A monitoring method and system for tool usage times

Abstract

The present invention relates to a monitoring system and method for the number of times a tool is used, the system comprising: a first preset sensor, arranged beside a motion mechanism of any processing procedure of the monitored equipment; a second preset sensor, arranged on a material detection procedure of the monitored equipment; a controller determines the usage information of the tool of the monitored equipment through the first preset sensor; determines the idling information of the monitored equipment through the second preset sensor; and counts the number of times the tool of the monitored equipment is used according to the usage information and the idling information. The technical solution provided by the present invention determines the usage information of the tool of the monitored equipment through the first preset sensor, determines the idling information of the monitored equipment through the second preset sensor, and counts the number of times the tool of the monitored equipment is used according to the usage information and the idling information, thereby realizing automatic statistics of the number of times the tool of the monitored equipment is used, without the need for manual participation, with high statistical efficiency and accuracy, good user experience and high satisfaction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of equipment monitoring, and in particular to a method and system for monitoring the number of times a tool is used. Background Art

[0002] In the electrical manufacturing industry, the cutting tools of many equipment have a limited service life. After reaching a certain usage cycle or number of times, the cutting tools will become dull and deformed, resulting in defective products and problems such as uncut products, which require timely replacement.

[0003] The existing method for monitoring tool usage is to manually record the number of component processing times or the time the equipment is activated each day, and regularly summarize the total usage count to monitor the equipment's tool usage. The disadvantages of this method are that it requires a daily summary of the number of component processing times for each piece of equipment before the end of each shift, which is labor-intensive. Furthermore, due to the influence of material discard during the production process, the statistical data itself is subject to errors. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a method and system for monitoring the number of times a tool is used, so as to solve the problems of high manpower consumption and low efficiency caused by manual counting of the number of times a tool is used in the prior art.

[0005] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, a system for monitoring the number of times a tool is used is provided, comprising:

[0006] The first preset sensor is arranged next to the motion mechanism of any processing step of the monitored equipment;

[0007] The second preset sensor is arranged at the material detection process of the monitored equipment;

[0008] Controller for:

[0009] Determining usage information of a tool of a monitored device through a first preset sensor;

[0010] Determining idling information of the monitored equipment through a second preset sensor;

[0011] The number of times the tool of the monitored equipment is used is counted based on the usage information and the idling information.

[0012] Preferably, the system further comprises:

[0013] The human-computer interaction module is used to set the upper limit of the number of times the tool of the monitored equipment can be used;

[0014] The controller is further configured to determine whether the counted usage times are greater than the upper limit value. If so, the monitored device is controlled to shut down and alarm is triggered. Otherwise, the monitored device is controlled to continue to operate.

[0015] Preferably, the system further comprises:

[0016] An equipment emergency stop module is connected to the controller via a DRM relay;

[0017] The controller controls the monitored equipment to stop and alarm through the equipment emergency stop module.

[0018] According to a second aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, a method for monitoring the number of times a tool is used is provided, comprising:

[0019] Determining usage information of a tool of a monitored device through a first preset sensor;

[0020] Determining idling information of the monitored equipment through a second preset sensor;

[0021] Counting the number of times the tool of the monitored equipment is used based on the usage information and idling information;

[0022] Wherein, the first preset sensor is arranged beside the motion mechanism of any processing process of the monitored equipment; the second preset sensor is arranged in the material detection process of the monitored equipment.

[0023] Preferably, the first preset sensor includes: a proximity switch;

[0024] The first preset sensor is arranged next to the motion mechanism of the last processing step of the monitored equipment.

[0025] Preferably, determining usage information of a tool of the monitored equipment includes:

[0026] When the moving mechanism of the monitored device approaches the proximity switch, the proximity switch outputs an induction signal to confirm that the tool of the monitored device has completed one use.

[0027] Preferably, determining the idling information of the monitored device is specifically:

[0028] If the material monitoring process determines that there is no material level above the current material level, the second preset sensor outputs a sensing signal to determine that the monitored equipment is idling;

[0029] If the material monitoring process determines that there is a material level above the current material level, the second preset sensor does not output a sensing signal, confirming that the monitored equipment is not idling.

[0030] Preferably, the counting of the number of times the tool of the monitored equipment is used is specifically:

[0031] If the usage information indicates that the tool of the monitored device has been used once, and the idling information indicates that the monitored device is not idling, the number of times the current tool is used is accumulated;

[0032] If the usage information indicates that the tool of the monitored device has completed one use, but the idling information indicates that the monitored device is currently idling, the current tool usage count is not accumulated.

[0033] Preferably, the method further comprises:

[0034] Set the upper limit of the number of times the tool of the monitored equipment can be used;

[0035] It is determined whether the counted usage times are greater than the upper limit value. If so, the monitored device is controlled to shut down and an alarm is issued. Otherwise, the monitored device is controlled to continue to operate.

[0036] Preferably, the method further comprises:

[0037] When the monitored device is shut down, the currently counted usage times are reset to zero before the monitored device can be restarted.

[0038] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present invention may have the following beneficial effects:

[0039] The usage information of the tool of the monitored equipment is determined through the first preset sensor, and the idling information of the monitored equipment is determined through the second preset sensor. Based on the usage information and idling information, the number of times the tool of the monitored equipment is used is counted, thereby realizing automatic statistics of the number of times the tool of the monitored equipment is used, without the need for human participation, with high statistical efficiency and accuracy, good user experience and high satisfaction.

[0040] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0042] Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of a system for monitoring the number of times a tool is used according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0043] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a system for monitoring the number of times a tool is used according to another exemplary embodiment;

[0044] Figure 3 The figure is a flow chart of a method for monitoring the number of times a tool is used, according to an exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, when referring to the drawings, like numbers in different figures represent like or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments are not intended to represent all possible embodiments consistent with the present invention. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatus and methods consistent with certain aspects of the present invention, as detailed in the appended claims.

[0046] Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of a tool usage monitoring system 100 according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 1 As shown, the system includes:

[0047] The first preset sensor 101 is arranged next to the motion mechanism of any processing step of the monitored equipment;

[0048] The second preset sensor 102 is provided at the material detection process of the monitored equipment;

[0049] The controller 103 is configured to:

[0050] Determining usage information of a tool of a monitored device through a first preset sensor;

[0051] Determining idling information of the monitored equipment through a second preset sensor;

[0052] The number of times the tool of the monitored equipment is used is counted based on the usage information and the idling information.

[0053] It should be noted that the monitored equipment refers to the equipment used for processing, cutting, and welding various electrical appliances or parts on the production line, and the tool refers to the tool installed on the monitored equipment.

[0054] Preferably, the controller includes but is not limited to: a PLC controller, a single chip microcomputer, a DSP processor, an FPGA controller, etc.

[0055] It is understandable that a monitored device may have only one tool installed, or multiple tools installed for different processing steps. The technical solution provided by this embodiment can not only count the number of times a tool is used on a monitored device, but also count the number of times all tools are used on the monitored device. It has a wide range of applications, strong compatibility, and a good user experience.

[0056] It can be understood that the technical solution provided in this embodiment determines the usage information of the tool of the monitored equipment through a first preset sensor, and determines the idling information of the monitored equipment through a second preset sensor. Based on the usage information and idling information, the number of times the tool of the monitored equipment is used is counted, thereby realizing automatic statistics of the number of times the tool of the monitored equipment is used, without the need for human participation, with high statistical efficiency and accuracy, good user experience and high satisfaction.

[0057] Preferably, the first preset sensor includes: a proximity switch;

[0058] The first preset sensor is arranged next to the motion mechanism of the last processing step of the monitored equipment.

[0059] Preferably, determining usage information of a tool of the monitored equipment includes:

[0060] When the moving mechanism of the monitored device approaches the proximity switch, the proximity switch outputs an induction signal to confirm that the tool of the monitored device has completed one use.

[0061] It is understandable that, since the processing steps of the monitored equipment are continuous, the series of actions for processing and cutting products (such as feeding, clamping, positive and negative pole determination, bending, cutting, material ejection determination, and material discharge, etc.) are all completed continuously within the monitored equipment. These motion mechanisms of the monitored equipment maintain the same operating frequency. Therefore, all processing actions of the monitored equipment can be regarded as moving as a whole. Therefore, it can be considered that each time the motion mechanism of any processing step of the monitored equipment moves, one product is processed, and the tool of the monitored equipment is used once. Therefore, by installing a first preset sensor next to the motion mechanism of any processing step of the monitored equipment, the motion information of the motion mechanism can be read to determine the usage information of the tool.

[0062] Take the first preset sensor as a proximity switch and the controller as a PLC controller as an example:

[0063] When the motion mechanism approaches the proximity switch, the proximity switch senses a signal and transmits it to the PLC controller, which counts it once. When the motion mechanism moves away from the proximity switch, the proximity switch no longer senses the signal. Each time a product is processed, the motion mechanism moves "closer" to and away from the proximity switch, and the proximity switch transmits a sensing signal to the PLC controller, which counts it once, representing one use of the monitored tool.

[0064] Preferably, determining the idling information of the monitored device is specifically:

[0065] If the material monitoring process determines that there is no material level above the current material level, the second preset sensor outputs a sensing signal to determine that the monitored equipment is idling;

[0066] If the material monitoring process determines that there is a material level above the current material level, the second preset sensor does not output a sensing signal, confirming that the monitored equipment is not idling.

[0067] Preferably, the counting of the number of times the tool of the monitored equipment is used is specifically:

[0068] If the usage information indicates that the tool of the monitored device has been used once, and the idling information indicates that the monitored device is not idling, the number of times the current tool is used is accumulated;

[0069] If the usage information indicates that the tool of the monitored device has completed one use, but the idling information indicates that the monitored device is currently idling, the current tool usage count is not accumulated.

[0070] It is understandable that the monitored equipment may idle when processing products. In order to ensure the accuracy of tool usage statistics, it is necessary to prevent the idle signal of the monitored equipment from being transmitted to the PLC for counting.

[0071] See also Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of a system for monitoring the number of tool usages according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 In the figure, 1 is a proximity switch, 2 is a magnetic sensor, 3 is a diode material, 4 is the diode polarity contact detection module built into the monitored device, and 5 is a material sensor. The monitored device is equipped with a pneumatic cylinder-controlled fixture that controls the diode material polarity detection. A 3C-D-A93-SMC magnetic sensor can be installed on this cylinder. When the device is idling, material sensor 5 cannot detect material and will alarm. The monitored device will also alarm indicating a polarity shortage. At this time, the PLC will not activate the pneumatic cylinder, and magnetic sensor 2 installed on the cylinder will continue to output a sensing signal.

[0072] The proximity switch 1 is used to detect whether the last processing step is completed. If completed, the proximity switch outputs an induction signal.

[0073] The sensing signals output by the proximity switch 1 and the magnetic sensor 2 are both sent to the PLC controller. The control logic of the PLC is: when the proximity switch 1 outputs a sensing signal and the magnetic sensor 2 does not output a sensing signal, the PLC counts once and accumulates the current number of times the tool has been used; otherwise, the PLC does not count and does not accumulate the current number of times the tool has been used. The advantage of this setting is that it can prevent the tool usage count signal from being accumulated when the monitored equipment is idling.

[0074] Preferably, the system further comprises:

[0075] The human-computer interaction module is used to set the upper limit of the number of times the tool of the monitored equipment can be used;

[0076] The controller is further configured to determine whether the counted usage times are greater than the upper limit value. If so, the monitored device is controlled to shut down and alarm is triggered. Otherwise, the monitored device is controlled to continue to operate.

[0077] Preferably, the human-computer interaction module is a touch screen.

[0078] Preferably, the human-computer interaction module is also used to display the current usage count of the tool of the monitored equipment.

[0079] It is understandable that by setting an upper limit on the number of uses, the tool is guaranteed to be used within its normal service life. After exceeding the upper limit, the system will automatically alarm, reminding the user to replace the tool in time. The user does not need to monitor the number of tool uses at all times, which provides a good user experience. In addition, timely shutdown and alarm also ensure the safety and reliability of the system.

[0080] Preferably, the system further comprises:

[0081] An equipment emergency stop module is connected to the controller via a DRM relay;

[0082] The controller controls the monitored equipment to stop and alarm through the equipment emergency stop module.

[0083] Preferably, when the monitored device is shut down, the user can restart the monitored device only after clearing the currently counted usage times through the human-computer interaction module.

[0084] It should be noted that to improve system security and reliability, after replacing a new tool, a dedicated person must log in to the system and reset the current count on the monitored device before it can be started. Differentiated accounts are set up to grant different employees different permissions to prevent employees from unauthorizedly resetting counts or changing the upper limit of the number of uses. The system also features a power-off memory function to prevent data loss after a power outage.

[0085] Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a method for monitoring the number of times a tool is used according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 3 As shown, the method includes:

[0086] Step S1: Determine usage information of a tool of a monitored device through a first preset sensor;

[0087] Step S2: Determine the idling information of the monitored device through a second preset sensor;

[0088] Step S3: Counting the number of times the tool of the monitored equipment is used based on the usage information and the idling information;

[0089] Wherein, the first preset sensor is arranged beside the motion mechanism of any processing process of the monitored equipment; the second preset sensor is arranged in the material detection process of the monitored equipment.

[0090] It should be noted that the monitored equipment refers to the equipment used for processing, cutting, and welding various electrical appliances or parts on the production line, and the tool refers to the tool installed on the monitored equipment.

[0091] It is understandable that a monitored device may have only one tool installed, or multiple tools installed for different processing steps. The technical solution provided by this embodiment can not only count the number of times a tool is used on a monitored device, but also count the number of times all tools are used on the monitored device. It has a wide range of applications, strong compatibility, and a good user experience.

[0092] It can be understood that the technical solution provided in this embodiment determines the usage information of the tool of the monitored equipment through a first preset sensor, and determines the idling information of the monitored equipment through a second preset sensor. Based on the usage information and idling information, the number of times the tool of the monitored equipment is used is counted, thereby realizing automatic statistics of the number of times the tool of the monitored equipment is used, without the need for human participation, with high statistical efficiency and accuracy, good user experience and high satisfaction.

[0093] Preferably, the first preset sensor includes: a proximity switch;

[0094] The first preset sensor is arranged next to the motion mechanism of the last processing step of the monitored equipment.

[0095] Preferably, determining usage information of a tool of the monitored equipment includes:

[0096] When the moving mechanism of the monitored device approaches the proximity switch, the proximity switch outputs an induction signal to confirm that the tool of the monitored device has completed one use.

[0097] Preferably, determining the idling information of the monitored device is specifically:

[0098] If the material monitoring process determines that there is no material level above the current material level, the second preset sensor outputs a sensing signal to determine that the monitored equipment is idling;

[0099] If the material monitoring process determines that there is a material level above the current material level, the second preset sensor does not output a sensing signal, confirming that the monitored equipment is not idling.

[0100] Preferably, the counting of the number of times the tool of the monitored equipment is used is specifically:

[0101] If the usage information indicates that the tool of the monitored device has been used once, and the idling information indicates that the monitored device is not idling, the number of times the current tool is used is accumulated;

[0102] If the usage information indicates that the tool of the monitored device has completed one use, but the idling information indicates that the monitored device is currently idling, the current tool usage count is not accumulated.

[0103] Preferably, the method further comprises:

[0104] Set the upper limit of the number of times the tool of the monitored equipment can be used;

[0105] It is determined whether the counted usage times are greater than the upper limit value. If so, the monitored device is controlled to shut down and an alarm is issued. Otherwise, the monitored device is controlled to continue to operate.

[0106] It is understandable that by setting an upper limit on the number of uses, the tool is guaranteed to be used within its normal service life. After exceeding the upper limit, the system will automatically alarm, reminding the user to replace the tool in time. The user does not need to monitor the number of tool uses at all times, which provides a good user experience. In addition, timely shutdown and alarm also ensure the safety and reliability of the system.

[0107] Preferably, the method further comprises:

[0108] When the monitored device is shut down, the currently counted usage times are reset to zero before the monitored device can be restarted.

[0109] It should be noted that to improve system security and reliability, after replacing a new tool, a dedicated person must log in to the system and reset the current count on the monitored device before it can be started. Differentiated accounts are set up to grant different employees different permissions to prevent employees from unauthorizedly resetting counts or changing the upper limit of the number of uses. The system also features a power-off memory function to prevent data loss after a power outage.

[0110] It can be understood that the same or similar parts of the above embodiments can be referenced to each other, and the contents not described in detail in some embodiments can refer to the same or similar contents in other embodiments.

[0111] It should be noted that, in the description of the present invention, the terms "first", "second", etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. In addition, in the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two.

[0112] Any process or method description in a flowchart or otherwise described herein may be understood to represent a module, segment or portion of code comprising one or more executable instructions for implementing the steps of a specific logical function or process, and the scope of the preferred embodiments of the present invention includes alternative implementations in which functions may be performed out of the order shown or discussed, including performing functions in a substantially simultaneous manner or in the reverse order depending on the functions involved, which should be understood by those skilled in the art to which the embodiments of the present invention pertain.

[0113] It should be understood that various parts of the present invention can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. In the above-described embodiments, multiple steps or methods can be implemented using software or firmware stored in a memory and executed by a suitable instruction execution system. For example, if implemented using hardware, as in another embodiment, any one of the following technologies known in the art or a combination thereof can be used: a discrete logic circuit having a logic gate circuit for implementing a logic function on a data signal, an application-specific integrated circuit having a suitable combination of logic gate circuits, a programmable gate array (PGA), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), etc.

[0114] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps in the method of the above embodiment can be completed by instructing related hardware through a program, and the program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, it includes one or a combination of the steps of the method embodiment.

[0115] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of the present invention may be integrated into a single processing module, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into a single module. The aforementioned integrated modules may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules. If the integrated modules are implemented in the form of software functional modules and sold or used as independent products, they may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium.

[0116] The storage medium mentioned above can be a read-only memory, a magnetic disk or an optical disk, etc.

[0117] Throughout this specification, reference to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "examples," "specific examples," or "some examples" means that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in conjunction with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0118] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it will be understood that the above embodiments are illustrative and are not to be construed as limitations on the present invention. A person skilled in the art may change, modify, replace and modify the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A tool usage monitoring system, characterized in that: include: The first preset sensor is arranged beside the motion mechanism of any processing step of the monitored equipment; A second preset sensor is arranged at a material detection process of the monitored equipment; Controller for: Determine the usage information of the tool of the monitored equipment through the first preset sensor; Determining the idling information of the monitored equipment through the second preset sensor, including: if the material monitoring process determines that there is no material level at the current material level, the second preset sensor outputs a sensing signal to determine that the monitored equipment is idling; if the material monitoring process determines that there is a material level at the current material level, the second preset sensor does not output a sensing signal to determine that the monitored equipment is not idling; According to the usage information and the idling information, the number of times the tool of the monitored equipment is used is counted, including: if the usage information indicates that the tool of the monitored equipment has been used once, and the idling information indicates that the currently monitored equipment is not idling, the number of times the current tool is used is accumulated; if the usage information indicates that the tool of the monitored equipment has been used once, but the idling information indicates that the currently monitored equipment is idling, the number of times the current tool is used is not accumulated.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that Also includes: A human-computer interaction module is used to set the upper limit of the number of times the tool of the monitored equipment can be used; The controller is also used to determine whether the statistical usage times are greater than the upper limit value. If so, the monitored device is controlled to shut down and alarm. Otherwise, the monitored device is controlled to continue to operate.

3. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that Also includes: An equipment emergency stop module is connected to the controller via a DRM relay; The controller controls the monitored equipment to stop and alarm through the equipment emergency stop module.

4. A method for monitoring the number of times a tool is used, characterized in that: include: Determine the usage information of the tool of the monitored equipment through the first preset sensor, including: if the material monitoring process determines that there is no material level at the current material level, the second preset sensor outputs a sensing signal to determine that the monitored equipment is idling; if the material monitoring process determines that there is a material level at the current material level, the second preset sensor does not output a sensing signal to determine that the monitored equipment is not idling; Determining idling information of the monitored equipment through a second preset sensor; According to the usage information and the idling information, the usage times of the tool of the monitored equipment are counted, including: if the usage information indicates that the tool of the monitored equipment has been used once, and the idling information indicates that the currently monitored equipment is not idling, the usage times of the current tool are accumulated; if the usage information indicates that the tool of the monitored equipment has been used once, but the idling information indicates that the currently monitored equipment is idling, the usage times of the current tool are not accumulated; Wherein, the first preset sensor is arranged beside the motion mechanism of any processing procedure of the monitored equipment; and the second preset sensor is arranged in the material detection procedure of the monitored equipment.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The first preset sensor includes: a proximity switch; The first preset sensor is arranged beside the motion mechanism of the last processing step of the monitored equipment.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The step of determining usage information of a tool of a monitored device includes: When the moving mechanism of the monitored device approaches the proximity switch, the proximity switch outputs an induction signal to determine that the tool of the monitored device has completed one use.

7. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that: Also includes: Set the upper limit of the number of times the tool of the monitored equipment can be used; It is determined whether the counted number of times of use is greater than the upper limit value. If so, the monitored device is controlled to shut down and an alarm is issued. Otherwise, the monitored device is controlled to continue to operate.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that Also includes: When the monitored device is shut down, the currently counted usage times are reset to zero before the monitored device can be restarted.

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