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The Field Instrumentation System
(FIS) is a tool developed by Saint Gobain Abrasive’s
Higgins Grinding Technology Center (HGTC), Worcester to
offer solutions to customers using the concept of ‘System
Approach’. The System Approach utilizes all parts of
the grinding system to influence the microscopic interactions
of the process. It integrates science/engineering/management
aspects of the process simultaneously thereby optimizing
the outputs from a System – both Technical and Economical.
Today, maximizing System outputs
is attempted thru Trial and Error approach – using
only the Quality of components produced as the source of
information. The FIS gives an insight into the ‘Process’
and hence, aids the user to adopt a more scientific approach
to Process optimization.
FIS Collects and analyses the macroscopic variables
like power consumed, slide velocity, part size change, wheel
behavior v/s time elapsed. This collection and analysis
of macroscopic data helps to understand the microscopic
interactions taking place at the grinding zone. Having established
thisThese macroscopic variables can then be controlled to
get the desired microscopic interaction and thereby desired
performance from grinding system.
The FIS consists of hardware for measurement of power and
slide position with respect to time and a software ( developed
by HGTC ) to analyze these signals.
The FIS has been used and found
beneficial for the following –
1.Grinding Cycle Optimization - The FIS can be used to study the power
drawn by the process at different Material removal rates
(MRR). This can be used to find the forces in grinding –
Tangential and Normal. Measuring deflections in the system
( using process with and without spark-out ) and using the
forces in grinding, the System Stiffness can
be calculated. The System Stiffness decides the part size
repeatability and drives the Cpk values in an operation.
Combining Stiffness values along with relation between power
and MRR, new grinding cycles can be designed to yield –
- Better Process Capability.
- Improved Productivity.
2.Evaluation of New products – In
any process, change of any input variable has an impact
on the process, which is generally interpreted from the
output part quality – in the absence of measurement
of process. The FIS gives an insight into the effect of
input variable on microscopic interactions in the process
and hence, provides better insight on Real performance of
any New product.
3.Complaint Analysis – The FIS can be used
to understand
- Slide Position repeatability.
- Repeatability of feed rates ( rate of change
of displacement )
- Variations in grinding power
- Variations in Idle power
This helps
in understanding of Non – performance of a product
and can attribute the reasons to the right factor.
The FIS has been
in use in India for the last 4 years and has been found
very beneficial at all accounts where it was used.
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