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Aiming to solve cutting problems
When metals and other materials are shaped to the appropriate shape for a particular application, a technique called cutting is used, in which special tools are used to cut them. Japan's cutting technology is highly regarded around the world and has supported manufacturing for many years.
In cutting, if a tool malfunctions, accurate machining will become impossible, so extreme care must always be taken to prevent wear and tear.Experienced technicians use their five senses to grasp all information, such as vibrations and sounds during machining, the way chips are produced, and the condition of the machined surface, to understand the state of the machining and tools, and by always maintaining the appropriate cutting condition, they have been able to perform high-quality machining.
"Machining has been said to be a world of KKD (intuition, experience, and courage). Of course, these elements are important on-site, but it is not possible to keep records or make comparisons," says Daisuke Murakami of Sumitomo Electric Industries, Advanced Materials Research Laboratory. To solve this problem, a "sensing tool" was developed that uses the semiconductor strain sensor STREAL.
I came across STREAL by chance in a university lab.
"At first, I was asked to 'make a tool that would scream,'" says Murakami. In other words, it was important to be able to immediately detect any abnormalities in the tool, so they first considered using the accelerometers built into smartphones for sensing. However, acquiring and analyzing the data to monitor the machining status was difficult, so they began looking for other methods.
Murakami first learned about STREAL in 2018 when he visited the laboratory of Associate Professor (now Professor) Sakai Katsuhiko of Shizuoka University, with whom he was conducting collaborative research. "By chance, STREAL was attached to a tool that a student had brought with him." After hearing Associate Professor Sakai's explanation, Murakami thought, "This is it!" and immediately contacted Macnica (then known as Renesas Easton).
Yusuke Koike, who works on Murakami's team, recalls, "Macnica was also looking for a market where they could utilize STREAL 's strengths. After many meetings, we hit it off with the person in charge and decided to work together."
The secret to real-time monitoring of machining status
The development team aimed to accurately detect changes in the machining state by measuring the strain on the holder, which is close to the machining point. This requires reading minute changes in the holder, which is hard and difficult to deform. This is because reducing the rigidity of the tool and making it more susceptible to deformation leads to a decline in the quality of the cutting process.
So Murakami and his team used STREAL, which can measure minute strain, to detect changes during machining without reducing rigidity as much as possible. "Conventional strain gauges were difficult to install in tool holders due to issues such as wiring. On the other hand, STREAL 's components can all be built into the body, eliminating the need for interference with the workpiece," says Koike.
The "sensing tool" created through these innovations can detect forces that cannot be seen with the naked eye, such as when a hard holder is lightly pressed with a finger. The obtained data is then wirelessly transmitted to a PC installed outside the machine tool, allowing the machining status to be viewed in real time.
Utilizing the characteristics of STREAL to support processing
"We've heard requests from various places for a long time to see what's happening during cutting," says Murakami. The use of a "sensing tool" that meets this request has already begun, and the response has been great.
If we could "visualize" the processing status, we could use the accumulated data to optimize processing, reduce production losses, and improve work efficiency and quality. STREAL will continue to support this goal by taking advantage of its small size, high precision, and low power consumption characteristics.