WEAR PART MONITORING

• US 20150149049A1
• Filed: 11/19/2014
• Published: 05/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ESCO Group LLC (WEIR Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: ESCO Corporation (WEIR Group PLC)
• Inventors: BEWLEY, ERIC L., COWGILL, NOAH, BLOMBERG, JOSEPH E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,670,649 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 15/00 Elements, tools, or details of ploughs
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 15/06 Interchangeable or adjustable shares
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 23/02 Teeth; Fixing the teeth
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/815 Blades; Levelling or scarifying tools E02F3/40 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/24 Safety devices , e.g. for preventing overload E02F9/226 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/267 Diagnosing or detecting failure of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2808 Teeth
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2816 Mountings therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2833 Retaining means, e.g. pins
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2883 Wear elements for buckets or implements in general
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/44 Local feature extraction by analysis of parts of the pattern, e.g. by detecting edges, contours, loops, corners, strokes or intersections; Connectivity analysis, e.g. of connected components
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

A process and tool for monitoring the status, health, and performance of wear parts used on earth working equipment. The process and tool allow the operator to optimize the performance of the earth working equipment. The tool has a clear line of site to the wear parts during use and may be integrated with a bucket or blade on the earth working equipment.

Claims

1. A tool for monitoring wear parts used on earth working equipment, the tool comprising at least one electronic sensor, a programmable logic device receiving information from the sensor and making a determination of at least one of presence, wear, impact, fill, and performance of at least one of a first wear part that moves ground to be excavated and a second wear part secured to the first wear part, and a securement mechanism for securing the electronic sensor to a first wear part.

2. A tool in accordance with claim 1 wherein the securement mechanism is adapted to attach to the at least one said electronic sensor to a bucket.

3. A tool in accordance with claim 2 wherein the securement mechanism attaches the at least one said electronic sensor to an interior surface of the bucket.

4. A tool in accordance with claim 2 wherein the securement mechanism attaches the at least one said electronic sensor to an exterior surface of the bucket.

5. A tool in accordance with claim 1 wherein the programmable logic device receives information from the at least one said electronic sensor to determine when the second wear part has been worn to a state indicating that the second wear part should be replaced.

6. A tool in accordance with claim 1 wherein the programmable logic device receives information from the at least one said electronic sensor to determine when the second wear part has been lost.

7. A tool in accordance with claim 5 wherein the programmable logic device receives information from the at least one said electronic sensor to recognize special features on the first and second wear part.

8. A tool in accordance with claim 5 including at least one second sensor secured to the second wear part, wherein the second sensor communicates with the programmable logic so that information from both the said electronic sensor and the at least one said second sensor is used to make a determination of at least one of presence, wear, impact, fill, and performance of at least one of the first wear part and the second wear part.

9. A tool in accordance with claim 1 wherein the securement mechanism is adapted to attach the at least one said electronic sensor to a truck body.

10. A tool in accordance with claim 1 wherein the securement mechanism is adapted to attach the at least one said electronic sensor to a blade.

11. A tool in accordance with claim 1 wherein the programmable logic device receives information from the at least one said electronic sensor to determine when the second wear part has been worn to a state that the second wear part should be replaced.

12. A tool in accordance with claim 1 wherein the programmable logic device receives information from the at least one said electronic sensor to calculate an operational efficiently of the first and second wear parts.

13. A tool in accordance with claim 1 wherein the programmable logic device receives information from the at least one said electronic sensor to determine a fill level of the first wear part.

14. A tool in accordance with claim 1 wherein at least one of the said sensors is chosen from a group consisting essentially of a camera, a laser range finder, and an ultrasonic sensor.

15. A tool in accordance with claim 1 wherein the programmable logic device receives information from the at least one said electronic sensor to determine a high impact event of the first wear part.

16. A tool in accordance with claim 1 wherein the programmable logic device receives information from the at least one said electronic sensor to determine a cycle time of a digging cycle.

17. A tool in accordance with claim 15 wherein at least one of the said sensors is chosen from a group consisting essentially of a pressure sensor, a stain gauge, a load cell, and an accelerometer.

18. A tool in accordance with claim 16 wherein at least one of the said sensors is chosen from a group consisting essentially of an inclinometer and GPS.

19. A tool in accordance claim 1 wherein the programmable logic device receives information from the at least one said electronic sensor to generate an alerts based on the information received from the at least one said electronic sensor.

20. A tool in accordance with claim 1 wherein the programmable logic device receives information from the at least one said electronic sensor and the programmable logic communicates the information with a database.

21. A tool in accordance with claim 1 wherein the programmable logic device receives information from the at least one said electronic sensor and the programmable logic communicates the information to a computer system that is remote to the first wear part.

22. A tool in accordance with claim 1 wherein the tool has a vibration dampening device and the at least one said electronic sensor is mounted to the vibration dampening device.

23. A tool in accordance with claim 1 wherein the said electronic sensor has a housing with an aperture, and the tool includes a cover for protecting the aperture.

24. A tool in accordance with claim 1 wherein the programmable logic device is located remote from the wear part that engages and moves the ground to be excavated.

25. A tool in accordance with claim 1 wherein the programmable logic device is located on the first wear part.

26. A bucket for use with excavating equipment, the bucket comprising:

a plurality of walls defining a containment portion for gathering earthen material to be excavated;

a leading edge to initially contact the earthen material, the leading edge extending along one of the said walls defining the containment portion; and

an electronic sensor mounted to one of the said walls of the bucket to monitor at least one of presence, wear, impact, fill, and performance of the bucket.

27. A bucket in accordance with claim 26 wherein the electronic sensor is mounted so that it has a clear line of site to the leading edge when the bucket is in use and when the earthen material is loaded into the containment portion.

28. A bucket in accordance with claim 26 wherein the electronic sensor is mounted to an interior wall of the bucket.

29. A bucket in accordance with claim 26 wherein the electronic sensor is mounted to an exterior wall of the bucket.

30. A wear part used on earth working equipment, the wear part comprising a front end and a rear end, the rear end having a mounting portion to receive a base secured to the earth working equipment, the front end including at least one unique feature to indicate a plurality of different degrees of wear that the wear part has encountered.

31. A wear part in accordance with claim 30 wherein the at least one unique feature is visibly changed due to wear to indicate the different degrees of wear that the wear part has encountered.

32. A wear assembly used on earth working equipment, the wear assembly comprising:

a base secured to the earth working equipment;

a wear member including a front end and a rear end, the rear end having a mounting portion to receive the base, the front end including at least one unique feature to indicate a plurality of different degrees of wear that the wear part has encountered; and

a securement mechanism to releasably secure the wear member to the base.

33. A wear assembly in accordance with claim 32 wherein the at least one unique feature is visibly changed due to wear to indicate the different degrees of wear that the wear part has encountered.

34. A wear assembly in accordance with claim 32 wherein the base includes a unique feature that is hidden when the wear member is mounted on the base and visible when the wear member is not mounted on the base.

35. A wear assembly used on earth working equipment, the wear assembly comprising:

a base secured to the earth working equipment, the base having a unique feature;

a wear member including a front end and a rear end, the rear end having a mounting portion to receive the base; and

a securement mechanism to releasably secure the wear member to the base wherein the unique feature is hidden when the wear member is mounted on the base and the unique feature is visible when the wear member is not mounted on the base to indicate the absence of the wear member.

36. A method of monitoring a status of a second wear part secured to a first wear part on earth working equipment, the method comprising:

securing at least one electronic sensor to the first wear part that engages and moves ground to be excavated, using programmable logic and information from the at least one said electronic sensor to monitor the status of said second wear part.

37. A method in accordance with claim 36 wherein the programmable logic uses the information from the one said electronic sensor to determine when the wear part is on the first wear part.

38. A method in accordance with claim 36 wherein the programmable logic has a preset minimum wear profile for the second wear part and the programmable logic uses the information from the one said electronic sensor to determine when the wear part has a wear profile that is less than the preset minimum wear profile.

39. A method in accordance with claim 36 wherein the programmable logic has a preset maximum impact force for the first wear part and the second wear part and the programmable logic uses the information from the one said electronic sensor to determine when at least one of the first wear part and the second wear part has experienced an impact force that is greater than the preset maximum impact force.

40. A method of monitoring performance of a digging operation, the method comprising:

securing at least one electronic sensor to a first wear part that engages and moves ground to be excavated, using programmable logic and information from the at least one said electronic sensor to determine the performance of the digging operation.

41. A method of monitoring wear parts on earth working equipment, the method comprising receiving information about the wear parts from at least one electronic sensor, using programmable logic to analyze the information from the one said electronic sensor to determine a current state of the wear parts being monitored, and using electronic equipment to communicate the current state of the wear parts wherein the current state of the wear parts is determined by performing at least three independent checks related to the wear parts.

42. A method in accordance with claim 41 wherein vision recognition software is used to determine the status of the wear parts.

43. A method in accordance with claim 41 wherein the at least three independent checks include determining a current length of the wear parts, determining a status of unique features of the wear parts, and determining a total number of edges extending from a base fixed to the earth working equipment.

44. A method in accordance with claim 43 wherein the length of the wear part is determined by using the vision recognition software to determine a leading edge of the wear part, and the programmable logic counts the number of pixels between the leading edge and a preset reference line related to the wear part.

45. A method in accordance with claim 43 wherein the programmable logic and electronic equipment communicate that the wear part is fit for continued operation if:

i) the current length of the wear part is greater than a set minimum length, ii) the status of the unique features indicates that the wear part is secured to the base, and iii) the total number of edges extending from the base matches an expected number of edges extending from the base.

46. A method in accordance with claim 43 wherein the programmable logic and electronic equipment communicate that the wear part is worn and should be replaced if:

i) the current length of the wear part is less than a set minimum length, ii) the status of the unique features indicates that the wear part is secured to the base, and iii) the total number of edges extending from the base matches an expected number of edges extending from the base.

47. A method in accordance with claim 43 wherein the programmable logic and electronic equipment communicate that the wear part is missing and should be replaced if:

i) the current length of the wear part is less than a set minimum length, ii) the status of the unique features indicates that the wear part is not secured to the base, and iii) the total number of edges extending from the base does not match an expected number of edges extending from the base.