Acoustic emission transducer and mounting adapted for monitoring metalcutting tools

Abstract

An acoustic emission transducer has an improved design and mounting arrangements for using it to monitor machine tool operating condition. The transducer has a hollow housing with external threads capable of making a threaded mounting connection through which acoustic emission energy generated by operation of a machine tool propagates and is then transmitted by the housing. Also, a wear plate is attached to one end of the externally-threaded housing and supports a piezoelectric detecting element in the housing. The plate is capable of transmitting acoustic emission energy and the detecting element is capable of detecting it and generating an electrical signal in response thereto. In a surface mounting arrangement of the transducer, an adapter is used in mounting the transducer to a surface of the machine tool support structure. In an integral mounting arrangement of the transducer, the housing of the transducer is threaded directly into an internally threaded cavity in the machine tool support structure. In both mounting arrangements, a contact ball is disposed in a recess formed in the machine tool support structure below the transducer plate for providing acoustic emission energy transmitting contact between the transducer plate and the machine tool support structure.