Milling of wood and wood-based materials with a computerized numerically controlled router. IV. Development of automatic measurement system for cutting edge profile of throw-away type straight bit

In industrial machining of timber, the method in which the operator visually inspects both wear and chippings of router bits after stopping the machine is generally adopted. However, many working hours are lost in this method and productivity suffers. Therefore, the development of a system that can automatically measure wear or chippings without stopping the machine is desirable. In this study, a laser measuring instrument was installed in a computerized numerically controlled (CNC) router, and an automatic measurement system for the cutting edge profile of throw-away-type straight bits with single-edged blades was developed. The main results are summarized as follows: (1) an automatic measurement system for the cutting edge profile of the bit was constructed; (2) this system was composed of a laser measuring instrument, a control personal computer (PC) for the CNC router, and a monitoring PC to control some devices and collect sampling data; (3) the system could measure the cutting edge profile of the bit without stopping the CNC router.