Wear part monitoring

• US 10,024,033 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2017
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ESCO Group LLC (WEIR Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: ESCO Corporation (WEIR Group PLC)
• Inventors: Bewley, Eric L., Cowgill, Noah, Blomberg, Joseph E.
• Primary Examiner(s): ANTONUCCI, ANNE MARIE
• Application Number:
  US15/588,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20170241107A1
• Time in Patent Office: 438 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 15/00 Elements, tools, or details of ploughs
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 15/06 Interchangeable or adjustable shares
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 23/02 Teeth; Fixing the teeth
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/815 Blades; Levelling or scarifying tools E02F3/40 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/24 Safety devices , e.g. for preventing overload E02F9/226 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/267 Diagnosing or detecting failure of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2808 Teeth
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2816 Mountings therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2833 Retaining means, e.g. pins
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2883 Wear elements for buckets or implements in general
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/44 Local feature extraction by analysis of parts of the pattern, e.g. by detecting edges, contours, loops, corners, strokes or intersections; Connectivity analysis, e.g. of connected components
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

A process and tool for monitoring the status, health, and performance of wear parts used on earth working equipment. The process and tool allow the operator to optimize the performance of the earth working equipment. The tool has a clear line of site to the wear parts during use and may be integrated with a bucket or blade on the earth working equipment.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a status of a second wear part secured to a first wear part on earth working equipment, the method comprising:

securing at least a first electronic sensor to the first wear part that engages and moves ground to be excavated so that the first electronic sensor is provided with a clear line of sight of a second wear part regardless of how the first wear part is oriented;

receiving, by a computer system and during the earth working operation, data related to a condition of the second wear part from the first electronic sensor; and

based on the received data related to the condition of the second wear part from the first electronic sensor, using, by the computer system, programmable logic including integrated vision recognition to determine the status of said second wear part.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the programmable logic further uses the data received from the first electronic sensor to determine when the second wear part is connected to the first wear part.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the programmable logic has a preset minimum wear profile for the second wear part and the programmable logic uses the data received from the first electronic sensor to determine when the second wear part has a wear profile that is less than the preset minimum wear profile.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the programmable logic has a preset maximum impact force for the first wear part and the second wear part and the programmable logic further uses the data received from the first electronic sensor to determine when at least one of the first wear part and the second wear part has experienced an impact force that is greater than the preset maximum impact force.

5. The method of claim 1, further including:

securing at least a second electronic sensor to the second wear part, the second electronic sensor being in communication with the first electronic sensor;

receiving, by the computer system, data related to a condition of the second wear part from the first electronic sensor and the second electronic sensor; and

based on the received data related to the condition of the second wear part from the first electronic sensor and the second electronic sensor, using, by the computer system, programmable logic including integrated vision recognition to determine the status of said second wear part.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the status of said second wear part is determined during the earth working operation.

7. A method of monitoring performance of a digging operation performed by earth working equipment, the method comprising:

securing at least one electronic sensor to a first wear part that engages and moves ground to be excavated by the earth working equipment;

receiving, by a computer system and during the digging operation, data related to the digging operation from the at least one electronic sensor, the data including a distance to a load within the earth working equipment; and

based on the received data related to the digging operation, using, by the computer system, programmable logic to determine the performance of the digging operation performed by the earth working equipment.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the performance of the digging operation is determined during the digging operation.

9. A method of monitoring wear parts on earth working equipment, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computer system, information about the wear parts from at least one electronic sensor secured to one of the wear parts on the earth working equipment;

using, by the computer system, programmable logic including integrated vision recognition to analyze the received information from the at least one electronic sensor to determine a current state of the wear parts being monitored, wherein determining the current state of the wear parts being monitored includes performing at least three checks related to the wear parts;

transmitting, by the computer system and via electronic equipment, the current state of the wear parts; and

based on the transmitted current state of the wear parts, determining, by the computer system, a process outcome including a recommendation related to at least one of the wear parts.

10. The method in accordance with claim 9 wherein the at least three checks include determining a current length of the wear parts, determining a status of unique features of the wear parts, and determining a total number of edges extending from a base fixed to the earth working equipment.

11. The method in accordance with claim 10 wherein the current length of the wear part is determined by using the integrated vision recognition to determine a leading edge of the wear part, and the programmable logic counts a number of pixels between the leading edge and a preset reference line related to the wear part.

12. The method in accordance with claim 10 wherein the programmable logic is further used to determine that the wear part is fit for continued operation if:

i) the current length of the wear part is greater than a set minimum length, ii) the status of the unique features indicates that the wear part is secured to the base, and iii) the total number of edges extending from the base matches an expected number of edges extending from the base.

13. The method in accordance with claim 10 wherein the programmable logic is further used to determine the wear part is worn and should be replaced if:

i) the current length of the wear part is less than a set minimum length, ii) the status of the unique features indicates that the wear part is secured to the base, and iii) the total number of edges extending from the base matches an expected number of edges extending from the base.

14. The method in accordance with claim 10 wherein the programmable logic is further used to determine that the wear part is missing and should be replaced if:

i) the current length of the wear part is less than a set minimum length, ii) the status of the unique features indicates that the wear part is not secured to the base, and iii) the total number of edges extending from the base does not match an expected number of edges extending from the base.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the process outcome is determined during an earth working operation performed by the earth working equipment.