Machine components having IC tags, quality control method and abnormality detecting system

• US 7,525,430 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2004
• Issued: 04/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NTN Corporation
• Original Assignee: NTN Corporation
• Inventors: Mayumi, Tooru, Hioki, Shouichi, Sasabe, Mitsuo, Ito, Hiroyoshi, Nakamura, Shohei
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins; Davetta W
• Application Number:
  US10/545,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20060170551A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,898 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.5, 340/572.8, 340/539.1, 340/539.24, 340/682, 384/448, 384/544
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/06 with a single row or balls
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/163 with angular contact
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/364 with tapered rollers, i.e. rollers having essentially the shape of a truncated cone
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/525 related to temperature and heat, e.g. insulation
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/527 related to vibration and noise
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2326/10 Railway vehicles in general B61
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2326/58 Conveyor systems, e.g. rollers or bearings therefor in general B65G
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/38 Ball cages
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/586 outside the space between the races, e.g. end faces or bore of inner ring
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/7843 with a single annular sealing disc
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 41/008 Identification means, e.g. markings, RFID-tags; Data transfer means
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4183 characterised by data acquisition, e.g. workpiece identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

There is provided a machine component having an IC tag attached thereto, which can be controlled consistently from manufacture to disposal without the IC tag missed on the way. The machine component is embedded with the IC tag (110) made up of an IC chip having recorded thereon information unique to the relevant machine component and an antenna connected electrically with the IC chip.

Claims

1. A quality control method for controlling a machine component having a plurality of elements including a rolling element by utilizing a non-contact recordable/readable IC tag having recorded therein manufacturing information on each stage of a manufacturing process ranging from purchase of material for the machine component to an examination stage by way of forging, heat treatment and grinding stages, to enable the traceability for quality control purpose, the method comprising:

a step of attaching the IC tag to any one of the plural elements of the machine component at the time of manufacture of the machine component or at the time of completion of the manufacture thereof;

a step of recording on the IC tag attached to the machine component, at least one of material information and processing condition information related to at least one of the forging, heat treatment and grinding stages, by the time of shipment or by a time of delivery to a customer; and

a step for reading the information recorded on the IC tag at any desired time subsequent to the shipment and making a confirmation of at least one of the processing condition information and the material information with reference to the information read out from the IC tag.

4. The quality control method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a step of recording the manufacturing information on a manufacturing process of each of the elements of the machine component including the purchase of material, forging stage, heat treatment stage and grinding stage, on an IC tag prepared for each lot number of the elements at each of the manufacturing stages; and

a step of reading the information recorded from the IC tag attached to the element and recording portion or the whole of the information, which has been read from the IC tag, on the IC tag attached to the machine component,

wherein the manufacturing information recorded on the IC tag for the manufacturing process includes processing condition information descriptive of processing conditions during at least one of the forging, heat treatment and grinding stages and/or material information descriptive of material used to form the elements.

7. The quality control method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a step of recording on a time-of-manufacture control database the manufacturing information on a manufacturing process of the elements of the machine component including the purchase of material, forging stage, heat treatment stage, grinding stage and examination stage, in association with an identifying number assigned to each lot number of the elements or each of the elements; and

a step of recording the manufacturing information, which has been recorded in the time-of-manufacture database, on the IC tag attached to the machine component.

16. The quality control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the machine component is a rolling bearing and the elements manufactured through a process of purchase of material, the forging stage, the heat treatment stage and the grinding stage includes an inner race, an outer race and rolling elements.

21. The quality control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the machine component is filled with a grease during assemblage thereof and the IC tag attached to such machine component is recorded with the date of assemblage of such machine component.

26. The quality control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the IC tag attached to the machine component is recorded with information on whereabouts of the machine component from shipment of the machine component to delivery thereof to a customer.

2. A quality control method for controlling a machine component having a plurality of elements including a rolling element by utilizing a non-contact recordable/readable IC tag and a database for storing predetermined manufacturing information on each stage of a manufacturing process ranging from purchase of material for the machine component to an examination stage by way of forging, heat treatment and grinding stages together with identifying information associated with the machine component and for allowing storage contents in the database to be extractable with reference to the identifying information, to enable the traceability for quality control purpose, the method comprising:

a step of attaching the IC tag to any one of the plural elements of the machine component at the time of manufacture of the machine component or at the time of completion of the manufacture thereof;

a step of recording on the IC tag attached to the machine component in accordance with the database, the identifying information related to the machine component and at least one of material information and processing condition information related to at least one of the forging, heat treatment and grinding stages, by the time of shipment or by the time of delivery to a customer; and

a step of reading, at any time subsequent to shipment, the information recorded on the IC tag and making a confirmation of at least one of the processing condition information and the material information or a confirmation of results of examination with reference to the information read out from the IC tag or with reference to information obtained by checking the information read out from the IC tag with the database.

5. The quality control method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

a step of recording the manufacturing information on a manufacturing process of each of the elements of the machine component including the purchase of material, forging stage, heat treatment stage and grinding stage, on an IC tag prepared for each lot number of the elements at each of the manufacturing stages; and

a step of reading the information recorded from the IC tag attached to the element and recording portion or the whole of the information, which has been read from the IC tag, on the IC tag attached to the machine component,

wherein the manufacturing information recorded on the IC tag for the manufacturing process includes processing condition information descriptive of processing conditions during at least one of the forging, heat treatment and grinding stages and/or material information descriptive of material used to form the elements.

8. The quality control method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

a step of recording on a time-of-manufacture control database the manufacturing information on a manufacturing process of the elements of the machine component including the purchase of material, forging stage, heat treatment stage, grinding stage and examination stage, in association with an identifying number assigned to each lot number of the elements or each of the elements; and

a step of recording the manufacturing information, which has been recorded in the time-of-manufacture database, on the IC tag attached to the machine component.

17. The quality control method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the machine component is a rolling bearing and the elements manufactured through a process of purchase of material, the forging stage, the heat treatment stage and the grinding stage includes an inner race, an outer race and rolling elements.

22. The quality control method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the machine component is filled with a grease during assemblage thereof and the IC tag attached to such machine component is recorded with the date of assemblage of such machine component.

27. The quality control method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the IC tag attached to the machine component is recorded with information on whereabouts of the machine component from shipment of the machine component to delivery thereof to a customer.

3. A quality control method for controlling a machine component having a plurality of elements including a rolling element by utilizing a non-contact recordable/readable IC tag and a database for storing predetermined manufacturing information on each stage of a manufacturing process ranging from purchase of material for the machine component to an examination stage by way of forging, heat treatment and grinding stages together with identifying information associated with the machine component and for allowing storage contents in the database to be extractable with reference to the identifying information, to enable the traceability for quality control purpose, the method comprising:

a step of attaching the IC tag to any one of the plural elements of the machine component at the time of manufacture of the machine component or at the time of completion of the manufacture thereof;

a step of recording on the IC tag attached to the machine component in accordance with the database, the identifying information related to the machine component and information on at least one of the date of manufacture, the place of manufacture, the brand of a filled grease, the element-to-element gap size, the term of warranty and the handling caution;

a step of reading, at any time subsequent to the shipment, the information recorded on the IC tag and making a confirmation of the material purchased, a confirmation of the manufacturing process, a confirmation of one of processing condition and the material information or a confirmation of results of examination with reference to the information read out from the IC tag or with reference to information obtained by checking the information read out from the IC tag with the database.

6. The quality control method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

a step of recording the manufacturing information on a manufacturing process of each of the elements of the machine component including the purchase of material, forging stage, heat treatment stage and grinding stage, on an IC tag prepared for each lot number of the elements at each of the manufacturing stages; and

a step of reading the information recorded from the IC tag attached to the element and recording portion or the whole of the information, which has been read from the IC tag, on the IC tag attached to the machine component,

wherein the manufacturing information recorded on the IC tag for the manufacturing process includes processing condition information descriptive of processing conditions during at least one of the forging, heat treatment and grinding stages and/or material information descriptive of material used to form the elements.

9. The quality control method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

a step of recording on a time-of-manufacture control database the manufacturing information on a manufacturing process of the elements of the machine component including the purchase of material, forging stage, heat treatment stage, grinding stage and examination stage, in association with an identifying number assigned to each lot number of the elements or each of the elements; and

a step of recording the manufacturing information, which has been recorded in the time-of-manufacture database, on the IC tag attached to the machine component.

18. The quality control method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the machine component is a rolling bearing and the elements manufactured through a process of purchase of material, the forging stage, the heat treatment stage and the grinding stage comprises an inner race, an outer race and rolling elements.

23. The quality control method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the machine component is filled with a grease during assemblage thereof and the IC tag attached to such machine component is recorded with the date of assemblage of such machine component.

28. The quality control method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the IC tag attached to the machine component is recorded with information on whereabouts of the machine component from shipment of the machine component to delivery thereof to a customer.

10. A quality control method for controlling machine components to be examined individually each of which is formed by assembling a plurality of kinds of elements that are manufactured through a process of purchase of material, a forging stage, a heat treatment stage and a grinding stage, the method comprising, with respect to each of those elements:

at the time of purchase of material for each of the elements, a step of recording on an IC tag prepared for each of material lots, a material lot number for the corresponding material lot and information concerning the material purchased;

at the forging stage, a step of preparing the IC tag for the corresponding material lot or an IC tag having the same information recorded on the IC tag for the corresponding material lot and recording a forging lot number of a respective forging lot and information obtained during the forging stage on those IC tags;

at the heat treatment stage, a step of preparing the IC tag for the corresponding forging lot or an IC tag having the same information recorded on the IC tag for the corresponding forging lot and recording a heat treatment lot number of a respective heat treatment lot and information obtained during the heat treatment stage on those IC tags; and

at the time of examination subsequent to the grinding stage, a step of preparing the IC tag for the corresponding heat treatment lot or an IC having the same information recorded on the IC tag for the corresponding heat treatment lot, for each of the elements or for each of sets of the elements of the same kind, each of which sets providing a basis for a unit for examination, and recording a respective grinding lot number and information obtained at the stage of examination on those IC tags;

wherein an IC tag is attached to each of the machine components, assembled with the elements, during the assemblage;

wherein of a manufacturing number unique to each of the machine components and the information recorded on the IC tag subsequent to the stage of examination of each of the elements, at least the manufacturing number is recorded on the IC tag attached to the respective machine component; and

wherein the information recorded on the IC tag subsequent to the stage of examination of each of the elements and information on examination of the respective machine component subsequent to completion thereof are recorded in a database in association with the manufacturing number.

12. The quality control method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the IC tag provided for each material lot, the IC tag provided for each forging lot and the IC tag provided for each heat treatment lot are attached to a container accommodating a plurality of materials of the same material lot, a container accommodating a plurality of elements of the same forging lot and a container accommodating a plurality of elements of the same heat treatment lot, respectively.

14. The quality control method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the machine component includes elements different from the elements manufactured through a process of purchase of material, the forging stage, the heat treatment stage and the grinding stage and information concerning those different elements is recorded in the database after assemblage of the machine component in association with the manufacturing number or the lot number.

19. The quality control method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the machine component is a rolling bearing and the elements manufactured through a process of purchase of material, the forging stage, the heat treatment stage and the grinding stage includes an inner race, an outer race and rolling elements.

24. The quality control method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the machine component is filled with a grease during assemblage thereof and the IC tag attached to such machine component is recorded with the date of assemblage of such machine component.

29. The quality control method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the IC tag attached to the machine component is recorded with information on whereabouts thereof from shipment of the machine component to delivery thereof to a customer.

11. A quality control method for controlling machine components that are examined on a lot basis by the lot-by-lot sampling inspection procedure and that are formed by assembling a plurality of kinds of elements that are manufactured through a process of purchase of material, a forging stage, a heat treatment stage and a grinding stage, the method comprising, with respect to each of those elements:

at the time of purchase of material for each of the elements, a step of recording on an IC tag prepared for each of material lots, a material lot number for the corresponding material lot and information concerning the material purchased;

at the forging stage, a step of preparing the IC tag for the corresponding material lot or an IC tag having the same information recorded on the IC tag for the corresponding material lot and recording a forging lot number of a respective forging lot and information obtained during the forging stage on those IC tags;

at the heat treatment stage, a step of preparing the IC tag for the corresponding forging lot or an IC tag having the same information recorded on the IC tag for the corresponding forging lot and recording a heat treatment lot number of a respective heat treatment lot and information obtained during the heat treatment stage on those IC tags; and

at the time of examination subsequent to the grinding stage, a step of preparing the IC tag for the corresponding heat treatment lot or an IC having the same information recorded on the IC tag for the corresponding heat treatment lot and recording a grinding lot number for the corresponding grinding lot and information obtained at the examination stage on those IC tags;

wherein an IC tag is attached to each of the machine components, assembled with the elements, during the assemblage;

wherein of a manufacturing lot number unique to the machine component and the information recorded on the IC tag subsequent to the stage of examination of each of the elements, at least the manufacturing lot number is recorded on the IC tag attached to the respective machine component; and

wherein the information recorded on the IC tag subsequent to the stage of examination of each of the elements and information on examination of the respective machine component subsequent to completion thereof are recorded in a database in association with the manufacturing lot number.

13. The quality control method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the IC tag provided for each material lot, the IC tag provided for each forging lot and the IC tag provided for each heat treatment lot are attached to a container accommodating a plurality of materials of the same material lot, a container accommodating a plurality of elements of the same forging lot and a container accommodating a plurality of elements of the same heat treatment lot, respectively.

15. The quality control method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the machine component includes elements different from the elements manufactured through a process of purchase of material, the forging stage, the heat treatment stage and the grinding stage and information concerning those different elements is recorded in the database after assemblage of the machine component in association with the manufacturing number or the lot number.

20. The quality control method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the machine component is a rolling bearing and the elements manufactured through a process of purchase of material, the forging stage, the heat treatment stage and the grinding stage includes an inner race, an outer race and rolling elements.

25. The quality control method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the machine component is filled with a grease during assemblage thereof and the IC tag attached to such machine component is recorded with the date of assemblage of such machine component.

30. The quality control method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the IC tag attached to the machine component is recorded with information on whereabouts of the machine component from shipment of the machine component to delivery thereof to a customer.

31. An abnormality detecting system for detecting the presence or absence of an abnormality in an IC tag and sensor equipped bearing assembly, wherein the IC tag and sensor equipped bearing assembly constitutes a rolling bearing incorporated in a machine facility and includes an IC tag, a temperature sensor and an electric power source circuit, which circuit is incorporated in the IC tag or which is separate from the IC tag and is supplied with an electric power from an outside of the bearing on a non-contact basis for driving the temperature sensor, the system comprising a tag read/write terminal for reading and/or writing information from or on the IC tag and supplying the electric power to the electric power source circuit on the non-contact basis.

32. The abnormality detecting system as claimed in claim 31, wherein the IC tag and sensor equipped bearing assembly additionally includes a vibration sensor and wherein the electric power source circuit is capable of driving the vibration sensor.

33. The abnormality detecting system as claimed in claim 31, wherein the IC tag is recorded with identifying information required to identify the rolling bearing assembly having the IC tag attached thereto.

34. The abnormality detecting system as claimed in claim 31, wherein the machine facility includes a plurality of the IC tag and sensor equipped bearing assemblies arranged in a row.

35. The abnormality detecting system as claimed in claim 34, further comprising a terminal moving device for moving the tag read/write terminal along the row of the IC tag and sensor equipped bearing assemblies so that an electric power can be supplied to the electric power circuit and the tag read/write terminal can read and/or write information from or on the IC tag.

36. The abnormality detecting system as claimed in claim 34, wherein the machine facility comprises a conveyor line including a belt conveyor or a roller conveyor and wherein the IC tag and sensor equipped bearing assembly comprises a bearing for supporting a belt roller or a conveyor roller.

37. The abnormality detecting system as claimed in claim 36, wherein the machine facility comprises a belt conveyor for transporting coals, for use in a thermal power plant, towards a boiler and wherein the IC tag and sensor equipped bearing assembly comprises a bearing for supporting a belt roller.

38. The abnormality detecting system as claimed in claim 31, wherein the machine facility comprises a railway vehicle and wherein the IC tag and sensor equipped bearing assembly comprises a wheel support bearing and further comprising a tag read/write terminal disposed along a path of travel of the railway vehicle to enable recording or reading information on or from the IC tag and also to enable the electric power source circuit to be supplied with an electric power.

39. A method of detecting the presence or absence of an abnormality in an IC tag and sensor equipped bearing assembly, wherein the IC tag and sensor equipped bearing assembly is formed by a rolling bearing incorporated in a machine facility and including an IC tag, a temperature sensor and an electric power source circuit, which is incorporated in the IC tag or which is separate from the IC tag and is supplied with an electric power from an outside of the bearing on a non-contact basis for driving the temperature sensor, and wherein a tag read/write terminal for recording and reading information on and from the IC tag and also for supplying an electric power to the electric power source circuit on the non-contact basis is utilized to drive the temperature sensor regularly or at a desired timing and to read the information recorded on the IC tag.