Performing robust cost analysis of a gas laser application

• US 8,065,238 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2005
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lincoln Global Incorporated (Lincoln Electric Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lincoln Global Incorporated (Lincoln Electric Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bell, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): NELSON, FREDA ANN
• Application Number:
  US11/292,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20070127537A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,181 Days
• Field of Search: 700/100, 700/102, 700/36, 700/99, 700/29, 700/28, 700/27, 700/9, 700/8, 700/7, 700/97, 700/95, 705/400, 705/29, 705/28, 705/27, 705/7, 705/1.1, 705/8, 705/402, 705/7.29, 705/7.35, 219/121.6, 219/121.61, 219/121.71, 219/121.72, 219/121.84, 219/121.67, 606/13, 606/2, 228/119, 607/72, 605/95, 702/136, 702/181, 372 58- 59, 372/98, 372/55
• US Class Current: 705/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0206 Price or cost determination based on market factors
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

A system that performs an analysis of a gas laser application comprises a receiver component that receives an identity of a gas laser and parameters relating to intended use of the gas laser. An analysis component automatically generates a cost analysis of the gas laser application based at least in part upon the received identity and parameters, the cost analysis includes fixed cost and variable cost of the gas laser application.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory having stored therein computer-executable instructions configured to implement the system, including;

a database including identities of a plurality of gas lasers and parameters associated with the plurality of gas lasers;

a receiver component that receives an input, comprising an identity of at least one of the plurality of gas lasers, and receives parameters associated with the at least one of the plurality of gas lasers relating to the gas laser application from the database based at least in part on the input;

a calculator component that determines a gas pressure and a gas flow associated with the gas laser application based at least in part upon a thickness of material associated with the gas laser application, and estimates a consumption of a gas associated with the gas laser application over a period of time based at least in part on the gas pressure and the gas flow, wherein the period of time is at least one of a day, a week, a month, a quarter or a year; and

an analysis component that approximates a cost associated with the at least one of the plurality of gas lasers over the period of time based at least in part upon the input, the parameters, the consumption, and a price list including equipment costs, gas costs, and labor costs per unit time with respect to one or more geographic regions the cost analysis includes fixed cost and variable cost of the gas laser application.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an interface component that provides selectable parameters associated with the at least one of the plurality of gas lasers.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the interface component provides at least one dissimilar parameter given a selection of at least a different one of the plurality of gas lasers.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the interface component comprises a materials component that generates a list of materials and receives an input relating to at least one material cut by the at least one of the plurality of gas lasers within the list of materials.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the interface component comprises a gas component that generates a selectable list of supply modes associated with the gases associated with the gas laser application and equipment associated with a mode of supply.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the interface component displays a summary of the cost associated with the at least one of the plurality of lasers.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the interface component comprises a graphics engine that creates a graphical depiction of the cost associated with the at least one of the plurality of lasers.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a save component that facilitates storage of the cost associated with the at least one of the plurality of lasers.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the database comprises index keys that represent the identities of the plurality of lasers, wherein the index keys are associated with the parameters.

10. A method, comprising:

employing a processor executing computer executable instructions stored on a computer readable storage medium to implement the acts, comprising;

receiving an identity of a gas laser employed in a gas laser process;

accessing a database and retrieving parameters associated with the gas laser from the database, wherein the parameters comprise an equipment cost for the gas laser based at least in part on a geographic area and a gas cost for the gas laser based at least in part on the geographic area;

determining a gas pressure and a gas flow associated with the as laser process based at least in part upon a thickness of material associated with the gas laser process;

estimating a consumption of a gas associated with the gas laser process over a period of time based at least in part on the gas pressure and the gas flow, wherein the period of time is at least one of a day, a week, a month, a quarter or a year; and

generating a cost analysis for the gas laser process based at least in part upon the identity of the gas laser, the parameters associated with the gas laser, the gas pressure, the gas flow, and the consumption of the gas.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating an order form based at least in part upon the cost analysis.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising graphically presenting the cost analysis to a user.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the graphically presenting comprises displaying a graph representing the cost analysis.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

altering the thickness of the material; and

regenerating the cost analysis.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising delivering the order form to a vendor electronically.