Emitted Sound Amplitude Analysis Using Hilbert Huang

Transformation for Cutting Tool Flank Wear Prediction

Emerson Raja Joseph1, Loo Chu Kiong2, Lim Way Soong3, and S. Purushothaman4
1
Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Multimedia University, Malaysia
emerson.raja@mmu.edu.my
2
Faculty of Information Science and Technology, Multimedia University, Malaysia
ckloo@mmu.edu.my
3
Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Multimedia University, Malaysia
wslim@mmu.edu.my
4
Udaya School of Engineering, Kanyakumari district-629204, India
dr.purushothaman.s@gmail.com

Abstract. In this paper, the relationship between emitted sound amplitude and
tool flank wear was investigated during turning operation by using Hilbert
Huang Transform (HHT). For this purpose, a series of experiments using
carbide insert cutting tools and stainless steel work pieces were conducted in a
conventional turning machine. The emitted sounds from fresh, slightly worn
and severely worn tools were recorded at the sampling rate of 44100/sec using a
highly sensitive directional microphone. Each recorded multi-component sound
signal was decomposed into several intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) using
Empirical mode decomposition (EMD). The instantaneous frequencies with
time and their amplitudes were obtained by applying Hilbert transform on each
IMF. From the marginal spectrums produced using selected IMFs it was
observed that there was an increase in sound amplitude with increasing tool
wears. Hence it can be concluded that cutting tool flank wear prediction is
possible using emitted sound by HHT.

Keywords: Tool flank wear, emitted sound, HHT, EMD, marginal spectrum.

1 Introduction

Choosing suitable machining methods and tooling systems is important to achieve

dimensional accuracy and surface quality of the work piece during turning operation.
From an economic point of view, maximum tool life is also another requirement besides
these requirements. In addition, cutting conditions, cutter geometry, tool and work piece
material, chip formation, and tool wear are parameters that affect production
performance significantly. The most important one among these parameters that
influence production performance is the tool wear [1, 2]. Tool flank wear can be
measured visually by using tool makers microscope. However, in practice, tool life is
estimated by Taylor equation [3] instead of making cumbersome measurements.
Indirect method of tool condition monitoring is based on the acquisition of measured

P.V. Krishna, M.R. Babu, and E. Ariwa (Eds.): ObCom 2011, Part I, CCIS 269, pp. 743–752, 2012.
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012
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values of process variables (such as cutting force, temperature, vibration, spindle motor
current, acoustic emission, surface roughness and emitted sound) and the relationship
between tool wear and these values [1]. Ghani et al. [4] presented a study of tool life,
surface finish and vibration, while turning nodular cast iron using ceramic tool. They
concluded that surface finish was found to be almost constant with the progression of
the flank wear under different cutting conditions. They also observed that, the vibration
during cutting decreases as the speed increases and at low depth of cut, the vibration
remains almost constant with the increase of flank wear. Ming-Chyuan et al. [5] used
audible sound generated from the cutting process as a source for monitoring tool flank
wear during turning and concluded that the asperity height is found to decrease as tool
wear increases. Delio, Tlusty, and Smith [6] concluded that audible sound is a good
method for detecting chatter during the milling process. Andrews et al. [7, 8] applied
SVD analysis on the audible sound generated from the cutting process and concluded
that the tool flank wear can be predicted from this audible sound.
Sound monitoring is one technology that has not been extensively investigated for
tool wear monitoring, even though it is extensively used by machine tool operators for
decision making [1, 5]. One major issue related to application of this technology in
industry is the ability to protect the sensor from the hazardous machining environment.
Cutting fluids or metal chips may damage the sensor. This can be prevented by
protecting the sensor with gauze, for example. Noise from adjacent machines, motors,
conveyors, etc. or processes may contaminate the signals. This effect can be reduced by
using noise cancellation methods in the signal processing algorithm or by using HHT
analysis as used in this paper. In this paper, emitted sound is investigated as a basis for
tool flank wear monitoring and HHT analysis is done on this sound signal to study the
relationship between the sound signal generated from the cutting process and the
progression of tool wear.
Traditional data analysis methods such as Fourier analysis are all based on linear
and stationary assumptions, i.e. the signal to be processed must be linear and
temporarily stationary; otherwise, resulting Fourier spectrum will make little physical
sense [9]. In addition, it represents the global rather than any local properties of the
signal because it employs a convolution integral through which the signal is
decomposed in terms of sine and cosine functions covering uniformly the whole data
span [10]. On the other hand, the time-frequency analysis such wavelet transform can
generate both time and frequency information of a signal simultaneously through
mapping one dimensional signal to a two-dimensional time-frequency plane. However,
the wavelet transform still has some inevitable deficiencies, including the interference
terms, border distortion and energy leakage, all of which will generate a lot of small
undesired spikes all over the frequency scales and make the results confusing and
difficult to interpret [11]. Hence, new methods are needed to analyze the data from
non-linear and non-stationary processes.
The Hilbert-Huang Transform (HHT) derived from the principles of Empirical
Mode Decomposition (EMD) and the Hilbert Transform is considered as a new
method. It is a two step process, first, the given multi-component signal is
decomposed into a set of complete and almost orthogonal components called intrinsic
mode function (IMF) by using EMD process. Since the IMF is almost mono-
component it can determine all the instantaneous frequencies from nonlinear and non-