THE NEW LEARNING DRILL

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THE NEW LEARNING DRILL
28 August 2002 - Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.

Today's powerful drills penetrate most concrete walls like a knife through butter. But not all concrete is the same: Depending on the application, different grades are used and they exhibit great differences, also in strength. A garden path made of exposed aggregate concrete is not in the same league as a strongroom which is protected by means of steel-reinforced heavy concrete.

To improve drilling performance, it would be a good idea if the hammer drill "understood" about the different types of concrete and rock and then adjusted the two variables on which drilling performance depends: the rotational speed of the bit (hopefully sharp) and the frequency of the percussive mechanism. In order to optimally coordinate these variables and achieve maximum drill penetration, engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Information and Data Processing IITB have developed an intelligent drive control system which automatically adjusts to different bits, building materials, rock types and contact pressures applied by the user. An industrial enterprise which is cooperating with the Institute is testing this patented concept with prototypes of its high-performance hammer drills in practical trials.

"Man, drill and wall form a complete mechanical system," explains Dr. Helge-Björn Kuntze. "Users press and move the drill in different ways and the strength of the wall varies from case to case. As the dynamic behavior responds relatively sensitively to changes in these parameters, we have equipped the electronic drive control with a learning neuro-fuzzy component." Several sensors in the drill measure impact and rotational speed, electric power and longitudinal and lateral acceleration as input variables. The electronic system compares these data with stored standard situations and almost instantaneously recognizes current situation parameters such as bit type, rock type and contact pressure. If the system fails to find an exactly matching situation, it applies the parameters that come closest to the present operating conditions.

In a second step the control system has to find and set the optimal working point. "This match is based on real drilling tests performed on standard blocks of concrete and rock," explains the head of the IITB's measurement, control and diagnosis systems unit. "The best working points for every situation are stored in operating maps implanted in the machine's brain." The aim now is to transfer the concept of the learning drill to larger-scale applications. As a result, tunneling work, for example, could soon make faster progress.

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About: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft undertakes applied research of direct utility to private and public enterprise and of wide benefit to society. Its services are solicited by customers and contractual partners in industry, the service sector and public administration. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft maintains over 80 research units at more than 40 different locations throughout Germany. A staff of some 12,700, predominantly qualified scientists and engineers, works with an annual research budget of over one billion euros. Of this sum, more than € 900 million is generated through contract research. Two thirds of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft’s contract research revenue is derived from contracts with industry and from publicly financed research projects. The remaining one third is contributed by the German federal and Länder governments, as a means of enabling the institutes to pursue more fundamental research in areas that are likely to become relevant to industry and society in five or ten years’ time.

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is also active on an international level: Affiliated research centers and representative offices in Europe, the USA and Asia provide contact with the regions of greatest importance to present and future scientific progress and economic development.

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