Calibration method/system and verification method for digital torque tools

• US 8,738,329 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2011
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Cho, Chih-Hua, Su, Hsin-Chuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Charioui, Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US13/039,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20120143552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: 702/85, 702/104, 702/108, 702/118, 702/122, 702/183, 702/188
• US Class Current: 702/183
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 25/003 for measuring torque

Abstract

A calibration method/system and verification method for digital torque tools are disclosed, in which the calibration method comprises the steps of: transmitting a data containing usage records of a digital torque tool at a client end to a remote calibration platform; comparing the data of usage records with statistic data stored in the calibration platform so as to obtain a data relating to average degree of fatigue; performing a calculation based upon the data of usage record and the data of average degree of fatigue so as to obtain a calibration data; transmitting the calibration data to the client end while allowing the calibration data to overwrite the corresponding original torque data of the digital torque tool.

Claims

1. A calibration method for a digital toque tools torque tool, comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting a data containing usage records of said digital torque tool stored in a memory of said digital torque tool at a client end to a remote calibration platform, wherein the data containing usage records of the digital torque tool includes;

the model number of the digital torque tool, serial number of the digital torque tool, the maximum permissible torque of the digital torque tool, the maximum working torque of the digital torque tool, the designated working torque ranges of the torque tool, and the actual times of usage corresponding to each designated working torque range of the digital torque tool;

(a1) determining by a computer unit whether the data containing usage records of the digital torque tool contains zero entries, or whether there is a statistic data corresponding to the model number of the torque tool in the data containing usage records that is stored in the calibration platform, if there is at least one entries contained in the data containing usage records of the digital torque tool, or if there is a statistic data corresponding to the model number of the digital torque tool in the data containing usage records that is stored in the calibration platform, then proceed with step (b), otherwise, executing a verification procedure, wherein the verification procedure comprises the steps of;

mounting the digital torque tool on a standard torque meter disposed at the client end for allowing a plurality of standard torque values of the standard torque meter as well as a plurality of tested torque values of the tested torque tool, that are corresponded to the plural torque values of the standard torque meter in respective, to be measured and obtained;

transmitting the plural standard torque values and the plural corresponding tested torque values to the calibration platform so as to be analyzed for obtaining a data of verification characteristics; and

registering the data of verification characteristics into the digital torque tool and then enabling the calibration method to proceed back to the step (a);

(b) comparing the data of usage records with statistic data stored in the calibration platform so as to obtain a data relating to average degree of fatigue;

(c) performing a calculation based upon the data of usage record and the data of average degree of fatigue so as to obtain a calibration data; and

(d) transmitting the calibration data to the client end while allowing the calibration data to overwrite the corresponding original torque data of the digital torque tool.

2. The calibration method of claim 1, wherein the calibration platform is enabled to obtain a proportionality coefficient based upon the plural standard torque values and the plural corresponding tested torque values, so as to calculate and thus obtain the data of verification characteristics by multiplying the plural tested torque values by the proportionality coefficient.

3. The calibration method of claim 1, wherein before the step (d) is performed, a waiting procedure is being executed, and the waiting procedure further comprises the steps of:

setting a waiting period;

enabling the client end to determine whether or not the calibration data is being transmitted to the tested digital torque tool by the calibration platform within the waiting period;

executing the step (a) if the calibration platform fails to transmit the calibration data to the tested digital torque tool within the waiting period; and

executing the step (d) if the calibration data is being transmitted to the tested digital torque tool by the calibration platform within the waiting period.

4. The calibration method of claim 1, wherein the digital torque tool is configured with a memory, provided for storing the data of usage records, and the calibration platform has a server which is configured with a database, provided for storing the statistic data.

5. The calibration method of claim 1, wherein there is a computing unit disposed at the client end in a manner that the computing unit is electrically connected to the remote calibration platform through a network while being electrically connected to the digital torque tool, so that the digital torque tool is connected electrically with the remote calibration platform through the computing unit.

6. The calibration method of claim 1, wherein in the step (c), the calibration data is obtained by performing a decrement calculation upon the data of usage records and the data of average degree of fatigue.

7. A calibration method for a digital torque tool, comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting a data containing usage records of said digital torque tool stored in a memory of said digital torque tool at a client end to a remote calibration platform, wherein the data containing usage records of the digital torque tool includes;

the model number of the digital torque tool, serial number of the digital torque tool, the maximum permissible torque of the digital torque tool, the maximum working;

torque of the digital torque tool, the designated working torque ranges of the digital torque tool, and the actual times of usage corresponding to each designated working torque range of the digital torque tool;

(b) determining by a computer unit whether the data containing usage records of the digital torque tool is being validly received by the calibration platform, and then determining whether the maximum working torque in the usage record data exceeds the maximum permissible torque of the digital torque tool, and if the data containing usage records of the digital torque tool is being validly received by the calibration platform, and if the maximum working torque in the usage record data is not exceed the maximum permissible torque of the digital torque tool, then proceed with step (c), otherwise, if the data containing usage records of the digital torque tool is not being validly received by the calibration platform, or if the maximum working torque in the usage record data exceeds the maximum permissible torque of the digital torque tool, then proceed back to the step (a);

(c) comparing the data of usage records with statistic data stored in the calibration platform so as to obtain a data relating to average degree of fatigue;

(d) performing a calculation based upon the data of usage record and the data of average degree of fatigue so as to obtain a calibration data; and

(e) transmitting the calibration data to the client end while allowing the calibration data to overwrite the corresponding original torque data of the digital torque tool.

8. A calibration method for a digital torque tool, comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting a data containing usage records of said digital torque tool stored in a memory of said digital torque tool at a client end to a remote calibration platform;

(b) comparing the data of usage records with statistic data stored in the calibration platform so as to obtain a data relating to average degree of fatigue, wherein the data relating to average degree of fatigue is obtained using the following equation;

D=(n1/N1×

D1+ . . . +nX/NX×

DX);

nX is the actual times of usage corresponding to the X_th designated working torque range of the digital torque tool, X=1 . . . X;

NX is the times of test being executed within the X_th designated working torque range of the digital torque tool, X=1 . . . X; and

DX is the degree of fatigue resulting from the performing of the NX times of test within the X_th designated working torque range of the digital torque tool, X=1 . . . X;

(c) performing a calculation based upon the data of usage record and the data of average degree of fatigue so as to obtain a calibration data; and

(d) transmitting the calibration data to the client end while allowing the calibration data to overwrite the corresponding original torque data of the digital torque tool.