In turning operations, the wear of cutting tools is inevitable. As workpieces produced with worn tools may fail to meet specifications, the machining industries focus on replacement policies that mitigate the risk of losses due to scrap. Several strategies, from empiric laws to more advanced statistical models, have been proposed in the literature. More recently, many monitoring systems based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques have been developed. Due to the scope of different artificial intelligence approaches, having a holistic view of the state of the art on this subject is complex, in part due to a lack of recent comprehensive reviews. This literature review therefore presents 20 years of literature on this subject obtained following a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) methodology. This SLR aims to answer the following research question: “How is the AI used in the framework of monitoring/predicting the condition of tools in stable turning condition?” To answer this research question, the “Scopus” database was consulted in order to gather relevant publications published between 1 January 2000 and 1 January 2021. The systematic approach yielded 8426 articles among which 102 correspond to the inclusion and exclusion criteria which limit the application of AI to stable turning operation and online prediction. A bibliometric analysis performed on these articles highlighted the growing interest of this subject in the recent years. A more in-depth analysis of the articles is also presented, mainly focusing on six AI techniques that are highly represented in the literature: Artificial Neural Network (ANN), fuzzy logic, Support Vector Machine (SVM), Self-Organizing Map (SOM), Hidden Markov Model (HMM), and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). For each technique, the trends in the inputs, pre-processing techniques, and outputs of the AI are presented. The trends highlight the early and continuous importance of ANN, and the emerging interest of CNN for tool condition monitoring. The lack of common benchmark database for evaluating models performance does not allow clear comparisons of technique performance.

Recent technological advancements such as IoT and Big Data have granted industries extensive access to data, opening up new opportunities for integrating artificial intelligence (AI) across various applications to enhance production processes. We cite two critical areas where AI can play a key role in industry: product quality control and predictive maintenance. This paper presents a survey of AI applications in the domain of Industry 4.0, with a specific focus on product quality control and predictive maintenance. Experiments were conducted using two datasets, incorporating different machine learning and deep learning models from the literature. Furthermore, this paper provides an overview of the AI solution development approach for product quality control and predictive maintenance. This approach includes several key steps, such as data collection, data analysis, model development, model explanation, and model deployment.

The machining industry raises an ever-growing concern for the significant cost of cutting tools in the production process of mechanical parts, with a focus on the replacement policy of these inserts. While an early maintenance induces lower tool return on investment, scraps and inherent costs stem from late replacement. The framework of this paper is the attempt to predict the tool inserts Mean Up Time, based solely on the value of a cutting parameter (the cutting speed in this particular turning application). More specifically, the use of the Cox Proportional Hazards (PH) Model for this prediction is demonstrated. The main contribution of this paper is the analytic approach that was conducted about the relevance on data transformation prior to using the Cox PH Model. It is shown that the logarithm of the cutting speed is analytically much more relevant in the prediction of the Mean Up Time through the Cox PH model than the raw cutting speed value. The paper also covers a numerical validation designed to show and discuss the benefits of this data transformation and the overall interest of the Cox PH model for the lifetime prognosis. This methodology, however, necessitates the knowledge of an analytical law linking the covariate to the Mean Up Time. It also shows how the necessary data for the numerical experiment was obtained through a gamma process simulating the degradation of cutting inserts. The results of this paper are expected to help manufacturers in the assessment of tool lifespan.

The degradation of the cutting tool and its optimal replacement is a major problem in machining given the variability in this degradation even under constant cutting conditions. Therefore, monitoring the degradation of cutting tools is an important part of the process in order to replace the tool at the optimal time and thus reduce operating costs. In this paper, a cutting tool degradation monitoring technique is proposed using bootstrap-based artificial neural networks. Different indicators from the turning operation are used as input to the approach: the RMS value of the cutting force and torque, the machining duration, and the total machined length. They are used by the approach to estimate the size of the flank wear (VB). Different neural networks are tested but the best results are achieved with an architecture containing two hidden layers: the first one containing six neurons with a Tanh activation function and the second one containing six neurons with an ReLu activation function. The novelty of the approach makes it possible, by using the bootstrap approach, to determine a confidence interval around the prediction. The results show that the networks are able to accurately track the degradation and detect the end of life of the cutting tools in a timely manner, but also that the confidence interval allows an estimate of the possible variation of the prediction to be made, thus helping in the decision for optimal tool replacement policies.