SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING AND MAINTAINING ABRASIVE BLASTING MACHINES

• US 20100211429A1
• Filed: 02/17/2010
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roto Grit, LLC
• Original Assignee: Ronald C. Benson
• Inventors: Benson, Ronald C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,058,707 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• CPC Class Codes: B24C 7/00 Equipment for feeding abrasive material; Controlling the flowability, constitution, or other physical characteristics of abrasive blasts
• CPC Class Codes: B24C 9/00 Appurtenances of abrasive blasting machines or devices, e.g. working chambers, arrangements for handling used abrasive material
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/08 Construction
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/10 together with the recording, indicating or registering of other data, e.g. of signs of identity

Abstract

A system and method for managing abrasive blasting may include timing duration of blast media being blown in performing abrasive blasting using an abrasive blasting machine. Time duration that an operator worked in association with the duration of the blast media being blown may be received. A blasting efficiency ratio may be computed based on the duration of the blasting media being blown and duration of that the operator worked. The blasting efficiency ratio may be displayed to a user.

Claims

1. An abrasive blasting system, comprising:

a blower configured to blow air to create an airflow;

a metering valve configured to mix blast media into the airflow;

a controller in communication with said blower and said metering valve;

a blasting hose in fluid communication with said blower;

a nozzle connected to an end of said blasting hose;

a control switch connected to said nozzle and configured to enable an operator to (i) selectively cause said controller to cause the airflow created by the blower to pass through said blasting hose and nozzle in response to said control switch being in a first state, and (ii) selectively cause the metering valve to mix the blast media with the airflow for passing the blast media through said blasting hose and nozzle in response to said control switch being in a second state;

a timer in communication with said controller and configured to time duration that said metering valve is being operated to mix the blasting media with the airflow to enable the operator to perform abrasive blasting; and

a user interface in communication with said controller to enable a user to display the duration that the operator is performing abrasive blasting.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said timer is executed by said controller.

3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a remote computing system; and

an input/output (I/O) unit in communication with said controller, and configured to communicate data from said controller via a communications system to said remote computing system, and wherein said remote computing system is configured to communicate with said user interface to enable the user to view the time duration of the abrasive blasting being performed.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said user interface is further configured to enable the user to enter a time duration that an operator worked.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein said remote computing system is further configured to compute ratio of time duration of the abrasive blasting to time duration that the operator worked, and wherein said user interface is configured to display the ratio.

6. The system according to claim 3, further comprising a global positioning system in communication with said controller, and configured to determine geographic position information, wherein said controller is further configured to communicate the geographic positioning information to said remote computing system.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said user interface is further configured to display a map and an indicia based on the geographic positioning information on the map.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said remote computing system is further configured to display statistical information associated with the indicia on the map.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein said user interface is further configured to display an overall performance rating of each day during which data is collected.

10. A method for managing abrasive blasting, said method comprising:

timing duration of blast media being blown in performing abrasive blasting using an abrasive blasting machine;

receiving time duration that an operator worked in association with the duration of the blast media being blown;

computing a blasting efficiency ratio based on the duration of the blasting media being blown and duration of that the operator worked; and

presenting the blasting efficiency ratio to a user.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein computing the blasting efficiency ratio is performed remotely from the abrasive blasting machine.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

collecting an ID of the operator by the abrasive blasting machine;

associating the blasting efficiency ratio with the operator;

storing the blasting efficiency ratio associated with the operator ID; and

displaying the blasting efficiency ratio to the user.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising generating a rating of the abrasive blasting over a time duration.

14. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

tracking geographic location of the abrasive blasting machine; and

presenting the geographic location of the abrasive blasting machine to the user.

15. The method according to claim 10, further comprising automatically counting the number of batches of blasting media used over a time duration.

16. A method for managing a fleet of abrasive blasting machines, said method comprising:

collecting operational data produced by a plurality of abrasive blasting machines at a remote computing system from the abrasive blasting machines;

storing the collected operational data in a data repository; and

displaying at least a portion of the collected operational data for a user to view.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the operational data includes current status of the respective abrasive blasting machines.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising calculating at least one parameter that provides a normalized operation of the abrasive blasting machines for comparison purposes.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising computing a performance rating for each of the abrasive blasting machines over a given time period.

20. A method for maintaining an abrasive blasting machine, said method comprising:

establishing, in an electronic memory, a set of preventative maintenance parameters associated with a respective set of components of the abrasive blasting machine;

monitoring, by a computing unit, sensors that collect operational data of components of the abrasive blasting machine, that correlate to the set of preventative maintenance parameters;

determining, by the computing unit, that operational data of a component has crossed a preventative maintenance parameter; and

in response to determining that the operational data of the component crossed a preventative maintenance parameter, notifying a user to perform preventative maintenance on the component of the abrasive blasting machine.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising enabling a maintenance worker to log into the computing unit to initiate performing preventative maintenance.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising enabling the maintenance worker to start a clock for timing duration of time in performing the preventative maintenance.

23. The method according to claim 21, further comprising:

communicating the collected operational data to a remote computing system; and

updating a report including the collected operational data.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein updating a report includes updating a report that includes operational data from multiple abrasive blasting machines.

25. A jobsite communications system for communicating abrasive blasting messages to operators at a jobsite, said system comprising:

a transceiver configured with preset message elements activatable by an operator to communicate a preset message associated with abrasive blasting;

a signaling system reporter configured to receive the preset message associated with abrasive blasting and display the preset message for another operator.

26. The jobsite communications system according to claim 25, where the signaling system reporter is integrated into a controller of an abrasive blasting machine.

27. A method for providing communications between workers of an abrasive blasting machine on a jobsite, said method comprising:

communicating a preset message related to abrasive blasting operations to another device in response to an operator selecting to send the preset message; and

displaying the preset message for another operator to view.

28. The method according to claim 27, where the preset message is a common command or request used for abrasive blasting.