Method of Monitoring Gear Grinding Operations

Abstract

A method for monitoring a grinding operation using a computer system is provided. The method includes determining, by the computer system, a first plurality of operating characteristics associated with a pre-grinding operation. The method also includes determining, by the computer system, a second plurality of operating characteristics associated with the grinding operation. The method further includes determining, by the computer system, a set of operating conditions based on the first plurality of operating characteristics with and the second plurality of operating characteristics. Moreover, the method includes comparing, by the computer system, the set of operating conditions with a set of predetermined operation conditions.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to a method of monitoring grinding operations, and more particularly, to a method of monitoring gear grinding operations.

BACKGROUND

There are many operations involved in the production of gears. Some of the operations may include turning, boring, bobbing, heat treating, and grinding. Turning is the operation where metal is removed from an outer diameter of a rotating workpiece. The workpiece is typically cylindrical. Turning is used to reduce the diameter of the workpiece, usually to a specified dimension. Turning may be used to create a gear blank.

Boring is the operation where a hole (i.e., a bore) may be opened in the middle of a gear blank, e.g., by rotating the tool or the workpiece. Hobbing is the operation where teeth are cut into a gear blank using a hob. Typically, the cutter and the gear blank are rotated at the same time to transfer the profile of the hob onto the gear blank. Heat treating of gears is often carried out as a multistep operation. The first step may involve a controlled heating process in a controlled atmosphere. Typically, the next step may involve a subsequent cooling of the gear in its solid state. Heat treating plays an important role in the production process of a gear because it imparts qualities like strength, hardness, and toughness to the gear.

In order to improve efficiencies and accuracy in the production of gears, various grinding operation characteristics are monitored. Data from monitoring equipment may be collected, processed, and compared to a standard in order to determine any corrective measures that may be desired or required.

One method of monitoring the grinding operation characteristics is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,457,715 (the '715 patent) issued to Bhateja et al. The '715 patent describes a method for monitoring characteristics of grinding tools and grinding system behavior in a production grinding process. However, since the method focuses on monitoring the grinding tools and system during the grinding operation, the method does not take into consideration operation characteristics of any of the pre-grinding operations, such as turning, boring, bobbing, and heat treating. Because the pre-grinding operations may affect the efficiency and accuracy of the grinding process, the efficiency and accuracy of the grinding process may be improved by monitoring one or more of the pre-grinding operations.

The disclosed method is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above and/or other deficiencies in the art.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a method for monitoring a grinding operation using a computer system. The method may include determining, by the computer system, a first plurality of operating characteristics associated with a pre-grinding operation. The method may also include determining, by the computer system, a second plurality of operating characteristics associated with the grinding operation. The method may further include determining, by the computer system, a set of operating conditions based on the first plurality of operating characteristics with and the second plurality of operating characteristics. Moreover, the method may include comparing, by the computer system, the set of operating conditions with a set of predetermined operation conditions.

In another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a system for monitoring a grinding operation. The system may include a processor and memory coupled to the processor. The processor may be configured to determine a first plurality of operating characteristics associated with a pre-grinding operation. The processor may also be configured to determine a second plurality of operating characteristics associated with the grinding operation. The processor may further be configured to determine a set of operating conditions based on the first plurality of operating characteristics with and the second plurality of operating characteristics. Moreover, the processor may be configured to compare the set of operating conditions with a set of predetermined operation conditions.

In a further aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a method for monitoring a grinding operation using a computer system. The method may include determining, by the computer system, a first plurality of operating characteristics associated with a pre-grinding operation. The method may also include determining, by the computer system, a second plurality of operating characteristics associated with the grinding operation. The method may further include determining, by the computer system, a set of operating conditions based on the first plurality of operating characteristics with and the second plurality of operating characteristics. Moreover, the method may include comparing, by the computer system, the set of operating conditions with a set of predetermined operation conditions. The method may further include providing an indication, by the computer system, whether the grinding operation is a standard grinding process.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for monitoring a grinding operation;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating another exemplary process for monitoring a grinding operation;

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary computing system suitable for implementing embodiments consistent with the disclosure; and

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a further exemplary process for monitoring a grinding operation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the present exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

FIG. 1 is a flow chart of an exemplary process of monitoring a gear grinding operation consistent with certain disclosed embodiments. In the embodiment as shown, a state of incoming material may be determined at stage 100. For example, the incoming material may be determined to be bar stock, forged, etc. One or more pre-grinding operations characteristics and grinding operation characteristics may be determined at stage 102. The pre-grinding operations characteristic(s) and/or grinding operation characteristic(s) may be determined based on the state of the incoming material determined in stage 100. The one or more pre-grinding operations characteristics may include turning parameters 104, hobbing parameters 106, boring parameters 108, and heat treating parameters 110. The grinding operation characteristics may include grinding parameters 112, dressing parameters 114, wheel parameters 116, gear parameters 118, system variations 120, and cost information 122. Turning parameters 104 may include cutting speed, feed of a turning tool, and depth of cut. Hobbing parameters 106 may include cycle time, approach and overrun distances, hob setting angle, feed rate, a number of starts, and feed depth. Boring parameters 108 may include feed of a drilling (boring or cutting) tool, and radius of the drilling (or boring) tool. Heat treating parameters 110 may include temperature, cooling rate, and heating time. One or more of turning parameters 104, hobbing parameters 106, boring parameters 108, and/or heat treating parameters 110 may be supplied by the operator of the grinding operation, or may be provided by a third party company that maintains an appropriate database containing such information, or may be a combination of operator and third party input.

Grinding parameters 112 may include feed of a grinding wheel, infeed of the grinding wheel, and wheel velocity. Dressing parameters 114 may include speed ratio, contact ratio, and infeed of a dressing tool (not shown). Wheel parameters 116 may include diameter, grit type, grit size, porosity, grade, and/or other wheel specification parameters. Gear or part parameters 118 may include part number, pitch line runout (PLRO), index variations, and lead variations. System variations 120 may include stock division error, axial tilt on fixture, and alignment error. Cost information 122 may include tool pricing information and machine overhead. One or more of grinding parameters 112, dressing parameters 114, wheel parameters 116, gear parameters 118, system variations 120, and/or cost information 122 may be supplied by the operator of the grinding operation, or may be provided by a third party company that maintains an appropriate database containing such information, or may be a combination of operator and third party input.

At stage 130, one or more operating conditions 130 associated with the grinding operation may be determined. Operating conditions 130 may include a specific material removal rate 132, a wheel wear information 134, a specific energy and a power associated with the grinding operation 136, a surface finish information 138, a gear profile deviation 140, and a cycle time 142. Operating conditions 130 may be determined based on one or more operating characteristics determined at stage 102. In addition, operating conditions 130 may be determined based on information contained in a gear database 154. For example, one or more operating conditions 130 may be determined based on gear shape information contained in gear database 154. In an alternative embodiment, operating conditions 130 may include other information associated with the grinding operation as desired. One or more of specific material removal rate 132, wheel wear information 134, specific energy and power associated with the grinding operation 136, surface finish information 138, gear profile deviation 140, and/or cycle time 142 may be determined by appropriate algorithms. For example, specific material removal rate 132 may be determined by dividing an amount of material removed by a unit of time. For another example, specific energy (and power) associated with the grinding operation 136 may be determined by dividing an amount of energy (or power) consumed in a specific time period by a volume of a workpiece subjected to the grinding operation.

At stage 150, one or more predetermined operating conditions 152 may be provided. Predetermined operating conditions 152 may include a grinding ratio, a burn threshold, a machine kinematic (i.e., movement of the machine during machine operation), a dressing frequency, and surface finish information. Predetermined operating conditions 152 may be provided by an operator operating the grinding operation, or may be provided by gear database 154. Gear database 154 may include one or more predetermined operating conditions 152 for various gears. Gear database 154 may also include other information associated with the various gears, such as gear shape, gear type, material, and cost information. Gear database 154 may be created by the operator of the grinding operation, or may be provided by a third party company that maintains an appropriate gear database, or may be a combination of operator and third party input.

At stage 160, one or more operating conditions 130 may be compared with one or more predetermined operating conditions 152 and/or information stored in gear database 154. At stage 162, results of the comparison may be presented to an operator operating the grinding operation. The results may include an amount of materials removed per grinding cycle, any burns that occurred on a gear being ground, a cycle time, a surface finish of the gear, and a profile deviation of the gear, if any. The operator may select more or less results of the comparison to be presented. In one embodiment, the results may be displayed to the operator on an interface (not shown). In another embodiment, the results may be displayed on the interface as a list. In yet another embodiment, the operator may specify thresholds for any of the results of the comparison, such that only those results that exceed or fall below the thresholds are displayed to the operator.

At stage 164, it may be determined whether the quality of the gear produced by the grinding operation is acceptable based on the results of the comparison. If the quality of the gear is acceptable, the monitoring process ends. If the quality of the gear is not acceptable, at stage 166, the grinding operation may be optimized. Optimization may include optimizing one or more operating conditions 130. Optimization of operating conditions 130 may be accomplished by adjusting one or more one or more pre-grinding operations characteristics and grinding operation characteristics. In the embodiment as shown, optimized grinding parameters 116 and dressing parameters 114 may be presented to the operator at stage 168. In an alternate embodiment, other optimized pre-grinding operations characteristics and/or grinding operation characteristics may be presented. Similar to stage 162, the optimized pre-grinding operations characteristics and/or grinding operation characteristics may be displayed to the operator via an interface.

It is contemplated that turning parameters 104, hobbing parameters 106, boring parameters 108, heat treating parameters 110, grinding parameters 112, dressing parameters 114, wheel parameters 116, gear parameters 118, system variations 120, cost information 122, operating conditions 130, and predetermined operating conditions 152 may be stored in a database, such as database 330 (referring to FIG. 3).

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of another exemplary process of monitoring a gear grinding operation consistent with certain disclosed embodiments. In the embodiment as shown, data associated with previous grinding cycles may be retrieved at stage 202. The data may include one or more turning parameters 104, hobbing parameters 106, boring parameters 108, heat treating parameters 110, grinding parameters 112, dressing parameters 114, wheel parameters 116, gear parameters 118, system variations 120, cost information 122, operating conditions 130, and predetermined operating conditions 152. At stage 204, baseline process data may be determined. The baseline process data may be used in determining whether a grinding operation is standard (e.g., regular) or abnormal (i.e., deviates from the regular process).

The baseline process data may be set prior to the start of the grinding cycle at stage 206. At stage 208, various pre-grinding operations characteristics, grinding operation characteristics, and operating conditions 130 associated with the grinding operation may be determined. The characteristics and operating conditions determined at stage 208 may be compared to the baseline process data at stage 210. The result of the comparison may assist the operator in determining whether the grinding cycle is standard or abnormal. If the grinding cycle is standard, the grinding cycle continues at stage 212. If the grinding cycle is abnormal, the nature of the abnormality is determined at stage 214.

In one embodiment, a warning threshold may be established such that if the warning threshold is exceeded, a warning is indicated at step 216. For example, an operator of the grinding operation may specify a warning threshold with respect to any one of turning parameters 104, hobbing parameters 106, boring parameters 108, heat treating parameters 110, grinding parameters 112, dressing parameters 114, wheel parameters 116, gear parameters 118, system variations 120, cost information 122, operating conditions 130. The warning indication may consist of a visual indication, a light pattern indication, or a combination thereof. While a single warning threshold is being discussed, multiple warning thresholds may be set. At stage 218, an alarm may be set off if burning occurs on a gear being produced.

Once the nature of the abnormality is determined, at stage 220, the data associated with the abnormal grinding cycle is stored in a database, such as database 330 (referring to FIG. 3). In one embodiment, the data associated with the abnormal grinding cycle may be processed at stage 222 to provide statistics regarding abnormal processes. The statistics may be utilized by operators for future improvement on the grinding process, including improvement to equipment used during the grinding process. The statistics may also be helpful in identifying one or more parameters that may have more impact on the grinding process, thus helping the operators to improve the grinding process.

In one embodiment, after the data associated with the abnormal grinding cycle is logged, the grinding process may pause at stage 224 and wait for a corrective action to be taken. The corrective action may depend on the nature of the abnormality. For example, if the gear was burnt, the corrective action may be to improve run-out on the fixture holding the gear. For another example, if the gear profile deviates too greatly from that of the baseline process data, the corrective action may be to adjust the position of one or more of the turning tool, boring tool, the dressing tool, and/or the grinding tool. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the corrective action may be taken with respect to any tool and/or parameters involved during the pre-grinding and the grinding operations.

In one embodiment, the corrective action may be taken automatically by a computing system such as computing system 300 (referring to FIG. 3) that helps to implement the monitoring process. In this embodiment, at stage 228, the computing system applies the corrective action based on the nature of the abnormality. In the embodiment as shown in FIG. 2, the corrective action consists of adjusting grinding parameters 112.

In an alternative embodiment, the corrective action may be taken manually. In this embodiment, the operator may specify the corrective action to be performed at stage 226. Subsequently, the corrective action may be performed at stage 228 according to the operator's instructions. After the corrective action is performed, the grinding cycle may end at stage 230.

In yet another embodiment, the corrective action may be taken semi-automatically. For example, an operator may configure the monitoring process such that certain abnormalities may be addressed automatically by the computing system and certain abnormalities may be handled by the operator.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary computing system 300 that may be used to implement embodiments of the disclosure. The components and arrangement, however, may be varied within principles of the present disclosure.

Data processing or computing system 300 includes a number of components, such as a central processing unit or a processor 305, a memory 310, an input/output (I/O) device(s) 325, a nonvolatile storage device 320, and a database 330. System 300 can be implemented in various ways. For example, an integrated platform (such as a workstation, personal computer, laptop, etc.) may comprise processor 305, memory 310, nonvolatile storage 320, and I/O devices 325. In such a configuration, components 305, 310, 320, and 325 may connect through a local bus interface and access database 330 (shown implemented as a separate database system) via an external connection. This connection may be implemented through a direct communication link, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN) and/or other suitable connections. In some embodiments, database 330 may be an embedded database, such that components 305, 310, 320, and 325 may access database 330 through a retrieval library (not shown).

Processor 305 may be one or more known processing devices, such as a microprocessor from the Pentium™ family manufactured by Intel™ or the Turion™ family manufactured by AMD™. Memory 310 may be one or more storage devices configured to store information used by processor 305 to perform certain functions related to embodiments of the present disclosure. Storage 320 may be a volatile or non-volatile, magnetic, semiconductor, tape, optical, removable, non-removable, or other type of storage device or computer-readable medium. In one embodiment consistent with the disclosure, memory 310 includes one or more programs or subprograms 315 loaded from storage 320 or elsewhere that, when executed by processor 305, perform various procedures, operations, or processes consistent with the present disclosure. These components may also be embodied in a computer-readable storage memory containing instructions that, when executed by a processor, such as processor 305, perform methods as described above.

Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture consistent with the present disclosure are not limited to separate programs or computers configured to perform dedicated tasks. For example, memory 310 may be configured with a program 315 that performs several functions when executed by processor 305. For example, program 315 may contain instructions for carrying out the exemplary monitoring processes of FIGS. 1-2 and 4. Moreover, processor 305 may execute one or more programs located remotely from system 300. For example, system 300 may access one or more remote programs that, when executed, perform functions related to embodiments of the present disclosure.

Memory 310 may be also be configured with an operating system (not shown) that performs several functions well-known in the art when executed by processor 305. By way of example, the operating system may be Microsoft Windows™, Unix™, Linux™, an Apple Computers operating system, Personal Digital Assistant operating system such as Microsoft CE™, or other operating system. The choice of operating system, and even to the use of an operating system, is not critical to the disclosure.

I/O device(s) 325 may comprise one or more input/output devices that allow data to be received and/or transmitted by system 300. For example, I/O device 325 may include one or more input devices, such as a keyboard, touch screen, mouse, and the like, that enable data to be input from a member, such as concept information, status labels, database identifiers, etc. Further, I/O device 325 may include one or more output devices, such as a display screen, CRT monitor, LCD monitor, plasma display, printer, speaker devices, and the like, that enable data to be output or presented to a member. I/O device 325 may also include one or more digital and/or analog communication input/output devices that allow computing system 300 to communicate with other machines and devices. System 300 may input data from external machines and devices and output data to external machines and devices via I/O device 325. In one embodiment, I/O device 325 may include an interface (not shown) to receive inputs from the operators. The configuration and number of input and/or output devices incorporated in I/O device 325 are not critical to the disclosure.

System 300 may also be communicatively connected to a database 330. Database 330 may comprise one or more databases that store information and are accessed and/or managed through system 300. By way of example, database 330 may be an Oracle™ database, a Sybase™ database, a DB2 database, or other relational database. Database 330 may include, for example, one or more repositories 115 that store turning parameters 104, hobbing parameters 106, boring parameters 108, heat treating parameters 110, grinding parameters 112, dressing parameters 114, wheel parameters 116, gear parameters 118, system variations 120, cost information 122, operating conditions 130, and predetermined operating conditions 152, previous data collected at stage 202, baseline process data 204, data collected at stage 220, and statistics processed at stage 222. Database 330 may also include corrective actions to be taken with respect to various abnormalities. Systems and methods of the present disclosure, however, are not limited to separate databases or even to the use of a database.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The disclosed method of monitoring a grinding operation may be applicable to any production operation where a grinder is used. While discussed with specific reference to the production of gears, those skilled in the art would appreciate that the monitoring process may be used in the production of other workpieces. The disclosed method of monitoring a grinding operation may increase the efficiency and accuracy of the overall production operation. For example, the ability to determine surface integrity issues due to grinding wheel condition before a subsequent workpiece is processed may allow the grinding wheel to be reconditioned without risk damaging the subsequent workpiece. For another example, the ability to monitor upstream dimensional variation during the grinding operation to continuously improve the efficiency of the operation by identifying statistical treads in the dimensional variation that may help to highlight problem areas associated with the grinding operation. As a further example, the disclosed method of monitoring may help to improve throughput and reduce processing cost by minimizing costs associated with the inspection process and by minimizing the time delay associated with the inspection process. Exemplary embodiments of the method of monitoring a grinding operation will now be described.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary process 400 for monitoring a gear grinding operation. In the embodiment as shown, at stage 410, process 400 determines a first plurality of operating characteristics associated with a pre-grinding operation. The first plurality of operating characteristics may include one or more of turning parameters 104, hobbing parameters 106, boring parameters 108, and heat treating parameters 110. At stage 420, process 400 may determine a second plurality of operating characteristics associated with a grinding operation. The second plurality of operating characteristics may include one or more of grinding parameters 112, dressing parameters 114, wheel parameters 116, gear parameters 118, system variations 120, and cost information 122. It is contemplated that the first plurality of operating characteristics associated with the pre-grinding operation may include more or less parameters, if appropriate and/or necessary. Similarly, the second plurality of operating characteristics associated with the grinding operation may include more or less parameters, if appropriate and/or necessary.

At stage 430, process 400 may determine a set of operating conditions. The set of operating conditions may include operating conditions 130 associated with the grinding operation, such as specific material removal rate 132, wheel wear information 134, specific energy and power associated with the grinding operation 136, surface finish information 138, gear profile deviation 140, and cycle time 142. The set of operating conditions may be determined based on one or more operating characteristics determined at stages 410 and 420. In addition, information contained in gear database 154 may be used in the determination at stage 430.

Process 400 may compare the set of operating conditions with a set of predetermined operating conditions 152 at stage 440. The set of predetermined operating conditions 152 may be specified by an operator of the grinding operation or may be obtained from gear database 154 that contain known information associated with various gears. Results of the comparison may assist the operator in determining whether the grinding operation produces acceptable gears. Results of the comparison may also assist the operator in improving the grinding operation if the gears produced are not acceptable. Results of the comparison may further assist the operator in identifying which, in any, of the operating characteristics has more influence over the overall grinding operation.

In one embodiment, process 400 may end after the results of the comparison are obtained. In another embodiment, process 400 may provide an indication of whether the grinding operation is a standard grinding process at stage 450. For example, process 400 may present the results of the comparison to the operator. For another example, process 400 may indicate on an interface that the grinding process is standard or abnormal by displaying text. Alternatively, a warning threshold may be established such that if the warning threshold is exceeded, a warning is provided. The warning may be provided visually, audibly, or a combination thereof.

In another embodiment, after the results of the comparison are obtained, process 400 may optimize the grinding process by adjusting one or more one or more pre-grinding operations characteristics and grinding operation characteristics.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the method of monitoring a grinding process. Other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosed method of monitoring a grinding process. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope being indicated by the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a grinding operation using a computer system, comprising:

determining, by the computer system, a first plurality of operating characteristics associated with a pre-grinding operation;

determining, by the computer system, a second plurality of operating characteristics associated with the grinding operation;

determining, by the computer system, a set of operating conditions based on the first plurality of operating characteristics and the second plurality of operating characteristics; and

comparing, by the computer system, the set of operating conditions with a set of predetermined operating conditions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-grinding operation includes at least one of a turning operation, a boring operation, a hobbing operation, or a heat-treating operation.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first plurality of operating characteristics includes at least one of turning parameters, hobbing parameters, boring parameters, or heat treating parameters.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein

the turning parameters includes at least one of a cutting speed, a feed of a turning tool, or a depth of cut, and

the hobbing parameters includes at least one of a cycle time, approach and overrun distances, a hob setting angle, a feed rate, a number of starts, or a feed depth.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein

the boring parameters includes at least one of a feed of a cutting tool, or a radius of the cutting tool, and

the heat treating parameters includes at least one of a temperature, cooling rate, or a heating time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second plurality of operating characteristics includes at least one of grinding parameters, dressing parameters, part parameters, wheel parameters, gear parameters, system variations, or a cost information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein

the grinding parameters includes at least one of a feed of a grinding wheel, an infeed of the grinding wheel, or a wheel velocity,

the dressing parameters includes at least one of a speed ratio, a contact ratio, or infeed of a dressing tool, and

the part parameters includes at least one of a part number, a pitch line runout, index variations, or lead variations.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein

the system variations includes at least one of a stock division error, an axial tilt on fixture, or an alignment error, and

the cost information includes at least one of a tool pricing information, or a machine overhead information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of operation conditions includes at least one of a grinding ratio, a burn threshold, a machine kinematic, a dressing frequency, or a surface finish calculation.

10. The method of claim 1, further includes determining, by the computer system, a third plurality of operating characteristics associated with the grinding operation.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, the third plurality of operating characteristics includes at least one of a material removal rate, a burn profile, a surface finish information, or a profile deviation.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining, by the computer system, whether the grinding operation produces acceptable gears based on the third plurality of operating characteristics; and

optimizing the grinding operation if the grinding operation do not produce acceptable gears.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein optimizing includes optimizing one or more of the first plurality of operating characteristics, second plurality of operating characteristics, or third plurality of operating characteristics.

14. A system for monitoring a grinding operation, the system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to:

determine a first plurality of operating characteristics associated with a pre-grinding operation,

determine a second plurality of operating characteristics associated with the grinding operation,

determine a set of operating conditions based on the first plurality of operating characteristics and the second plurality of operating characteristics, and compare the set of operating conditions with a set of predetermined operating conditions.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a third plurality of operating characteristics associated with the grinding operation.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine whether the grinding operation produces acceptable gears based on the third plurality of operating characteristics; and

optimize the grinding operation if the grinding operation does not produce acceptable gears.

17. A method of monitoring a grinding operation using a computer system, comprising:

determining, by the computer system, a first plurality of operating characteristics associated with a pre-grinding operation;

determining, by the computer system, a second plurality of operating characteristics associated with the grinding operation;

determining, by the computer system, a set of operating conditions based on the first plurality of operating characteristics and the second plurality of operating characteristics;

comparing, by the computer system, the set of operating conditions with a set of predetermined operating conditions; and

providing an indication, by the computer system, whether the grinding operation is a standard grinding process.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein if the grinding operation is not a standard grinding process, providing an indication includes at least one of sounding an alarm, or providing visual warning signals.

19. The method of claim 18, further includes adjusting one or more of the first plurality of operating characteristics and the second plurality of operating characteristics.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein if the grinding operation is not a standard grinding process, ceasing the grinding operation.