SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR STATUS RECOGNITION OF A COMPONENT OF A WORKING MACHINE AND WORKING MACHINE

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a system for recognizing a status of a component of a working machine comprising a working machine, a memory communicating with the control unit, and an analysis means connected to the control unit. The working machine has at least one element movable by a drive and a control unit by means of which the drive is controllable. At least one active characteristic for the control of the drive of the working machine is stored in the memory. In accordance with the disclosure, the control unit is configured to determine a control parameter for the control of the drive in dependence on a desired parameter that relates to a movement of the drivable element of the working machine with reference to an active characteristic.

Claims

1. A system for recognizing a status of a component of a working machine comprising: the working machine having at least one element movable by a drive and a control unit by means of which the drive is controllable; a memory in communication with the control unit in which at least one active characteristic for the control of the drive of the working machine is stored; and an analysis means connected to the control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to determine a control parameter for the control of the drive in dependence on a desired parameter relating to the movement of the element with reference to an active characteristic; and the analysis means is adapted to compare at least one active characteristic with at least one inactive characteristic and to draw a conclusion on the status of the component of the working machine on the basis of this comparison.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the inactive characteristic is a characteristic that is not usable for determining the control parameter at a point in time of the comparison with the active characteristic.

3. The system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the inactive characteristic was generated at an earlier or later point in time than the active characteristic and/or with respect to a component of another working machine that is of the same type.

4. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the active characteristic is a characteristic generated manually or automatically by means of an adaptive system.

5. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the analysis means is provided in the working machine or in an external processor unit communicating wirelessly with the working machine.

6. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the analysis means is adapted to take account of operating information of the working machine in the determination of the status of the component.

7. The system in accordance with claim 6, wherein the analysis means is adapted to take account of environmental information that is detectable by means of at least one sensor device on the determination of the status.

8. The system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the status of the component determined by the analysis means relates to an aging or to wear of the component; and/or in that the analysis means is adapted to draw a conclusion on a remaining time period.

9. The system in accordance with claim 6, wherein the analysis means is adapted to carry out the determination of the status of the component at regular intervals or on specific events during the operation duration of the working machine.

10. The system in accordance with claim 8, wherein the working machine comprises a measuring device by means of which an actual parameter relating to a movement of a drivable element is detectable, with the control unit being configured to recognize a difference with reference to a comparison between an actual and a desired parameter and to adapt an active characteristic or to generate an adapted inactive characteristic on the basis of this difference.

11. The system in accordance with claim 10, wherein the control unit is configured to generate at least one active or inactive characteristic in a calibration mode by a targeted control of the drive and a sequential detection of a plurality of values of the actual parameter during the movement of the element, with the calibration mode being manually and/or automatically actuable.

12. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the drive is a hydraulic drive that is pilot controllable via a hydraulic actuator, with the control parameter being a current value for the control of the drive or of the actuator and/or with the desired parameter relating to a speed.

13. A working machine having at least one element movable by the drive, wherein the working machine comprises the control unit, the memory, and the analysis means of a system in accordance with claim 1.

14. A method of recognizing a status of a component of a working machine of a system in accordance with claim 10, the method comprising the steps: comparing an active characteristic that is used for determining a control parameter for the control of a component of the working machine with an inactive characteristic that relates to the same component or to a comparable component; and determining a status of the component based on the comparison between an active and inactive characteristic, wherein the component is controllable, wherein the active and inactive characteristics differ from one another by at least one adaptation, and/or wherein the inactive characteristic represents a characteristic of another working machine that is of the same construction or is comparable.

15. The method in accordance with claim 14, with the following steps furthermore being carried out: detecting the actual parameter by means of the measuring device of the working machine, with the actual parameter relating to the movement of the drivable element of the working machine and with its control taking place with reference to the active characteristic while taking account of the desired parameter; comparing the actual parameter and the desired parameter; recognizing the difference between the actual parameter and the desired parameter; and generating the characteristic on the basis of the difference recognized.

16. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the working machine is a crane or excavator.

17. The system in accordance with claim 8, wherein the analysis means is adapted to draw a conclusion on a residual lifetime of the component, or on a remaining number of movement procedures on the basis of the comparison between the active and inactive characteristics.

18. The system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the inactive characteristic relates to the same component or to a component of the same type.

19. The system in accordance with claim 6, wherein the operating information relates to a component replacement, a component repair, a number of movement procedures, a time duration since a last preparation or setting of a characteristic, and/or a time duration since a putting into operation of the working machine.

20. The system in accordance with claim 7, wherein the environmental information is detectable by means of the sensor device at regular intervals or on certain events during an operating duration of the working machine.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0053] Further features and details of the disclosure result from the embodiments explained in the following with reference to the Figures. There are shown:

[0054] FIG. 1: a schematic representation of the method in accordance with the disclosure in accordance with a first embodiment; and

[0055] FIG. 2: a schematic representation of the method in accordance with the disclosure in accordance with a second embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] FIG. 1 schematically shows a first embodiment of the status recognition in accordance with the disclosure on the basis of a characteristic comparison. The status recognition will be described in the following for the example of a crane. The disclosure is, however, not restricted to cranes, but can be used with any desired working machines.

[0057] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a crane mechanism or a hoist winch for lifting a load via a hydraulic drive is controlled. The drive is pilot controlled via a hydraulic valve, with the valve being electronically controlled via a control unit of the crane or via a crane control. Active maps 10 for the implementation of a desired speed in the hoisting gear is stored in a memory of the working machine, said maps 10 being used for the determination of a corresponding current value for the control of the drive. The active maps 10 here take account of the partially non-linear characteristics of the hydraulic system (e.g. valve characteristics).

[0058] The maps 10 can be grouped with reference to measurable parameters such as temperature, payload, or torque, etc. A specific active map 10 is used for the determination of the current value in dependence on the temperature and the load to be raised, for example. This determination can takes place, for example, by means of interpolation between discrete characteristic values. Individual characteristics can also be stored and correspondingly grouped alternatively to maps.

[0059] In known systems, the hydraulic cranes are manually set on the test bench (i.e. current values are fixed for the valves and characteristics are prepared). The setting takes place as a rule here with respect to the maximum speeds to be reached (e.g. maximum speed of the hoisting gear). After a component replacement (abrupt change in the system) or after a longer operating time (aging of the components), the crane has to be reset or adapted characteristics have to be generated. The time change of the maps over the service life of the crane here corresponds to the use of the reserves of the hydraulic system or to the required compensation of the wear/aging of the components.

[0060] In the solution in accordance with the disclosure, a permanent systematic comparison of maps with a direct relationship now takes place. If, for example, a higher current value for reaching the same maximum speed or desired speed is required than at an earlier point in time, this signifies an increased hydraulic oil leak in the hydraulic drive system of the hoisting gear, which in turn results from advanced component wear or aging phenomena.

[0061] For this purpose, the active maps 10 of the crane that are currently used to control the components of the drive system and that are stored in a memory of the crane are compared with inactive maps 12 that were prepared at an earlier point in time (reference point in time). It can here in particular be the point in time of delivery of the crane. If the maps had been manually set or adapted on the test bench (1st alternative of step S1) or automatically adaptively adapted (2nd alternative of step S1) since the delivery (reference point in time) due to the change of the operating points or characteristic values of the drive system (for example due to aging or component replacement), these adapted active maps 10 reflect the aging or wear of the drive system.

[0062] An analysis means that can be implemented or performed in the crane control or in an external processor can draw a conclusion on the current status (e.g. aging status or wear status) of the drive system (step S3) by a comparison of the adapted or compensated active maps 10 with the original and now inactive maps 12 at the reference point in time (S2). In this respect, in particular recorded deployment times, load cycles, component changes, and environmental parameters such as the temperature are included.

[0063] It is furthermore possible not only to reproduce e.g. the previous aging process, but also to make forecasts for the future. Statements can e.g. be made on the residual lifetime of the drive system to be expected or of the components controlled via the maps (e.g. valves) or remaining movement cycles to be expected until a replacement or a servicing is necessary.

[0064] This status recognition and forecast or extrapolation can be carried out while accompanying the life cycle and thus deliver indications of component damage to be expected and of actually necessary servicing intervals. Repairs thereby become better plannable (“predictive maintenance”) and the machine availability is increased.

[0065] The adaptation of the active maps 10 (step S1) can take place via an automatic adaptive tracking while accompanying the life cycle. For this purpose, the actual speeds of the hoisting gear (for example the turning speed of the hoist winch or the speed of the pulling means or of the pull rope) are measured via a measuring device, are provided to the crane control, and are compared with the desired parameters (that represent the input parameters of the maps). The maps are automatically adapted as a result of recognized deviations. The control is thereby improved and simultaneously new active maps 10 are provided for the comparison underlying the status recognition.

[0066] FIG. 2 shows an alternative embodiment in which the active maps 10 of the crane (analysis device) are not compared with previous (inactive) maps of the same machine, but rather with maps 12, 12′, 12″ of other cranes that are of the same construction or are comparable (reference units) (step 2) and a conclusion is drawn from this on the status of the components of the drive system (step S3). This can in particular be considered with sufficiently large populations of such machines that are of the same construction or are comparable and that form a reference group. General peculiarities of the components of the hydraulic system or drive system are then also identifiable alternatively to or in addition to a time aging. This comparison can be carried out using characteristics of other cranes at different life cycle times. The maps 12, 12′, 12″ of the reference population represent inactive maps with respect to the analysis unit.

REFERENCE NUMERAL LIST

[0067] 10 active map [0068] 12 inactive map [0069] 12′ inactive map [0070] 12″ inactive map [0071] S1 adaptation of a characteristic [0072] S2 comparison between inactive and active characteristics [0073] S3 determination of a status of the controllable component