METHOD OF MANUFACTURING STATE TRANSDUCERS FOR MECHANICAL COMPONENTS, AND SUCH MECHANICAL COMPONENTS

Abstract: A method of manufacturing state transducers for mechanical components intended to be subjected to wear, mechanical and/or thermal loads, especially state transducers for tools. The invention is characterized in that electric conductors and, where appropriate, electronic circuits (9) of microscale for measuring wear, mechanical and/or thermal loads are applied on the surface of the component (11), and a protective layer (10) is applied upon at least portions of said circuits (9) and conductors, where said conductors, circuits and said protective layer (10) are applied so as to constitute a unit atomic integrated with the mechanical component (11), which conductors and circuits are intended to be connected to a signal processing or corresponding equipment. The invention also comprises a mechanical component treated according to said method.

Description: Method of manufacturing state transducers for mechanic¬ al components, and such mechanical components This invention relates to a method of manufacturing state transducers for mechanical components, especial- ly for tools and machine elements. The invention furth¬ er relates to mechanical components comprising such state transducers. It has been desired since long to be able to detect the wear of a tool or machine element as well as the temper- ature and mechanical load of tool surfaces. This appl¬ ies particularly to cutting and corresponding tools, which are subjected to both mechanical and thermal loads. By knowing the conditions prevailing in the tool surfaces it would be possible to better optimize the cutting oper- ations in respect of tool wear, tool design etc. Heretofore it has been very difficult to obtain informat¬ ion on the forces acting, for example, on the edge of a cutting tool and on the temperature distributionprevail¬ ing at the use of the tool. For obtaining such informat- ion, the forces acting on the entire tool or tool holder have been measured, and thereafter the actual forces and stresses in the tool edge have been calculated. For obtaining information on the temperature of the tool edge, temperature transmitters, such as thermocouples, were inserted in holes drilled into the tool. The known art, thus, does not provide an efficient way of measuring temperature and mechanical forces in the cutting edge of a tool. The conditions are corresponding for machine elements of various types. It would be of essential interest, for example, to be able to measure temperature and forces in bearings of various types, and especially in the bearing surfaces. A great problem is involved in the measuring of tool wear and also of the wear of machine elements, for ex- ample of bearings in operation. At present, wear normally is measured by using a measuring instrument for measur¬ ing the outer dimensions of the tool or machine elemen . This, of course, is not possible when the tool or elem- ent are in operation. The ever increasing employment of semi-automatic or fully automatic machine tools makes it desirable to .automatic¬ ally obtain information on when a tool is worn to such a degree, that it should be exchanged. The present invention provides a method of manufactur¬ ing tools and components of various types in such a way, that the mechanical and/or thermal load as well as the wear thereof can be measured. The invention can be applied generally in industrial connections. The invention, however, also implies that research concerning the design of tools and components can be facilitated substantially by being able to record the conditions in the active surface or surfaces. The present invention, thus, relates to a method of manufacturing state transducers for mechanical compon¬ ents intended to be subjected to wear, mechanical and/ or thermal loads, especially state transducers for tools, and is characterized in that electric'-.conductors and;,, where appropriate, electronic circuits of microscale for measuring wear, mechanical and/or thermal loads are applied on the surface of the component, and that a protective coating is applied upon at least portions of said circuits and conductors, and that said con¬ ductors, circuits and protective coating are applied so as to form a unit atomic integrated with the mechan¬ ical component, which conductors and circuits are in¬ tended to be connected to a signal processing equipment or corresponding equipment. The invention further relates to a mechanical component comprising state transducers capable to emit an electric signal in response to the state of the component, such as wear, mechanical and/or thermal load, and is charact¬ erized in that the state transducer comprises electric con¬ ductors and, where appropriate, electronic ci rcuits of micro- scale capable to measure wear, mechanical and/or thermal load, which conductors and ci rcuits have been appl ied on the mechanical component, and that a protective coating has been appl ied above at least portions of said ci rcuits and * conductors , and said conductors, ci rcuits and protective coating have been appl ied so as to constitute a unit atomic integrated with the mechanical component, preferably by vo¬ lati l ization technique, so-cal led sputtering and/or a photo¬ chemical method, and that necessary connection terminals are provided for connecting the component to a signal pro¬ cessing or corresponding equipment. It can be said generally, that the present invention can be applied in every case where it is desired to measure conditions concerning me¬ chanical and/or thermal loads in a surface and/or wear of surfaces. When the expression "in a surface" is used in the present description it is in certain connections meant in immediate vicinity of such a sur- face, for example 0,1-50 λim beneath the actual surface. A state trans¬ ducer for example for temperature and/or forces acting on the surface, which is located at a distance of 0,1-50 urn beneath the surface, can in many cases be regarded to register the conditions in the surface. The invention is described in the following partially with reference to the accompanying drawing showing embodiments of the invention, in which drawing Fig. 1 shows a cutting tool, Fig. 2 is a part of a section along the line A-A in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a part of a section through, for example, a tool, Fig, h illustrates a temperature trans¬ mitter, ________ illustrates a strain transmitter, Fig. 6 illustrates a pressure transmitter and a temperature transmitter, Fig. 7 illustrates a transmitter comprising a calculation circuit. The invention, as stated above, can be applied to components of va¬ rious types, but it is exemplified by tools for cutting operations. In Fig. 1 a cutting tool 1 is shown, which is of the type normally made of cemented carbide. The cutting tool has three sides 3,^,5, the transitions of which to the upper and, respectively, lower surface con¬ stitute cutting edges. In Fig. 2 a part of a section along the line A-A in Fig. 1 is shown, where the surface 6 in the section con¬ stitutes a surface, the wear and/or loadsof wKch are desired to be measured. The cutting tool 1 shown in Figs.. 1 and 2 is an example of a mechanical component, which comprises a state trans¬ ducer capable to emit an electric signal in response to : the state of the component. The term state is to be under¬ stood as, for example, wear, mechanical and/or thermal load. The basic material of the cutting tool 1 can be, for example, cemented carbide 7oτ high speed tool steel. As cemented carbide is electrically conductive, a layer 8 of an electrically non-conducting material has been applied thereon. A layer 9 comprising electric conductors and, tøhere appropriate, electronic circuits and a prot¬ ective coating 10 also have been applied. A material suitable for the electrically non-conducting layer is alumina (Al C ), but of course also other electrically non-conducting materials can be used. This layer preferably is applied by volatilization technique, i.e. the material is applied by being caused to evaporate and precipitate on the component in question. The term volatilization technique used in the descriptive part and claims is to be understood as the volatilization technique utilized at the manufacture of integrated circ¬ uits. The thickness of the layer preferably is 1-10 micro¬ meter. So-called sputtering can also be used. Sputtering implies bombardment of a material with ions, which yields sputt- ering. The dust coats the substrate to be coated. Vari¬ ants of volatilization technique and, respectively, sputt¬ ering are also regarded comprised in these terms. In cases when the basic material 11 is an electrically non-conducting material, as for example a ceramic mater- ial, see Fig. 3, an electrically insulating layer is not required, but it can still be advantageous to apply a layer thereon which is bound atomic both to the basic material and to the layer comprising electric conductors and, when appropriate, electronic circuits. Upon the insulating layer 8 or, alternatively, the basic material .11 a measuring film is applied, which consists 5 of said layer 9 comprising electric conductors and, when appropriate, electronic circuits. Said layer 9 as well as said protective layer 10 and insulating layer 8 are applied so as to form a unit atomic integrated with the mechanical component. According to a preferred embodim- 10 ent, said layers 9 3 10 are applied by means of volatilizat¬ ion technique, and in other respects in the same way as conventionally used at the manufacture of integrated circuits. According to another embodiment of the invention, said 15 conductors, circuits and/or said protective layer are applied by means of a photochemical method of the kind used conventionally at the manufacture of electronic circuits. The measuring film 9 in a simple design can consist only 20 of an electric conductor, and in a complicated design of a complete integrated circuit capable to carry out calculations and comprising transmitters for the para¬ meters desired to. be measured. Such circuits, of course, are made of the same material as normally used at the 25 manufacture of integrated circuits, viz. silicon and silicon compounds, titanium and germanium compounds etc. Θther suitable materials are aluminium, silver, copper and gold. The material in the measuring film, of course, must be adapted to the mechanical and/or thermal loads 30 intended for the mechanical component. The invention, therefore, is not restricted to the use of certain materials mentioned by way of example. Upon the measuring film 9 the said protective layer 10 is applied in the way stated above. The protective layer 35 is applied upon at least portions of said circuits and conductors. Immediatelyon topofsaid circuits and conduct- ors a layer of electrically non-conducting material, for example AlgO , is applied. The protective layer preferably also is a wearing course for effectively protecting the measuring film. The prot- ective layer 10 preferably comprises one or several lay¬ ers of one or some of the compounds titanium nitride TiN, titanium carbide TiC or oxide of aluminium A1 2 0,, or other suitable compounds, such as boron nitride. The measuring film has a thickness as it is normal for integrated circuits or conductors here concerned. The thickness of the protective layer, of course, is chosen according to the application field of the component, but usually can be l-50um. The said conductors are connected, to the degree requir- ed, to connection terminals 12,13,14, to which contact pins or the like are intended to abut for connecting the electric conductors and, when appropriate, circuits to a signal processing or corresponding equipment, separ¬ ate from the mechanical component, for evaluating elect- ric signals received from the measuring film. The conn¬ ection terminals can be fqrmed by preventing the protect- - ive layer 10 from covering a certain area of the respect-, ive conductor. It is obvious, that the invention is not restricted to - any special type of circuit or transmitter in the measur¬ ing film. In Figs. 4-7 examples of transmitters are shown which constitute different embodiments of the in¬ vention. The measuring film portions shown in Figs. 4,5 and 7 are shown in the plane of the surface of the com- ponent where the protective layer 10 is removed. Fig. 4 shows a thermocouple comprising a first point 15 of Pt and a second point 16 of Pt/Rh, which are connect¬ ed to conductors 17,18, which can be connected to a cal¬ culation circuit or collecting circuit 19 or be connect- ed directly to terminals 12,13. According to a preferred embodiment, the said electronic circuits comprise a piezo-electric component 20 capable to measure pressure and/or mechanical stress. According to a preferred embodiment, the said electronic circuits comprise a temperature-transmitting component, preferably a thermistor 22. These components 20,22 are built- -up by a technique known for the manufacture of integrat¬ ed circuits, which technique, therefore, is not described in detail iri this connection. The components 20,22 are connected to respective conductors 21,23. In Fig. 6 the piezo-electric component, which may consist, for example, of silicon dioxide or barium titanate, is shown extending all through from the surface of the basic material 11 to the outer surface 24. The thermistor 22 is shown extending through the layer 8 located nearest to the basic material. It is exemplified by these two em¬ bodiments, that the electronic circuits and electronic components enclosed therein must not necessarily be form¬ ed only in the measuring film 9. According to a further preferred embodiment, the said electronic circuits comprise conductors , 6, 7, 8;29, 30, which are capable to emit an electric signal in response to the strain state of the conductor or conduct¬ ors when an electric voltage is applied on the conductor or conductors. In Fig. 5 such a circuit is shown by way of example, which is built-up as a conventional strain gauge. In Fig. 7 only one conductor 29,30 is attached to the respective measuring place, while the remaining portion of the bridge connection shown in Fig. 5 is re- placed by a circuit comprised in the calculation circuit 19, to which the conductors 29,30 are connected via electric conductors 31,32,33,34. In Fig. 7 the numerals 39-43 designate conductors extending from the calculation unit 19 to connection terminals (not shown) . According to a further preferred embodiment, the said electronic circuits comprise one or several conductors 35-38, which are attached beneath the protective layer 10 in that portion or those portions of the mechanical component which in operation are subjected to greatest wear. In the case of cutting tools, one or a number of conductors preferably are positioned at the cutting edg- . es. In such a case a wear layer of sufficient thickness of, for example, TiN, TiC and/or A1 2 0, is applied as in the case of commercially available cemented carbide cutting bits. At such bits it is desired to obtain an indication on, for example, when the wear layer is worn out and also to what extent the bit is worn. By applying one or several conductors in the way stated above and measuring their resistance, an indication is obtained immediately, when the wear layer is worn out, because the corresponding conductor then is worn off entirely or partially, and the resistance through the conductor thereby is changed. By arranging such conductors in parallel with each other in the area where the cutting edge gets worn, the degree of wear of the bi * t; can be indicated successively. As the cutting edge and the wear layer in question are moved successively with the wear of the bit, a plural¬ ity of conductors can be arranged so that the conductors successively get worn when the bit gets worn. By the arr- angement of such conductors an indication also can be obtained immediately when pieces of the edge break away or the edge breaks down. Transmitters for pressure, mechanical stress, strain, temperature and wear have been stated above as preferred embodiments. It is apparent, however, that transmitters for other magnitudes can be built-up in a corresponding way. The invention, therefore, must not be regarded re¬ stricted to the embodiments stated above. It is, for example, possible to build-up several layers where electronical circuits are located in different layers laid one above the other which, when appropriate, are separated by layers with electrically insulating properties. It also is possible to build-up several electronic circ- uits on the same mechanical component, and a plurality of transmitters, as for example thermistors, can be provided for being able to measure the distribution of a magnitude, for example the temperature. It is appar-ent, that the present invention renders it possible to measure different conditions in the surface of a mechanical component. This is possible due to the fact, that the respective transmitters can be dimensioned very small and be positioned in or very close to the surface, because the transmitters form a unit atomic integrated with the component. The said signal processing equipment is of a suitable known type. It is, of course, adapted to in which degree calculations or other signal processing are carried out in the electronic circuit or calculation unit comprised in the component. The invention has been described above by way of example referring to a cutting tool consisting of a turnable cut¬ ting bit.The invention, however, can be applied to other mechanical components, for example to drills concerning wear, plastic pressing tools concerninggtemperature, to bearings concerning temperature and mechanical stress, to shafts concerning mechanical strain, etc. The present invention, thus, must not be regarded re¬ stricted to any special mechanical component or any special design of the electric conductors or circuits, . but can be varied within the scope of the attached claims.

Claims: Claims 1. A method of manufacturing state transducers for mechanical components intended to be subjected to wear, mechanical and/or thermal loads, especially state trans- 5 ducers for tools, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that, electric conductors and, when appropriate, electronic circuits of microscale for measuring wear, mechanical and/or thermal loads are applied upon the surface of the component, and that a protective layer is applied to upon at least portions of said circuits and conductors, and said conductors, circuits and said protective layer are applied so as to form a unit atomic integrated with the mechanical component, which conductors and circuits are intended to be connected to a signal processing or 15 corresponding equipment. 2. A method as defined in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r ¬ i z e d i n that said conductors, circuits and said protective layer are applied by means of so-called volat¬ ilization technique or so-called sputtering. 203. A method as defined in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r ¬ i z e d i n that said conductors, circuits and/or said protective layer are applied by means of a photo¬ chemical method. 4. A method as defined in claim 1,2 or 3, when the comτ 25 ponent is made of an electrically conductive material, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that a layer of an electrically non-conducting material is applied on the component prior to the application of said conductors, electronic circuits and protective layer. 305. A method as defined in claim 1,2,3 or 4, c h a r ¬ a c t e r i z e d i n that said protective layer consists of a layer of electrically non-conducting mat-- erial immediately upon said circuits and conductors, which protective layer also is a wear layer comprising 35 preferably one or several of the compounds TiN,TiC or Al 2 03. 11 6. A mechanical component comprising state transduc¬ ers capable to emit an electric signal in response to the state of the component, such as wear, mechanical and/or thermal load, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n 5 that the state transducer comprises electric conduct¬ ors (17,l8;2l,23;31-34) and, where appropriate, elect¬ ronic circuits (20,22,29,30;35-38) of microscale cap¬ able to measure wear, mechanical and/or thermal load, applied on the mechanical component (7;11), and that 0 a protective layer (10) is located applied upon at least portions of said circuits and conductors, where said conductors, circuits and said protective layer have been applied so as to constitute a unit atomic integrated with the mechanical component (7,11), pref- 1 erably by means of volatilization technique, so-called sputtering, and/or a photochemical method, and that necessary connection terminals (12-14) are provided for connecting the component to a signal processing or corresponding equipment. 207. A component as defined in claim 6, c h a r a c t ¬ e r i z e d i n that said protective layer consists of a layer of electrically non-conducting material imm¬ ediately upon said circuits and conductors, which prot¬ ective layer also is a wear layer comprising preferably 25αne or several of the compounds TiN, TiC or..Al O... 8. A component as defined in claim 6 or 7, c h a r ¬ a c t e r i z e d i n that said electronic circuits comprise a piezo-electric component (20) capable to measure pressure and/or mechanical stress. 3Q9. A component as defined in claim 6,7 or 8, c h a r- a c t e r i z e d i n that said electronic circuits comprise conductors (25-28;29,30) capable to emit an electric signal in response to the strain state of the conductor or conductors. 10. A component as defined in claim 6,7,8 or 9, c h a r- a c t e r i z e d i n that said electronic circuits comprise a temperature-transmitting component (22), pref- -rably a thermocouple or thermistor. 511. A component as defined in claim 6,7,8,9 or 10, c h a r a c t e r i z .e d i n that said electronic circuits comprise one or several conductors (35-38) attached beneath the protective layer in that portion or those portions of the component (7;11) which in oper- 0 ation will be subjected to greatest wear, and the resistance of said conductor or conductors is scanned.

Inventors: ALVELID BIRGER, CRAFOORD RALPH, ALVELID, BIRGER, CRAFOORD, RALPH
Applicants: ALVELID BIRGER, CRAFOORD RALPH, ALVELID, BIRGER, CRAFOORD, RALPH
Application year: 1986
Main classification: G01B7
IPC codes: B23Q17, G01B7, G01K1, G01L1