Laboratory for Manufacturing and Sustainability

This is a systems-oriented paper that begins with a specific description of a wireless sensor that was developed to measure cutting tool tempera- tures in milling. Resistive Temperature Detectors (RTDs) were installed on the backside of end-mill inserts and a wireless platform transmitted data. The goal of this new work was to design a wire- less sensor system with a high degree of minia- turization, together with the ability to measure temperatures in real-time. As a result, the new system could be used within an Open Architec- ture Controller (OAC) as part of a closed loop monitoring system based on a desired “operating set-point temperature.” The second part of the paper describes a broader use of wireless sen- sors that can be integrated into factory-wide Wire- less Sensor Networks (WSNs). Such networks are an underlying technology that can further broaden the effectiveness of Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) Systems. The final section of the paper reviews the present standards, deploy- ment strategies, and specific wireless platforms (including hardware examples and “TinyOS” op- erating systems) that needed to accelerate the use of WSNs in CIM.