Data analysis and display method for reciprocating equipment in industrial processes

• US 4,504,920 A
• Filed: 08/12/1981
• Issued: 03/12/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John Mickowski
• Original Assignee: John Mickowski
• Inventors: Mickowski, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Krass, Errol A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Teska, Kevin J.
• Application Number:
  US06/292,168
• Time in Patent Office: 1,308 Days
• Field of Search: 364/550, 364/551, 364/552, 364/476, 364/521, 340/709, 340/722, 340/724, 340/732, 340/734, 340/745, 425/149, 425/150, 425/169, 425/171
• US Class Current: 702/183
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 3/08 with provision for safeguarding the apparatus, e.g. against abnormal operation, against breakdown
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4063 Monitoring general control system G05B19/4062 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/00 Registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus, other than vehicles

Abstract

The data analysis and display system of the present invention utilizes a microcomputer in combination with a CRT and a multiplicity of transducers for monitoring process parameters in the operation of a reciprocating device having a linear stroke. A profile of the process parameters are generated as a function of stroke length, stored in a non-volatile memory and graphically displayed on the CRT as master traces for comparison with current data profiles.

Claims

1. A diagnostic method for analyzing and monitoring the process parameters of a die casting operation in which a linear reciprocating injection device is traversed over a fixed stroke length at high speed comprising the steps of:

(a) dividing said stroke length into a predetermined multiple number of incremental positions;

(b) generating analog data corresponding to at least the position of said injection device and the pressure developed by said injection device at each such incremental position;

(c) recording the time transpired in the movement of said injection device along said stroke length;

(d) calculating the velocity of said injection device at such incremental position by dividing the traversed distance between incremental positions with the transpired differential in time between said positions;

(e) graphically displaying the data corresponding to pressure and velocity on a display screen of a cathode ray tube as a function of the incremental position of said injection device along said stroke length until said velocity reaches a predetermined minimum level, with said display forming a master profile for said data;

(f) storing the data representing said master profile at a predetermined address location in a nonvolatile memory of a microcomputer;

(g) repeating the sequence of generating, calculating and storing analog data corresponding to pressure and velocity as a function of stroke position for a second die casting operating to form a current profile of such data for such second operation, and

(h) displaying said current profile on said display screen along with said master profile for diagnostic comparison purposes.

2. A diagnostic method as defined in claim 1 further comprising detecting when said predetermined minimum velocity level is reached and graphically displaying the analog data of pressure and velocity in step (e) as a function of time upon reaching said minimum velocity level and until said stroke length is completed.

3. A diagnostic method as defined in claim 2 wherein said minimum velocity level is a velocity of approximately zero.

4. A diagnostic method as defined in claim 3 herein upon detecting said minimum velocity level said analog data is displayed as a function of time by establishing a time frame for the number of incremental positions remaining after said minimum velocity level is reached, dividing said time frame into incremental time increments and recording said analog data at each of said time increments until the increments of time equal the completion of the time frame.

5. A diagnostic method as defined in claim 4 wherein the temperature is recorded at each incremental position along the stroke length and is graphically displayed in step (e) along with said pressure and velocity and stored as master profile data in step (f).

6. A diagnostic method as defined in claim 5 further comprising programming the microcomputer in which said master profile data is stored to generate a cursor in the form of a vertical line upon said CRT display at any one of the incremental positions along said stroke length;

adjusting the position of said line cursor to a desired position in increments corresponding to distance between said incremental positions; and

displaying the data of pressure and velocity on said CRT screen corresponding to the adjusted position of said line cursor.