Tool wear monitoring system
First Claim
1. A method for monitoring a manufacturing machine having at least one associated tool, the manufacturing machine engaged in repetitively producing a machined part, the monitoring method being performed on an electronic device having a display device for displaying information to an associated human operator, the method comprising:
- receiving a tool life parameter value for the associated tool representing an expected number of machined parts to be produced by the associated tool;
detecting machine cycles of said manufacturing machine as a cycle count, each machine cycle corresponding to production of at least one machined part;
calculating an operating rate of the manufacturing machine based on the cycle count; and
,estimating a remaining time for tool replacement based on the cycle count, the machine operating rate, and the received tool life parameter value.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A monitoring apparatus for monitoring one or more manufacturing machines having a plurality of component tools and engaged in repetitive machining of a part is provided. An input device detects occurrence of a machine cycle. A counter stores the number of detected machine cycles as a count value. A machine speed processor estimates a temporal rate at which the machine cycles occur. A data storage device stores a maintenance schedule indicating the number of machine cycles between recommended replacements for each tool. A tools processor estimates a remaining operating time for each tool before scheduled replacement. A machine viability processor estimates a remaining operating time for the machine before schedule replacement of each of the component tools. A display device displays the operating time for the machine before scheduled replacement of each of the component tools. A method for monitoring a cycling manufacturing machine includes detecting machine cycles of the manufacturing machine, estimating a machine operating rate based on the detecting step over time, and projecting tool change times for each of the plurality of tools based on the estimated machine operating rate and pre-selected tool cycle lifetime values for each of the plurality of tools.
63 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A method for monitoring a manufacturing machine having at least one associated tool, the manufacturing machine engaged in repetitively producing a machined part, the monitoring method being performed on an electronic device having a display device for displaying information to an associated human operator, the method comprising:
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receiving a tool life parameter value for the associated tool representing an expected number of machined parts to be produced by the associated tool; detecting machine cycles of said manufacturing machine as a cycle count, each machine cycle corresponding to production of at least one machined part; calculating an operating rate of the manufacturing machine based on the cycle count; and
,estimating a remaining time for tool replacement based on the cycle count, the machine operating rate, and the received tool life parameter value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of monitoring a manufacturing machine having a plurality of associated tools, the manufacturing machine engaged in producing machined parts at a substantially constant rate, the method comprising:
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storing a tool life parameter value for each of the plurality of associated tools representing an expected number of machined parts to be produced by each of the plurality of associated tools; detecting machine cycles of said manufacturing machine as a cycle count, each machine cycle corresponding to production of at least one machined part; calculating a machine operating rate of the manufacturing machine based on the cycle count; and
,determining a remaining time for tool replacement based on the cycle count, the machine operating rate, and said tool life parameter value. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A monitoring apparatus for monitoring an associated manufacturing machine having a plurality of tools and being engaged in repetitive machining of an associated part, the machining of the associated part relating to a machine cycle of said associated manufacturing machine, the monitoring apparatus comprising:
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a machine cycle detector device adapted to detect an occurrence of a machine cycle; a counter in operative communication with the machine cycle detector device and adapted to count said machine cycles; a machine speed processor operatively associated with the counter and adapted to estimate a rate of said machine cycles; a data storage device storing a maintenance schedule associating each of the plurality of tools with a number of machine cycles of useful life of the tool before recommended replacement; a tools processor operatively associated with the counter, the machine speed processor, and the data storage device, the tools processor estimating, for each of said plurality of tools, a remaining operating time before scheduled replacement; a machine viability processor operatively associated with the tools processor, the machine viability processor estimating a remaining operating time for the machine before scheduled replacement of a first tool among said plurality of tools having a smallest estimated remaining operating time; and
,a signal generating device operatively associated with the machine viability processor for generating a signal representative of said remaining operating time for the machine. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A monitoring apparatus for monitoring a set of associated manufacturing machines each having a plurality of tools, the set of machines being engaged in repetitive machining of a part, the machining of a part relating to a machine cycle, the monitoring apparatus comprising:
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an input device adapted to detect occurrence of a machine cycle; a counter in operative communication with the input device for counting machine cycles; a machine speed processor operatively associated with the counter for estimating a temporal rate of machine cycle occurrences; a data storage device for storing a maintenance schedule indicating a number of machine cycles between recommended replacement for each of said tools; a tools processor operatively associated with the counter, the machine speed processor, and the data storage device, the tools processor estimating a remaining operating time for each tool before scheduled replacement; a machine viability processor operatively associated with the tools processor, the machine viability processor estimating remaining operating times for the machine before scheduled replacement of each of said tools; and
,a display device operatively associated with the machine viability processor for displaying selected remaining operating times. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A monitor for monitoring a manufacturing machine including a plurality of tools, the monitor comprising:
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a means for detecting machine cycles of said manufacturing machine; a means, communicating with the detecting means, for determining a machine cycling rate; and
,a means for projecting tool change times for each of said plurality of tools based on the machine cycling rate and pre-selected tool cycle lifetime values. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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Specification