Apparatus and method for selecting a mechanical seal

• US 20070173963A1
• Filed: 02/22/2007
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carl Bjornson, Daivd Greenlie
• Original Assignee: Carl Bjornson, Daivd Greenlie
• Inventors: Bjornson, Carl, Greenlie, Daivd
• Granted Patent: US 7,493,183 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/90
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization

Abstract

An automated seal selection, seal design, manufacturing, and post sales system allows a distributor or untrained user to select a replacement seal for a pump. The automated system designs and engineers the seal, whether standard or special, and creates all drawings, documentation, quotations, and other output forms. The automated system initiates selection from inventory or purchasing of materials to be used in the manufacturing operations, creates all manufacturing CNC programs for the components to be manufactured and downloads to CNC from manufacturing equipment. The system allows selection of a seal based upon a seal part number, or selection of a seal based upon the pump into which the seal will be installed and the operating conditions of the pump. The pump may be defined by searching through a database of existing pumps, or may be defined as a new pump if it is not in the pump database. Results of a previous compatibility analysis, perhaps performed by the seal manufacturer, may be accessed for existing pumps, or an on-line compatibility analysis may be performed for new pumps, to determine whether an existing seal fits the pump with no modifications. If no existing seal fits, the system provides two options. In a first option, a special seal is specified which will fit the pump with no modifications to the pump. An integrated design system determines dimensions for the special seal and its various components in real time providing immediate quotations including drawings. With a second option, modifications to the pump are defined so that a standard seal will fit. After a seal is specified, the system recommends materials of construction and allows the customer to select materials and other selectable options. The system then outputs a proposal including drawings with full dimensions, price, modification notes, warnings, a complete bill of materials, an order form, quote form and a dimensions verification form. The system then stores the information in a plant standardization survey for future retrieval. If an order is received, the drawings created using the system may be transferred to a manufacturing center where CNC programs are created in real time enabling immediate manufacturing. All engineering, design, and manufacturing programs may be created without human intervention. The system generated CNC programs may be automatically downloaded to the machine for manufacturing without human intervention.

Claims

1. Apparatus, for facilitating entry of data descriptive of a piece of equipment for matching with a mechanical seal, comprising:

a graphical user interface for displaying a template having fields and for receiving in said fields input data descriptive of dimensions of said piece of equipment, said graphical user interface arranged to associate graphical information with fields of said template to guide the obtaining of said input data; and

a first database comprising data representative of predetermined criteria for input data appropriate to be received in specific fields of said template, said criteria pertinent to dimensional matching of said piece of equipment with said mechanical seal;

said graphical user interface further arranged to utilize data from said first database to verify that input data received in specific fields of said template is consistent with said predetermined criteria pertinent to dimensional matching.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said graphical user interface is arranged to associate graphical information with fields of said template, said graphical information comprising image data for providing an image viewable by a user to guide the obtaining of said input data.

3. Apparatus as in claim 1, additionally comprising:

a second database comprising profiles of mechanical seals; and

a selection module coupled to said second database and responsive to input data received in fields of said template and to data accessed from said second database to match a mechanical seal with said piece of equipment.

4. Apparatus as in claim 1, additionally comprising;

a second database comprising profiles of mechanical seals; and

a selection module coupled to said second database and responsive to input data received in fields of said template and to data accessed from said second database to provide a profile of a compatible mechanical seal that is compatible for use with said piece of equipment, when no profile of a compatible mechanical seal is available from said second database.

5. Apparatus, for facilitating description of a piece of equipment for matching with an auxiliary product, comprising:

a graphical user interface for displaying a template having fields and for receiving in said fields input data descriptive of characteristics of said piece of equipment, said graphical user interface arranged to associate graphical information with fields of said template to guide the obtaining of said input data; and

a first database comprising data representative of predetermined criteria for input data appropriate to be received in specific fields of said template, said criteria pertinent to said matching;

said graphical user interface further arranged to utilize data from said first database to verify that said input data received in specific fields of said template is consistent with said predetermined criteria pertinent to matching.

6. Apparatus as in claim 5, wherein said graphical user interface is arranged to associate graphical information with fields of said template, said graphical information comprising image data for providing an image viewable by a user to guide the obtaining of said input data.

7. Apparatus as in claim 5, wherein said first database comprises data representative of completeness and type of input data appropriate to be received in specific fields of said template for use in implementing said matching.

8. Apparatus as in claim 5, wherein said graphical user interface is arranged to receive in said fields input data descriptive of dimensions of said piece of equipment which are pertinent to said matching.

9. Apparatus as in claim 5, additionally comprising:

a second database comprising profiles of auxiliary products, which products may be components; and

a selection module coupled to said second database and responsive to said input data received in fields of said template and to data accessed from said second database to match an auxiliary product with said piece of equipment.

10. Apparatus as in claim 5, additionally comprising:

a second database comprising profiles of auxiliary products, which products may be components; and

a selection module coupled to said second database and responsive to said input data received in fields of said template and to data accessed from said second database to provide a profile of a compatible auxiliary product that is compatible for use with said piece of equipment, when no profile of a compatible auxiliary product is available from said second database.

11. Apparatus as in claim 10, further comprising:

a design module responsive to said profile of a compatible auxiliary product to provide dimensions defining said compatible auxiliary product.

12. Apparatus as in claim 5, further comprising:

an equipment database comprising at least one equipment profile provided in response to said input data received in fields of said template for said piece of equipment, said equipment profile descriptive of said piece of equipment.

13. Apparatus as in claim 5, wherein the auxiliary product is one of a mechanical seal, a component of a mechanical seal and another auxiliary device usable with the piece of equipment.

14. A method, for facilitating description of a piece of equipment for matching with an auxiliary product, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a graphical user interface for displaying a template having fields;

(b) providing graphical information associated with fields of said template to guide the obtaining of input data;

(c) receiving in fields of said template input data descriptive of characteristics of said piece of equipment;

(d) providing a first database comprising data representative of predetermined criteria for input data appropriate to be received in specific fields of said template, said criteria pertinent to said matching; and

(e) utilizing data from said first database to verify that said input data received in specific fields of said template is consistent with said predetermined criteria pertinent to matching.

15. A method as in claim 14, wherein step (b) comprises providing graphical information comprising image data for providing an image viewable by a user to guide the obtaining of said input data.

16. A method as in claim 14, wherein step (c) comprises receiving input data descriptive of dimensions of said piece of equipment which are pertinent to said matching.

17. A method as in claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

(f) providing a second database comprising profiles of auxiliary products, which products may be components; and

(g) matching, responsive to said input data received in fields of said template and to data accessed from said second database, an auxiliary product with said piece of equipment.

18. A method as in claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

(f) providing a second database comprising profiles of auxiliary products, which products may be components; and

(g) providing, responsive to said input data received in fields of said template and to data accessed from said second database, a profile of a compatible auxiliary product that is compatible for use with said piece of equipment, when no profile of a compatible auxiliary product is available from said second database.

19. A method as in claim 18, further comprising the step of:

(h) providing, in response to said profile of a compatible product provided in step (g), dimensions defining said compatible auxiliary product, said compatible auxiliary product being one of a mechanical seal, a component of a mechanical seal and another auxiliary device usable with the piece of equipment.

20. A method as in claim 14, further comprising the step of:

providing, in response to said input data received in fields of said template, an equipment database comprising at least one equipment profile descriptive of said piece of equipment.