Acoustic emission monitoring of tool wear during the face milling of steels and aluminium alloys using a fibre optic sensor. Part 2: Frequency analysis

Abstract

Abstract This paper describes the application of acoustic emission (AE) frequency analysis to cutting tool wear monitoring in finish milling operations. AE detection was achieved using a fibre optic interferometer which, unlike conventional piezoelectric transducers, allows absolute measurements of the frequency content of the signals, generated during face milling of various steels and aluminium alloys, to be made. A model detailing the expected variations in AE mean frequency with various forms of tool wear in the different processes is presented and is validated by the practical set of tool wear tests using the fibre optic interferometer.