring strategy: Measurement and threshold control of the elastic shifting of the grinding spindle. If limits are exceeded, correction of the angle for the workpiece axis (A-axis) in both directions.

Quote: "The tool life rose by 50%. Also, the workpieces need to be gauged much less frequently."