Method for Determining a Status of One of Multiple Machine Components of a Machine and Status-Determining System

Abstract

A method for determining a status of one of multiple machine components of a machine on the basis of a digital machine model, wherein the digital machine model describes the multiple machine components, includes the steps of: determining component manufacturer data of the multiple machine components; determining machine manufacturer data of the multiple machine components; determining machine operator data of the multiple machine components; and determining the status of the one of the multiple machine components by linking the determined component manufacturer data, the determined machine manufacturer data and the determined machine operator data.

Claims

1.-10. (canceled)

11. A method for determining a status of one of multiple machine components of a machine on the basis of a digital machine model, wherein the digital machine model describes the multiple machine components, wherein the method comprises the steps of: determining component manufacturer data of the multiple machine components; determining machine manufacturer data of the multiple machine components; determining machine operator data of the multiple machine components; and linking the determined component manufacturer data, the determined machine manufacturer data and the determined machine operator data to determine the status of the one of the multiple machine components.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the digital machine model is generated from a design system.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the multiple machine components have at least one mechanical and/or electrical machine component.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the component manufacturer data is information of a component manufacturer about one of the multiple machine components, including one or more of: a component manufacturer name, a type designation, a material number, a serial number, an article number, an order number, a firmware number, a firmware designation, a firmware status, a software version status, an availability level, a delivery time, a service life, a maintenance interval/maintenance intervals, a property, a connection diagram, an electrical characteristic value, an absolute minimum limiting value or maximum limiting value, a supply voltage, a power consumption level, an input current, a storage temperature, soldering temperature and/or operating temperature, a recommended operating condition, DC data, AC data, an input/output signal shape, a mechanical dimension, a contact arrangement, an environmental approval, a material and/or a recommendation for use.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the machine manufacturer data is information of a machine manufacturer about one of the multiple machine components, including: an arrangement and/or connection interaction of one of the multiple machine components with at least one other of the multiple machine components.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the machine operator data is information of a machine operator about one of the multiple machine components, including one or more of: a use, an operating condition, an operating time, a power level, a load, a temperature, an ambient condition, an air humidity level and/or a contamination level.

17. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising the step of: making available the component manufacturer data, the machine manufacturer data, the machine operator data and/or the status in a database.

18. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising the step of: determining information about one of the multiple machine components on the basis of the determined status.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the determined information comprises one or more of: maintenance information, ordering information and information about an alternative machine component.

20. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the machine manufacturer data is information of a machine manufacturer about one of the multiple machine components, including: an arrangement and/or connection interaction of one of the multiple machine components with at least one other of the multiple machine components.

21. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the machine operator data is information of a machine operator about one of the multiple machine components, including one or more of: a use, an operating condition, an operating time, a power level, a load, a temperature, an ambient condition, an air humidity level and a contamination level.

22. A status-determining system for determining a status of one of multiple machine components of a machine on the basis of a digital machine model, wherein the digital machine model describes the multiple machine components, wherein the status-determining system comprises: a component manufacturer determining device which is designed to determine component manufacturer data of the multiple machine components; a machine manufacturer determining device which is designed to determine machine manufacturer data of the multiple machine components; a machine operator determining device which is designed to determine machine operator data of the multiple machine components; and a status determining device which is designed to determine the status of the one of the multiple machine components by linking the determined component manufacturer data, the determined machine manufacturer data and the determined machine operator data.

23. The status determining system as claimed in claim 21, further comprising: at least one machine sensor which is designed for arrangement on one of the multiple machine components in order to determine machine operator data.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a method according to the invention and a status-determining system according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0028] FIG. 1 shows a method for determining a status ZS of one of multiple machine components MK of a machine MA on the basis of a digital machine model MM, wherein the digital machine model MM describes the multiple machine components MK. The method has the steps of: determining component manufacturer data KHD of the multiple machine components MK; determining machine manufacturer data MHD of the multiple machine components MK; determining machine operator data MBD of the multiple machine components MK; and determining the status ZS of the one of the multiple machine components MK by linking the determined component manufacturer data KHD, the determined machine manufacturer data MHD and the determined machine operator data MBD.

[0029] Furthermore, FIG. 1 shows a status-determining system 10 for determining the status ZS of the one of multiple machine components MK of the machine MA on the basis of the digital machine model MM, wherein the digital machine model MM describes the multiple machine components MK. The status-determining system 10 has a component manufacturer-determining device 11, a machine manufacturer-determining device 12, a machine operator-determining device 13 and a status-determining device 14. The component manufacturer-determining device 11 is designed to determine component manufacturer data KHD of the multiple machine components MK. The machine manufacturer-determining device 12 is designed to determine machine manufacturer data MHD of the multiple machine components MK. The machine operator-determining device 13 is designed to determine machine operator data MBD of the multiple machine components MK. The status-determining device 14 is designed to determine the status ZS of the one of the multiple machine components MK by linking the determined component manufacturer data KHD, the determined machine manufacturer data MHD and the determined machine operator data MBD.

[0030] In other words, the status-determining system 10 is designed to carry out the method described above.

[0031] In the exemplary embodiment shown, the state-determining device 14 is an, in particular, central computing and/or storage unit 14. Provided in the status-determining device 14 for each machine component MK is an associated memory area in which data/information relating to the machine component MK can be stored. In addition, in the exemplary embodiment shown the status-determining system 10 has a further computing and/or storage unit 15 which has the digital machine model MM. In alternative exemplary embodiments, the status-determining device 14 can have the digital machine model MM.

[0032] In detail, the digital machine model MM is generated from a design system KS. In the exemplary embodiment shown, a further computing and/or storage unit 16 has the design system KS. The computing and/or storage unit 16 can be part of the status-determining system 10. In alternative exemplary embodiments, the status-determining device 14 can have the design system KS, in particular data of the design system KS.

[0033] In detail, the component manufacturer data KHD is information of a component manufacturer KH about one of the multiple machine components MK. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the component manufacturer data KHD are present at the premises of the component manufacturer KH or on a server or an, in particular electrical, storage unit 21 of the component manufacturer KH. The status-determining system 10 or its component manufacturer-determining device 11 is designed to retrieve the component manufacturer data KHD from the component manufacturer KH and to transmit it to the status-determining device 14, in particular for storage in the associated memory area. The component manufacturer-determining device 11 can be referred to as a component manufacturer data retrieval and/or transmission device.

[0034] Furthermore, the machine manufacturer data MHD is information of a machine manufacturer MH about one of the multiple machine components MK. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the machine manufacturer data MHD is present at the premises of the machine manufacturer MH or on a server or an, in particular electrical, storage unit 22 of the machine manufacturer MH. The status-determining system 10 or its machine manufacturer-determining device 12 is designed to retrieve the machine manufacturer data MHD from the machine manufacturer MH and to transmit it to the status-determining device 14, in particular for storage in the associated memory area. The machine manufacturer-determining device 11 can be referred to as a machine manufacturer data retrieval and/or transmission device.

[0035] Moreover, the machine operator data MBD is information of a machine operator MB about one of the multiple machine components MK. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the machine operator data MBD is present at the premises of the machine operator MB or on a server or an, in particular electrical, storage unit 23 of the machine operator MB. The status-determining system 10 or its machine operator-determining device 13 is designed to retrieve the machine operator data MBD from the machine operator MB and to transmit it to the status-determining device 14, in particular for storage in the associated memory area. The machine operator-determining device 13 can be referred to as a machine operator data retrieval and/or transmission device.

[0036] Furthermore, the status-determining system ZS has at least one machine sensor MS. The machine sensor MS is designed for arrangement on one of the multiple machine components MK for determining machine operator data MBD.

[0037] In addition, the method comprises the step of: making available the component manufacturer data KHD, the machine manufacturer data MHD, the machine operator data MBD and/or the status ZS in a database DB, like a cloud, as illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0038] In addition, the method comprises the step of: determining information Info about one of the multiple machine components MK on the basis of the determined status ZS. In addition, in the exemplary embodiment shown the method has the step of: making available the determined information Info in the database DB.

[0039] The method or the status-determining system 10 permits integrated communication, for example between a sales representative, a producer, a service technician, in particular in each case, as an operator and/or machine levels.

[0040] In the exemplary embodiment shown, the machine MA has four machine components MK. In alternative exemplary embodiments, the machine can have fewer than four machine components or more than four machine components, in particular at least 10, in particular at least 100, in particular at least 1,000 machine components.

[0041] Moreover, in the exemplary embodiment shown, the status-determining system ZS has two machine sensors MS. In alternative exemplary embodiments, the status-determining system can have just a single or individual machine sensor or more than two machine sensors, in particular at least 10, in particular at least 100, in particular at least 1,000 machine sensors.

[0042] In detail, the multiple machine components MK have at least one mechanical and/or electrical machine component MEMK.

[0043] For example the mechanical machine component MEMK is a connecting bolt which mechanically connects further machine components MK to one another and at the same time is loaded by the further machine components MK, in particular while the machine MA is operating.

[0044] The machine sensor MS is designed to determine machine operator data MBD in the form of an operating period of the machine MA.

[0045] The status ZS of the connecting bolt MEMK is determined by linking the component manufacturer data KHD, in particular a property of the connecting bolt MEMK such as a permissible number of loads and an availability level and/or a delivery time of the connecting bolt MEMK, the machine manufacturer data MHD, in particular what type of further machine components MK are actually connected to one another mechanically by the connecting bolt MEMK and the machine operator data MBD.

[0046] The status describes whether the connecting bolt MEMK is still satisfactory or can still be loaded or not or is worn. Furthermore, the status describes whether the connecting bolt MEMK constitutes a risk with respect to failure of the machine MA or not. Even if the permissible number of loads of the connecting bolt MEMK is not directly reached or imminent, and therefore the connecting bolt MEMK is still satisfactory, a long delivery time of the connecting bolt MEMK has the effect that the connecting bolt MEMK constitutes a risk of failure of the machine MA, and the status ZS of the connecting bolt MEMK is therefore critical. The information Info about the connecting bolt MEMK, here the recommendation to order and keep in stock a replacement connecting bolt, is determined on the basis of the determined status ZS of the connecting bolt MEMK.

[0047] The component manufacturer data KHD, the machine manufacturer data MHD, the machine operator data MBD, the status ZS and the information Info can be retrieved from the database DB.

[0048] In addition, the status ZS, in particular if the status ZS is critical, and/or the information Info which is based thereon are/is output to the machine operator, the machine manufacturer and/or the component manufacturer, in particular automatically. This can be referred to as an, in particular automated, report function.

[0049] As the exemplary embodiments which are shown and explained above make clear, the invention makes available an advantageous method for determining a status of one of multiple machine components of a machine and an advantageous status-determining system which respectively permits improved determination of a status.