Monitoring Parameters and Optimizing the Technological Process in the Grinding Machine

Abstract

The paper presents the research results related to the operational parameters of a needle grinder for biological materials. The study focused particularly on monitoring the wear of the grinder’s working elements, the pins. During the operation of the device, the level and nature of vibrations in the grinding system were examined. In the next stage, after the grinding of 600 tons of biological material, an analysis of the wear of the metal pins was conducted. The degradation process of the pins was observed based on elements made of both untreated steel and heat-treated steel. The apparatus used to measure the grinder’s operational parameters consisted of three IEPE KS 80C piezoelectric accelerometers. The applied research methods enabled the identification of vibration components resulting from an improper grinder operation related to pin wear. Based on the conclusions from the conducted research, a low-budget device (prototype) was proposed for continuous machine monitoring, made using an ESP32 system and a capacitive three-axis accelerometer in the MPU6050 system. The applied monitoring method opens new possibilities for quality control and production efficiency in industries that use grinding.