ROBOT REDUCER PREDICTIVE TRENDING

• US 20140358453A1
• Filed: 01/02/2014
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kirk, Tommy Felton
• Application Number:
  US14/146,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20140358453A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/39
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 13/028 Acoustic or vibration analysis

Abstract

A system and method for monitoring the status of a robot reducer by performing trend analyses on detected ultrasonic frequencies emitted from the robot reducer during its operation so that preventive maintenance can be performed on the reducer to avoid a failure during operation of the reducer.

Claims

1. A method of maintaining a robot comprising the steps of:

detecting a noise signal emitted by the robot;

recording the detected noise signal on a plurality of different dates;

determining amplitude data of the noise signals recorded on different dates;

comparing the amplitude data of the noise signals recorded on the different dates to each other; and

performing a maintenance operation on the robot as a result of said comparing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of comparing the amplitude data of the noise signals is performed for noise signals that are at or near a particular ultrasonic frequency.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said particular ultrasonic frequency is about 30 kHz.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said recording of the detected noise signal is stored as a way file.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of, prior to said step of detecting the noise signal, securely attaching an audio sensor to the robot.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of comparing the amplitude data includes the step of monitoring average amplitudes of the noise signals recorded on different dates to each other to detect a difference in the average amplitudes of the noise signals that exceed a predetermined threshold average amplitude, wherein said step of performing the maintenance operation on the robot is performed after detecting the difference in the average amplitudes of the noise signals exceeding the predetermined threshold average amplitude.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said step of comparing the average amplitudes of the noise signals is performed for noise signals that are at or near a particular ultrasonic frequency.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the noise signal emitted by the robot includes a noise signal emitted by a reducer of the robot.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said maintenance operation includes an inspection, repair, or replacement of a part of the robot.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of detecting the noise signal is performed using an audio sensor.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said step of recording the detected noise signal is performed using an audio analyzer adapted for using said audio sensor, and further wherein the noise signals recorded on different dates are transferred to a computer running analysis software to perform said step of comparing the amplitude data of the noise signals using said computer.

12. A method of maintaining a robot comprising the steps of:

attaching an audio sensor to the robot for detecting a ultrasonic noise signal emitted by the robot;

recording the detected ultrasonic noise signal emitted by the robot on a plurality of different dates;

determining an average amplitude of the ultrasonic noise signals recorded on each of the different dates;

comparing the average amplitudes of the ultrasonic noise signals to each other to detect a predetermined threshold difference between the average amplitudes; and

performing a maintenance operation on the robot as a result of detecting said predetermined threshold difference.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said step of comparing the average amplitudes is performed for noise signals that are at or near a particular ultrasonic frequency.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said particular ultrasonic frequency is about 30 kHz.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the noise signal emitted by the robot includes a noise signal emitted by a reducer of the robot.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein said maintenance operation includes an inspection, repair, or replacement of a part of the robot.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein said predetermined threshold is determined by monitoring the average amplitudes of the noise signals until a critical date at which failure occurs or is about to occur, such that said predetermined threshold is derived from the average amplitudes of the noise signals that were recorded near or at the critical date.

18. A method of maintaining a robot comprising the steps of:

attaching an audio sensor to a reducer of the robot for detecting a noise signal emitted by the reducer;

recording the detected noise signal emitted by the reducer on a plurality of different dates;

determining, using a computer, at least one characteristic of each of the noise signals recorded on the different dates;

comparing, using the computer, the least one characteristic of the noise signals recorded on different dates to each other to detect a predetermined threshold difference in the at least one characteristic; and

performing maintenance on the reducer as a result of detecting said predetermined threshold difference.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said predetermined threshold is determined by monitoring the at least one characteristic of the noise signals until a critical date at which failure occurs or is about to occur, such that said predetermined threshold is derived from the at least one characteristic of the noise signals that were recorded near or at the critical date.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said at least one characteristic is an average of the amplitude of the noise signals recorded on the different dates, and wherein the noise signals are at a frequency of about 30 kHz.