Preventative Maintenance System

• US 20070294121A1
• Filed: 06/15/2007
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Husky Injection Molding Systems Limited
• Original Assignee: Husky Injection Molding Systems Limited
• Inventors: PHILLIPS, Bryan, Galt, John Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,975,172 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.21
• CPC Class Codes: B22D 17/32 Controlling equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B22D 46/00 Controlling, supervising, not restricted to casting covered by a single main group, e.g. for safety reasons controlling or regulating in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2945/76163 Errors, malfunctioning
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2945/76943 compare with thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/76 Measuring, controlling or regulating measuring in general G01; controlling or regulating in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/768 Detecting defective moulding conditions B29C45/84 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance

Abstract

A method and apparatus for real time preventative maintenance of a molding system. The molding system could be a metal molding system or a plastics molding system. The method and apparatus are capable for scheduling service, business billing and invoicing, parts management, a remote control of a molding system for assessing the need for preventative maintenance. The indication for preventative maintenance is based upon a real time operational status of the molding system.

Claims

1. A method of real time preventative maintenance of a molding system comprising the steps of:

indicating an out of tolerance condition based upon at least one real time operational parameter of said molding system, and

creating an alert notice for preventative maintenance.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein said alert notice for preventative maintenance is based upon said at least one real time operational parameter being below a minimum operational limit defined by real time threshold data.

3. A method as in claim 1 wherein said alert notice for preventative maintenance is based upon said at least one real time operational parameter being below a minimum operational limit for a maximum accumulated duration as defined by real time threshold data.

4. A method as in claim 1 wherein said alert notice for preventative maintenance is based upon said at least one real time operational parameter being above a maximum operational limit defined by real time threshold data.

5. A method as in claim 1 wherein said alert notice for preventative maintenance is based upon said at least one real time operational parameter being above a maximum operational limit for a maximum accumulated duration as defined by real time threshold data

6. A method as in claim 1 wherein said alert notice of preventative maintenance is communicated to a customer system.

7. A method as in claim 6 wherein said customer system communicates said alert notice of preventative maintenance to a preventative maintenance system.

8. A method as in claim 1 wherein said alert notice of preventative maintenance is communicated directly to a preventative maintenance system.

9. A method as in claim 8, wherein said alert notice is visually displayed by said preventative maintenance system as an indicator representing an overall health state of the molding system.

10. A method as in claim 9, wherein said overall health state indicated by said indicator represents an aggregate value compiled from at least two real time operational parameters transmitted in said alert notice.

11. A method as in claim 9, wherein said preventive maintenance system is operable to receive alert notices from a plurality of molding systems, and simultaneously display the indicators representing the overall health state of each molding system of said plurality of molding systems.

12. A method as in claim 8 wherein said preventative maintenance system communicates said alert notice of preventative maintenance to a general practitioner for resolution.

13. A method as in claim 12 wherein said general practitioner communicates said alert notice of preventative maintenance to a specialist.

14. A method as in claim 8 wherein said preventative maintenance system communicates said alert notice of preventative maintenance to a specialist.

15. A method as in claims 12, 13, or 14 further including remotely controlling said molding system and remotely conducting a preventative maintenance inspection.

16. A method as in claim 15 further including remotely controlling said molding system and remotely resolving said preventative maintenance.

17. A method as in claim 12 further communicating the alert notice for preventative maintenance across a network.

18. A method as in claim 8 wherein said preventative maintenance system communicates with s service scheduler to schedule preventative maintenance.

19. A methods as in claim 18 wherein said service scheduler determines a fit to a service provider'"'"'s schedule.

20. A method as in claim 18 wherein said service scheduler determines a fit to a customer schedule.

21. A method as in claim 20 wherein said fit to a customer schedule is a pre-determined existing maintenance schedule.

22. A method as in claim 18 wherein said service scheduler determines a fit to availability of service personnel.

23. A method as in claim 19 wherein said service scheduler determines a fit to availability of service parts.

24. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said preventative maintenance system throttles the output of said molding system until preventative maintenance occurs.

25. A method as claimed in claim 24, wherein said service scheduler determines whether said preventative maintenance system is permitted to throttle the output of said molding system until preventative maintenance occurs.

26. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said service scheduler redirects at least a portion of work scheduled for said molding system to another molding system until preventative maintenance occurs.

27. A method as in claim 8 wherein said preventative maintenance system communicates with a parts system.

28. A method as in claim 27 wherein said parts system provides inventory management.

29. A method as in claim 27 wherein said parts system provides a central parts inventory.

30. A method as in claim 28 wherein said parts system provides a distributed parts inventory.

31. A method as in claim 8 wherein said preventative maintenance system communicates with a business system for invoicing and billing.

32. A method as in claim 31, wherein said preventative maintenance system is operable to automatically order required parts from a parts system.

33. An apparatus for real time preventative maintenance of a molding system comprising:

preventative maintenance logic,

business system logic,

service scheduling logic, and

parts management logic,

said preventative maintenance logic capable of receiving an alert notice for preventative maintenance based upon a real time operational parameter of said molding system under at least one of the following conditions, or any combination or permutation thereof;

(a) said operational parameter is below an operational limit defined by real time threshold data,

(b) said operational parameter is below a minimum operational limit for a maximum accumulated duration as defined by real time threshold data,

(c) said operational parameter is above an operational limit defined by real time threshold data, or

(d) said operational parameter is above a maximum operational limit for a maximum accumulated duration as defined by real time threshold data.

34. An apparatus as in claim 33 wherein said preventative logic communicates said alert notice for preventative maintenance to a general practitioner for resolution.

35. An apparatus as in claim 34 wherein said general practitioner transfers said alert notice for preventative maintenance to a specialist.

36. An apparatus as in claim 33 wherein said preventative logic communicates said alert notice for preventative maintenance to a specialist for resolution.

37. An apparatus as in claim 34, 35, or 36, wherein said alert notice is visually displayed by said preventative maintenance system as an indicator representing an overall health state of the molding system.

38. An apparatus as in claim 37, wherein said overall health state indicated by said indicator represents an aggregate value compiled from at least two real time operational parameters transmitted in said alert notice.

39. An apparatus as in claim 37, wherein said preventive maintenance system is operable to receive alert notices from a plurality of molding systems, and simultaneously display the indicators representing the overall health state of each molding system of said plurality of molding systems.

40. An apparatus as in claims 34, 35, or 36 further comprising a remote control system for remotely accessing and controlling said molding system for conducting a preventative maintenance inspection.

41. An apparatus as in claims 34, 35, or 36 further comprising a remote control system for remotely accessing and controlling said molding system for resolution of said preventative maintenance.

42. An apparatus as in claims 34, 35, or 36 wherein said general practitioner or said specialist communicates and confirms the need for preventative maintenance back to said preventative maintenance logic.

43. An apparatus as in claim 35 wherein said preventative maintenance logic communicates with said business system logic for invoicing and billing.

44. An apparatus as in claim 35 wherein said preventative maintenance logic communicates with said service scheduling logic to determine a fit into a service provider'"'"'s schedule.

45. An apparatus as in claim 35 wherein said preventative maintenance logic communicates with said service scheduling logic to determine a fit to a customer schedule.

46. An apparatus as in claim 45 wherein said fit to a customer schedule is a pre-determined existing maintenance schedule.

47. An apparatus as in claim 35 wherein said preventative maintenance logic communicates with said service scheduling logic to determine a fit to availability of service personnel.

48. An apparatus as in claim 35 wherein said preventative maintenance logic communicates with said service scheduling logic to determine a fit to availability of service parts.

49. An apparatus as in claim 44, wherein said preventative maintenance system throttles the output of said molding system until preventative maintenance occurs.

50. An apparatus as in claim 49, wherein said service scheduler determines whether said preventative maintenance system is permitted to throttle the output of said molding system until preventative maintenance occurs.

51. An apparatus as in claim 44, wherein said service scheduler redirects at least a portion of work scheduled for said molding system to another molding system until preventative maintenance occurs.

52. An apparatus as in claim 33 wherein said preventative maintenance logic communicates with said parts management logic.

53. An apparatus as in claim 52 wherein said parts management logic provides inventory management.

54. An apparatus as in claim 53 wherein said parts management logic provides a central parts inventory.

55. An apparatus as in claim 53 wherein said parts management logic provides a distributed parts inventory.

56. A method as in claim 53, wherein said preventative maintenance system is operable to automatically order required parts from a parts system.

57. A method of real time preventative maintenance of a molding system comprising:

generating a network-transmissible alert notice indicating an out of tolerance condition of a real time operational parameter of a molding system, and

transmitting the network-transmissible alert notice on a network to a receiver of said alert notice.