COMMENT SWINDON SILICON SYSTEMS Smarter tooling with sensors
Ross Turnbull, director of business development and product engineering at ASIC design and supply specialist Swindon intelligent tooling applications
F
rom detecting tool wear to enabling automatic tool changes, sensors play a vital role in the implementation of smart tooling
methodologies for CNC machines. But how can manufacturers ensure that these sensors are up to scratch? Incorporating sensors and connectivity features within tooling solutions, otherwise known as from real-time data and automation capabilities,
MEASURING WEAR AND TEAR An increasingly common use of sensors within CNC machines is for tool wear monitoring. Measuring and predicting tool wear helps to limit product quality issues caused by the degradation of cutting tools over time. However, monitoring methods such as microscopes and laser devices require machining to be paused to inspect the tools, therefore increasing downtime and production costs. In contrast, sensor technology offers a condition. One example is the micro-electro mechanical system (MEMS) accelerometer, which is commonly used to measure changes in vibration patterns during machining. Understanding vibration can help manufacturers to avoid detrimental changes to surface quality and tool geometry. Piezoresistive MEMS accelerometers measure
vibration using a cantilever beam with a proof mass at its end and a piezoresistive patch in the beam’s core. When the device moves, inertia causes the beam to bend, altering the mass distribution of the silicon wafer. This deformation generates an electrical signal, proportional to the object’s acceleration. Integrating these sensors into the tooling system can help to detect subtle changes in tool geometry and wear patterns, allowing manufacturers to schedule tool replacements before failures occur, thereby reducing scrap rates and maintaining product consistency.
SMARTER TOOL CHANGES Sensors are also indispensable within the automatic tool change (ATC) systems that are used on CNC machines used for different types of material processing, such as switching between milling and grinding.
8 March/April 2025 Irish Manufacturing
ATC systems help to reduce the likelihood of human error and accidents associated with in production, enabling manufacturers to handle a wider range of materials and components with A wide range of sensors are implemented to
guarantee the accuracy and reliability of an ATC operations. Two common examples are position sensors and proximity sensors. Position sensors provide feedback on the position of three core machine components: the magazines used to store cutting tools, the grippers that hold and release the tools during changeover and the holders that connect the cutting tool to the spindle. Meanwhile, proximity sensors identify whether a tool is correctly seated in the grippers.
ASIC ADVANTAGES To fully unlock the possibilities of smart tooling, manufacturers looking to develop sensor-driven machining technologies must consider the role of Unlike off-the-shelf ICs, ASICs can be tailored
for the exact demands of individual applications. This customisation results in high-performance, cost-effective solutions that integrate seamlessly with advanced machining systems. For instance, ASICs enhance the performance
of MEMS accelerometers in CNC machines by providing customised signal conditioning to optimise tool wear monitoring. By integrating tuned to improve accuracy and noise resistance, ensuring more reliable tool condition data. The fully optimised chip design of an ASIC eliminates unnecessary components, enabling more power to be focused precisely on the features that matter most for smart tooling applications. This streamlined design ensures that position and proximity sensors can provide accurate and reliable placement feedback. a standardised IC is that it provides superior protection against obsolescence. With off-the- shelf chips, there is a risk that production will cease if sales volumes fall and producing the part ASICs are designed exclusively for a customer’s application, providers can guarantee that a supply product. Incorporating ASICs into smart tooling systems
sensor performance to ensuring long-term applications, ASICs provide optimal solutions that against obsolescence, making them an essential
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