The objective of this research is to study the applicability of the theory of chaos to machine tools monitoring with specific reference to the metal cutting process. The research strives to develop formalisms for monitoring via the theory of chaos and integrate these formalisms with neural networks so that effective, practical monitoring systems can be installed on the shop floor. The focus of the research is completely tangential to the conventional thinking on sensor data fusion in monitoring. It is a very novel attempt to bridge the gap between "hard" manufacturing process issues and "soft" manufacturing information issues using an analytical approach with great potential for serving as an integration element between these two domains.
