PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE FOR THIRD PARTY SUPPORT EQUIPMENT

• US 20120191225A1
• Filed: 11/29/2011
• Published: 07/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Davis, Tony L., Swyers, John R., Yedatore, Manjunath, Turner, Donn, Johnson, Michael W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,560,106 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/49
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0283 Predictive maintenance, e.g. involving the monitoring of a system and, based on the monitoring results, taking decisions on the maintenance schedule of the monitored system; Estimating remaining useful life [RUL] preventive maintenance, i.e. planning maintenance according to the available resources without monitoring the system G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

A server receives equipment data from third party support equipment during operation of the third party support equipment in a manufacturing environment. The server receives the equipment data via a first port on the third party support equipment. The third party support equipment communicates with a process tool via a second port on third party support equipment. The server determines a future state of the third party support equipment based on the equipment data and notifies a user of the future state of the third party support equipment.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a server comprising a support equipment performance subsystem and a processing device, equipment data from third party support equipment during operation of the third party support equipment in a manufacturing environment, wherein the equipment data is received via a first port on the third party support equipment and the third party support equipment communicates with a process tool via a second port on the third party support equipment;

determining, by the server, a future state of the third party support equipment based on the equipment data; and

notifying, by the server, a user of the future state performance of the third party support equipment.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the third party support equipment is manufactured by a first entity and the support equipment performance subsystem is maintained by a second entity, wherein the first entity and the second entity are different.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the support equipment performance subsystem is removable from the manufacturing environment without affecting performance of the manufacturing environment.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the support equipment performance subsystem, configuration data comprising a time period for receiving the equipment data.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the future state of the third party support equipment predicts a failure of the third party support equipment.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the future state of the third party support equipment comprises at least one of normal performance, part showing signs of wear, part near failure, and part failure.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing, in real-time, the equipment data to threshold data to determine whether the third party support equipment is above a performance threshold, wherein the performance threshold indicates a failure of the third party support equipment.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first port is independent and separate from the second port.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable memory medium embodied with executable code that cause a processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving equipment data from third party support equipment during operation of the third party support equipment in a manufacturing environment, wherein the equipment data is received via a first port on the third party support equipment and the third party support equipment communicates with a process tool via a second port on the third party support equipment;

determining a future state of the third party support equipment based on the equipment data; and

notifying a user of the future state performance of the third party support equipment.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 9, wherein the support equipment performance subsystem is removable from the manufacturing environment without affecting performance of the manufacturing environment.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving configuration data comprising a time period for receiving the equipment data.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 9, wherein the future state of the third party support equipment predicts a failure of the third party support equipment.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 9, wherein the future state of the third party support equipment comprises at least one of normal performance, part showing signs of wear, part near failure, and part failure.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 9, further comprising:

comparing, in real-time, the equipment data to threshold data to determine whether the third party support equipment is above a performance threshold, wherein the performance threshold indicates a failure of the third party support equipment.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 9, wherein the first port is independent and separate from the second port.

16. A computerized system comprising:

a processor coupled to a memory through a bus; and

instructions executed from the memory by the processor to cause the processor to

receive equipment data from third party support equipment during operation of the third party support equipment in a manufacturing environment, wherein the equipment data is received via a first port on the third party support equipment and the third party support equipment communicates with a process tool via a second port on the third party support equipment;

determine a future state of the third party support equipment based on the equipment data; and

notify a user of the future state performance of the third party support equipment.

17. The computerized system of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

receive configuration data comprising a time period for receiving the equipment data.

18. The computerized system of claim 16, wherein the future state of the third party support equipment predicts a failure of the third party support equipment.

19. The computerized system of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

compare, in real-time, the equipment data to threshold data to determine whether the third party support equipment is above a performance threshold, wherein the performance threshold indicates a failure of the third party support equipment.

20. The computerized system of claim 16, wherein the first port is independent and separate from the second port.