Monitoring system and method for the in-process monitoring of machine-tool components

A monitoring system for the process-accompanying monitoring of tools, workpieces or treatment processes in machine tools of the cutting type for rotating, drilling or milling, with the purpose of detecting at least one of the conditions of tool breakage, tool breakout, tool wear, contact between tool and workpiece with or without workpiece gauging, machine collision or process abnormities such as rattling, or tool-, workpiece- or cut-specific overload or underload, comprising at least

• one or a plurality of sensors for the detection of measuring signals from the treatment process, which are representative of at least a direction of force, a resultant force, a pressure, a moment of rotation, an engine performance, an engine current, a vibration, an acceleration, a structure-born sound or a change of distance between two machine components,
• monitoring hardware with software for the storing and comparing of monitoring data in tool- or cut-specific monitoring stages which are preset by the machine control means through the NC or/and SPC program via an interface and in which measurement signals or measurement signal curves of at least one sensor are compared with stored monitoring thresholds by means of monitoring and evaluation strategies of a known and desired type such as static thresholds, dynamic thresholds, thresholds of signal pattern curves, operating value thresholds, etc. with the purpose of providing, in case of measurement signals violating the monitoring thresholds, a corresponding message to the machine control means to thus initiate a corresponding reaction of the machine,
• a bidirectional interface, preferably a field bus interface between the monitoring hardware and the machine control means, comprising the SPC or/and the NC control means, which performs a data exchange between the machine and the monitoring system and which particularly is suited to transmit the tool- or cut-specific monitoring stages in the form of data words as distinct numbers or instructions (e.g. as tool codes, tool correction or position numbers, cutting code, H and M instructions), from the NC or SPC program to the monitoring system for dividing the monitoring into a plurality of monitoring stages,
• as well as, possibly optionally, operating hardware for operating and/or parametrizing the monitoring system and/or for visualizing the measurement signals,
• characterized in
• that the same monitoring system, apart from the detection of at least one of the above mentioned conditions in tools, workpieces or processes, is used in other monitoring stages, which at times when no treatment process occurs (i.e. when no tool, workpiece or process monitoring has to occur) are predetermined by the machine control, to perform a detection, monitoring or well-aimed examination of faulty conditions on components of machine tools, such as e.g. damage or wear on the feed slides, on the tool or workpiece spindles or the imbalance on tool or workpiece spindles or on drilling or milling tools.