Design of an innovative smart turning tool with application to real-time cutting force measurement

This article presents a novel smart turning tool using the embedded piezoelectric sensors for real-time measurement of cutting forces in precision turning operations. The innovation is built with piezoelectric sensor array in the tool shank so as to obtain a smart turning tool, which is robust, industrial feasible and refittable and integrated with adequate measurement accuracy and in-process sensing capability. In the design, four pieces of piezoelectric sensors as an array are integrated into the specially designed tool shank, which directly generate charges under cutting forces. The four charge output signals can be amplified, acquired and processed through decoupling to deduce out the cutting forces with measurement decoupling algorithms. The tool calibration and performance testing are carried out using well-designed cutting trials to further evaluate and validate the tool design in an industrial feasible manner.