Abstract: In order to judge the quality of cutting tools it is necessary to measure their geometry and wear during their use in the industrial process. This allows taking measures to improve the quality and durability of the tools as well as to increase the machining speed. In the following we demonstrate how the 3D metrology device InfiniteFocus can be used for such complex geometry and wear measurements. Due to its special technology it is able to measure even very steep surface slopes and delivers highly accurate 3D data together with perfectly registered true color information. We demonstrate the performance of the system by geometry measurements on different cutting tools with radii down to 3μm. By using special registration algorithms the system is able to compare the three-dimensional structure of the tools before and after their usage and to determine important parameters such as the total volume of worn and accumulated material.
Keywords: 3D metrology, cutting tools, measurement, wear