METHOD AND CONTROL DEVICE FOR DETERMINATION OF THE TIME DURATION BEFORE A MACHINE ELEMENT REQUIRES SERVICING

• US 20090222306A1
• Filed: 11/17/2006
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Maier, Volker, Bretschneider, Jochen
• Application Number:
  US12/096,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20090222306A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4065 Monitoring tool breakage, life or condition
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37253 Fail estimation as function of lapsed time of use
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for determination of the time duration (T) before a machine element (6) of a machine requires servicing, comprising the following method steps: determination of a position-related load curve (BK) of the machine element (6) on the basis of a process variable (a, r) and of a position variable (x) for a manufacturing process to be evaluated, storage of the load curve (BK) for each manufacturing process to be evaluated, determination of a summation curve (SK) by addition of the stored load curves (BK) and determination of the time duration (T) before the machine element (6) requires servicing, on the basis of a separation (A) between a predetermined limit variable (GK) and the summation curve (SK). The invention also relates to a control device (12) relating to this for the machine. The invention makes it possible to determine the time duration (T) before a machine element (6) of a machine requires servicing.

Claims

1-9. -9. (canceled)

10. A method for determination of a time duration before a machine element of a machine requires servicing, comprising the following method steps:

determining a position-related load curve of the machine element based on a process variable and a position variable for one or more manufacturing processes to be evaluated;

storing the load curve for each manufacturing process to be evaluated;

adding the stored load curves and determining a summation curve;

determining a separation between a predetermined limit value and the summation curve; and

determining from the separation the time duration before the machine element requires servicing.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the time duration further comprises the step of determining a number of times a stored load curve of the last manufacturing process can be added to the summation curve, before the summation curve exceeds the predetermined limit value.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the time duration further comprises the steps of computing a load average curve as an average of the stored load curves, and determining a number of times the load average curve can be added to the summation curve, before the summation curve exceeds the predetermined limit value.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of generating a warning message if the summation curve exceeds the predetermined limit value.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the position-related load curve is determined from more than one process variable or more than one position variable, or both.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the process variable is selected from the group consisting of speed, acceleration, jerk, force, torque and temperature.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the machine is a machine tool, a production machine or a robot, or a combination thereof.

17. A control device of a machine, comprising:

means for determining a position-related load curve of the machine element based on a process variable and a position variable for one or more manufacturing processes to be evaluated;

a memory for storing the load curve for each manufacturing process to be evaluated;

means for adding the stored load curves to determine a summation curve; and

means for determining a separation between a predetermined limit value and the summation curve and for determining from the separation the time duration before the machine element requires servicing.

18. A computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium and containing code sections, which when loaded into memory of a computer, causes the computer to determine a time duration before a machine element of a machine requires servicing by:

determining a position-related load curve of the machine element based on a process variable and a position variable for one or more manufacturing processes to be evaluated,

storing the load curve for each manufacturing process to be evaluated,

adding the stored load curves and determining a summation curve,

determining a separation between a predetermined limit value and the summation curve, and

determining from the separation the time duration before the machine element requires servicing.