Apparatus and method for selecting a mechanical seal

• US 6,662,062 B1
• Filed: 10/13/2000
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Northeast Equipment Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Northeast Equipment Incorporated
• Inventors: Greenlie, David G., Bjornson, Carl C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bahta, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US09/687,393
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 700/99, 700/100, 700/98, 700/110, 700/97, 700/117-118, 700/216, 700/214, 705/27-29, 382/141, 395/609
• US Class Current: 700/99
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization

Abstract

An automated seal selection, seal design, manufacturing, and post sales system allows a distributor or untrained user to select a replacement seal for a pump. The automated system designs and engineers the seal, whether standard or special, and creates all drawings, documentation, quotations, and other output forms. The automated system initiates selection from inventory or purchasing of materials to be used in the manufacturing operations, creates all manufacturing CNC programs for the components to be manufactured and downloads to CNC from manufacturing equipment. The system allows selection of a seal based upon a seal part number, or selection of a seal based upon the pump into which the seal will be installed and the operating conditions of the pump. The pump may be defined by searching through a database of existing pumps, or may be defined as a new pump if it is not in the pump database. Results of a previous compatibility analysis, perhaps performed by the seal manufacturer, may be accessed for existing pumps, or an on-line compatibility analysis may be performed for new pumps, to determine whether an existing seal fits the pump with no modifications. If no existing seal fits, the system provides two options. In a first option, a special seal is specified which will fit the pump with no modifications to the pump. An integrated design system determines dimensions for the special seal and its various components in real time providing immediate quotations including drawings. With a second option, modifications to the pump are defined so that a standard seal will fit. After a seal is specified, the system recommends materials of construction and allows the customer to select materials and other selectable options. The system then outputs a proposal including drawings with full dimensions, price, modification notes, warnings, a complete bill of materials, an order form, quote form and a dimensions verification form. The system then stores the information in a plant standardization survey for future retrieval. If an order is received, the drawings created using the system may be transferred to a manufacturing center where CNC programs are created in real time enabling immediate manufacturing. All engineering, design, and manufacturing programs may be created without human intervention. The system generated CNC programs may be automatically downloaded to the machine for manufacturing without human intervention.

Claims

1. An apparatus for determining a seal for a piece of equipment, comprising:

a database of seal profiles; and

a selection module responsive to data indicative of at least one characteristic relating to the piece of equipment and to data accessed from the database of seal profiles to provide a profile of a seal that is compatible so as to meet said at least one characteristic and fit the piece of equipment, when no such compatible seal is available from the database of seal profiles.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the database of seal profiles is arranged to be updated to include a profile of said compatible seal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a database of equipment profiles.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the database of equipment profiles is arranged to provide at least a portion of said data indicative of at least one characteristic relating to the piece of equipment, when said piece of equipment is represented by an equipment profile accessible from the database of equipment profiles.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the database of equipment profiles is arranged to be updated to include a reference of said compatible seal to an equipment profile for the piece of equipment.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the selection module is arranged to determine a seal from the database of seal profiles that is compatible so as to meet said at least one characteristic and fit the piece of equipment, when such compatible seal is available from the database of seal profiles.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a database of equipment profiles which is arranged to be updated to include a cross reference of said compatible seal to an equipment profile for the piece of equipment.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a compatibility analyzer coupled to the database of seal profiles, the compatibility analyzer responsive to the data indicative of at least one characteristic of the piece of equipment to identify a seal from the database of seal profiles and to determine one or more modifications which, when made to at least one of the piece of equipment and the identified seal, allows the piece of equipment to accommodate the identified seal, when no seal from the database of seal profiles meets said at least one characteristic and fits the equipment.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a database of equipment profiles which is arranged to be updated to include a reference to said at least one modification.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a computer numerically controlled program generator responsive to said profile of a seal that is compatible to provide a computer numerically controlled program for machining an element of a seal based upon such profile of the compatible seal.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a design module responsive to said profile of a seal that is compatible to provide dimensions based upon said profile, the dimensions defining a seal that is compatible with the piece of equipment.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the design module further provides at least one custom manufacturing print for a seal that is compatible with the piece of equipment.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a proposal generator that provides a proposal for manufacturing a seal that meets the desired characteristic and fits the piece of equipment.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the proposal includes at least one of price information, modification notes, warnings, a bill of materials, an order form, a dimension verification form, and a plant standardization survey.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the piece of equipment includes a pump.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the data indicative of at least one characteristic of the piece of equipment includes an identification of a process fluid for the pump.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data indicative of at least one characteristic of the piece of equipment includes dimensions that describe the piece of equipment.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data indicative of at least one characteristic of the piece of equipment includes a description of an environmental operating condition of the piece of equipment.

19. A computer-operated method for determining an auxiliary product for use with a piece of equipment, comprising the steps of:

receiving data defining at least one characteristic of the piece of equipment;

searching a database of profiles of auxiliary products, which products may be components, for an auxiliary product that meets said at least one characteristic; and

providing a profile of a compatible auxiliary product that meets said at least one characteristic, when no auxiliary product from the database meets said at least one characteristic.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of:

receiving data defining a desired characteristic of the auxiliary product, said data usable in providing said profile of a compatible auxiliary product.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of:

updating the database of auxiliary product profiles to include the profile of a compatible auxiliary product, when such auxiliary product is one of a seal, a component of a seal and another auxiliary device usable with the piece of equipment.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of:

updating a database of equipment profiles, usable to provide at least a portion of said data defining at least one characteristic of the piece of equipment, to include a cross-reference of said compatible auxiliary product to an equipment profile for the piece of equipment.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of:

determining at least one modification which, when made to at least one of an auxiliary product identified from the database of auxiliary product profiles and the piece of equipment, allows the piece of equipment to accommodate the identified auxiliary product, when no auxiliary product from the database of auxiliary product profiles meets said at least one characteristic and fits the piece of equipment.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of:

updating the database of equipment profiles to include a reference to said at least one modification.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of:

generating a computer numerically controlled program for machining an element of an auxiliary product based upon the profile of the compatible auxiliary product.

26. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of:

generating dimensions based upon the profile of the compatible auxiliary product, the dimensions defining an auxiliary product that is compatible with the piece of equipment.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising a step of:

generating at least one custom manufacturing print for an auxiliary product that is compatible with the piece of equipment.

28. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of:

generating a proposal for manufacturing the compatible auxiliary product.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the proposal includes at least one of price information, modification notes, warnings, a bill of materials, an order form a dimension verification form, and a plant standardization survey.

30. The method of claim 19, wherein the piece of equipment includes a pump and said compatible auxiliary product profile is provided to meet at least one characteristic of the pump.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said data as received includes an identification of a process fluid for the pump.

32. The method of claim 19, wherein said data as received includes dimensions that describe the piece of equipment.

33. The method of claim 19, wherein said data as received includes a description of an environmental operating condition of the piece of equipment.

34. An apparatus for determining an auxiliary product for use with a piece of equipment, comprising:

a first database of profiles of auxiliary products, which products may be components; and

a selection module coupled to the first database, the selection module responsive to data indicative of at least one characteristic relating to the piece of equipment and to data accessed from the first database to provide a profile of an auxiliary product that is compatible so as to meet said at least one characteristic and be usable with the piece of equipment, when no such compatible auxiliary product is available from the first database.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the first database is arranged to be updated to include a profile of said compatible auxiliary product.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, further comprising a database of equipment profiles.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the database of equipment profiles is arranged to provide at least a portion of said data indicative of at least one characteristic relating to the piece of equipment, when said piece of equipment is represented by an equipment profile accessible from the database of equipment profiles.

38. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the database of equipment profiles is arranged to be updated to include a reference of said compatible auxiliary product to an equipment profile for the piece of equipment.

39. The apparatus of claim 34, further comprising a computer numerically controlled program generator responsive to said profile of an auxiliary product that is compatible to provide a computer numerically controlled program for machining an element of an auxiliary product based upon such profile of the compatible auxiliary product.

40. The apparatus of claim 34, further comprising a design module responsive to said profile of an auxiliary product that is compatible to provide dimensions based upon said profile, the dimensions defining an auxiliary product that is compatible with the piece of equipment.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the design module further provides at least one manufacturing print for an auxiliary product that is compatible with the piece of equipment.

42. The apparatus of claim 34, further comprising a proposal generator that provides a proposal for manufacturing the auxiliary product that meets said at least one characteristic and is usable with the piece of equipment.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the proposal includes at least one of price information, modification notes, warnings, a bill of materials, an order form, a dimension verification form, and a plant standardization survey.

44. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the auxiliary product is one of a seal, a component of a seal and another auxiliary device usable with the piece of equipment.

45. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the piece of equipment includes a pump.

46. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the data indicative of at least one characteristic of the piece of equipment includes an identification of a process fluid for the pump.

47. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the data indicative of at least one characteristic of the piece of equipment includes dimensions that describe the piece of equipment.

48. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the data indicative of at least one characteristic of the piece of equipment includes an environmental operating condition of the piece of equipment.

49. An apparatus, to determine an auxiliary product for use with a piece of equipment, comprising:

a first database of profiles of auxiliary products, which products may be components; and

a compatibility analyzer coupled to the first database, the compatibility analyzer responsive to data indicative of at least one characteristic relating to the piece of equipment and to an auxiliary product profile accessed from the first database to determine one or more modifications which, when made to at least one of the piece of equipment and the auxiliary product, allows the auxiliary product to be used with the piece of equipment, when no auxiliary product from the first database is compatible for use with the piece of equipment without modification.

50. The apparatus of claim 49, further comprising a database of equipment profiles.

51. The apparatus of claim 50, wherein the database of equipment profiles is arranged to provide at least a portion of said data indicative of at least one characteristic relating to the piece of equipment, when said piece of equipment is represented by an equipment profile accessible from the database of equipment profiles.

52. The apparatus of claim 50, wherein the database of equipment profiles is arranged to be updated to include a reference of said one or more modifications to an equipment profile for the piece of equipment.

53. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein the compatibility analyzer determines a modification to be made to the auxiliary product and the apparatus further comprises:

a computer numerically controlled program generator, responsive to the modification to be made to the auxiliary product to provide a computer numerically controlled program for machining an element of the auxiliary product based upon said modification.

54. The apparatus of claim 50, wherein the compatibility analyzer determines a modification to be made to the auxiliary product and the apparatus further comprises:

a design module responsive to the modification to be made to the auxiliary product to provide dimensions based upon the profile of an auxiliary product, the dimensions defining an auxiliary product that is compatible for use with the piece of equipment.

55. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein the design module further provides at least one custom manufacturing print for the auxiliary product that is compatible for use with the piece of equipment.

56. The apparatus of claim 50, wherein the compatibility analyzer determines a modification to be made to the auxiliary product and the apparatus further comprises:

a proposal generator that provides a proposal for manufacturing an auxiliary product manufactured to include the modification to be made to the manufactured product.

57. The apparatus of claim 56, wherein the proposal includes at least one of price information, modification notes, warnings, a bill of materials, an order form, a dimension verification form, and a plant standardization survey.

58. The apparatus of claim 50, wherein the auxiliary product is one of a seal, a component of a seal and another auxiliary device usable with the piece of equipment.

59. The apparatus of claim 50, wherein the piece of equipment includes a pump.

60. The apparatus of claim 59, wherein the data indicative of the characteristic of the piece of equipment includes an identification of a process fluid for the pump.

61. The apparatus of claim 50, wherein the data indicative of the characteristic of the piece of equipment includes dimensions that describe the piece of equipment.

62. The apparatus of claim 50, wherein the data indicative of the characteristic of the piece of equipment includes a description of an environmental operating condition of the piece of equipment.

64. The method of claim 62, wherein the step of comparing includes accessing a database of equipment profiles, and wherein the method further comprises a step of updating the database of equipment profiles to include a reference to the auxiliary product defined by the one auxiliary product profile and to the at least one modification, when such auxiliary product is one of a seal, a component of a seal and another auxiliary device usable with the piece of equipment.

65. The method of claim 62, wherein the step of comparing includes comparing a plurality of auxiliary product profiles within the database of auxiliary product profiles with the at least one characteristic of the piece of equipment to determine one of:

the auxiliary product profile that most closely meets the at least one characteristic of the piece of equipment and the auxiliary product profile requiring the least modification to meet such characteristic.

63. A computer-operated method for determining an auxiliary product for use with a piece of equipment, comprising the steps of:

receiving an input defining at least one characteristic of the piece of equipment; and

comparing one auxiliary product profile from a database of profiles of auxiliary products, which products may be components, with the at least one characteristic of the piece of equipment to determine at least one modification which allows the piece of equipment to accommodate the auxiliary product defined by the one auxiliary product profile, when no auxiliary product profile available from the database of auxiliary product profiles meets said at least one characteristic and fits the piece of equipment.

66. The method of claim 63, wherein the step of comparing includes accessing a database of equipment profiles.

67. The method of claim 63, wherein the step of comparing includes determining an auxiliary product modification to be made to the one auxiliary product profile;

and

the method further comprises a step of generating a computer numerically controlled program for machining an element of the auxiliary product based upon the auxiliary product modification.

68. The method of claim 63, wherein the step of comparing includes determining an auxiliary product modification to be made to the one auxiliary product profile;

and

the method further comprises a step of generating dimensions based upon the auxiliary product modification to be made to the one auxiliary product profile.

69. The method of claim 68, further comprising a step of generating at least one custom manufacturing print for the auxiliary product modification.

70. The method of claim 63, wherein the step of comparing includes determining an auxiliary product modification to be made to the one auxiliary product profile;

and

the method further comprises a step of generating a proposal for manufacturing an auxiliary product in accordance with the auxiliary product modification.

71. The method of claim 70, wherein the proposal includes at least one of price information, modification notes, warnings, a bill of materials, an order form, a dimension verification form, and a plant standardization survey.

72. The method of claim 63, wherein the piece of equipment includes a pump.

73. The method of claim 72, wherein the input defining a characteristic of the piece of equipment includes an identification of a process fluid for the pump.

74. The method of claim 63, wherein the input defining a characteristic of the piece of equipment includes dimensions that describe the piece of equipment.

75. The method of claim 63, wherein the input defining a characteristic of the piece of equipment includes a description of an environmental operating condition of the piece of equipment.

86. The apparatus of claim 75, wherein the characteristic of the piece of equipment includes an identification of a process fluid for the pump.

76. An apparatus for determining a seal for a piece of equipment, comprising:

a database of seal profiles; and

means for comparing a seal profile from the database of seal profiles with at least one characteristic of the piece of equipment to determine at least one modification which, allows the piece of equipment to accommodate the seal defined by the seal profile, when no seal profile available from the database of seal profiles meets said at least one characteristic and fits the piece of equipment.

77. The apparatus of claim 76, wherein the means for comparing includes means for accessing a database of equipment profiles, and wherein the apparatus further comprises means for updating the database of equipment profiles to include a reference to the seal defined by the seal profile and to the at least one modification.

78. The apparatus of claim 76, wherein the means for comparing compares a plurality of seal profiles from the database of seal profiles with the at least one characteristic of the piece of equipment to determine one of:

the seal profile that most closely meets the at least one characteristic of the piece of equipment and the seal profile requiring the least modification to meet such characteristic.

79. The apparatus of claim 78, wherein the means for comparing includes means for accessing a database of equipment profiles.

80. The apparatus of claim 76, wherein means for comparing includes means for determining a seal modification to be made to the one seal profile;

and

the apparatus further comprises means for generating a computer numerically controlled program for machining an element of the seal based upon the seal modification.

81. The apparatus of claim 76, wherein the means for comparing includes means for determining a seal modification to be made to the one seal profile;

and

the apparatus further comprises means for generating dimensions based upon the seal modification to be made to the one seal profile.

82. The apparatus of claim 81, further comprising means for generating at least one custom manufacturing print for the seal modification.

83. The apparatus of claim 76, wherein the means for comparing includes means for determining a seal modification to be made to the one seal profile;

and the apparatus further comprises means for generating a proposal for manufacturing a seal in accordance with the seal modification.

84. The apparatus of claim 83, wherein the proposal includes at least one of price information, modification notes, warnings, a bill of materials, an order form, a dimension verification form, and a plant standardization survey.

85. The apparatus of claim 76, wherein the piece of equipment includes a pump.

87. The apparatus of claim 76, wherein the characteristic of the piece of equipment includes dimensions that describe the piece of equipment.

88. The apparatus of claim 76, wherein the characteristic of the piece of equipment includes a description of an environmental operating condition of the piece of equipment.

89. An apparatus for defining a seal for use in a piece of equipment, the apparatus comprising:

a specifier module responsive to data defining at least one characteristic of a piece of equipment and to data defining at least one desired characteristic of a seal for use with the piece of equipment, the specifier module arranged to provide, without limitation to use of an existing seal profile, a profile of a seal that is compatible with the piece of equipment; and

a seal design module that receives said profile of a seal and provides dimensions based upon the profile of a seal, the dimensions defining a seal that is compatible with the piece of equipment.

90. The apparatus of claim 89, wherein the seal design module further provides at least one custom manufacturing print for the seal that is compatible with the piece of equipment.

91. The apparatus of claim 89, further comprising a proposal generator that provides a proposal for manufacturing the seal that meets the desired characteristic and fits the piece of equipment.

92. The apparatus of claim 91, wherein the proposal includes at least one of price information, modification notes, warnings, a bill of materials, an order form, a dimension verification form, and a plant standardization survey.

93. The apparatus of claim 89, wherein the piece of equipment includes a pump.

94. The apparatus of claim 93, wherein the data defining the characteristic of the piece of equipment includes an identification of a process fluid for the pump.

95. The apparatus of claim 89, wherein the data defining the characteristic of the piece of equipment includes dimensions that describe the piece of equipment.

96. The apparatus of claim 89, wherein the data defining the characteristic of the piece of equipment includes a description of an environmental operating condition of the piece of equipment.

97. A method for defining a seal for use in a piece of equipment, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first input defining at least one characteristic of the piece of equipment and a second input defining at least one desired characteristic of a seal for use in the piece of equipment; and

automatically determining, without limitation to use of an existing seal design, dimensions based upon the first input and the second input, the dimensions defining a seal that is compatible with the piece of equipment.

98. The method of claim 97, further comprising a step of generating at least one custom manufacturing print for the seal that is compatible with the piece of equipment.

99. The method of claim 97, further comprising a step of generating a proposal for manufacturing the seal that meets the desired characteristic and fits the piece of equipment.

100. The method of claim 99, wherein the proposal includes at least one of price information, modification notes, warnings, a bill of materials, an order form, a dimension verification form, and a plant standardization survey.

101. The method of claim 97, wherein the piece of equipment includes a pump.

102. The method of claim 101, wherein the characteristic of the piece of equipment includes an identification of a process fluid for the pump.

103. The method of claim 97, wherein the characteristic of the piece of equipment includes dimensions that describe the piece of equipment.

104. The method of claim 97, wherein the characteristic of the piece of equipment includes a description of an environmental operating condition of the piece of equipment.

106. The apparatus of claim 103, further comprising means for generating at least one custom manufacturing print for the seal that is compatible with the piece of equipment.

105. An apparatus for defining a seal for use in a piece of equipment, the apparatus comprising:

a database of seal profiles;

an input module that receives a first input defining at least one characteristic of the piece of equipment and a second input defining at least one desired characteristic of a seal for use in the piece of equipment; and

means for determining dimensions based upon the first input and the second input, the dimensions defining a seal that is both compatible with the piece of equipment and includes at least one modification as compared to the seal profiles of the database.

107. The apparatus of claim 105, wherein the means for determining includes means for providing a profile of a seal that meets the desired characteristic and fits the piece of equipment;

and

the apparatus further comprises means for generating a proposal for manufacturing the seal that meets the desired characteristic and fits the piece of equipment.

108. The apparatus of claim 107, wherein the proposal includes at least one of price information, modification notes, warnings, a bill of materials, an order form, a dimension verification form, and a plant standardization survey.

109. The apparatus of claim 105, wherein the piece of equipment includes a pump.

110. The apparatus of claim 109, wherein the characteristic of the piece of equipment includes an identification of a process fluid for the pump.

111. The apparatus of claim 105, wherein the characteristic of the piece of equipment includes dimensions that describe the piece of equipment.

112. The apparatus of claim 105, wherein the characteristic of the piece of equipment includes a description of an environmental operating condition of the piece of equipment.