Vibration monitoring and protection

Vibration control monitor

Protection of spindle, instrument and workpiece

Overload protection, breakdown prevention.

«Black box», post-breakdown analysis.

Vibration control monitoring (VCM) is a built-in device for CNC machines providing solution for numerous problems related to vibrations, emerging during operation of CNC machines.

VCM is a microprocessor based system which constantly monitors vibration of an operated CNC machine in real time and analyzes parameters of vibration to give alert signals and /or shut the machine down if some inadmissible vibrations are detected. Thus it averts possible breakages and breakdowns and saves costs related to broken parts and integral units of machines such as spindles, feed drives, bearings, cutting tools, fixation devices.

The system also allows a user to arrange preventive activities based on the analysis of vibration spectrum proper for a specific machine.

Main components

Data acquisition device (VCM DAQ) - controller which measures and processes vibration incoming signals.
Vibration sensors - industrial IEPE accelerometers mounted on the machine. Each VCM DAQ device can be connected to three 1-axis or one 3-axis sensors.
VCM Soft - Windows-based software integrated into HMI-systems of CNC or installed on PC visualizes acquired information of actual vibrations during manufacturing process.

Key benefits

At the production control level the main advantages of VCM are the following:

Averting damages to the spindle and machine in general by monitoring overall vibration of the machine
Protection of cutting tools and workpiece by monitoring vibration parameters of a specific tool; recognizing vibration trends of different tools, VCM can automatically prevent excessive vibrations of each tool in particular.
Averting damages to vital units of the machine by fast-response to collisions: VCM stops the machine in case of collision of motion parts of the machine (spindle, tools and table). In such situations VCM reacts within one millisecond.
Integration into any CNC system based on PC or in stand-alone PC connected to any leading edge or outdated CNC system.
Vibration spectrum analysis: VCM compares actual vibration spectrum to the reference vibration spectrum, recorded in the “healthy” condition of the machine. This function allows used to arrange preventive maintenance activities in time.
Post-breakage analysis of vibration: VCM continuously registers the history of vibrations and thus works as a “black box”, enabling post-breakage analysis of vibrations. This function allows getting information on incorrect operation modes which could be potentially used.
Histogram of spindle operation: VCM enables non-stop recording of rotation velocity, load and vibration of the spindle during the whole period of its operation and produces a histogram of spindle conditions. Based on this data VCM calculates the rate of actual spindle condition.