Working Machine Maintenance Work Management System

• US 20090259507A1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Published: 10/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Miwa, Hirobumi, Ichikawa, Ichio, Taninaga, Tadashi, Hori, Koutarou
• Granted Patent: US 8,533,018 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/20 Drives; Control devices gearings in general F16H; controlling in general G05; electric multi-motor drives H02K, H02P
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/26 Indicating devices E02F5/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06314 Calendaring for a resource
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/04 Manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/30 Computing systems specially adapted for manufacturing

Abstract

A first service life prediction unit 311 predicts the service lives of main components, such as an engine, based upon their actual wear states. A second service life prediction unit 312 predicts the service lives of the same components, based upon their cumulative load amounts. An order setting unit 320 selects the shorter predicted service lives and sets a priority order for overhaul based thereon. An overhaul schedule table generation unit 330 creates a schedule table D1 based upon this priority order. The contents of this schedule table D1 are corrected, if necessary, by a correction unit 341. A plan creation unit 350 creates an overhaul implementation plan document D2 and the like, based upon the corrected schedule table D1a. The result of the overhaul task and the present states of components are tested, and these test results are reflected by the service life prediction units 311 and 312.

Claims

1. A working machine maintenance work management system which manages, between a plurality of working machines, maintenance tasks for exchanging components installed to the working machines, comprising:

a first service life prediction unit which predicts first service lives of said components, based upon changes of first parameters in which wear states of said components are reflected;

a second service life prediction unit which predicts second service lives of said components, based upon second parameters in which cumulative load amounts of said components are reflected, and lifetime cumulative load amounts which are set in advance; and

an order setting unit which selects, as service lives of said components, the ones which are the shorter among said first predicted service lives and said second predicted service lives, and which sets an order for the maintenance tasks between said plurality of working machines so that maintenance is performed upon each of said components which said plurality of working machines possess, in order from that working machine which has the one of said components whose life is the shortest among said selected lives.

2. The working machine maintenance work management system according to claim 1, further comprising a maintenance schedule generation unit which generates a maintenance schedule for said plurality of working machines, based upon said order which has been set.

3. The working machine maintenance work management system according to claim 2, further comprising a plan creation unit which, if it is decided based upon states of components required for maintenance tasks for said plurality of working machines, upon a state of a workforce, and upon a state of time periods for tasks, stored in a data management unit, that there is no stock of some component required for some maintenance task:

changes operational conditions of said working machine which requires said component to operational conditions in which the load thereupon becomes lighter;

reviews its first service life and its second service life based upon these changed operational conditions; and

creates a task plan for the maintenance tasks, based upon said first service life and said second service life which have been reviewed.

4. The working machine maintenance work management system according to claim 1, wherein:

said first service life prediction unit predicts said first service life by compensating a first basic service life which has been obtained from said first parameter, according to a compensation coefficient which is obtained based upon test data for a previous old component which is exchanged with said component; and

said second service life prediction unit predicts said second service life by compensating a second basic service life which has been obtained from said second parameter according to said compensation coefficient.

5. The working machine maintenance work management system according to claim 1, wherein:

(1) said first service life prediction unit;

(1-1) for a working machine, among said plurality of working machines, which is equipped with a state detection device which detects a state of said working machine, predicts said first service life by acquiring said first parameter from data transmitted from said state detection device; and

(1-2) for a working machine, among said plurality of working machines, which is not equipped with such a state detection device, predicts said first service life by acquiring said first parameter from servicing history data which has been accumulated by a data management unit; and

(2) said second service life prediction unit;

(2-1) for a working machine which is equipped with such a state detection device, predicts said second service life by acquiring said second parameter from data transmitted from said state detection device; and

(2-2) for a working machine which is not equipped with such a state detection device, predicts said second service life by acquiring said second parameter from said servicing history data.

6. A working machine maintenance work management system. for managing maintenance tasks for exchanging components of a plurality of working machines, characterized by comprising:

a management center which is capable of communicating via a communication network with each of said plurality of working machines, directly or indirectly;

a computer terminal for maintenance, which is provided in a maintenance facility for performing maintenance tasks for each of said plurality of working machines, and which is connected to said management center via said communication network so as to be capable of communicating therewith;

a computer terminal for analysis, which is provided in an analysis facility for performing analysis of a state of each of said plurality of working machines, and which is connected to said management center via said communication network so as to be capable of communicating therewith; and

a state detection device which detects the state of at least one working machine among said plurality of working machines, and transmits said state to said management center;

and wherein said management center comprises;

a first data management unit for acquiring and storing data related to the states of each of said plurality of working machines from said computer terminal for maintenance, said computer terminal for analysis, and said state detection device;

a second data management unit for storing states of components required for the maintenance tasks for said plurality of working machines, a state of a workforce, and a state of time periods for tasks;

a first service life prediction unit which predicts first service lives of said components, based upon first parameters in which wear states of said components are reflected;

a second service life prediction unit which predicts second service lives of said components, based upon second parameters in which cumulative load amounts of said components are reflected;

an order setting unit which selects, as service lives of said components, the ones which are the shorter among said first predicted service lives and said second predicted service lives, and which sets an order for the maintenance tasks between said plurality of working machines so that maintenance is performed upon each of said components which said plurality of working machines possess, in order from that working machine which has the one of said components whose life is the shortest among said selected lives;

a maintenance schedule generation unit which generates a maintenance schedule for said components, based upon said order which has been set;

and a correction unit which corrects said maintenance schedule by acquiring, from said second data management unit, the states of said components required for said maintenance tasks, the state of the workforce, and the state of times required for the tasks;

and wherein;

said first service life prediction unit, for a working machine among said plurality of working machines which is equipped with said state detection device, predicts said first service life by acquiring said first parameter from data transmitted from said state detection device; and

, for a working machine among said plurality of working machines which is not equipped with said state detection device, predicts said first service life by acquiring said first parameter from servicing history data which has been accumulated by said first data management unit;

and said second service life prediction unit, for a working machine which is equipped with said state detection device, predicts said second service life by acquiring said second parameter from data transmitted from said state detection device; and

, for a working machine which is not equipped with said state detection device, predicts said second service life by acquiring said second parameter from said servicing history data.

7. A working machine maintenance work management system which manages, between a plurality of working machines, maintenance tasks for exchanging components installed to the working machines, comprising:

a first service life prediction unit which predicts first service lives of said components, based upon changes of first parameters in which wear states of said components are reflected; and

a second service life prediction unit which predicts second service lives of said components, based upon second parameters in which cumulative load amounts of said components are reflected, and lifetime cumulative load amounts which are set in advance; and

wherein, among said first predicted service lives and said second predicted service lives, the shorter ones are selected as lives of said components.