Method and device for predicting a failure frequency

• US 7,627,452 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2004
• Issued: 12/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Albrecht, Volker, Odermatt, Stefan, Nau, Dieter
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosimano; Edward R
• Application Number:
  US10/564,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20070035901A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,974 Days
• Field of Search: 340/500, 340/540, 340/679, 340/678, 340/680, 702/1, 702/33, 702/34, 702/127, 702/182, 702/183, 702/184, 702/187, 702/188, 702/189
• US Class Current: 702/182
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0283 Predictive maintenance, e.g. involving the monitoring of a system and, based on the monitoring results, taking decisions on the maintenance schedule of the monitored system; Estimating remaining useful life [RUL] preventive maintenance, i.e. planning maintenance according to the available resources without monitoring the system G06Q10/06

Abstract

A device and a method for predicting the mean time period between two failures of a technical system, for example a manufacturing system or an assembly system for motor vehicle components. The device includes a components list (130.1, 130.2). Those components of the technical system which are included in this components list are the maintenance-intensive components. Every failure of a component of the list leads to a failure of the system. Furthermore, the device includes an apparatus for acquiring setpoint MTBF values of all the components of the list. A setpoint MTBF value of a component is a requested or planned mean time period between two failures of this component. The apparatus predicts the planned mean time period between two failures of the technical system as a function of the setpoint MTBF values of the components.

Claims

1. A method for predicting a mean time period between two failures of a technical system, an electronic components list being predefined, the electronic components list comprising maintenance-intensive components of the technical system in which each failure of a component of the components list leads to a failure of the system, the method comprising the following steps carried out using an electronic data processing system:

acquiring of a setpoint MTBF value for each component of the components list,

summing of all reciprocal values of the setpoint MTBF values acquired for the components of the components list, and

using a reciprocal value of the sum of the reciprocal values as a mean time period predicted between two failures of the technical system.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein, for each component of the components list,

actual times at which one of the components fails are logged, and

the one component is compared with the acquired setpoint MTBF value.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the components list is valid for a category of technical systems which carry out the same functions, the prediction is made for a plurality of systems of the category, and a comparison of the predicted failure frequencies and down times of the plurality of systems is generated.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 wherein a partial comparison of the predicted failure frequencies and down times in the plurality of systems is generated for each component of the components list during the generation of the comparison and is inserted into the comparison.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

additionally acquiring a setpoint MTTR value for each component of the components list, and

calculating of a prediction of a mean time period for fault recovery in the technical system as a weighted mean of the acquired setpoint MTTR values of the components of the components list, the reciprocal values of the setpoint MTBF values of the components of the components list being used as weighting factors.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 wherein when the setpoint MTTR value of at least one component is acquired the following steps are carried out:

acquiring of a setpoint MRT value and of a setpoint MTD value of this component, and

using the sum of the setpoint MRT value and setpoint MTD value of this component as the setpoint MTTR value of this component.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5 further comprising procuring the technical system.

8. The method as claimed in claim 5 further comprising using the mean time period to be predicted between two failures to predict maintenance issues of the technical system.

9. The method as claimed in claim 5 further comprising using the mean time period to be predicted between two failures to predict costs of maintaining the technical system.

10. The method as claimed in claim 5 further comprising selecting the technical system of the second technical system and concluding a contract with the supplier of the selected technical system.

11. The method as claimed in claim 5 further comprising comparing the mean time period to be predicted between two failures of the technical system to a mean time period to be predicted between two failures of a second technical system.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 further comprising deriving technical improvement possibilities from the comparison of the mean time period to be predicted between two failures of the technical system and the mean time period to be predicted between two failures of the second technical system.

13. An apparatus for predicting a mean time period between two failures of a technical system, an electronic components list being predefined, the electronic components list comprising maintenance-intensive components of the technical system in which each failure of a component of the components list leads to a failure of the system, comprising:

means for acquiring of a setpoint MTBF value for each component of the components list,

means for summing of all reciprocal values of the setpoint MTBF values acquired for the components of the components list, and

means for using a reciprocal value of the sum of the reciprocal values as a mean time period predicted between two failures of the technical system.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13 further comprising means for logging, for each component of the components list, actual times at which one of the components fails are logged and means for comparing the one component with the acquired setpoint MTBF value.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the components list is valid for a category of technical systems which carry out the same functions, the prediction is made for a plurality of systems of the category and further comprising means for generating a comparison of the predicted failure frequencies and down times of the plurality of systems.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein the means for generating also generates a partial comparison of the predicted failure frequencies and down times in the plurality of systems for each component of the components list during the generation of the comparison and the partial comparison is inserted into the comparison.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13 further comprising:

means for additionally acquiring a setpoint MTTR value for each component of the components list, and

means for calculating of a prediction of a mean time period for fault recovery in the technical system as a weighted mean of the acquired setpoint MTTR values of the components of the components list, the reciprocal values of the setpoint MTBF values of the components of the components list being used as weighting factors.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17 wherein the means for additionally acquiring a setpoint MTTR value for each component of the components list also acquires a setpoint MRT value and of a setpoint MTD value of each component and uses the sum of the setpoint MRT value and setpoint MTD value of each component as the setpoint MTTR value of each component.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17 further comprising means for using the mean time period to be predicted between two failures to predict maintenance issues of the technical system.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17 further comprising means for using the mean time period to be predicted between two failures to predict costs of maintaining the technical system.

21. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17 further comprising means for comparing the mean time period to be predicted between two failures of the technical system to a mean time period to be predicted between two failures of a second technical system.

22. The apparatus as claimed in claim 21 further comprising means for deriving technical improvement possibilities from the comparison of the mean time period to be predicted between two failures of the technical system and the mean time period to be predicted between two failures of the second technical system.