Maintenance support system for construction machine

• US 7,921,000 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2005
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Yoshimura, Takahiro, Miwa, Hirobumi, Ohkura, Yasunori, Kawakita, Masakazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Thangavelu; Kandasamy
• Application Number:
  US11/587,917
• Publication Number:
  US 20080195365A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,169 Days
• Field of Search: 703/6, 703/7, 705/1, 705/8, 705/26, 702/182, 702/34, 702/33, 702/61, 702/184, 702/183, 701/29, 701/35, 701/50, 700/95, 700/96, 700/175, 700/99, 707/200, 235/376, 714/43, 621/41, 123/673
• US Class Current: 703/7
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/20 Drives; Control devices gearings in general F16H; controlling in general G05; electric multi-motor drives H02K, H02P
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/26 Indicating devices E02F5/145 takes precedence

Abstract

A maintenance support system for a construction machine calculates the cumulative load of every component corresponding with the driving and working conditions of the construction machine by a load calculation means after simulating the driving and working conditions on the basis of production operating conditions by an operation simulation means, and forecasts the lifespan of the respective components by a lifespan calculation means on the basis of the cumulative load. Hence, a more accurate maintenance schedule can be established in comparison with a case where which component is to be maintained is determined on the basis of only the operating time.

Claims

1. A maintenance support system for a construction machine that comprises a computer system that is connected to the construction machine via a communication network, wherein the computer system comprises:

an operation simulation means for simulating driving conditions and/or working conditions of the construction machine prior to the operation of the construction machine on the basis of production operating conditions that are input;

a cumulative load calculation means for calculating a cumulative load relating to a predetermined component that is preset, on the basis of simulation results produced by the operation simulation means; and

a lifespan calculation means for calculating a lifespan of the predetermined component on the basis of the cumulative load thus calculated,

wherein the operation simulation means sets, for respective simulation models, a departure point of the construction machine, an arrival point of the construction machine, and at least one course that links the departure and the arrival points, each being designated by a production operating condition, in order to simulate, at predetermined times, driving conditions and/or working conditions of the construction machine in accordance with occurrence status of events associated with the departure point, the arrival point, and the course respectively.

2. The maintenance support system for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein the operation simulation means sets a plurality of event nodes on the course, and produces events for the respective event nodes in consideration of traffic regulations and traffic amounts between the respective event nodes.

6. The maintenance support system for a construction machine according to any one of claim 1 or 3, wherein the cumulative load calculation means calculates relationship between the cumulative load and operation time relating to the predetermined component.

7. The maintenance support system for a construction machine according to any one of claim 1 or 3, wherein the lifespan calculation means predictively calculates the lifespan of the predetermined component on the basis of a standard lifespan that is preset for the predetermined component and a result of the calculation by the cumulative load calculation means.

3. A maintenance support system for a construction machine that comprises a computer system that is connected to the construction machine via a communication network, wherein the computer system comprises:

a cumulative load calculation means for calculating a cumulative load relating to a predetermined component that is preset, on the basis of operation information that is acquired from the construction machine via the communication network; and

a lifespan calculation means for calculating a lifespan of the predetermined component on the basis of the cumulative load thus calculated;

an operation simulation means for simulating driving conditions and/or working conditions of the construction machine on the basis of production operating conditions that are input;

the cumulative load calculation means is capable of calculating, by means of a predetermined calculation algorithm, the cumulative load of the predetermined component, on the basis of simulation results produced by the operation simulation means or the operation information;

a cumulative load comparison means for comparing the cumulative load based on the simulation results and the cumulative load based on the operation information; and

a load calculation algorithm modification means for changing the calculation algorithm on the basis of a result of the comparison by the cumulative load comparison means.

4. The maintenance support system for a construction machine according to claim 3, wherein the operation simulation means sets, for respective simulation models, a departure point of the construction machine, an arrival point of the construction machine, and at least one course that links the departure and the arrival points, each being designated by a production operating condition, in order to simulate, at predetermined times, driving conditions and/or working conditions of the construction machine in accordance with occurrence status of events associated with the departure point, the arrival point, and the course respectively.

5. The maintenance support system for a construction machine according to claim 4, wherein the operation simulation means sets a plurality of event nodes on the course, and produces events for the respective event nodes in consideration of traffic regulations and traffic amounts between the respective event nodes.

8. The maintenance support system for a construction machine according to claim 3, wherein the cumulative load calculation means calculates relationship between the cumulative load and operating time relating to the predetermined component;

the cumulative load comparison means finds a maximum value of the cumulative load based on the simulation results and a maximum value of the cumulative load based on the operation information, detects respective operating times corresponding with the maximum values, and calculates and outputs a ratio between the respective operating times thus detected;

the load calculation algorithm modification means corrects the calculation algorithm on the basis of the ratio between the respective operating times calculated by the cumulative load comparison means.

9. A maintenance support system for construction machines that comprises a plurality of construction machines, each of which is connected to a communication network and a computer system that is connected to the communication network, wherein respective construction machines comprise:

a plurality of sensors for detecting operating states of respective components;

an operation information generation section for statistically processing information that is detected by the respective sensors and outputting the information as operation information; and

a communication section for transmitting the operation information output from the operation information generation section to the computer system via the communication network,

wherein the computer system comprises;

an operation information database that accumulates the operation information that is received from the communication section via the communication network;

a component standard lifespan database in which standard lifespan of the respective components are accumulated beforehand;

a simulation results database for accumulating simulation results;

an input section for inputting production operating conditions of the respective construction machines;

an operation simulation section for individually simulating driving conditions and/or working conditions of the respective construction machines by setting the production operating conditions input via the input section in the simulation model, and storing simulation results in the simulation results database;

a cumulative load calculation section for calculating, in accordance with a predetermined calculation algorithm, a cumulative load relating to the respective components on the basis of the operation information stored in the operating information database and a cumulative load relating to the respective components on the basis of the simulation results stored in the simulation results database;

a lifespan calculation section for calculating lifespan of the respective components on the basis of the cumulative loads thus calculated and the component standard life database;

a cumulative load comparison section for comparing the cumulative load calculated on the basis of the simulation results and the cumulative load calculated on the basis of the operation information; and

a load calculation algorithm modification section for modifying the calculation algorithm on the basis of the result of the comparison by the cumulative load comparison section.