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Automation at the process level for machining operations and machine tools has been a focus of research attention in both academia and industry alike for several decades. Research in this area has carried strong expectations in the context of increased productivity, improved part quality, reduced costs, and relaxed part design constraints. The basis for these expectations is two-fold. First, machining process automation, if exercised strategically and advantageously, can perform consistently for large batch production or flexibly for small batch jobs. Secondly, process automation can be set up to autonomously tune the machine parameters (feed, speed, depth of cut, etc.) in pursuit of desirable performance (tolerance, finish, cycle time, etc.), thereby bridging the gap between product design and process planning while reaching beyond the human operators’ capability. The success of manufacturing process automation hinges primarily on the effectiveness of process monitoring and control systems. This paper reviews the evolution and the state of the art of machining process monitoring and control technologies. Key issues to be presented include sensor techniques, control techniques, hardware availability, and implementation examples. Also to be reviewed are the benefits of the systems and the reasons for their delayed realization in many of today’s industrial application domains.

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