Industrial engine completion inspection method

• US 20070000314A1
• Filed: 06/07/2006
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Shinogi, Yoshihisa, Fukushima, Tomoki, Shinoda, Akihisa
• Granted Patent: US 7,458,255 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/114.610
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/02 Details or accessories of testing apparatus

Abstract

An inspection method is conducted after the assembly of an industrial engine is complete. An identification code assigned to an industrial engine is read. Basic engine specification data and device-specific engine specification data that correspond to the read identification code are extracted from a database to a completion inspection unit. Various inspections are conducted on the individual engine by the completion inspection unit on the basis of the extracted basic engine specification data. The device-specific engine specification data of the engine that has passed the inspection is written into memory. A confirmation inspection is then conducted by a device-specific inspection machine to determine whether the engine has the output characteristics required by the mounting device.

Claims

1. An industrial engine completion inspection method for inspecting whether an assembled industrial engine exhibits a specific performance, said method comprising the steps of:

reading an identification code assigned to the industrial engine;

extracting basic engine specification data intrinsic to the industrial engine, as well as device-specific engine specification data based on the operating machine or other device on which the industrial engine is mounted, from a database into a completion inspection unit on the basis of the read identification code;

connecting the completion inspection unit to the industrial engine with the aid of a communication cable;

switching the operating mode of a control unit of the industrial engine to an inspection mode based on the basic engine specification data;

starting up the industrial engine;

conducting various inspections on the individual industrial engines on the basis of the basic engine specification data;

temporarily stopping the industrial engine after the inspection process is complete;

writing the device-specific engine specification data into memory in the control unit from the completion inspection unit;

removing the communication cable from the industrial engine;

restarting the industrial engine;

inspecting, on the basis of the device-specific engine specification data written into the memory, the operation confirmation of the industrial engine in the case of the devices; and

stopping the industrial engine after the inspection of the operation confirmation is complete.

2. The inspection method according to claim 1, said steps for conducting various inspections on each of the industrial engines comprising:

operating the industrial engine via the control unit with a specific operation target by sending an engine operation target command signal based on the basic engine specification data from the completion inspection unit to the control unit;

sending the operating data obtained as a result of operating the industrial engine in accordance with the operation target from the control unit to the completion inspection unit; and

evaluating the performance of the industrial engine by comparing the operating data with the operation target.

3. The inspection method according to claim 1, comprising:

inspecting a system composed of the sensors and the switch of the industrial engine following the step of connecting the completion inspection unit and the industrial engine.

4. The inspection method according to claim 1, wherein

the identification code comprising a barcode;

and

the barcode being read by a barcode reader or other optical reading means when the identification code is read.