A diagnosis method of wear and tool life for an endmill by ultrasonic detection

•A novel application of ultrasound for endmills was applied in this study.•Two experimental cases were performed to measure the multi-point contact of end-mill cutters.•The 2D and 3D contact images for endmills were shown in the figures.•The comparison of contact area between a used endmill and a new one was worked out.

This study used ultrasonic scanning to investigate the contact between end-mill cutters and workpieces. This method is novel for endmills and has not been applied before. Contact shapes were disclosed and a comparison of contact images and areas was made from the experimental results. It is not a dynamic or online monitoring during the cutter machining process. Instead, it is only a static measurement because the objective is to provide the information for users to know the area size of a worn end-mill cutter. The 2D maps show an apparent change not only in area sizes but also in contact shapes for the used endmills. The 3D maps disclose the information for which region is in light or heavy contact.The contact area between the retired end-mill cutter and specimen is calculated using an image analysis software package. The size of contact area can be considered as a reference standard for the changing timing of the endmills with the same type.