Frequency and Time-Frequency Analysis of Cutting Force and Vibration Signals for Tool Condition Monitoring

Tool condition monitoring systems are essential in micromilling applications. A tool's slenderness requires high-precision monitoring systems for online measurements. In most cases, tool health is indirectly estimated by processing and analyzing the cutting process parameters. In that sense, the main challenge lies in the proper selection of the process parameters and their processing techniques, so that a robust and accurate assessment of the tool's health is obtained. This paper proposes a frequencyand time-frequency-based analysis of cutting force and vibration signals for estimating the tool condition of a high-speed micromilling process. Measurements obtained from different cutting conditions were utilized in the analysis. The results indicate variations in the dominant frequencies, which result from tool wear. Furthermore, it is important to note that the analysis results obtained from the two process signals provide more reliable results and improve the sensing bandwidth.