Prevent Defects through Axis Position Monitoring in High-Tech Grinding Processes

Challenge

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In many high-tech manufacturing processes, grinding is a critical finishing step to achieve the required surface precision and dimensional accuracy. When processing sensitive components, sudden changes in grinding speed or axis movement can lead to part damage or breakage.

During process analysis in TrendMiner, unusual position changes of a machine’s Z-axis were detected. These irregular movements indicated potential process instabilities that could impact the quality of the high-tech product, in worst case even to break.

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Solution

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TrendMiner identified a specific data pattern representing these abnormal position changes. Using similarity search, machine experts were able to quickly determine how often, and under which conditions these acceleration events occurred.

Within just two hours, large volumes of historical axis position data were analyzed, a task that would typically take weeks or even months using manual methods. While the root cause of the acceleration has not yet been fully identified, TrendMiner enabled engineers to efficiently test hypotheses, such as potential machine programming errors or control parameter issues.

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Value

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• Rapid detection of critical events: Pattern recognition enables fast identification of anomalies across years of historical data.
• Time savings and efficient analysis: Easy data exploration and layering reduce manual effort and accelerate insights.
• Data-driven root cause investigation: Engineers can quickly test hypotheses and pinpoint potential causes of axis anomalies.
• Prevention of part damage: Early detection of unusual machine behavior reduces the risk of future component failures.