A method is provided for monitoring a milling method for a milling machine provided with a milling tool comprising cutting teeth, the method including: determining measured values of a first parameter corresponding to a bending of the milling tool as a function of a second parameter corresponding to an angle of rotation of the milling tool in a rotating frame of reference of the milling tool and analyzing the measured values as a function of at least one monitoring criterion.

A method for estimating the need to replace a cutting tool includes the following steps: collecting data representative of efforts undergone by the cutting tool during cutting tool usage operations, each datum associating a cutting tool usage operation number and at least one measurement of effort during the cutting tool usage operation; comparing the collected data, or data which are derived therefrom, with a reference curve representative of a nominal wear of the cutting tool during the cutting tool usage operations; checking whether or not the collected data, or the data which are derived therefrom, cause an overshoot of a predefined tolerance with respect to the reference curve; and in the event of such an overshoot, deducing an appropriate moment to perform a replacement of the cutting tool, as a function of the overshoot. The cutting tool may then be replaced at or near the deduced appropriate moment.

A system and method for cutting at least one of a plurality of features in a workpiece with at least one of a plurality of cutting tools controlled by at least one of a plurality of cutting tool machines is disclosed. The method receives process information describing cutting parameters from cutting tool machines, retrieves predicted cutting tool wear information relating a predicted cutting tool wear value to the cutting parameters, retrieves cutting tool information that include measured cutting tool wear information for the one of the plurality of cutting tools, computes a predicted cutting tool wear value for the one of the plurality of cutting tools from the measured cutting tool wear information, and cuts the at least one feature according to the computed predicted cutter wear value.

A system and method for mapping the cutting of a plurality of features in a three dimensional workpiece with a plurality of cutting tools controlled by a plurality of cutting tool machines according to process information is disclosed. The method comprises receiving the process information describing cutting parameters the plurality of features from the plurality of cutting tool machines, parsing the process information to extract the cutting parameters, transforming each feature location in the workpiece from a three dimensional space to a two dimensional space, initiating a call to retrieve cutting tool tracking information from each cutting machine for each of the plurality of cutting tools while cutting the plurality of features in the three dimensional workpiece and providing cutting status associated with each feature at the coordinate transformed location of each feature for presentation in the two dimensional space.

A device is provided for capturing operating data of a tool, wherein the tool is powered by an electric motor or a combustion engine, and wherein the device is embodied separately from the tool and is able to be coupled to the tool. The device includes: an operating data sensor, which is configured to wirelessly capture operating data of the tool, an operating data memory, which is configured to store operating data captured by the operating data sensor; and a communication interface, which is configured to wirelessly transmit operating data stored in the operating data memory to a terminal device.

A bandsaw machine health monitoring system includes a sensing module, a signal processing module, a human-machine interface module and a control module. The sensing module may include a plurality of sensing devices and these sensing devices can collect a plurality of signals from a bandsaw machine in operation. The signal processing module can be electrically connected to the sensing module and the signal processing module can process the signals collected by the sensing module. The control module can analyze the processing result transmitted from the signal processing module. The human-machine interface module can receive the analysis result of the control module and display the health status value of the bandsaw machine.

A machining status display apparatus includes a display device having a display screen, a stability lobe picture creator creating, based on specifications of a tool to be used, display picture data for displaying a stability lobe as a correlation diagram between a spindle rotation speed and a limit depth of cut of the tool above which regenerative chatter occurs, a first machining information picture creator creating display picture data for displaying machining related information other than regenerative chatter corresponding to set machining conditions, and a display controller displaying the stability lobe and the machining related information with the stability lobe and the machining related information superimposed one on another on the display screen of the display device based on the display picture data created by the stability lobe picture creator and the display picture data created by the first machining information picture creator.

Tool bodies, tools and machines for operating the tool include electronic circuits for providing data, collecting data, analyzing data and for controlling machines based on such data. Tool bodies and tools may include electronic circuits having data collecting sensors, which may be embedded in a housing with the electronic circuit and/or positioned outside of such a housing. Sensors include temperature sensors, motion sensors, strain sensors, moisture sensors, electrical resistance sensors, position sensors, antennas, and other components.

A machine tool (1) includes a tool information storage (9) storing therein used tool information for, when an NC program execution part (5) executes an NC program, specifying a tool used for machining, and a magazine operation panel (18) includes an announcement part (18b) for announcing an alarm to an operator. When receiving an operation signal from an input part (18a) while the NC program execution part (5) is executing an NC program, a tool change control part (11) checks the used tool information stored in the tool information storage (9), and in the case where a tool held by a tool pot (17a) corresponding to the operation signal is not used for machining, moves the tool pot (17a) to a tool attachment/detachment position (17c), and in the case where the tool is used for machining, causes the announcement part (18a) to announce an alarm indicating that it is unavailable.

A circular cutting blade includes a circumferential cutting edge defined by a diameter and a vertically-oriented planar surface that includes indicia thereon. The indicia are a plurality of values corresponding to measured diameters of the blade after the blade is re-sharpened.