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5, SEPTEMBER 2007

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Fuzzy Logic-Based Torque Control System for Milling Process Optimization

Rodolfo E. Haber and Jos R. Alique, Member, IEEE e
AbstractThis paper focuses on the design and implementation of a fuzzy-logic-based torque control system, embedded in an open-architecture computer numerical control (CNC), in order to provide an optimization function for the material removal rate. The control system adjusts the feed rate and spindle speed simultaneously as needed, to regulate the cutting torque using the CNCs own resources without requiring additional hardware overheads. The control system consists of two inputs (i.e., torque error and change of error), two outputs (i.e., the feed rate and spindle speed increment) fuzzy controller, and a self-tuning mechanism, all of which are embedded within the kernel of a standard open control. The self-tuning strategy is based on the measured peaks in the torque error signal of the closed-loop system response. The self-tuning fuzzy controller is applied to the milling process in a production environment in order to demonstrate the improvements in performance and effectiveness. Two approaches are tested, and their performance is assessed using several performance measurements. These approaches are the two-input/two-output for the fuzzy controller and a single-output fuzzy controller (i.e., only feed-rate modication), with and without the self-tuning mechanism. The results demonstrate that the proposed control strategy provides better transient performance, accuracy, and machining cycle time than the others, thus, increasing the metal removal rate. Index TermsFuzzy control, milling process, torque control.

I. INTRODUCTION

ANUFACTURED products are mainly made of machine tools that perform the basic functions involved such as removing material, joining material, and assembling the discrete parts to make whole products. The dramatic changes in the role of machine tools in todays integrated manufacturing environment are driven by the need for achieving improvements in productivity year after year to be able to remain cost competitive in the global market. The newer machine tools are increasingly able to interact electronically with their surroundings using open-architecture computer numerical control (CNC). However, there is a large gap between the needed technologies and the ability of embedded intelligence to capture the next signicant level of productivity and cost benet through control and monitoring systems. Indeed, the complexity and uncertainty of processes like the machining

Manuscript received February 10, 2005; revised October 12, 2005. This work was supported in part by Ram n y Cajal Fellow Research Programme and in o part by DPI2005-04298 COREMAV Project of the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science. This paper was recommended by Associate Editor A. Labib. R. E. Haber is with the Spanish Council for Scientic Research, 28500 Madrid, Spain and also with Escuela Polit cnica Superior, Universidad e Aut noma de Madrid, 28048 Madrid, Spain (e-mail: rhaber@iai.csic.es). o J. R. Alique is with the Instituto de Autom tica Industrial, Spanish Council a for Scientic Research, 28500 Madrid, Spain (e-mail: jralique@iai.csic.es). Digital Object Identier 10.1109/TSMCC.2007.900654

process are what make the realm known as soft computing a feasible option compared to other control strategies [1], [2]. Articial-intelligence-based control techniques have, in fact, roused considerable interest in the scientic community, and have been applied to milling-process optimization. One of the rst approaches was the design of a standard fuzzy controller to maintain a constant force [3]. Later, the method for designing the fuzzy controller was rened using experimental data [4]. Self-tuning and self-regulating fuzzy controllers were proposed to increase the metal removal rate in milling operations [5], [6]. The introduction of learning capability improved the performance of fuzzy control systems [7]. A comparison of different control systems showed fuzzy controllers to be the best performers in milling-process optimization [8]. Recently, new strategies have been developed to integrate a fuzzy controller with a standard CNC [9], [10]. However, the drawbacks of the force-based control systems being susceptible to setup and the unreliability of the measurement system make fuzzy controllers of this type difcult to transfer to industrial applications. Other articial-intelligence-based techniques have also been applied, such as neural networks and expert rules based on adaptive-control constraints (ACC) and evolutionary algorithms based on adaptive-control optimization (ACO) [11]. Moreover, new theoretical approaches have been developed to extract interpretable rule-based knowledge of fuzzy systems on the basis of an agent-based evolutionary approach [12]. Additionally, the automatic design of recurrent fuzzy networks by coevolutionary algorithms [13], the use of fuzzy controllers to adapt crossover probability to improve the performance of genetic algorithms [14], and the application of a fuzzy controller for simulating dynamic plant control stimulate further research in this eld. However, neural network and evolutionary algorithmbased computation takes time (e.g., online learning algorithms), and therefore, limits the real-time applications and performance of control systems in many industrial processes. In order to deal with these limitations, alternative signals, such as spindle current [15] and spindle torque, have been used as controlled variables in fuzzy control systems. A fuzzy spindle torque control system was proposed in [16]. However, the complexities of the tuning mechanism, and the use of an additional PC and an external data acquisition card seem to make the proposed control system impractical. In order to improve the machining efciency in a production environment through a higher material removal rate, the current study focuses on the design and implementation of a fuzzy logic (FL)-based torque control system with a self-tuning strategy. The major issue to be dealt with is the new development and application of FL using CNCs own resources. No additional

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hardware overhead is required, since the control algorithm and the self-tuning mechanism are embedded within the kernel of a standard open control. FL was selected out of all the available techniques because it has proven useful as a highly practical optimizing tool for control and industrial engineering [17]. To the best of our knowledge, the main advantage of the present approach is that it includes: 1) an embedded fuzzy controller in an open-architecture CNC to deal with the production environment; 2) a simple computational procedure for fullling the time requirements; 3) no restrictions in terms of sensor cost (torque signal is provided by the open CNCs), wiring, or synchronization with the CNC; and 4) a self-tuning strategy to deal with nonlinear and time-variant process behavior. This paper is organized as follows. Section II presents a brief study of the machining process, explaining why it is considered to be a complex process, with the milling process as a case study. Section III describes the design of the fuzzy controller to optimize the milling process. Section IV addresses the self-tuning strategy to improve the control system performance. Section V describes how fuzzy controller can be embedded in open-architecture CNCs, along with the key design and programming stages. Section VI reviews the experimental results and explores some of the comparative studies. Finally, conclusions are presented in Section VII. II. MILLING-PROCESS MODELING AND CONTROL BASED ON THE TORQUE SIGNAL The machining process, also known as the metal-removal process, is widely used in manufacturing. It consists of four basic types of operations: turning, drilling, milling, and grinding, each performed by different machine tools. One of the most complex of the four operations is the milling process. Real-time control requires precise modeling of the milling process, which is complicated due to the changes in the dynamic process that the model must reect. Such changes vary continuously due to tool conditions, changes in the depth of the cut, etc. Furthermore, most of the work on machining optimization is devoted to the issue of adaptive techniques [18]. Adaptive controllers are extremely expensive considering the amount of time they require, since their parameters are estimated online and their controller gains are adjusted accordingly. Furthermore, adaptive control systems must be carefully tuned, and sometimes, they display complex undesirable behavior. Research on machining force control has continued recently because of the economic prots that this kind of technology can provide. Recent studies have revealed that model-based force controllers perform well in a laboratory environment. However, more recently, it has been revealed that many control systems are not applicable to all production environments [19]. The use of other controlled variables such as the torque, power, and spindle currents provide new opportunities for control systems technology in actual production environments. Some studies have revealed that cutting torque control can reduce the ank wear in some machining operations [20]. A PID controller was used to control the cutting torque, measured directly or indirectly from the spindle motor current. The

parameters of the PID (the proportional, integral, and derivative gains) were determined by experimentation. Indeed, torque control through feed-rate manipulation can produce signicant economic benets for machining processes by reducing cycle time and, sometimes, by avoiding tool breakage. In order to improve transient response performance, a pole placement controller with an integral action controller was proposed in [21]. The main goal of process gain adaptation was to signicantly reduce the torque overshoots and enable the controller response to become less oscillatory. All of the aforementioned approaches are supported by the empirical dynamic models of the machine tool drive system, the cutting process, and the torque sensing systems. An openloop transfer function (Laplace) in p-domain [21], relating the commanded feed rate to the predicted torque, is GP 1 (p) = KC eLp (f p + 1)(c p + 1)(s p + 1) (1)

where KC = [28000, 40000] is the process gain, L = 0.066 s is the total delay (transducer plus drive system), f = 0.058 s is the time constant of the drive system, c = 30/v = 0.0125 s depends on the rotational period (in this case, 2400 rpm), s = 0.063 s is the sensor time constant, and p is a complex variable. Recently, a similar model for the PID controller design was proposed [22]. The whole process was modeled as a thirdorder system. The overall transfer function (Laplace) can be represented as GP 2 (p) = KC K S (1 p + 1)(2 p + 1)(3 p + 1) (2)

where KC is the process gain, which varies according to the workpiece and according to the process itself, and KS is the spindle motor current gain that is a function of spindle speed; the time constants of the combined system of feed drive and the cutting process derived from the experiments are 1 = 0.03 s and 2 = 0.1 s; 3 = 0.029 s is the time constant of the spindle system and p is a complex variable. The models described above have certain limitations in representing the complexity and uncertainty of the process. The variations in the characteristics of the milling process, its nonlinearities, and its complexity are obstacles to the development of an exact model for control-system design purposes. It is, therefore, rather difcult to design and implement classical and adaptive control schemes. Fuzzy control schemes, therefore, provide a feasible option. III. FUZZY CONTROL OF THE CUTTING TORQUE IN THE MILLING PROCESS Conservative constant feed-rate and spindle-speed values are used throughout the numerical control (NC) cycle to avoid tool breakage. Due to the unpredictability of the process, this practice increases cycle time and still may not be effective in avoiding tool breakage and chattering. The feed rate and spindle speed can be adjusted simultaneously as needed to regulate the cutting torque, and the production rate can be optimized without being concerned with the appearance of chatter [23].

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It has been evident since the 1990s that the design requirements for control and modeling systems for complex processes cannot be fullled by classical approaches alone. New methods must be investigated and used that can take advantage of human experience, methods that can deal with imprecision and uncertainty. The machining process involves physical phenomena that are very difcult to describe accurately using traditional mathematical models because of the essence of the process itself; this is the main reason why there are no exact mathematical models available. This being so, FL-based control can provide an alternative way of optimizing machine tool performance. FL is an intelligent technique that has proven useful in control and industrial engineering as a very practical optimizing tool. The growing number of successful industrial applications of FL worldwide really provides the best credentials in its favor. Moreover, FL can be used to build process models on the basis of the expertise of experienced human operators. Through fuzzy control, the systems can be invested with the verbally expressed experience of a trained operator. Through FL, we can plug human knowledge, expressed in qualitative terms, into control systems to provide us with an alternative mathematical formalism for computation, human reasoning, and the integration of qualitative and quantitative information. The goal of this paper is, therefore, to show a fuzzy controller that can respond to variations in work material hardness, depth of cut, and part geometry by adjusting the variables of feed rate and spindle speed. The standard steps for dening input and output membership functions and for constructing fuzzy control rules were followed in designing the two-input/two-output fuzzy control system. The fuzzy controllers core performed online actions to modify the feed rate and the spindle speed. The manipulated (action) variables that we selected were the feed-rate increment (f as a percentage of the initial value programmed into the CNC) and the spindle-speed increment (s as a percentage of the initial value programmed into the CNC). The three basic tasks known as fuzzication, decision-making, and defuzzication were used. The error and output vectors were s] (3) where KE, KCE, and GC are scaling factors for inputs (error and change in error) and outputs (change in the feed rate and change in the spindle speed), respectively. The torque values were acquired from an open-architecture CNC. The reference torque value (Tr ) was derived from the tool workpiece material combination. For each sampling period k, the torque error and the change in torque error were calculated as Tq (k) = Tr Tq (k) Tq (k) = Tq (k) Tq (k 1)
2

Fig. 1. Fuzzy partitions and membership functions for (a) Tq , 2 Tq , (b) f , and (c) s.

mental results. Fig. 1 shows the resulting fuzzy partition. Seven fuzzy sets were used for inputs and outputs: negative big (NB), negative medium (NM), negative small (NS), zero (ZE), positive small (PS), positive medium (PM), and positive big (PB). These membership functions are essential to achieve good control performance. When trapezoidal membership functions are used, the resulting system is the sum of a global nonlinear controller (the static part) and a local nonlinear PI controller (which is dynamically changing with regard to the input space) [24]. Therefore, this kind of membership function is relevant when dealing with nonlinear process behavior. We considered a set of rules, consisting of linguistic statements linking each antecedent with its respective consequent, and with the following syntax: IF Tq is PB AND 2 Tq is PB THEN f is PB AND s is NB. These fuzzy rules provide important principles and relevant information about the process. Under normal cutting conditions, the constant feed-rate and spindle-speed values were set conservatively according to the information in machining, cutting tool, and material handbooks. However, the feed-rate values were manually adjusted in real time depending on the cutting parameters in order to optimize the machining process. The spindle speed was also modied, but only slightly compared to the adjustment of the feed rate. Therefore, in order to maintain a constant cutting torque, the feed rate should be reduced and the spindle speed should be slightly increased when the torque increases (i.e., due to the increased depth of the cut). On the other hand, when the torque decreases due to air gaps in the part, the feed rate should be increased to maximize the rate of metal removal, and the spindle speed should be reduced slightly. A total of 49 control rules for each output (f and s) were developed, which are summarized in Table I. The sup-product compositional operator was selected for the compositional rule of inference [25]. Using the algebraic product operation, developing the fuzzy implication and applying

eT = [KE Tq

KCE 2 Tq ]

u = GC [f

(4) (5)

where Tq is the torque error (in newtonmeters) and 2 Tq is the change in torque error (in newtonmeters). The fuzzy partition of universes of discourse and the creation of the rule base were based on prior knowledge and experi-

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TABLE I RULE BASES TO MANIPULATE (a) Feed Rate and (b) Spindle Speed

the maximum union operation, we obtained R (Tq , 2 Tq , f ) = max prod Tq i (Tq ), 2 Tq i (2 Tq ), fi (f )

i=1 49

In the late 70s, there was some work that demonstrated that the COA yields less mean square error than the MOM [29]. In all cases, the maximum yielded worse results than the other methods despite its simplicity and shorter computation time. From the viewpoint of the dynamics of the control loop, the MOM yielded a better transient response, whereas the COA performed better at steady state. Additionally, the MOM behaved as a multilevel relay, and the COA behaved as a PI controller [30]. Other strategies for defuzzication were developed in the 90s under the same rationale: formal treatment of uncertainty in relationship with the validity of the possibilistic distribution of the output, generated by the decision-making of the fuzzy systems (i.e., convert the possibilistic distribution of the output fuzzy set into a probabilistic distribution function) [31]. The COA strategy was selected as the defuzzication strategy, because of its suitable performance at steady state and its use as a standard defuzzication method in experimental and industrial fuzzy controllers. Research on defuzzication methods lies outside the goal and scope of this paper. A survey of the defuzzication strategies is given in [32]. The crisp controller outputs, which are used to change the machine-table feed rate and spindle speed, are obtained by defuzzication using the center-of-average (COA) method, which is expressed as (6) s = f = . (7)
i

R (si)si i R (si) R (f i)f i i R (f i)

(8) (9)

R (Tq , 2 Tq , s) = max prod Tq i (Tq ), 2 Tq i (2 Tq ), si (s)

i=1 49

Work so far on fuzzy operations has focused on the inuence of fuzzy operations on the accuracy and quality of fuzzy controllers. An interesting study of the different roles played by fuzzy operators in the fuzzy control of an inverted pendulum was reported in [26]. The study concluded that the selection of a t-norm (e.g., algebraic product) to play the role of the conjunctive operator was not relevant. It also suggested that a fuzzy controllers inference system may be made up of an implication extending the Boolean conjunction as an implication operator (e.g., Einstein, drastic, bounded, and algebraic products) and any continuous t-norm (e.g., algebraic product) as a conjunctive operator. Other studies on the same topic have shown that both the minimum and the algebraic product are suitable fuzzy operators for performing the inference of the FLC [27], [28]. The algebraic product as implication and conjunctive operator and the maximum as aggregation operator have been selected for the inference system discussed in this paper because of their suitability. Not all fuzzy operators are suitable for real-time applications in feedback systems. Furthermore, the selection of fuzzy operators and the verication of their suitability when dealing with time-variant nonlinear systems like the milling process are very difcult tasks. The next step is the application of the defuzzication strategy. There are basically three traditional defuzzication methods: the maximum, mean of maxima (MOM), and center of area (COA).

where f (s) is the crisp value of f i (si) for a given crisp input (Tq , 2 Tq ). The crisp-control action (generated by each sampling instant) denes the nal actions that will be applied. The strategy used to compute f and s determines what type of a fuzzy regulator will be used. In this case, it is a PI-fuzzy controller. The outputscaling factor (GC) multiplied by the crisp-control action (generated at each sampling instant) provides the nal actions that will be applied to the CNC f (k) = f (k 1) + GC f (k) s(k) = s(k 1) + GC s(k). (10)

Feed-rate and spindle-speed values were generated online by the embedded controller and fed in with the setpoint for the torque Tr and measured value Tq from the internal torque signal provided by the open-architecture CNC, as detailed in Section V. IV. SELF-TUNING STRATEGIES FOR FUZZY CONTROL SYSTEMS Despite the advantages of fuzzy control, there are important requirements in several cases related to the closed-loop system response (i.e., settling time and oscillation) that are almost impossible to meet without adding a self-tuning technique. Empirical and theoretical tuning techniques for fuzzy controllers have been suggested in the literature [33], [34]. However, many of these techniques have not actually been applied in practice, because of the high complexity of the parameter

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Fig. 3. Fig. 2. Closed-loop response showing the peaks used by the tuning algorithm.

Scheme of self-tuning fuzzy controller applied to milling process.

estimation algorithms, the need for concrete response specications, and the difculties in detecting response error peaks (i.e., a false reading from the sensor or a noisy environment). In fact, automatic tuning has been one of the most heavily-researched areas in the last decade. It includes tasks such as rule generation and modication of membership functions. Of all the self-tuning techniques, those based on the closedloop system response are considered to be among the most outstanding. This technique consists in recognizing a pattern in the closed-loop response, measuring the performance indices (i.e., the overshoot and oscillation period), and adjusting the controller parameters based on the results of those indices. The analysis will usually target the error signal, which reects the results from any of these events. A. Suggested Strategy for Self-Tuning In general, the classic controllers have proven that they work well as long as the control system parameters are chosen correctly and the theoretical design conditions are met. In practice, this is not often the case, however, and system performance deteriorates due to the actual industrial process features. Tuning laws can easily be established for thoroughly modeled processes. Unfortunately, real industrial processes usually exhibit nonmodeled characteristics such as nonlinearity and timevariant behavior, and they may also be affected by noise and load disturbances, which cause parameter variations. From a control-system design viewpoint, it is relatively easy to construct the linguistic control rules and initial membership functions of the fuzzy control systems. Furthermore, some important tasks such as selecting a fuzzy controller type, the compositional rule of inference, and the defuzzication method are quite simple. However, a crucial issue related to this controller is the setting of the controller parameters (i.e., input and output scaling factors), which is not a trivial operation. Just as with traditional control schemes, the tuning of a fuzzy controller focuses on achieving a suitable closed-loop response in accordance with certain design specications, which are usually dictated by the system performance requirements. The real-time algorithm that we propose measures the peak values of error, and then, acts on the output scaling factor of the controller (GC) and on the scaling factor of the change in error (KCE ), as shown in Fig. 2. The GC value sets a tradeoff between the response speed and the system stability. From the linear control viewpoint, GC is connected with an integral pa-

rameter, whereas KCE is related to a derivative parameter. Typically, when step-shaped disturbances are taken into account, the greater the value of the GC, the faster and more unstable the system response will be. The adjustment of the GC is combined with an adjustment of the scale factor (KCE ), since for small values of GC, the system response may become too slow. Depending on the peaks in error signal (normalized to the set point value, i.e., OVj > 1) at sampling instant j, the GC and KCE are adjusted at the same rate, decreasing the magnitude of GC and increasing the magnitude of KCE . Thus, the algorithm is meant to increase the damping, making the system more stable, and at the same time, it tries to maintain a quick reaction to error. The following expressions are used to modify GC and KCE simultaneously. KCE (j + 1) = KCE (j) 1 OVj (11) (12)

GC(j + 1) = GC(j) [1 OVj ]

where OVj are the peaks of the error (normalized to the set point value) at the jth time instant, GCj = GC1 = 1, KCEj = KCE1 = 1. The algorithm requires minimal user specications and includes the denition of a noise band Br (in percentage) and a peak condition index Dp (in percentage). The noise band covers a zone where the peaks of the error are not employed to adjust the controller parameters. This band prevents the controller from detuning, which is caused by oscillatory disturbances. It is usually set between 5% and 10%, depending on the magnitude of the noise. The peak condition index is the maximum peak measurement, which would indicate a dangerous situation or an abnormal controller performance. It is usually set between 50% and 100%. The whole control scheme, including the self-tuning mechanism and the fuzzy controller, is shown in Fig. 3. V. OPEN CNCS AND NEW ADD-ON FUNCTIONS More recently, open-architecture CNCs have enabled internal control signals to be gathered and mathematically processed by means of integrated applications such as additional functions embedded right in the control kernel. Open CNCs usually have opening levels at man/machine communication (MMC) and at the CNCs numerical control kernel (NCK). The most important level from a control-system standpoint can be found in the NCK, where real-time critical tasks (i.e., axes control) are scheduled and performed.

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Fig. 4.

Control system diagram.

There are currently some commercially available add-on systems, which can perform real-time control based on an expert system, which combines tool and material information. However, the underlying technology has some limitations, such as the annoying calibration procedure, as well as synchronization problems with other applications in open CNCs [35]. A. Embedding the Fuzzy Controller This section briey explains how the fuzzy controller (design shown in Section III) and the self-tuning strategy developed in Section IV are embedded in the open-architecture CNC. Further details about software development and how to embed control and monitoring systems in an open CNC are provided in [15]. This paper does not address active research topics in the eld of embedded control systems. Topics related to formal methods for designing and verifying embedded control systems are beyond the scope of this paper [36]. The software was created to implement the whole algorithm. The software includes two modules i.e., the fuzzy controller described in Section III and the peak observer plus parameter tuner addressed in Section IV. The peak observation starts when the error signal Tq (k) exceeds a prescribed noise band. When that happens, the program searches for peaks in Tq (k). In order to tune the fuzzy controller, the parameter regulator adjusts the KCE and GC simultaneously at each peak error value, using (11) and (12). In this application, the noise band Br was xed at 10%, and the peak condition index Dp was set at 70%. The selftuning mechanism can be manually or automatically activated. The application was developed on the basis of a Sinumerik 840D CNC. The process of integrating the software application in the control kernel involved a series of steps [37]. First, the fuzzy controller and the peak observer and the parameter tuner were programmed in C/C++ and then compiled, and as a result, a dynamic-link library (DLL) was generated. This DLL embedded in the open CNC cannot operate without the integration of the developed software into the control kernel. In order to modify the NCK, thus enabling the real-time modication of the spindle speed and feed rate, the software development (editing, compiling, and code linking) was run at a workstation. After that, the le was transferred to the PC, where original equipment manufacturer (OEM) software ran debugging routines. Finally, the code was copied on a PCMCIA card and inserted into the open CNC.

A PC, the WINDOWS XP operating system, and Visual C++ were used for programming the MMC. Intermodule communications between the MMC and the NCK were established through dynamic data exchange (DDE). Finally, the user interface was programmed in Visual C++ for the sake of simplicity. The general outline of the control system is depicted in Fig. 4. An internal data-acquisition system was developed and used to measure the control internal torque signal. The sampling frequency was 500 Hz, as dened by the servosystems control cycle. The software consists of a data-acquisition module in the NCK that records the selected data into an internal buffer, and an MMC background task that receives the completed measurement and stores it in the hard drive of the user-interface PC. Data transfer is performed by splitting the recorded data into a number of fragments, due to limitations in the CNCs le systems. The signals to be recorded (i.e., the torque) are congured using specially added machine data. Recording can be started and stopped either manually using an MMC application or under the NC programs control. VI. INDUSTRIAL TEST EVALUATION Milling tests were carried out in a manufacturing company based on the SV-6000 Soraluce high-speed milling center, which was equipped with an open-CNC Sinumerik 840D. The cutting tool was a Seco R218.19-2538.35-37.070HA (020/943) ball-end mill 38 mm in diameter with four inserts of the SEKN 12 04 AZ (SEK 43A, GC-A p25) type. The workpiece material used for testing was F114-quality steel. The maximum depth of cut was 20 mm, the nominal spindle speed was s0 = 1200 rpm, and the nominal feed rate was f0 = 300 mm/min. The actual dimensions of the prole were 334 mm 505 mm. The prole and the workpiece clamped into the machine tool table are depicted in Fig. 5. The spindle torque setpoint can be selected on the basis of handbooks (e.g., taking into account tool parameters and constraints, cutting conditions), spindle power constraints and tests (e.g., trial cuts). A trial cut was carried out using the nominal cutting conditions (feed rate and spindle speed) suggested by a handbook and factoring in the operators experience. The torque value obtained from the largest depth of cut of the prole can be set roughly as the desired spindle torque. This means regarding the tool, workpiece material, and machine tool as a unit

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Fig. 5. (a) Prole of the workpiece. (b) Workpiece and cutting tool during industrial tests. TABLE II COMPARISON OF FUZZY CONTROLLERS WITH AND WITHOUT SELF-TUNING MECHANISM

or combination. The nominal cutting conditions, the maximum depth of cut, and the reference value were recorded in a database for future work. In this test, the torque value from the largest depth of cut of the prole was 86.66 Nm, and the desired reference was set at 90 Nm. The sampling frequency was 500 Hz, the feed override range was 50%120%, and the spindle speed override range was 80%120%. Depending on the torque reference selected, the fuzzy controller can reduce the cycle time by about 5%15% compared to open-loop constant nominal cutting conditions. In general, higher torque references make for lower cycle times and more risks of catastrophic tool breakage and machine overload. In practice, conservative constant feed-rate and spindle-speed values are used to avoid tool breakage, albeit sacricing cycle time. Using the fuzzy controller, the feed rate and spindle speed are adjusted as needed to regulate the cutting torque, and the production rate is maximized. We simulated and veried the effectiveness of two fuzzy controllers with and without self-tuning. The rst one was a two-input/one-output fuzzy controller with and without the selftuning strategy. The feed-rate increment was adjusted accordingly whereas the spindle speed was set as a constant. The second one was a two-input/two-output controller with the realtime modication of both feed rate and spindle speed. Likewise, the performance of the self-tuning strategy was checked. We did not include linear controllers because the fuzzy controller yielded better results than the linear control loops for this case study [38]. The issue of stability was also not addressed. Some strategies for checking the stability of control systems of the type introduced herein were suggested and applied in [39].

Fig. 6. (a) Behavior of torque signal for the CNC working alone (solid) and a two-input/one-output fuzzy controller (dashed line). (b) Behavior of the feed rate control signal.

The behavior of control systems was evaluated by assessing accuracy, overshoot, and oscillations. In order to evaluate the accuracy of the fuzzy controller, the average absolute error (AAE) and the integral square error (ISE) were calculated. The transient response was also studied in detail, because undesirable oscillations are harmful to both surface quality and tool. Moreover, the overshoot (Mpt ) was tracked as a warning of dangerous situations (exceeded maximum allowable value for tool breakage) and proximity to the control loops instability. The cycle time tmech , which is an important criterion for evaluating the benets of the proposed controller and is related to the productivity improvement in machining operations E , was also calculated. The results are summarized in Table II. The results are shown in Figs. 69. The behavior of the torque signal for all cases, including the CNC working alone, is depicted in Fig. 6(a). A two-input/one-output controller is represented as a dashed line. Control signals corresponding to the feed rates are shown in Fig. 6(b). A two-input/one-output controller with self-tuning is depicted with a dotted line in Fig. 7. The two-input/two-output controller is represented as a dotdashed line in Fig. 8. Finally, the two-input/two-output fuzzy controller with self-tuning is shown with a solid line in Fig. 9. Control signals corresponding to feed rate and spindle speed are shown in Figs. 7(b), 8(b), and 9(b). The two-input/two-output fuzzy controller with a self-tuning strategy outperformed the others, as shown in Table II. The transient response in terms of overshoot Mpt was improved. From a technological standpoint, these overshoot values are permissible for milling operations up to 20% [40]. On the other hand, the decrease in the cycle time

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Fig. 7. (a) Behavior of torque signal for a two-input/one-output fuzzy controller with self-tuning. (b) Behavior of the feed rate and spindle speed control signals.

Fig. 9. (a) Behavior of torque signal for a two-input/two-output fuzzy controller with self-tuning. (b) Behavior of the feed rate and spindle speed control signals.

E was close to 8%, which clearly shows that progress lays in productivity. Moreover, the AAE and ISE performance indices provided a more accurate assessment, which corroborated the advantage of using these two control variables. VII. CONCLUSION This paper introduces a two-input/two-output fuzzy controller with a self-tuning mechanism to regulate the torque for millingprocess optimization in a production environment. The fuzzy control system adjusts the feed rate and spindle speed simultaneously as needed to regulate the cutting torque, using the CNCs own resources without requiring any additional hardware overheads. The main advantages of the present approach include an embedded fuzzy controller in an open-architecture CNC, a sensorless application based on torque signal provided by an open CNC, and a self-tuning strategy to deal with the nonlinear and time-variant milling process behavior. The results of the fuzzy-control strategy show higher machining efciency in actual industrial tests. The torque signal is kept constant during machining, in spite of the disturbances and severe nonlinearities caused during the milling process. The conclusions about the control loops behavior are proven by the merit gures included in Table II, which represent a good transient response, minimum steady-state error, and a reduction in cycle time. The proposed controller produces a nonoscillating system regardless of disturbances and nonlinearities, making it the correct choice for coping with drastic disturbances such as changes

Fig. 8. (a) Behavior of torque signal for a two-input/two-output fuzzy controller. (b) Behavior of the feed rate and spindle speed control signals.

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in tool conditions and variations in material properties. The inuence of the proposed control system on the tools useful life, chattering appearance, and nish surface quality will all be analyzed during future research in order to assess the actual achievements (benets) of the proposed method. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The authors wish to express their gratitude to Gorka Arrate and Javier Hern ndez, who contributed to the implementation a and tests of the control system at Soraluce, which is a member of the Mondragon Cooperative Corporation Machine Tool Division and the Ideko R&D center in machine tools. Likewise, the authors gratefully acknowledge the contributions of Angel Alique and Salvador Ros for their assistance in providing useful comments and suggestions during the preparation of this paper. Finally, the authors would like to thank anonymous referees for their helpful suggestions and comments. REFERENCES
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Rodolfo E. Haber was born in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, in 1969. He received the B.E. degree (with honors) in automatic control engineering from the Universidad de Oriente, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, in 1992 and the Ph.D. degree (cum laude) in industrial engineering from the Technical University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain, in 1999. He joined the Spanish Council for Scientic Research in 1999, working on several research and development projects. He also joined the Computer Engineering Department, Escuela Polit cnica Superior, e Universidad Aut noma de Madrid, as an Adjunct Professor in 1999. Since o 2005, he has been with the ASMEs Technical Committee on Modelling and Intelligent Systems. He has authored several chapters of books and about 90 papers published in several journals. His research interests include control theory and applications, soft-computing techniques, supervisory control, and complex electromechanical processes. Dr. Guerra was an IPC member for several IEEE and IFAC conferences from 2000 to 2005. Since 2002, he has been with IFACs Technical Committee 3.1 Computers and Control.

Jos R. Alique (M02) received the B.Sc. degree in e physics from the University Complutense of Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain, in 1969, the M.Sc. degree in physics from the International Institute of Philips, Eindhoven, The Netherlands, in 1971, and the Ph.D. degree in physics from the UCM in 1973. From 1969 to 1970, he was an Assistant Professor of physics and automation with the UCM. Since 1972, he has been with the Spanish Council for Scientic Research (CSIC), Madrid, where he is currently a Researcher with the Instituto de Automatica Industrial and the Head of the Computer Science Department. From 1991 to 1996, he was the Director of the Technology Transfer Ofce in the CSIC. From 1996 to 2001, he was the Vice Director of research and development projects in the Ministry of Science and Technology. His research interests include automation of machining processes, numerical controls, robotics systems, and intelligent modeling and control.