Procedure

1. Identify the relevant vibration

Locate where the machine's main action occurs (tool/material contact, mechanical effort, transformation). This is the area that should be prioritized. The right positioning is not necessarily the spot that "vibrates the most." You should look for a discriminating area, meaning a location where the measured vibration clearly distinguishes actual production activity from background vibration or non-production moments (warm-up, complete stop, etc).

2. Get as close as possible to this area

Position the sensor as close as possible to the source of the relevant vibration. Avoid distant or global areas (housing, frame) that pick up a mix of vibrations.

3. Keep the screen accessible for the operator (Keynetic case)

The device must remain readable and accessible for operators.

If the optimal measurement area is not compatible with this accessibility (moving area, hard to reach, hazardous), it is recommended to use a remote external sensor. Please refer to this article for more details.

4. Avoid sources of interference

Do not position the sensor on components generating vibrations that are not representative of production, for example: 

• Ventilation
• Extractors
• Pumps

Also take into account occasional disturbances that can occur even during a production stop.

5. Check the cabling and collision risks

Make sure the sensor and device installation does not create any mechanical stress or operating hazard.

• Avoid any tension on the cables, especially at the end of travel
• Check all machine movements (axes, moving parts, door opening/closing)
• Make sure the cables do not pass through a potential collision area
• Allow enough slack to accommodate movements
• Avoid areas of friction, pinching, or shearing
• Check that your Keynetic device is not exposed to a collision risk (machine door, cover, hatch)
• If necessary, secure the cable routing and the device's position (guiding, fastening, cable chain, etc)

The goal is to ensure safe and durable operation, without risk of the cable being pulled out, impact, or degradation over time.

6. Test under real conditions

After configuring stop detection, you will need to: 

• Verify that actual production activity is clearly distinguished from stops
• Adjust the sensor position if necessary, iterating as needed

Some situations to consider

Case of machining equipment

On machining equipment, priority should be given to capturing the vibration related to the machining itself, so as close as possible to the area where the tool is actually working the material.

On some machines, this may lead to favoring an area located on the moving head or on a structural component directly linked to the tool, to capture the vibration from tool/material contact.

Case of warm-up

Some machines have warm-up, ramp-up, or preparation phases during which the machine runs without actual production.

This can include:

• Spindle rotation without tool/material contact
• Axis movements without machining
• Programs replicating production kinematics but without material removal (offset tool)

In these situations, the machine generates vibrations close to those observed during production, but without useful activity.

If the sensor is positioned too far from the actual work area, it becomes difficult to distinguish these phases from actual production.

It is therefore recommended to position the sensor as close as possible to the actual material work area, in order to capture the vibration from tool/material contact, which is the most discriminating signal.

This point is particularly important when warm-up is carried out via the same program as production.

Case of fine production (finishing, threading, small drills)

In fine production operations, vibrations are low amplitude and can be rich in high frequencies. Sensor positioning must therefore be optimized to capture these signals without filtering them out.

Key points

• Sensitivity to high frequencies
  • Position the sensor as close as possible to the machining area
  • Avoid damping mechanical interfaces (soft mounts, irregular surfaces)
• Avoid distant mounting points
  • Mounting on the machine frame heavily filters out high frequencies
• Sensor orientation
  • Align the sensor axis with the main direction of the dominant forces
  • Note: these forces are not constant (out-of-cut phases, transitions), adapt positioning to the dominant use case