Schunk: A Sensitive Toolholder
September 21, 2020
SCHUNK is entering a new era of tool clamping: In September, the sensory hydraulic expansion toolholder iTENDO, the most sensitive toolholder on the market, has been made available. For the first time, it will be possible to monitor metal-cutting processes in high resolution directly at the tool and to control cutting parameters in real time. The required acceleration sensor and electronics are integrated into the toolholder without affecting its interfering contour and other characteristics.
The iTENDO is capable of seamlessly recording the machining process, monitoring previously defined exact limits and, in the event of irregularities, enabling real-time adaptive control of speed of rotation and feed rate. Equipped with a sensor, battery, and transmitting unit, the smart toolholder records the data directly at the tool and transmits it wirelessly via Bluetooth to a receiving unit in the machine room, where it is forwarded by cable to a control and evaluation unit. This makes the system fundamentally different to other solutions for process control. While monitoring the current input of the spindle only permits diffuse signals on vibration behavior, the intelligent tool mounting provides precise process data. In pilot applications, the intelligent fixture has proven performance for milling, drilling, countersinking and even deburring.
Starter kit for simple commissioning
In a first step, SCHUNK is standardizing the iTENDO for the common interface HSK-A 63 with clamping diameters from 6 mm to 32 mm and a length of 130 mm. The sensory toolholder is suitable for the use of coolant and is designed for speeds of up to 10,000 RPM. The commissioning and analysis of the data is carried out via a browser-based dashboard on standard PCs, tablet computers or smartphones. In the simplest configuration, which can be implemented completely without making adjustments to the machine, the live data from the sensor can be displayed directly on the SCHUNK dashboard via a local connection. For this purpose, SCHUNK provides a special case system with integrated display, which makes it possible to put the toolholder into operation within two hours with minimal effort. In a second configuration, the real-time controller is ideally connected to the machine control system by a service technician via digital or analog I/O so that, for example, alarms can be triggered or processes can be controlled adaptively. The third and most sophisticated configuration enables additional information exchange with the machine (e.g. in the case of the latest Siemens control system via OPC UA). All variants can also be operated and centrally controlled via a cloud solution.
