Method for Evaluating Machining Toolholder-Spindle Unbalance Due to Chips at the Toolholder Interface

Machining process monitoring method is developed for detecting and diagnosis of the presence of chips at the toolholder-spindle interface. Although toolholders can be simply balanced before they are placed in the spindle, there can be some balancing problems remaining when one or more loose machining chips are attached at the toolholder-spindle interface(s) during a tool change. A method is developed by considering the natural and geometric unbalances of the toolholder-spindle system combined with an analysis of the toolholder tilt due to the presence of loose machining chips around the spindle. The method can be integrated on-line as a real-time expert diagnostic system for toolholder tilt due to the presence of loose machining chips at the spindle nose. The expert diagnostic system makes intelligent decisions on toolholder unbalance and concerns with chips at the interface that result in unwanted tilting and vibrations. The tool unbalance algorithm was able to monitor the toolholder tilting according to the results of this study.