Intelligent insert with integral sensor
AssigneeRegents of the University of Minnesota
InventorsSubbiah Ramalingam, Darrell A. Frohrib
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A high speed steel, carbide or ceramic cutting insert or tool carrying an integrally mounted sensor to permit the sensor to sense and monitor machining phenomena on the cutting insert on a continuous basis to determine whether the cutting insert is operating efficiently and effectively.
Claims10
A cutting insert for machining materials having a cutting edge, said cutting insert comprising a solid body, and a sensor integrally coupled directly to and carried by the insert to sense parameters at the cutting edge which are functions of the cutting phenomena acting on the insert, the sensor having means for providing output signals from the sensor generated by mechanical forces acting on the cutting insert, the sensor comprising a deposited thin film of piezo-electric material coupled to a cutting insert surface and spaced from an edge of such insert which contacts a workpiece, the piezo-electric layer having atomic level bonding with respect to the surface of the insert.
A cutting insert for machining materials having a cutting edge, said cutting insert comprising a solid body, and a sensor integrally coupled directly to and carried by the insert to sense parameters at the cutting edge which are functions of the cutting phenomena acting on the insert, said sensor comprising a ring of piezo-electric material having an outer surface fixed to surface portions of the cutting insert and positioned in an internal opening defined in the cutting insert, the ring having surface portions defining an open center, a mass fixed to the surface portions of the ring defining said open center, and means for providing output signals generated by mechanical forces acting on the cutting insert comprising electrical lead means coupled to spaced portions of the piezo-electric material of the ring for sensing voltage outputs.
A cutting insert for machining materials having a cutting edge, said cutting insert comprising a solid body having planar side surfaces and a central axis perpendicular to such side surfaces and having a bore therein defined by a bore surface, an accelerometer integrally coupled directly to and carried by the insert to sense parameters at the cutting edge which are functions of the cutting phenomena acting on the insert, the accelerometer comprising a piezoelectric material mounted in said bore and integrally bonded to the bore surface, means forming a mass on a surface of said piezoelectric material to cause changes in voltage characteristics in said piezoelectric material upon accelerations in direction perpendicular to the side surface of the cutting insert, and means for providing output voltage signals from the accelerometer.
A cutting insert for machining materials comprising a solid body having a pair of generally parallel major side surfaces defining a thickness, and a peripheral edge around the cutting insert, layer means of piezo-sensitive material deposited on at least one surface of the cutting insert and each layer means being formed as a thin film layer having atomic level bonding to the cutting insert surface for electrical contact therewith, said layer means of piezo-sensitive material having an exposed surface, and means on the exposed surface for applying a second electrical contact thereto, said layer means of piezo-sensitive material comprising an integral sensor atomically bonded to the respective surfaces and carried by the cutting insert and providing an electrical output from the piezo-sensitive material between the insert and the second electrical contact in response to forces and stresses acting on the cutting insert when the cutting insert is held in a working position and used for machining materials.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.