Established Slovak R&D institution has developed a new device used in machinery industry. Dynamometers are devices used for measuring cutting forces when machining, which is very useful for research and optimization of the cutting process. There are two main types of dynamometers – static and rotary. Static ones are easier to use but less precise, and while rotary ones are more precise, they often require a fixture that’s tailored for the specific machine tool. However, the manufacturer of the dynamometer does not provide fixtures for the telemetry sensor.
Because the rotary dynamometer at the Center of Excellence of 5-axis machining at one of the Slovak research institute couldn’t be used for the research of metal cutting without the telemetry sensor fixture, it had to be designed and manufactured first. Therefore a team of researchers involved in the research project regarding machining of difficult-to-cut materials has reverse-engineered the outer shape of the machine tool spindle utilizing an optical 3D scanner. Afterward, the fixture was modeled, manufactured, and successfully tested.The R&D institution is seeking an industrial partner for licensing for the further development and commercionalization of this technology.