Tool Wear Sensors.

摘要

A new and unique method of on-line tool wear sensing was developed which can provide information for decisions relative to 'tool change'time and strategies. This method involves the implantation of a very small radioactive 'particle' (an isotope of tungsten, W185,with an activity of the order of 10to the minus 8power Curies) at a specific point within the flank wear zone of a drill. After drilling each hole, a Geiger-Meuller radiation detection system measured the activity of the radioactive particle implanted in the drill. The activity of the drill dropped abruptly to background when the drill had worn up to or beyond the location of the radioactive particle. Drill wear tests using computerized data gathering showed that this method of tool wear sensing will indicate when a drill has a specific amount of flank wear.