Prediction of twist drill breakage with acoustic emission signals.

Abstract

Automatic monitoring of cutting tool damage is one of key technologies to improve the reliability of modern machining processes. Breakages of cutting tools of small diameter, such as twist drills, threading taps, and end milling cutters, are the most important malfunctions to be detected and more preferably to be predicted. In this study, monitoring the acoustic emission (AE) signal is proposed to predict the breakage of twist drills. It is confirmed through the experiments that the considerable changes can be observed in the amplitude of AE signal and its cepstrum before the twist drill breaks.