Smart tool to monitor the sharpness of drilling tools

Drilling in composites is challenging. For instance, delamination or splintering of the material can occur while machining composites. These problems are often caused by worn-out drilling tools. Drills, and other milling tools, wear out unpredictably due to the specific structure of composites. This makes it difficult to predict when the drilling tool needs to be replaced. In fact, a good drilling result is unthinkable without sharp drilling tools.

To ensure this, we built an optical measuring instrument that reconstructs the surface of the drilling tool in 3D and then detects wear. Because we measure in a CNC, we can check the drilling tool in seconds. A visual inspection would take minutes. Not only is this much faster, it is also much more cost-efficient as it does not require human intervention. Moreover, you reduce losses in product quality due to blunt drilling tools.