Schunk iTendo Toolholder Monitors Machining Processes

Schunk’s iTendo sensory toolholder enables high-resolution monitoring for machining processes and real-time control of cutting parameters. The toolholder also comes with an acceleration sensor and electronics.

The iTendo is designed to seamlessly record the metal cutting process, monitor previously-defined exact limit values and, in the event of irregularities, enable real-time adaptive control of the rotation speed and feed rate, among other measures. The intelligent toolholder records data at the tool and transmits it wirelessly via Bluetooth to a receiver unit in the machine room, where a cable forwards it to a control and evaluation unit. According to the company, this system provides more precise process data than other solutions for process monitoring. This information collection is designed to close the loop on industry 4.0 machine processes and take the guesswork out of machine adjustments.

In pilot applications, the intelligent mounting has improved performance for milling, drilling, countersinking and deburring.

The company is standardizing the iTendo for the HSK-A 63 interface with clamping diameters from 6 to 32 mm and a length of 130 mm. The sensory toolholder is suitable for coolant use and designed for speeds ranging to 10,000 rpm. The commissioning and data analysis is carried out via a browser-based dashboard on standard PCs, tablet computers or smartphones.

In the simplest configuration, which operators can implement without machine-side adjustments, the dashboard displays live data from the sensor via a local connection. In a second configuration, a service technician connects the real-time controller to the machine control system via digital or analog I/O for simple alarm triggering and process adaptive control. The third configuration enables additional information exchange with the machine. Users can operate and centrally control any variant via a cloud solution.