Machines having drive member and method for diagnosing the same

• US 6,750,776 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2002
• Issued: 06/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Machinery Incorporated (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Machinery Corp. (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tonomura, Yukihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie
• Application Number:
  US10/085,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20030159515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 340/635, 340/679, 340/683, 340/657, 736/60, 736/62, 702/34, 702/57, 702/35
• US Class Current: 340/679
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 13/028 Acoustic or vibration analysis

Abstract

A method for diagnosing a fabrication machine for a semiconductor device, in which damage condition of components for fast driving can be recognized and failure of the components can be predicted, and the machine are provided. Vibration information of a drive member is sent from a motor controller for controlling a motor connected to the drive member to a machine controller. The vibration information is stored in an information storage in the machine controller and operated in an operational processor, and condition of the drive member according to the operation results is displayed on a display unit at any time. Therefore, when some failure occurs in the drive member, the specifics can be known with the display unit without need for connecting a special analyzer or PC to the fabrication machine for a semiconductor device. Consequently, the machine is capable for self-diagnosing, and thus trouble of the drive member can be prevented from happening.

Claims

1. A method for diagnosing a machine having a drive member,

the machine having:

the drive member moved linearly or rotationally;

a motor as a driving source of the drive member;

a motor controller for outputting a driving signal to the motor and receiving a current location data signal from the motor; and

a machine controller for controlling the entire machine, the method comprising the steps of;

creating vibration information of said drive member from said driving signal and said current location data signal by said motor controller;

sending the vibration information of the drive member from said motor controller to said machine controller; and

diagnosing whether a driving condition of said drive member is normal or not in said machine controller by comparing said vibration information of said drive member with reference vibration information;

wherein said vibration information during respective fixed periods after beginning of operation is stored over multiple periods, and vibration information during the latest fixed period is substituted for the stored vibration information during the oldest fixed period sequentially.

3. The method for diagnosing a machine having a drive member according to claim 1, wherein

said reference vibration information of the drive member is set based on a standard abrasion characteristic of the drive member accompanied with time passing after beginning of operation of said drive member.

5. The method for diagnosing a machine having a drive member according to claim 1, wherein

said reference vibration information of said dive member, the vibration information at beginning of operation of the drive member, and the vibration information during respective fixed periods after beginning of operation are indicated as a characteristic frequency of the drive member.

7. The method for diagnosing a machine having a drive member according to claim 3, wherein

said reference vibration information of said drive member, the vibration information at beginning of operation of the drive member, and the vibration information during respective fixed periods after beginning of operation are indicated as a characteristic frequency of the drive member.

2. The method for diagnosing a machine having a drive member according to clam 1, wherein

said machine controller stores said reference vibration information of said drive member, vibration information of the drive member at beginning of operation, and vibration information during respective fixed periods after beginning of operation, and

said machine controller compares said vibration information of the drive member at beginning of operation and/or said vibration information during each fixed period after beginning of operation with said reference vibration information of said drive member to diagnose whether the driving condition of said drive member is normal or not.

4. The method for diagnosing a machine having a drive member according to claim 2, wherein

said reference vibration information of the drive member is set based on a standard abrasion characteristic of the drive member accompanied with time passing after beginning of operation of said drive member.

6. The method for diagnosing a machine having a drive member according to claim 2, wherein

said reference vibration information of said drive member, the vibration information at beginning of operation of the drive member, and the vibration information during respective fixed periods after beginning of operation are indicated as a characteristic frequency of the drive member.

8. The method for diagnosing a machine having a drive member according to claim 4, wherein

said reference vibration information of said drive member, the vibration information at beginning of operation of the drive member, and the vibration information during respective fixed periods after beginning of operation are indicated as a characteristic frequency of the drive member.

9. A machine having a drive member, the machine having:

the drive member moved linearly or rotationally;

a motor as a driving source for the drive member;

a motor controller for outputting a driving signal to the motor and receiving a current location data signal from the motor; and

a machine controller for controlling the entire machine,

wherein said motor controller creates vibration information of said drive member from said driving signal and said current location data signal,

the vibration information of the drive member is sent from said motor controller to said machine controller, and

said machine controller is provided with an information storage for storing said vibration information of said drive member, an operational processor for operating the stored information, and a display unit for displaying a condition of said drive member according to operation results; and

wherein said information storage has n initial information storage area for storing initial vibration information of the drive member, and period information storage areas for storing vibration information of the drive member during a fixed period,

said operational processor operationally compares the initial vibration information of the drive member stored in the initial information storage area with the vibration information of the drive member stored in the multiple period information storage areas, and a condition of said drive member is displayed on said display unit according to operation results, and

wherein said vibration information of the drive member during a fixed period is transferred among said multiple period information storage areas, and the vibration information of the drive member during the oldest fixed period is deleted by turns.

10. The machine having a drive member according to claim 9, wherein

said drive member constitutes at least a part of a fabrication machine for a semiconductor device.