Simultaneous measurement of forces and machine tool position for diagnostic of machining tests

A diagnostic system of the milling process through the cutting forces and cutting tool position (coordinates X, Y, and Z) simultaneously collected is detailed in this paper. After the milling test, the cutting forces generated during the machining and the machine position where they occurred can be correlated. After collecting and recording of both the force and position signals, a graphic representation of force components can be applied. In this way, the machine user is able to check those events that happened during the milling; thus, a more useful diagnosis of machining problems is possible. The collecting system is composed by a dynamometric plate for the measurement of the three components of the cutting force, as well as an acquisition device connected to the analog output of the position control loops. After machining, the file containing position and force data is post-processed and chromatic and vector maps are generated. The analysis tool shows its capabilities being applied to three examples, referring to three research projects.