Tool wear monitoring system

• US 20030182014A1
• Filed: 03/22/2002
• Published: 09/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ryan P. Mcdonnell, Timothy R. Mcdonnell
• Original Assignee: Ryan P. Mcdonnell, Timothy R. Mcdonnell
• Inventors: McDonnell, Ryan P., McDonnell, Timothy R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,010,386 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/159
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4065 Monitoring tool breakage, life or condition
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37229 Test quality tool by measuring time needed for machining
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37252 Life of tool, service life, decay, wear estimation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

A monitoring apparatus for monitoring one or more manufacturing machines having a plurality of component tools and engaged in repetitive machining of a part is provided. An input device detects occurrence of a machine cycle. A counter stores the number of detected machine cycles as a count value. A machine speed processor estimates a temporal rate at which the machine cycles occur. A data storage device stores a maintenance schedule indicating the number of machine cycles between recommended replacements for each tool. A tools processor estimates a remaining operating time for each tool before scheduled replacement. A machine viability processor estimates a remaining operating time for the machine before schedule replacement of each of the component tools. A display device displays the operating time for the machine before scheduled replacement of each of the component tools. A method for monitoring a cycling manufacturing machine includes detecting machine cycles of the manufacturing machine, estimating a machine operating rate based on the detecting step over time, and projecting tool change times for each of the plurality of tools based on the estimated machine operating rate and pre-selected tool cycle lifetime values for each of the plurality of tools.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a manufacturing machine having at least one associated tool, the manufacturing machine engaged in repetitively producing a machined part, the monitoring method being performed on an electronic device having a display device for displaying information to an associated human operator, the method comprising:

receiving a tool life parameter value for the associated tool representing an expected number of machined parts to be produced by the associated tool;

detecting machine cycles of said manufacturing machine as a cycle count, each machine cycle corresponding to production of at least one machined part;

calculating an operating rate of the manufacturing machine based on the cycle count; and

,

estimating a remaining time for tool replacement based on the cycle count, the machine operating rate, and the received tool life parameter value.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, further including:

defining a warning threshold time parameter value;

comparing the estimated time remaining with the warning threshold time parameter value; and

,

displaying a status of the manufacturing machine based on the comparing step.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein the displaying step includes:

displaying a first indicator comprising a green visual indicator when the comparing step results in an estimated time remaining that is greater than the warning threshold time parameter value; and

,

displaying a second visual indicator when the comparing step results in an estimated time remaining that is less than the warning threshold time parameter value.

4. The method as set forth in claim 3, wherein the displaying of said second indicator includes:

displaying a yellow visual indicator when the estimated time remaining is greater than zero; and

displaying a red visual indicator when the estimated time remaining is less than zero.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1, further including:

displaying a tools table showing the estimated remaining time for each of the at least one associated tool of the machine.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1, further including:

sorting a tools table containing the estimated remaining time for each of the at least one associated tool of the machine from shortest remaining time to longest remaining time; and

,

displaying the sorted tools table on said display device.

7. A monitoring apparatus for monitoring a set of associated manufacturing machines each having a plurality of tools, the set of machines being engaged in repetitive machining of a part, the machining of a part relating to a machine cycle, the monitoring apparatus comprising:

an input device adapted to detect occurrence of a machine cycle;

a counter in operative communication with the input device for counting machine cycles;

a machine speed processor operatively associated with the counter for estimating a temporal rate of machine cycle occurrences;

a data storage device for storing a maintenance schedule indicating a number of machine cycles between recommended replacement for each of said tools;

a tools processor operatively associated with the counter, the machine speed processor, and the data storage device, the tools processor estimating a remaining operating time for each tool before scheduled replacement;

a machine viability processor operatively associated with the tools processor, the machine viability processor estimating remaining operating times for the machine before scheduled replacement of each of said tools; and

,

a display device operatively associated with the machine viability processor for displaying selected remaining operating times.

8. The monitoring apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein the input device includes:

a plurality of sensors adapted to detect triggering states of cycle sensors of said set of manufacturing machines.

9. The monitoring apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein each sensor of said plurality of sensors includes:

a filtering circuit conditioning an output of the cycle sensor.

10. The monitoring apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein the input device includes:

a sensor that detects a machine operation.

11. The monitoring apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein the display device is adapted to selectively display, when the remaining operating time of one of said set of machines is less than a threshold warning time, an indicia that maintenance should be performed.

12. The monitoring apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein the indicia indicating that maintenance should be performed includes a yellow display background.

13. The monitoring apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein the display device is adapted to display, when the remaining operating time for one of said set of machines is less than an urgency threshold, an indicator that maintenance is urgent.

14. The monitoring apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein the indicator indicating that maintenance is urgent includes a red display background.

15. The monitoring apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein the associated set of manufacturing machines further include a status indicator and the monitoring apparatus further includes:

a monitor output communicating the machine viability processor and with the status indicator of the manufacturing machine for indicating a machine status via the status indicator based on the estimated remaining operating time for the machine.

16. The monitoring apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein the associated set of manufacturing machines further include a set of stacked visual indicators and the monitoring apparatus further includes:

a monitor output communicating the machine viability processor and with the set of stacked visual indicators for indicating a machine status via the set of stacked visual indicators based on the estimated remaining operating time for the machine.

17. The monitoring apparatus as set forth in claim 7, further including:

a password-based user interface for providing selected user access to selected portions of the monitoring apparatus.

18. A method for monitoring a cycling manufacturing machine having a plurality of tools, the method comprising:

detecting machine cycles of said manufacturing machine;

estimating a machine operating rate based on the detecting step over time; and

,

projecting tool change times for each of said plurality of tools based on the estimated machine operating rate and pre-selected tool cycle lifetime values for each of the plurality of tools.

19. The method as set forth in claim 18, further including:

notifying an associated machine operator in advance of a projected tool change time.

20. The method as set forth in claim 18, further including:

prioritizing the projected tool change times; and

notifying an associated machine operator in advance of a most proximate projected tool change time.

21. The method as set forth in claim 18, further including:

displaying a table indicating a tool life for each of the plurality of tools based on the projected tool change times.

22. The method as set forth in claim 21, wherein the step of displaying the tool life table includes:

displaying a green value for tools whose projected change time exceeds a threshold time; and

,

displaying one of a yellow value and a red value for tools whose projected change time is less than the threshold time.

23. The method as set forth in claim 22, wherein the step of displaying of one of a yellow value and a red value for tools whose projected change time is less than a threshold time further includes:

displaying a yellow value for tools whose projected change time exceeds an urgency threshold time; and

,

displaying a red value for tools whose projected change time is less than the urgency threshold time.

24. The method as set forth in claim 18, further including:

updating a tool cycle lifetime value for a tool responsive to receiving of a new value therefor from an authorized user.

25. The method as set forth in claim 24, wherein the updating further includes:

receiving a password associated with the authorized user prior to or contemporaneous with the receiving of the new value.

26. The method as set forth in claim 18, further including:

responsive to input from an authorized user, constructing a report indicative of past performance of the cycling manufacturing machine.

27. The method as set forth in claim 26, wherein the constructing of a report further includes:

prior to the constructing of the report, receiving an authorization password associated with the input from the authorized user.

28. A monitoring device for monitoring at least one cycling manufacturing machine provided with a plurality of component tools, the monitoring device comprising:

a counter that counts machine cycles of said manufacturing machine;

a processor that projects scheduled replacement times for each of the plurality of component tools on each of the at least one cycling manufacturing machine based on at least the counter output; and

at least one visual indicator corresponding to the at least one cycling manufacturing machine, said at least one visual indicator being in communication with the processor and having;

a first indicia corresponding to the at least one cycling machine having more than a threshold time before scheduled replacement of any of its component tools,

a second indicia corresponding to the at least one cycling machine having a positive time before scheduled replacement of any of its component tools and having less than a threshold time before scheduled replacement of at least one of its component tools, and

a third indicia corresponding to the at least one cycling machine having a negative time before scheduled replacement of at least one of its component tools.

29. The monitoring device according to claim 28, wherein the first, second, and third indicia include first, second, and third colors, respectively.

30. The monitoring device as set forth in claim 29, wherein:

the first color is green;

the second color is yellow; and

,

the third color is red.

31. The monitoring device as set forth in claim 28, wherein the processor is adapted to:

receive a tool lifetime defined as a number of machine cycles between scheduled replacements;

decrement a tool counter value each time the counter detects a machine cycle to maintain a remaining tool life defined in units of number of machine cycles;

operatively differentiate the counter value with respect to time to obtain a machine operating rate; and

convert the remaining tool life into units of time using the machine operating rate.

32. The monitoring device as set forth in claim 28, further including:

a password-based user input including a plurality of access levels each associated with selected input privileges, each password associated with an access level, the user input accepting an updated threshold time conditional upon the updated threshold time being associated with a password which is associated with an access level including threshold update privileges.

33. The monitoring device as set forth in claim 32, further including:

a report generator for generating user-selected reports conditional upon the user selection being associated with a password which is associated with an access level including report generation privileges.

34. The monitoring device as set forth in claim 33, wherein said report generator includes:

a selection screen for selecting a report type selected from the group including a life cycle change report, reset log report, and a production run report.

35. The monitoring device as set forth in claim 34, wherein said life cycle change report includes an identification of a change in a life cycle parameter from a previous life cycle parameter to a newly selected life cycle parameter for each tool in each said cycling machine.

36. The monitoring device as set forth in claim 35, wherein said life cycle change report includes an identification of the time the life cycle parameter was changed, the person responsible for changing the life cycle parameter and further includes start and end times and dates.

37. The monitoring device as set forth in claim 34, wherein said reset log report includes a display of a cycle count performed by each tool in each said at least one cycling machine and a variance count display indicative of a difference between the actual number of cycles executed by each tool in each said at least one cycling machine and a user selected life cycle count value.

38. The monitoring device as set forth in claim 37, wherein said reset log report includes indicia indicating the time and date at which each tool was changed.

39. The monitoring device as set forth in claim 34, wherein said production run report displays a set of parameters for each of said at least one cycling machines, said set of parameters including a production count parameter, an average cycles per hour parameter, a run time parameter, and a tool reset count parameter.

40. The monitoring device as set forth in claim 39, wherein said production run report includes user selectable start and end time and dates.

41. The monitoring device as set forth in claim 34, further including an archive memory for storing each of said life cycle change report, said reset log report, and said production run report.

42. The monitoring device as set forth in claim 41, further including means for retrieving any of said life cycle change report, said reset log report, or said production run report from said archive memory.

43. A monitor for monitoring a manufacturing machine including a plurality of tools, the monitor comprising:

a means for detecting machine cycles of said manufacturing machine;

a means, communicating with the detecting means, for determining a machine cycling rate; and

,

a means for projecting tool change times for each of said plurality of tools based on the machine cycling rate and pre-selected tool cycle lifetime values.

44. The method as set forth in claim 43, further including:

a means for notifying an associated machine operator in advance of a projected tool change time.