Method of creating a comprehensive manufacturing, shipping and location history for pipe joints

• US 5,491,637 A
• Filed: 03/18/1994
• Issued: 02/13/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amoco Corporation (BP PLC)
• Original Assignee: Amoco Corporation (BP PLC)
• Inventors: Kraemer, Mark S., Ratliff, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Envall, Jr., Roy N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garland, Steven R.
• Application Number:
  US08/215,497
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 364/401, 364/403, 364/468, 364/472, 364/473, 364/478, 364/402, 405/154, 405/157, 138/104, 116/109, 175/40, 235/375, 235/462, 235/432, 235/385, 235/376, 371/2.2
• US Class Current: 700/115
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 17/006 Accessories for drilling pipes, e.g. cleaners wear protectors E21B17/10; handling drilling pipes E21B19/00; thread protectors B65D59/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4183 characterised by data acquisition, e.g. workpiece identification
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31424 Print label of finished part, with info, history, attach to part, docket
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32026 Order code follows article through all operations
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32049 Store program data, manufacturing history on workpiece, shifts to next
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32389 Reception, assembly, testing, management workorder, schedule, history, file, packing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A method for creating a historical record of the manufacturing, transportation and location history of steel pipe joints includes predetermined characteristics of the pipe joints. During manufacture, the heat number and coil number of the steel used to make each pipe joint is recorded. Each pipe joint is assigned a unique joint number, which is also recorded. A label containing the heat number, coil number and joint number is created and attached to the corresponding pipe joint. The pipe joints are then transported to a final destination. The exact location of the final destination is compiled into a historical record in which the location of the final destination is associated with the heat number, coil number and joint number for each pipe joint. Finally, the labels are removed from the pipe joints to prevent damage to sensitive components in the completed pipeline.

Claims

1. A method for creating an historical record for a plurality of pipes joints by use of a bar code reader coupled to a computer, said historical record comprising an information record for each one of said plurality of pipe joints, each of said information records having at least two portions, a first portion of each of said information records comprising selected physical characteristics of one of said plurality of pipe joints and a second portion of each of said information records comprising an exact location of one of said plurality of pipe joiners in a pipeline, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) recording a heat number associated with one of said plurality of pipe joints;

(b) recording a coil number associated with one of said plurality of pipe joints;

(c) recording a joint number associated with one of said plurality of pipe joints;

(d) creating a bar code label containing at least said heat number, said coil number and said joint number for one of said plurality of pipe joints;

(e) attaching said bar code label to the corresponding one of said plurality of pipe joints;

(f) repeating steps (a) through (e) for each of said plurality of pipe joints;

(g) transporting each one of said plurality of pipe joints to a final destination in pipeline having a corresponding exact location address;

(h) scanning each one of said bar code labels with said bar code reader to compile said heat number, said coil number, and said joint number to form said first portion of said information on record for each corresponding one of said plurality of pipe joint;

(i) storing said first portion of said information record for each one of said plurality of pipe joints in a memory of said computer;

(j) permanently removing each one of said bar code labels from the corresponding one of said plurality of pipe joints;

(k) inputting into said computer said exact location address in said pipeline for each one of said plurality of pipe joints to form said second portion of said information record for each corresponding one of said plurality of pipe joints; and

(l) storing said second portion of said information record for each on of said plurality of pipes joints in a memory of said computer.

2. A method of creating an historical record for a plurality of pipe joints by use of a bar code reader coupled to a computer said historical record comprising an information record for each one of said plurality of pipe joints, each of said information records having at least two portions, a first portion of each of said information records comprising selected physical characteristics of one of said plurality of pipe joints and a second portion of each of said information records comprising an exact location of one of said plurality of pipe joints in a pipeline, said historical record being used to identify and locate each one of said plurality of pipe joints that is likely to fail by detecting a correspondence of portions of said information record between a failed pipe joint the remaining one of said plurality of pipe joints, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) recording a heat number associated with one of said plurality of pipe joints;

(b) recording a coil number associated with one of said plurality of pipe joints;

(c) recording a joint number associated with one of said plurality of pipe joints;

(d) creating a bar code label containing said heat number, said coil number, and said joint number for one of said plurality of pipe joints;

(e) attaching said bar code label to the corresponding one of said plurality of pipe joints;

(f) repeating steps (a) through (e) for each of said plurality of pipe joints;

(g) transporting each one of said plurality of pipe joints to a final destination in said pipeline having a corresponding exact location address;

(h) scanning each of said bar code labels with said bar code reader to compile said heat number, said coil number, and said joint number to form said first portion of said information record for each corresponding one of said plurality of pipe joints;

(i) storing said first portion of said information record for each one of said plurality of pipe joints in a memory of said computer;

(j) permanently removing each of said bar code labels from the corresponding one of said plurality of pipe joints;

(k) inputting into said computer said exact location address in said pipeline of each one of said plurality of pipe joints to form said second portion of said information record for each corresponding one of said plurality of pipe joints;

(l) storing said second portion of said information record for each one of said plurality of pipe joints in a memory of said computer;

(m) identifying said exact location address of a failed pipe joint from said plurality of pipe joints;

(n) identifying said information record of said failed pipe joint based upon said exact location address of said failed pipe joint;

(o) comparing a portion of said information record of said failed pipe joint with a portion of said information records of the remaining ones of said plurality of pipe joints to find a correspondence between said portions of said information records;

(p) identifying from said correspondence between said portions of said information records which of the remaining ones of said pipe joints are likely to fail; and

(g) locating each of said remaining ones of said pipe joints which are likely to fail based on said second portion of said information records of said pipe joints which are likely to fail.

3. The method recited in claim 2, wherein each one of said information records has at least a third portion comprising an identification of a manufacturer associated with a corresponding one of said plurality of pipe joints.