Development of a digital current transformer based on magnetic concentrator for the cutting tool wear control

The article presents the process of developing a digital current transformer based on a magnetic concentrator and proposes an improved method for monitoring voltages and currents in power lines of processing machinery equipped with an electric drive. The device is based on a magnetic field concentrator manufactured in the laboratory from a soft magnetic amorphous material and a Hall sensor. The article briefly describes the development cycle of the device resulted in a prototype creation to be tested in production conditions. The device application possibilities in the forestry complex are quite wide regarding equipment types and installed capacity. At this stage of development the device allowed measuring electrical characteristics in the power lines of wood-cutting equipment with sufficient accuracy and assessing the condition of the cutting tool. The obtained data was processed directly in the device and converted into digital form, which provides great potential for their further processing and use. The programming capabilities of the device and the addition of modules allow using the device to solve consumer problems. Remote data transmission to the server in the future will allow applying big data processing methods to develop and correct equipment operating modes. Control studies of the device operability were conducted on network equipment in the city of Petrozavodsk and showed high sensitivity to load fluctuations on the electric drive. Long-term tests of the development will be conducted on a band sawing machine of a sawmill enterprise to detect well in advance the wear limit of saw blade teeth. The use of the device will allow equipment in small low power enterprises to operate automatically.