Tool Breakage Detector

TBD is a contactless system using laser reflection technology. It consists of an emitter that projects the laser beam on the surface of the rotating tool, placed in the check position. Intact tools reflect the signal on the receiver, which is then processed by the internal electronic unit, after being filtered of any interruptions due to droplets of coolant. On the other hand broken tools do not reflect any signal to the TBD, triggering an alarm signal. The laser beam points towards the spindle axis and the check position is identified during the movement towards the magazine, avoiding longer processing times due to more complex positioning operations.

The flexible TBD allows for different operating modes:

• the maximum power setting allows the TBD to detect a tool positioned further away (up to 2 metres), with a standard breakage detection capacity. The “low power” mode, which creates a smaller laser beam, can be used when a lower tolerance is required
• users can choose the signal filtering level. During the tool check cycle droplets of coolant could interrupt the beam or remain on the tip of the tool, altering the reception signal. By setting “Hi Filter”, the TBD software increases the filtering level for a more reliable result. The “Low Filter”, on the other hand, allows the TBD to react more quickly, as the filter threshold is higher
• the most suitable spindle speed range can also be selected