Supervision system by analysis of the electrical signals controlling the actuators of the machine tool

We propose in this paper a supervision system based on a measuring channel using the signals of the working currents of the spindles and axes of the NC machine tool. The method is applied in turning; the comparison of the signals of the working currents with those of the cutting forces allows validation of the principle of the proposed method. This is achieved through the identification of the cutting power from a special analysis of the kinematic chain of the spindle. For the applications investigated in the framework a correlation has also been confirmed between the cutting forces and the tool wear evolutions. Applications are given with the machining of several workpiece materials (hard steels, refractor metal...) and different cutting tools (coating carbides, cermets, ceramics)