Abstract

This project investigates the potential of conoscopic holography for detecting and measuring wear in cutting tools, specifically drill bits. A key part of the work involves designing a fixture to hold and orient the drill bits appropriately, facilitating their 3D scanning and the subsequent assessment of wear. The point clouds obtained through scanning are intended to enable the identification of common defects and wear patterns in these tools. To evaluate the system’s capabilities, the point clouds are compared with images acquired using microscopy, examining the correspondence between the defects identified by the two methods. The aim is to determine the feasibility of conoscopic holography as a technique for inspecting and characterizing wear in drill bits.