Apparatus for checking a state of a machine part

• US 10,203,677 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2016
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Engel Austria GmbH (Engel Holding GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Engel Austria GmbH (Engel Holding GmbH)
• Inventors: Pichler, Kurt, Klinglmayr, Johannes, Kilian, Friedrich Johannes, Pfeil, Reimar
• Primary Examiner(s): Suryawanshi, Suresh
• Application Number:
  US15/342,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20170131694A1
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 700109
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2945/76026 Energy, power
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2945/7604 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2945/76083 Position
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2945/76163 Errors, malfunctioning
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2945/76933 The operating conditions are corrected immediately, during the same phase or cycle
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2945/76936 The operating conditions are corrected in the next phase or cycle
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/7666 of power or energy, e.g. integral function of force
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/768 Detecting defective moulding conditions B29C45/84 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/78 of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/80 of relative position of mould parts
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/048 Monitoring; Safety
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/406 characterised by monitoring or safety G05B19/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37234 Monitor tool before, after and during machining
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37256 Wear, tool wear
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/50083 Power loss, measures again loss of power

Abstract

Apparatus for checking a state of a machine part of a shaping machine, comprising an evaluation unit, at least one power loss sensor for ascertaining a power loss measurement signal which is representative of a power loss in and/or at the machine part, and at least one movement sensor for ascertaining a movement measurement signal which is representative of a movement of the machine part, wherein the evaluation unit is adapted to compute a damage indicator for the machine part from the power loss measurement signal and from the movement measurement signal.

Claims

1. An apparatus for checking a state of a machine part of a shaping machine, comprising:

an evaluation unit,

at least one power loss sensor for ascertaining a power loss measurement signal which is representative of a power loss in and/or at the machine part, and

at least one movement sensor for ascertaining a movement measurement signal which is representative of a movement of the machine part,

wherein the evaluation unit is adapted to calculate a damage indicator for the machine part from the power loss measurement signal and from the movement measurement signal,

wherein the power loss denotes a difference between power input and power output, and

wherein the power loss is based on heat flow and is determined by a temperature measurement or is calculated as a difference between supplied electrical power and delivered mechanical power.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a wear sensor, for ascertaining a wear of the machine part and communicating the wear that is ascertained as a wear measurement signal to the evaluation unit which is further adapted to additionally take into account the wear measurement signal for calculating the damage indicator.

5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the machine part is a drive unit of the shaping machine.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the evaluation unit is further adapted to use the power loss measurement signal for correction of an ambient temperature measurement signal representing an ambient temperature, to obtain a cleaned temperature measurement signal.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 6, further comprising an ambient temperature sensor for measuring the ambient temperature and for outputting the ambient temperature measurement signal, wherein the ambient temperature sensor is on the shaping machine or in a region of the shaping machine.

8. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the at least one movement sensor is a vibration sensor, a speed sensor or an acceleration sensor.

9. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the acceleration sensor is adapted to output different vibration frequency ranges as frequency bands.

10. The apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein the evaluation unit is further adapted to calculate a chipping indicator from measurement values of a wear sensor and/or from features of the frequency bands.

11. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the evaluation unit is further adapted to calculate a friction indicator from the power loss measurement signal.

12. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the evaluation unit is further adapted to calculate an abrasion wear indicator from the movement measurement signal.

13. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the damage indicator is composed from a chipping indicator, a friction indicator and an abrasion wear indicator.

14. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the evaluation unit is further adapted to additionally calculate the damage indicator from at least one electrical signal of the shaping machine.

15. The apparatus as set forth in claim 14, wherein the at least one electrical signal of the shaping machine represents a position and/or a direction of movement of the machine part.

16. The apparatus as set forth in claim 14, wherein the at least one electrical signal of the shaping machine represents a temperature of a part of the shaping machine and the at least one electrical signal of the shaping machine is also incorporated into the determination or calculation of the power loss.

17. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the at least one power loss sensor is a temperature sensor for determining waste heat or a virtual sensor for ascertaining the power loss from the difference between supplied electrical power and delivered mechanical power.

18. A shaping machine comprising the apparatus as set forth in claim 1.

19. The shaping machine as set forth in claim 18, further comprising an open-loop or closed-loop control unit in signal-transmitting relationship with the evaluation unit for open-loop or closed-loop control of the shaping machine.

20. The shaping machine as set forth in claim 19, wherein the open-loop or closed-loop control unit is adapted to provide for open-loop or closed-loop control of the shaping machine in dependence on the damage indicator communicated by the evaluation unit to the open-loop or closed-loop control unit and is further adapted to provide for possible shutdown of the machine part.

21. The shaping machine as set forth in claim 19, wherein the open-loop or closed-loop control unit is adapted to output a warning signal in dependence on the damage indicator communicated by the evaluation unit to the open-loop or closed-loop control unit when the damage indicator that is communicated has reached a fixed threshold value.

22. The shaping machine as set forth in claim 18, further comprising a display device adapted to display the damage indicator.

23. A method of checking a state of a machine part of a shaping machine comprising the apparatus as set forth in claim 1, the method comprising:

ascertaining the power loss in and/or at the machine part,

ascertaining the movement of the machine part, and

calculating the damage indicator for the machine part by the evaluation unit from the power loss and from the movement.

24. The method as set forth in claim 23, further comprising ascertaining a wear of the machine part with a wear sensor, wherein the wear is taken into consideration for calculation of the damage indicator.

27. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the wear sensor is a particle counter or oil condition sensor.

28. The apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein the drive unit is a transmission.

29. The apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein the drive unit is a ball screw drive.

30. The apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein the features of the frequency bands are frequency peaks or pulse signals.

31. The apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein the evaluation unit is further adapted to calculate a friction indicator from the cleaned temperature measurement signal.

32. The apparatus as set forth in claim 16, wherein the part of the shaping machine is a spindle of the shaping machine.

33. The shaping machine as set forth in claim 18, wherein the shaping machine is an injection molding machine or injection press.

3. A molding machine or injection press comprising:

an apparatus for checking a state of a machine part of the molding machine or injection press,

an evaluation unit,

a wear sensor for ascertaining a wear of the machine part and communicating a wear measurement signal which is representative of the wear that is ascertained to the evaluation unit, and

an open-loop or closed-loop control unit in signal-transmitting relationship with the evaluation unit for open-loop or closed-loop control of the molding machine or injection press,

wherein the evaluation unit is adapted to calculate a damage indicator for the machine part from the wear measurement signal, and

wherein the open-loop or closed-loop control unit is adapted to provide for open-loop or closed-loop control of the molding machine or injection press in dependence on the damage indicator communicated by the evaluation unit to the open-loop or closed-loop control unit and is further adapted to provide for possible shutdown of the machine part.

4. The molding machine or injection press as set forth in claim 3, further comprising:

at least one power loss sensor for ascertaining a power loss measurement signal which is representative of a power loss in and/or at the machine part, and/or

at least one movement sensor for ascertaining a movement measurement signal which is representative of a movement of the machine part,

wherein the evaluation unit is further adapted to calculate the damage indicator for the machine part from the power loss measurement signal and/or from the movement measurement signal together with the wear measurement signal.

25. A method of checking a state of a machine part of the molding machine or injection press as set forth in claim 3, the method comprising:

ascertaining the wear of the machine part, and

calculating the damage indicator for the machine part by the evaluation unit from the wear that is ascertained.

26. The method as set forth in claim 25, further comprising:

ascertaining a power loss in and/or at the machine part, and/or

ascertaining a movement of the machine part, and

calculating the damage indicator for the machine part by the evaluation unit,

wherein, in addition, the power loss and/or the movement is/are taken into consideration for calculation of the damage indicator.