MoniThor: A complete monitoring tool for machining data acquisition based on FPGA programming

Today requirements by machine-tool users point towards knowing more about the machining processes. In a globalized and competitive market as manufacturing is, future engineers will be urged to develop transversal skills on diverse science domains such as Mechanics, Mechatronics or Electrics. Monitoring of machining processes allows determining possible errors and deviations from the desirable conditions (aged machine-tools, bad machining conditions, most energetically / cost-effective conditions) as well as saving historical data of the workpieces manufactured by the same machine. In order to strengthen students’ skills, the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) developed a monitoring tool using Labview© programming. The application, built from the combination of reconfigurable Input/Output (I/O) architecture and Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA), was applied to practical classes in the machine shop to improve students’ skills.