Success Story: CORNET project DynaTool

Milling and machining operations of complex steel and hardened steel parts are becoming more and more challenging because of tool vibrations and instable process conditions. Such tool vibrations lead to chatter marks or waviness on the workpiece surfaces, increased tool loads and accelerated tool wear. Finally, tool breakage can occur, which severely damages the workpieces. Critical vibrations have to be avoided by tool and process optimisation and have to be immediately identified by reliable monitoring systems during the running process to allow an interruption, tool change or adaptation of parameters.

New simulation methods allow an optimised tool and process design

Water turbines have complex shaped blades and are one of the application fields that DynaTool addresses.

The CORNET project DynaTool, an international collaboration between Germany, Belgium (Flanders) and Austria, was aiming at new technologies to optimise milling and machining operations. A focus was set to applications in the die and mould making industry, the energy turbine sector and in the field of rapid prototyping. Here, surface defects or damages are inacceptable for the functional behaviour and quality of the products.

The interdisciplinary project crew worked on new process simulation methods to optimise both, the tool and process design, and, for the first time, enabled an exploitation of complex simulation results computed prior to the real process by predictive monitoring. Furthermore, sensor‐integrated tools, tool holders, spindles and clamping devices have been developed and applied providing monitoring signals with a significantly improved sensitivity with respect to vibrations and tool wear influences. Tool properties were also improved in terms of shape and coating of cutting edges.

In this project, tooling technology, latest sensor techniques, new simulation methods as well as the implementation of sophisticated monitoring and process control algorithms have been successfully combined. This led to a significantly more efficient processing regarding material removal rates, tool lifetimes, tooling costs, surface quality and defective parts. Thus, the number of defective parts can be reduced by more than 50 %, and with costs per workpiece often exceeding 50,000 Euro, significant savings per year can be achieved.

Innovative “Industry 4.0” solutions in DynaTool are state of the art

The DynaTool project provides innovative solutions that enable especially small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing industry to achieve significant improvements regarding productivity, reliability, quality and efficiency. It addresses players involved in the entire value chain with practical results: from tool and machine manufacturers to component and system suppliers to end users in various market segments.

Due to its focus on digital information processing the project supports state of the art technology developments and makes a significant contribution to the implementation of innovative “Industry 4.0” solutions in SMEs.

New simulation possibilities – a great support for SMEs

The cooperation with the research institutes gave the companies a considerable insight into modern high‐tech methods. Peter Mundt, CEO of the German company Werkzeugbau GmbH Schönebeck summarises the importance of the pre-competitive project as follows: “For us as a small company, the DynaTool project represented a unique opportunity. Through the project, we got to know new simulation possibilities, which, in the future, can support us significantly in our work and process design.”

The mere provision of transparent process data already represents a considerable added value especially for SMEs, which often shy away from the use of cost-intensive monitoring systems because of financial risks.

Project duration

01.01.2015 – 31.03.2017

Contact person

Dietmar Goericke, Managing Director at Forschungskuratorium Maschinenbau e.V. (FKM), e-mail: info@fkm-net.de, phone: (+49 69) 66 03- 16 81

Participants from Germany

FKM – Forschungskuratorium Maschinenbau e.V. (Coordinating Association)
IFQ – Institute of Manufacturing Technology and Quality Management, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg – Chair of Production Equipment (Research Performer)
ISF – Institute of Machining Technology, TU Dortmund University (Research Performer)
GFE – Gesellschaft für Fertigungstechnik und Entwicklung Schmalkalden e.V. (Research Perfomer)

Participants from Austria

ECOplus – Niederösterreichs Wirtschaftsagentur GmbH (Association)
IFT – Institute for Production Engineering and Laser Technology (Research Perfomer)

Participants from Belgium/Flanders

Sirris – Collective centre for and by the technological industry (Association and Research Performer)
KUL – KU Leuven (Research Perfomer)

Pictures: © IFQ / Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Satakorn / fotolia.com, kamasigns / fotolia.com