ROCK PROCESSING MACHINE WITH WEAR ASSESSMENT AND QUALITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF WEAR ASSESSMENT

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a rock processing machine, which comprises as machine components: a material feeding device with a material buffer for loading with starting material to be processed, at least one working device consisting of + at least one crushing device and + at least one screening device, at least one conveying device for conveying material between two machine components, an output device for outputting information, wherein the rock processing machine is assigned a data processing device with a data memory connected to the data processing device for data transmission, wherein the output device is connected to the data processing device for data transmission, wherein the data processing device is designed to determine wear information relating to a wear state of a work tool arrangement of the at least one work device on the basis of data that can be retrieved from the data memory and which is based on at least one data collection basis, and to output said wear information by means of the output device.

[0002] Such a generic rock processing machine, which comprises the data processing device as a machine component, is known from WO 2008 / - 021040 A1.

[0003] Due to their physically abrasive interaction with mineral rock, rock processing machines are subject to above-average wear compared to other work machines. This applies particularly to crushing devices, which are the working devices of a rock processing machine. Unlike screening devices, these devices do not sort mineral rock solely based on their mesh size by utilizing a relative movement between the rock and the screening device. Instead, they use crushing tools to exert a force on the rock in the crushing device that exceeds the rock's intended fracture strength. This crushes the rock in the crushing device.As the rock is crushed in the crushing device, the number of rock grains in the rock processing machine and in particular the crushing device increases, whereby with the number of rock grains, the number of wear-promoting sharp fracture edges in the rock processing machine also increases.

[0004] The service life of a working tool assembly, i.e., the ability of a working tool assembly to perform work as intended from the initial use until the limit of its usability is reached, in rock processing machines is essentially exclusively dependent on wear. As a rule, the wear limit of the working tool assembly is reached during operation of the rock processing machine before another event occurs that terminates the service life or usability of the working tool assembly. Therefore, for the proactive operation of a rock processing machine, determining the wear status of the working tool assembly is helpful in planning further operation and the remaining operating capacity until the next maintenance of the rock processing machine, thus achieving the highest possible productivity of the rock processing machine.

[0005] The rock processing machine known from WO 2008 / 021040 A1 determines a wear model from historical wear data collected for the respective tool assembly. Based on this wear model, it enables the selective determination of wear information and a wear prediction for the affected tool assembly during operation. The data used to determine the wear information in WO 2008 / 021040 A1 are comparative measurements of wear on identical tool assemblies during previous intended use.

[0006] WO 2008 / 021040 A1 also teaches measuring the residual thickness of the working tool assembly remaining after a certain period of operation and comparing the measured residual thickness with historical wear data. Based on the comparison, a historical data series particularly applicable to the particular application is selected from several historical wear data sets. Alternatively, historical wear data that are close in magnitude to the measured residual thickness are selected and a data series for the currently considered working tool assembly is interpolated from these data sets. The selected or interpolated data series then serves as the basis for calculating wear information about a presumably existing wear condition or a wear condition expected in the future.

[0007] WO 2008 / 021040 A1 further teaches determining a wear rate based on the initial thickness of the working tool assembly in the wear-free state, a residual thickness measured at a point in time after a period of use, and the period of use elapsed in the meantime. Using the wear rate, the residual capacity in the form of a remaining service life is calculated. Finally, WO 2008 / 021040 A1 teaches comparing the calculated wear rate with wear rates determined from historical wear data and, if necessary, modifying operating parameters of the rock processing machine based on the result of the wear rate comparison.

[0008] Wear predictions determined in this way, i.e., as in the state of the art described above, are, firstly, only possible if actual historical wear data is available. However, if this historical wear data is available, the specific numerical values ​​obtained with the wear predictions often convey a false sense of certainty. Relying on the accuracy of the provided numerical values, which are in fact subject to uncertainty, predicted wear events may then occur earlier than expected, catching the machine operator unprepared despite the prediction or even causing damage to the machine. Or maintenance work may be initiated too early based on the predictions, thus underutilizing the work tool arrangement.

[0009] The object of the present invention is to further develop a rock processing machine of the type mentioned above in such a way that the operator supplied with wear information via the output device can be informed about the quality of the determined wear information, in particular about its accuracy. Furthermore, it is desirable to enable the provision of wear information independent of the availability of historical wear data. In this case, it is especially helpful to provide the operator with an indication of the quality of the wear information.

[0010] The present invention solves this problem in a rock processing machine of the type mentioned at the outset, in which the data processing device is further designed to determine quality information relating to a quality of the wear information for the determined wear information, based on at least one data collection basis on which at least part of the data used to determine the wear information is based, and to output said quality information by means of the output device.

[0011] This fundamentally offers the possibility of using data from different data collection sources, not only based on historical data from comparable work applications of a comparable work device, to determine wear information. However, since the quality, in particular the accuracy, of a result regarding the wear condition determined using the available data depends heavily on the data collection basis, i.e., on the type and / or extent of knowledge the available data is based on, the rock processing machine of the present invention can also output quality information associated with the wear information along with the wear information, which indicates to the responsible operator how much trust they can legitimately have in the output wear information.This helps prevent the capacity of a work piece from being underutilized due to inaccurate wear information, or from being overused to the point of damaging machine components of the rock processing machine. For example, based on the quality information, a machine operator can estimate a timeframe in which to start inspecting the work piece to gain an up-to-date impression of the actual wear status of the work piece and its work tool arrangement.

[0012] As stated at the beginning, the working device can be a screening device, in which case the working tool arrangement is one or more screens.

[0013] Preferably, because it is subject to greater wear, the working device is a crushing device. In this case, the working tool arrangement can be a single crushing tool, such as a crushing jaw, an impact rocker, a crushing cone, a crushing shell, a blow bar, or a crushing roller. Or the working tool arrangement can be a combination of several, for example two, crushing tools, such as crushing jaws, impact rockers, crushing cones and crushing shells, crushing rollers, or blow bars, which define a crushing gap between them.

[0014] The service capacity can be expressed in various units. The service life is known as the operating time from the start of the first use until complete wear. However, the service capacity can also be specified as a service quantity, such as a service mass or service volume, which then indicates the amount of rock, for example, in tons or cubic meters, that is processed by the working tool assembly from the first use until complete wear. While in the present application, the service capacity refers to the total operating capacity of the working tool assembly, the term "residual service capacity" refers to the operating capacity remaining from a specific point in time until complete wear. In the unworn state of the working tool assembly, the residual service capacity is equal to the service capacity.

[0015] In principle, it can be provided that the data processing device determines and outputs the quality information only based on a subset of the data collection bases of the data used to determine the wear information. For example, it can be envisaged that the most inaccurate data collection base or the data collection base that leads to the most inaccurate data determines the quality information. In order to be able to output the most meaningful quality information possible, however, it is preferred if the data processing device is designed to determine the quality information associated with the determined wear information based on the at least one data collection base on which the data used to determine the wear information is based and to output it by means of the output device.In this case, if several data collection bases apply, all data collection bases are taken into account when determining the quality information.

[0016] The quality information can, for example, be output as a tolerance or deviation range. Such a tolerance range indicates the extent to which the actual wear condition can deviate from the determined wear condition. The tolerance range can be specified quantitatively, among other things, as a percentage deviation or in absolute numbers by its range limits. Furthermore, in a particularly simple and preferred model, the quality information can include an assignment of the wear information to an accuracy class from a plurality of different predetermined accuracy classes. In this case, specifying one accuracy class assigned to the wear information from a plurality of accuracy classes can be sufficient. The accuracy classes can be numbered consecutively with respect to their increasing accuracy or identified with consecutive letters.As explained above, the accuracy classes can be differentiated quantitatively or linguistically and qualitatively, for example, as accuracy classes "high," "medium," "low," and the like, whereby the mention of three accuracy classes is only exemplary. Preferably, each accuracy class from a group of accuracy classes, particularly preferably from the plurality of accuracy classes, represents a different tolerance range within which a deviation in the amount of actual wear from the output wear information is permissible.

[0017] In order to qualitatively or quantitatively assess a wear condition, it is helpful to relate it to the performance capability, also referred to above as "operating capacity," of the wear-free work tool arrangements. A particularly suitable value for enabling this correlation is the aforementioned stand capacity, represented by a stand capacity value. Available stand capacity values ​​preferably differ in the data collection basis on which they are based.

[0018] Preferably, the data used to determine the wear information therefore comprise a stand capacity value of the working tool arrangement, wherein the stand capacity value can be based on at least one of the following different data collection bases, listed in an order of increasing accuracy: i. a flat-rate indication of the stand capacity value, and ii. an application-related indication of the stand capacity value.

[0019] The above list of possible data collection bases for determining the stand capacity value is only exemplary and not exhaustive. Other data collection bases are possible.

[0020] A blanket statement of the capacity value is, for example, a capacity value specified by the manufacturer or a processor or repairer of the working tool assembly without specifying or considering the operating conditions. Such capacity values ​​are generally statistically determined or theoretically calculated in a way that is not precisely known or verifiable. Since they do not take into account the specific conditions of the respective applications of the working tool assembly, such as which rock with which target grain size is to be crushed, blanket stated capacity values ​​are not particularly accurate.

[0021] More precise stand capacity values ​​are available when they are specified in relation to the application, i.e. taking into account the application conditions, such as rock type, target grain size, a component upstream of the working tool arrangement in question, such as a pre-screen, pre-crusher, upstream crushing device and the like, the degree to which the working device is filled with rock, the type and design of the working tool arrangement and / or the rock processing machine to which the working tool arrangement is used, etc. To determine an application-based stand capacity, historical data can be used which identify previous applications and the stand capacity achieved in each case.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the usage-based standby capacity value can be determined for the affected type of work tool assemblies from data assignments in an experience database. The experience database can include, as data assignments, a plurality of experience standby capacities and historical usage conditions associated with these experience standby capacities, wherein the experience standby capacity was achieved under the respectively associated historical usage condition.

[0023] Point ii., regarding the data collection basis for the standby capacity value used, can be further subdivided, for example, depending on how many mission-identifying parameters are available to link a standby capacity value to a mission and its operational conditions. A further subdivision can be made based on the number of different historical missions for which historical operational data and associated standby capacity values ​​are available.It is therefore easy to see that a stand capacity value for the considered work tool arrangement, which is based on a large number of different historical uses, each of which has a large number of parameters identifying the respective use, for comparison with the current use for which the wear information is determined, has a higher reliability and accuracy than a stand capacity value whose data collection basis includes a smaller number of historical uses or whose data collection basis includes the same number of historical uses, but which are identified by a smaller number of use data. The reliability and accuracy are even lower if the data collection basis of the stand capacity value has both a smaller number of historical uses and a smaller number of use data for each historical use to identify it.

[0024] Another important factor in determining wear is the wear-causing load during use of the work tool assembly. The data used to determine wear information therefore preferably includes a load value representing the operational load of the work tool assembly. The load value can be based on at least one of the following data collection methods, listed in order of increasing accuracy: a. a period of use elapsed since the wear-free working tool arrangement was used, and b. a quantity of work processed since the wear-free working tool arrangement was used, and c. a period of use or a quantity of use taking into account the load effects that occurred during use.

[0025] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the data processing device can be designed to determine the operating load time or the operating load quantity as an operating duration or operating quantity corrected for load effects that occurred during use, on the one hand, from the elapsed operating time and / or the processed operating quantity and on the other hand from operating data - wherein the operating data represent operating conditions under which the work tool arrangement has been used during its previous operating duration.

[0026] This list of possible data collection bases for the load value is also not complete or final.

[0027] Here, it is initially assumed that a determined operating time allows a less precise statement about the load on the work tool arrangements than a determined input quantity, because the mere passage of time during an operation does not provide any information about the utilisation of the work equipment and therefore about the wear-related load on the work tool arrangement. An even greater degree of accuracy in determining the load is achieved by using operation data, as already mentioned above as an example. For example, it makes a difference whether hard, sharp-edged rock or soft, blunt rock was processed during the determined operating time and whether the feed material was only coarsely crushed or divided into a finer grain. This operation data can also be applied accordingly to the input quantity. In this way, the operating time and theBy weighting or correcting the usage data of at least one previous usage, a usage load time or usage load quantity can be determined that reflects the wear-relevant load more accurately than the usage quantity or usage time alone. For example, in this way, a usage time or usage quantity can be converted to a fictitious usage, which forms the basis for determining the service life or service quantity or a merely generalized service capacity of the work tool arrangements.

[0028] Wear information can advantageously be an indication of a residual capacity, which is determined, for example, on the basis of a difference between the residual capacity of the wear-free working tool arrangement and the determined load value, whether related to time or quantity and whether further taking into account usage data or without such consideration.

[0029] Again, the quality information provided may depend on the type and / or extent of the data collection bases available for determining the load value described above.

[0030] For particularly high accuracy in determining the wear condition of the working tool arrangement, the rock processing machine preferably comprises a wear determination arrangement.

[0031] Based on the possibility already described above of sorting different data collection bases of the load value with ascending accuracy, the load value can be based on the following data collection basis in the order already started with ascending accuracy: d. a determined range of motion of the work tool arrangement, whereby the range of motion changes depending on the wear condition of the work tool arrangement.

[0032] The wear detection arrangement can, for example, comprise an adjustment device for the working tool arrangement itself, by means of which the working tool arrangement can be adjusted relative to the machine frame. This is particularly relevant for at least one crushing tool as the working tool arrangement, since for a so-called zero point determination, the at least one crushing tool of a crushing device as the working tool arrangement is moved until the crushing gap assigned to the working tool arrangement is zero. Depending on the extent to which the working tool arrangement is worn, the adjustment path for an operating position with a crushing gap width of zero varies, or at the end of the adjustment movement an arrangement location is reached which is different from an original arrangement location of the wear-free working tool arrangement. For example, depending on a path traveled during the zero point determination orDepending on the location of the working tool arrangement achieved, a relatively accurate impression of the wear condition can be obtained and output as wear information or taken into account to determine the wear information.

[0033] For an even more precise determination of the wear condition, the rock processing machine can have a wear sensor arrangement for sensor-based determination of the wear condition of the working tool arrangement. Essentially, the aforementioned wear detection arrangement is also a type of wear sensor arrangement that allows a quantitative determination of the wear of the working tool arrangement. In contrast to the more general wear detection arrangement, the wear sensor arrangement referred to here is intended to express that at least one dedicated sensor is provided that detects the wear condition of the working tool arrangement using sensors.

[0034] The load value can therefore be based on the following data collection basis in the order already started with increasing accuracy: e. wear sensor data recorded on the work tool arrangement.

[0035] Such a wear sensor arrangement may comprise a camera for optically detecting the work tool arrangement and its wear and / or may comprise a sensing element with which the position of a wear-relevant outer surface of the work tool arrangement is determined through physical contact and / or may comprise a wear element built into the work tool arrangement, which is arranged at a predetermined wear limit and whose destruction due to wear triggers a signal indicating that the wear limit assigned to the wear element has been reached. Additional wear sensors may be used additionally or alternatively.

[0036] As explained in detail above, the individual accuracy classes can differ from the majority of accuracy classes based on the data collection basis of the service capacity value and / or the load value. Preferably, the determined wear information indicates the remaining service capacity until an operation-limiting wear limit is reached.

[0037] The working device is preferably a crushing device, which is generally subject to much higher wear loads than a screening device. A control device of the rock processing machine can then be designed, according to an embodiment already indicated above in connection with the zero point determination, to change a crushing gap width of a crushing gap between two crushing tools as the working tool arrangement of the crushing device by displacing at least one crushing tool relative to the other crushing tool contributing to the formation of the crushing gap. The control device is then preferably designed to determine wear information relating to a wear state of the working tool arrangement by changing the crushing gap to a crushing gap width of zero. The wear determination arrangement therefore preferably comprises the control device.

[0038] The crushing device can be any known crushing device, such as an impact crusher, a jaw crusher, a cone crusher, or a roller crusher. If the rock processing machine has more than one crushing device, these crushing devices can be of the same type or different types. Each individual crushing device can be one of the above-mentioned crusher types: impact crusher, jaw crusher, cone crusher, and roller crusher.

[0039] The control device is preferably designed for information input by a machine operator or another person, such as a construction site coordinator, or for automated information input or transmission by a data processing system, such as a maintenance computer located remotely from the rock processing machine for technical monitoring. For this purpose, according to a preferred development of the present invention, the rock processing machine can comprise an input device for inputting information, wherein the input device for transmitting information is connected to the control device for signal transmission.

[0040] The input device can be any input device, such as a keyboard, a touchscreen, and the like. The input device can therefore be designed as an input / output device in combination with the output device. The input device can also be connected to the control device for signal transmission via a conductor or a radio link, so that it does not necessarily have to be physically present on the rock processing machine. A connection with the intermediate arrangement of the data memory, in which information entered into the input device and / or information output by the wear sensor arrangement described in more detail below is stored as data and retrieved as stored data by the control device, is also considered a signal transmission connection between the input device or the wear sensor arrangement and the control device.Likewise, the input device and / or the wear sensor arrangement can be directly connected to the data memory for signal transmission, so that the input device can transmit information entered into it directly to the data memory for storage, just as the wear sensor arrangement can transmit the results of its detection operation.

[0041] The wear information can be output at the request of an operator or a cooperating data processing system through the input device, according to a predetermined schedule or continuously during operation.

[0042] Data that will not change over the operating life of the rock processing machine or can only be changed with considerable effort, for example, data concerning the mechanical configuration of the rock processing machine and its components, can be permanently stored in the data storage device and stored, for example, by the manufacturer of the rock processing machine during its production or before its delivery. Should the machine configuration nevertheless change, for example, during maintenance or repair, the company performing the maintenance or repair can make the corresponding changes to the data storage device.

[0043] The data storage device can be physically connected to the control device via a signal line and / or non-physically connected to the signal transmission system, for example, via a radio link or by transmitting optical signals. In principle, the data storage device can therefore be provided separately and at a distance from the rest of the rock processing machine. The "rest of the rock processing machine" is represented by its machine body. The machine body comprises the machine frame and all components of the rock processing machine connected to it, even if these are arranged to be movable relative to the machine frame.

[0044] The control device can be designed separately from the aforementioned data processing device or, in order to minimize the number of components required to manufacture and operate the rock processing machines, can comprise or be the data processing device. If the control device is designed separately from the data processing device, the control device is preferably connected to the data processing device for data transmission purposes, so that the control device and the data processing device can exchange data with one another. The control device and / or the data processing device preferably comprise at least one integrated circuit, such as a CPU with connected electronic peripherals, for example comprising memory modules, data buses, and the like.

[0045] The assignment of the data processing device to the rock processing machine presented here is at least a data transmission assignment, so that the data processing device can transmit data to the rock processing machine. For this purpose, at least one suitable transmitting and receiving device for, preferably bidirectional, data transmission to and from the data processing device can be arranged on the rock processing machine. The at least one transmitting and receiving device can transmit data via cable or line if the data transmission is connected to the rock processing machine, for example, to its control device, via physical data lines. In this case, the data processing device is generally a machine component of the rock processing machine.In the preferred case where the rock processing machine is self-propelled, the data processing device is always carried along as a machine component by the rock processing machine. In this case, the assignment of the data processing device to the rock processing machine is not only based on data transmission, but also on spatial and kinematic aspects.

[0046] However, the data processing device can also be located spatially remote from the rock processing device and associated with it only for data transmission purposes. Such a data processing device can be implemented as a so-called "cloud" solution, for example, as a distributed CPU network, or by a dedicated data center. The data processing device can be connected to the rock processing machine for data transmission purposes via at least one wireless data transmission link, whereby the rock processing machine can, if necessary, have suitable transmitting and receiving devices for, preferably bidirectional, wireless data transmission. As a distributed data processing device, the data processing device can have a plurality of sub-data processing devices, at least two of which can be located at different locations.

[0047] The above statements regarding the data processing device also apply, mutatis mutandis, to the data processing device with a data storage device connected for data transmission. This can also be arranged on the rock processing machine as a machine component and, in particular, carried along, or it can be located at least at one location spatially remote from the rock processing machine.

[0048] For practical reasons, a data memory is preferably always present on the rock processing device in order to be able to temporarily store at least data on the rock processing device. A data memory cooperating with the control device can also be the data memory of the data processing device.

[0049] Preferably, the data processing device can determine and output time information for performing a future inspection of the work tool assembly based on the quality information. This allows a machine operator to determine how long they can continue working without further inspection of the work tool assembly before entering an operating phase in which a one-time or regularly recurring inspection of the work tool assembly with regard to its wear status is necessary or at least advisable.

[0050] Additionally or alternatively, the data processing device can output a wear condition predicted for a future operating time as wear information.

[0051] For this advantageous development of the present invention, the wear detection arrangement and / or the wear sensor arrangement can determine a wear condition of the work tool arrangement within a predetermined time period after reaching the originally future operating time and transmit it to the data processing device. In an advantageous development of the present invention, the data processing device can determine the quality information based on a comparison of the predicted wear condition with the determined wear condition and / or it can determine and output time information for performing a future inspection of the work tool arrangement.

[0052] By way of illustration, a purely exemplary embodiment is outlined below: the data processing device can use a first predetermined accuracy class which has a first tolerance range, wherein the first accuracy class is assigned to a data collection basis which comprises a flat-rate stand capacity value of the work tool arrangement and the previous period of use of the work tool arrangement, wherein the data collection basis is free of usage data which represent usage conditions under which the work tool arrangement has been used during its previous period of use.

[0053] The data processing device can use a second predetermined accuracy class which has a second tolerance range, wherein the second accuracy class is assigned to a data collection basis which comprises a flat-rate standby capacity of the work tool arrangement specified by a supplier of the work tool arrangement, the previous service life of the work tool arrangement and service data, wherein the service data represent service conditions under which the work tool arrangement was used during its previous service life.

[0054] The data processing device can use a third predetermined accuracy class which has a third tolerance range, wherein the third accuracy class is assigned to a data collection basis which comprises a use-based stand capacity value of the work tool arrangement which is determined for the affected type of work tool arrangement from data assignments of an experience database, wherein the experience database comprises as data assignments a plurality of experience stand capacity values ​​and historical use conditions assigned to these experience stand capacity values, wherein the experience stand capacity value was achieved under the respectively assigned historical use condition.

[0055] The data processing device can use a fourth predetermined accuracy class having a fourth tolerance range, wherein the fourth accuracy class comprises the same data collection basis as the third accuracy class with regard to determining the stand capacity value. However, with regard to determining the load value, the fourth accuracy class is assigned to a data collection basis that includes wear sensor data acquired by sensors on the work tool assembly.

[0056] Of the exemplary embodiments presented above, which are merely examples, the accuracy of the quality classes increases steadily from the first to the fourth, i.e. the respectively assigned first to fourth tolerance range of the wear information becomes smaller with ascending numbering.

[0057] Preferably, the rock processing machine discussed here is a self-propelled rock processing machine with a chassis that allows the rock processing machine to change its installation location autonomously and / or to move autonomously between an installation location for a rock processing operation and a means of transport for transporting the rock processing machine. Due to the generally high weight of the mobile, especially self-propelled, rock processing machine, the chassis is usually a crawler chassis, although a wheeled chassis should not be excluded as an alternative or in addition to a crawler chassis.

[0058] The present invention is illustrated and explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It shows: Fig. 1 a rough schematic view of a construction site with an embodiment of a rock processing machine according to the invention, Fig. 2 the rock processing machine of Figure 1 in an enlarged schematic side view, Fig. 3 an exemplary process for determining a remaining service life on the rock processing machine of the Figures 1 and 2 .

[0059] In Figure 1 A construction site is generally designated by 10. The central working device of the construction site 10 is a rock processing machine 12 with an impact crusher 14 as a crushing device and with a pre-screen 16 and a post-screen 18 as screening devices. In this case, the construction site is preferably a quarry, but can also be a recycling center or a demolition site for one or more structures.

[0060] Mineral material M to be processed by the rock processing machine 12, i.e. to be sorted by size and crushed, is fed discontinuously by an excavator 20 as a loading device of the rock processing machine 12 into a material feeding device 22 with a funnel-shaped material buffer 24 by loading.

[0061] From the material feed device 22, a vibrating conveyor designed as a trough conveyor 26 conveys the material M to the pre-screen 16, which has two pre-screen decks 16a and 16b, of which the upper pre-screen deck 16a has a larger mesh size and separates those grain sizes and feeds them to the impact crusher 14 which require comminution according to the respective specifications for the final grain product to be achieved.

[0062] Grains falling through the upper pre-screen deck 16a are further sorted by the lower pre-screen deck 16b into a useful grain fraction 28, which corresponds to the specifications of the final grain product to be achieved, and into an undersize fraction 30, which has such a small grain size that it is unusable as a valuable grain in the example shown.

[0063] The number of stockpiles or fractions shown in the example is merely exemplary. It may be larger or smaller than specified in the example. Furthermore, the undersize fraction 30, described as reject in this example, may also be a valuable fraction, provided the grain size range resulting from fraction 30 can be used for further purposes.

[0064] The useful grain fraction 28 is increased by the crushed material discharged from the impact crusher 14 and conveyed to the secondary screen 18 by a first conveying device 32 in the form of a belt conveyor. In the illustrated embodiment, the secondary screen 18 also has two screen decks or secondary screen decks 18a and 18b, of which the upper secondary screen deck 18a has the larger mesh size. The upper secondary screen deck 18a allows valuable grain to fall through its meshes and sorts out an oversize fraction 34 with a grain size larger than the largest desired grain size of the valuable grain. The oversize fraction 34 is returned to the material input of the impact crusher 14 or to the primary screen 16 by an oversize conveying device 36. The oversize conveying device 36 is designed as a belt conveyor in the illustrated embodiment.

[0065] The usable grain of the usable grain fraction 28 thus includes oversize grain and valuable grain. Deviating from the illustration in the exemplary embodiment, the oversize grain conveyor 36 can, for example, be pivoted out from a machine frame 50 of the rock processing machine 12, so that the oversize grain fraction 34 is stored instead of being recycled.

[0066] The valuable grain that has fallen through the meshes of the upper screening deck 18a is further fractionated by the lower screening deck 18b into a fine grain fraction 38 with a smaller grain size and a medium grain fraction 40 with a larger grain size.

[0067] The fine grain fraction 38 is piled up and stored in a fine grain stockpile 44 by a fine grain discharge conveyor device 42 in the form of a belt conveyor.

[0068] The medium grain fraction 40 is conveyed by a medium grain discharge conveyor device 46, also in the form of a belt conveyor, to a Figure 1not shown and in Figure 2 medium-grain stockpile 48, which is only roughly shown, was piled up and stored.

[0069] As its central structure, the rock processing machine 12 has a machine frame 50, to which the aforementioned machine components are directly or indirectly attached or mounted. As its central power source, the rock processing machine 12 has a diesel engine 52 mounted on the machine frame 50, which generates all of the energy consumed by the rock processing machine 12, unless it is stored in energy storage devices such as batteries. Additionally, the rock processing machine 12 can be connected to the construction site's power supply, if available.

[0070] The rock processing machine 12, which can be part of a rock processing plant with a plurality of rock processing machines arranged in a common material flow, is in the example shown a mobile, more precisely self-propelled, rock processing machine 12 with a crawler track 54, which enables automatic relocation without an external tractor via hydraulic motors 56 as drive of the rock processing machine 12.

[0071] The valuable grain stockpiles 44 and 48, as well as the undersize fraction stockpile 30, are dismantled discontinuously by one or more wheel loaders 58 as an exemplary mining device. The undersize fraction stockpile 30 must also be dismantled regularly to ensure uninterrupted operation of the rock processing machine 12.

[0072] For the most advantageous operational control, the rock processing machine 12 has the following, based on the larger illustration of Figure 2 The described machine components: The rock processing machine 12 comprises a control device 60, for example in the form of an electronic data processing device with integrated circuits, which controls the operation of machine components. For this purpose, the control device 60 can, for example, either directly control drives of machine components or control actuators, which in turn can move components.

[0073] The control device 60 is connected to a data storage device 62 for signal transmission for data exchange and is connected wirelessly or via cable to an input device 64 for inputting information. Information can be input to the input device 64 via the input device 64, for example, a touchscreen, a tablet computer, a keyboard, and the like, and stored by the input device in the data storage device 62.

[0074] In addition, the control device 60 is connected to an output device 66 for signal transmission in order to output information.

[0075] The rock processing machine 12 also has various sensors for obtaining information about its operating state, which are connected to the control device 60 and thus, in the example shown, indirectly to the data memory 62. For the sake of clarity, the sensors are only shown in Figure 2 shown.

[0076] A camera 70 is arranged on a support frame 68, which captures images of the material feeder 22 with the material buffer 24 and transmits them to the control device 60 for image processing. With the aid of the camera 70 and by image processing of the images of the material buffer 24 and the material feeder 22 captured by it, the control device determines a local fill level of the material buffer 24 using data relationships stored in the data memory 22.

[0077] Furthermore, the drive (not shown) of the trough conveyor 26 detects its vibration amplitude and vibration frequency and transmits them to the control device 60, which uses this information to determine a conveying speed of the trough conveyor 26 and, taking into account the local filling level of the material buffer 24, a conveying capacity of the trough conveyor 26 to the impact crusher 14.

[0078] By means of predetermined data relationships generated and / or further developed, in particular by methods of artificial intelligence, the control device 60 can recognize a grain size distribution in the material M in the material buffer 24 and even the material type from the image information of the camera 70.

[0079] In the impact crusher 14, an upper impact rocker 72 and a lower impact rocker 74 are arranged as crushing tools in a manner known per se, wherein the rotational position of the upper impact rocker 72 is detected by a rotational position sensor 76 and the rotational position of the lower impact rocker 74 is detected by a rotational position sensor 78 and transmitted to the control device 60. Using the rotational position sensors 76 and 78, the control device 60 can also determine a crushing gap width of an upper crushing gap on the upper impact rocker 72 and a crushing gap width of a lower crushing gap on the lower impact rocker 74.

[0080] Using the rotational position sensors 76 and 78, the wear condition of the impact crusher 14, the working device of the rock processing machine 12, can be determined as part of a zero-point determination typical for the type of rock processing machine 12 shown. For this purpose, a crushing gap width of zero is set in the upper and lower crushing gaps, i.e., the impact rockers 72 and 74 are moved until they physically abut the impact beams 75a (for clarity, only one impact beam is designated with the reference symbol "75a") of the central crushing rotor 75. Based on the resulting wear-dependent rotational position of the impact rockers 72 and 74, quantitative and / or qualitative conclusions can be drawn regarding the wear condition of the impact rockers 72 and 74 and the impact beams 75a in the crushing rotor 75.

[0081] The rotary position sensors 76 and 78 therefore form, together with the control device 60, a wear detection arrangement in the sense of the above introduction to the description.

[0082] A speed sensor 80 determines the speed of the crushing rotor of the impact crusher 14 and transmits it to the control device 60.

[0083] Wear sensors can be provided on components subject to particularly high wear, such as impact bars, impact rockers, impact plates, and impact beams as crushing tool assemblies. These wear sensors register the progression of wear, usually in wear stages, and transmit this information to the control device 60. In the example shown, for the sake of clarity, a wear sensor assembly 82 is shown only on the lower impact rocker 74. A wear sensor assembly is preferably also provided on the upper impact rocker 72.

[0084] A first belt scale 84 is arranged in the first conveyor device 32, which detects the weight or mass of the material of the useful grain fraction 28 transported above it on the first conveyor device 32. Via a speed sensor 86 in a deflection roller of the conveyor belt of the first conveyor device 32, the control device 60 can determine a conveying speed of the first conveyor device 32 and, in conjunction with the detection signals of the first belt scale 84, can determine a conveying capacity of the first conveyor device 32.

[0085] A second belt scale 88 is arranged in the fine grain discharge conveyor device 42 and detects the mass or weight of the fine grain of the fine grain fraction 38 moved above it on the belt of the fine grain discharge conveyor device 42. Likewise, a conveying speed of the fine grain discharge conveyor device 42 and, in conjunction with the detection signals of the second belt scale 88, a conveying capacity of the fine grain discharge conveyor device 42 can be determined by the control device 60 via the speed sensor 90 in a deflection roller of the conveyor belt of the fine grain discharge conveyor device 42.

[0086] A third belt scale 92 is arranged in the oversize grain conveyor 36 and determines the weight or mass of the oversize grain of the oversize grain fraction 34 conveyed above it on the oversize grain conveyor 36. A speed sensor 94 of a deflection roller of the conveyor belt of the oversize grain conveyor 36 determines the conveying speed of the oversize grain conveyor 36 and transmits this to the control device 60, which, in conjunction with the detection signals of the third belt scale 92, can determine a conveying capacity of the oversize grain conveyor.

[0087] At the discharge-side longitudinal end of the fine grain discharge conveyor 42, a first stockpile sensor 96 is arranged, which acts as a camera to capture images of the fine grain stockpile 44 and transmits them as image information to a control device 60. The control device detects contours of the fine grain stockpile 48 through image processing and, based on the known image data from the camera of the first stockpile sensor 96, determines a shape and, from this, a volume of the fine grain stockpile 48 from the detected contours. To simplify its information determination, the control device 60 can, without excessive error, assume an ideal conical shape of the fine grain stockpile 48 and determine the volume of an ideal cone that approximates the actual fine grain stockpile 48. Thus, it may be sufficient for a stockpile sensor to determine the diameter D of the base area of ​​a stockpile and the height h of the stockpile, as shown in Figure 2 shown in the dump 48.

[0088] Preferably, each discharge conveyor device producing a stockpile has at least one stockpile sensor or cooperates with at least one stockpile sensor.

[0089] The remaining discharge conveyor devices, such as the medium grain discharge conveyor device 46 and a undersize grain discharge conveyor device 29, preferably also have a belt scale and a speed sensor for detecting the amount of material transported on the respective conveyor device, the conveying speed and thus the conveying capacity.

[0090] The control device 60 is connected for data transmission to a transmitting / receiving unit 104, which is configured for wireless data transmission in a suitable data protocol with a communication device 105. The communication device 105 can be located remotely from the rock processing machine 12 and, in turn, can be connected for data and signal transmission to a database and / or electronic data processing system 107 stored at a distant location. Data not available in the data storage device 62 can thus be retrieved by the control device 60 via the transmitting / receiving unit 104.

[0091] The control device 60 and with it the output device 66 have a display device 108, for example in the form of a monitor, for graphic and textual output of data.

[0092] The following is a summary of Figure 3an exemplary method for determining wear information and quality information associated with the wear information for the impact crusher 14 as the working device of the rock processing machine 12 of the Figures 1 and 2 explained.

[0093] The method starts in step S100, for example because an operator has entered a request for the output of wear information in the form of a remaining service life into the control device 60 via the input device 64 or because a determination of wear information is automatically triggered by the expiration of a predetermined period of time or because such wear information is continuously determined during operation.

[0094] In step S102, the control device 60, which in the present case is a data processing device within the meaning of the introduction to the description, determines whether application-related data are available for determining wear information concerning the wear state of the impact crusher 14.

[0095] If no application-related data are available, the determination method continues with step S104 and determines wear information about the remaining service life from manufacturer data stored in the data memory 62 via a statistically averaged or theoretically calculated service life from design data as the service capacity of the crushing tool assemblies used in the impact crusher 14, comprising the upper and lower impact rocker 72 and 74 as well as the impact beams 75a of the crushing rotor 75 and the service life elapsed since installation of the crushing tool assemblies as the difference between the service life and the service life.

[0096] The method then continues with step S106, where the remaining service life thus determined, along with quality information indicating "low accuracy," is output to the operator via the display device 108. This quality information is linked to the quality of the available data on the crushing tool assemblies. Whenever no operational data is available and only generally provided manufacturer data or data from a tool repairer must be used, the information is output indicating that the determined remaining service life has the lowest possible accuracy or is assigned to the predetermined quality class with the lowest accuracy.

[0097] Then, if it is determined in step S102 that deployment data is available, it is queried in step S108 whether the deployment data for the actual operating rock processing machine 12 is based on a predetermined threshold number of deployment events or not.

[0098] If the number of operating events for the operating data of the specific rock processing machine 12 does not reach the threshold number, the control device 60 determines a service life and an operating load time for the crushing tool assemblies used in the impact crusher 14 on the rock processing machine 12 from the available operating data in step S110. The service life is thus based on practical experience from previous operations, which is only moderately statistically reliable due to the small number of operating events. The operating load time is based on the elapsed operating time, as in the previous case, which, however, is adjusted upwards or downwards based on the operating data depending on the severity of the operational use in order to take into account the operation-specific operating load of the crushing tool assemblies.

[0099] In step S112, the control device 60 then outputs the wear information in the form of the determined remaining service life via the display device 108 as the difference between the determined service life and the determined operational load time. Based on the data underlying this determination or the data collection bases underlying these, the control device 60 outputs the quality information "medium-low accuracy" in step S112 together with the determined remaining service life. Although the available data, due to their nature—namely, empirical data from previous operational events—is based on a more precise data collection basis than in the previously described case, the scope of the data collection basis is not sufficient for assignment to an even higher accuracy class.

[0100] However, if the query in step S108 reveals that operational data are available based on a number of previous operational events which is higher than the predetermined threshold number, then in step S114 it is queried whether or not wear data are available on the rock processing machine 12 determined by means of a wear determination arrangement or by means of a wear sensor arrangement.

[0101] If no wear data directly determined on the rock processing machine 12 is available, the remaining service life is determined in step S116 as previously in step S110. In step S118, the control device 60 outputs the determined remaining service life on the display device 108, additionally with the quality information "medium-high accuracy." Since, due to the nature of its collection, the same data is available as in step S110, the remaining service life is also calculated in step S116 in the same way as in step S110. However, since the scope of the data collection basis is larger than in step S110 due to the higher number of previous operational events on which the operational data is based, the now determined remaining service life is assigned to the next higher quality class.

[0102] If the query in step S114 shows that wear data are available on the rock processing machine 12 itself, which is the case for the rock processing machine 12 of the Figures 1 and 2 If this is the case due to the sensors described, in step S120 the remaining service life is determined, for example, on the basis of the wear state last determined by the wear determination arrangement or the wear sensor arrangement and further on the basis of the operating load acting on the crushing tool arrangements since this last time and the operating load time determined therefrom.

[0103] For example, a final zero-point determination 40 hours prior to querying the remaining service life according to step S100 revealed that the crushing tool assemblies were 13% worn compared to their unworn state. During these last 40 hours, the rock processing machine crushed concrete with a maximum final grain size of 45 mm. From these data, the control device 60 determines in step S120 that the last 40 hours of use have resulted in a further wear of 21 percentage points relative to the unworn initial state. Overall, the crushing tool assemblies are therefore 34% worn, which, given an initial service life of 210 hours, results in a remaining service life of 139 hours.

[0104] Alternatively, the calculation can be performed in such a way that, based on a service life of 210 hours for the crushing tool assemblies, a calculated wear of 27 hours of operation was determined during the last sensory determination. The operating data for the last 40 hours lead to an operating load time of 44 hours, corrected based on the operating load, so that the total load, taking into account the last wear determination and the subsequent operating load since then, is 27 + 44 = 71 hours. Consequently, even with this time-based calculation method, a remaining service life of 139 hours remains.

[0105] In step S122, the remaining service life of 139 hours is output by the control device 60 via the display device 108, along with the quality information "high accuracy." The accuracy class "high accuracy" is always assigned when a wear condition determined on the working device, in this case the impact crusher 14, of the specific rock processing machine 12, together with usage data based on a large number of previous usage events, is available to determine a remaining service capacity.

[0106] The present embodiment is merely illustrative and can be further subdivided. For example, the query for the data collection basis can be branched out further at an earlier stage, for example, to determine whether a wear condition determined via a wear detection arrangement or a wear sensor arrangement is available or not. The fact of whether a wear condition can be determined using on-board resources of the rock processing machine 12 is generally independent of the number of operational events on which historical operational data for the same or similarly designed crushing tool arrangements are based.

[0107] The four quality classes shown above can each be assigned different tolerance ranges, which are either issued together with the quality information or which are known to the machine operator through instruction on the respective rock processing machine.

Claims

1. A rock processing machine (12), which comprises as machine components: - a material feeding apparatus (22) having a material buffer (24) for loading starting material (M) to be processed, - at least one working apparatus (14, 16, 18) of the following: + at least one crushing apparatus (14) and + at least one screening apparatus (16, 18), - at least one conveyor apparatus (26, 32, 36, 42) for conveying material (M) between two machine components, - an output apparatus (108) for outputting information, wherein a data processing apparatus (60) having a data memory (62, 107) connected to the data processing apparatus (60) in data-transmitting fashion is associated with the rock processing machine, wherein the output apparatus (108) is connected to the data processing apparatus (60) in data-transmitting fashion, wherein the data processing apparatus (60) is designed to ascertain, from data retrievable from the data memory (62, 107) which are based on at least one data collection basis, wear information regarding the wear of a working tool configuration (72, 74, 75a) of the at least one working apparatus (14, 16, 18) and to output the wear information by way of the output apparatus (66, 108), characterized in that the data processing apparatus (60) is furthermore designed to ascertain for the ascertained wear information, starting from at least one data collection basis, on which at least a portion of the data used for ascertaining the wear information is based, quality information regarding a quality of the wear information and to output this quality information by way of the output apparatus (66, 108).

2. The rock processing machine (12) as recited in Claim 1, characterized in that the data processing apparatus (60) is designed to ascertain the quality information associated with the ascertained wear information from the at least one data collection basis, from which the data used for ascertaining the wear information derive, and to output this quality information by way of the output apparatus (66, 108).

3. The rock processing machine (12) as recited in Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the quality information comprises an assignment of the wear information to an accuracy class from a plurality of different predetermined accuracy classes, wherein each accuracy class of the plurality of accuracy classes represents a tolerance range of different magnitude, within which a deviation of the actual wear from the output wear information is permissible.

4. The rock processing machine (12) as recited in Claim 3, characterized in that the data used for ascertaining the wear information comprise an operational capacity value of the working tool configuration (72, 74, 75a), wherein the operational capacity value is based on at least one of the following distinct data collection bases in an order of increasing accuracy: i. a general specification of the operational capacity value, and ii. a usage-related specification of the operational capacity value.

5. The rock processing machine (12) as recited in Claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the data used for ascertaining the wear information comprise a load value representing the usage load of the working tool configuration (72, 74, 75a), wherein the load value is based on at least one of the following data collection bases in an order of increasing accuracy: a. a period of use elapsed since the wear-free working tool configuration (72, 74, 75a) entered into use, and b. a usage quantity processed since the wear-free working tool configuration (72, 74, 75a) entered into use, and c. a usage load time or a usage load quantity as a period of use or usage quantity taking into account load effects that occurred during the use.

6. The rock processing machine (12) as recited in Claim 5, characterized in that the rock processing machine (12) comprises a wear ascertainment system (60, 76, 78) for ascertaining a state of wear of the working tool configuration (72, 74, 75a), wherein the load value is based on the following data collection basis in the order of increasing accuracy: d. an ascertained range of motion of the working tool configuration (72, 74, 75a), the range of motion changing as a function of the state of wear of the working tool configuration (72, 74, 75a).

7. The rock processing machine (12) as recited in Claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the rock processing machine (12) comprises a wear sensor system (82) for sensorially ascertaining a state of wear of the working tool configuration (74), wherein the load value is based on the following data collection basis in the order of increasing accuracy: e. wear sensor data sensorially acquired at the working tool configuration (74).

8. The rock processing machine (12) as recited in Claim 4 and one of Claims 5 through 7, characterized in that the individual accuracy classes of the plurality of accuracy classes differ from one another in terms of the data collection bases of the operational capacity value and / or of the load value.

9. The rock processing machine (12) as recited in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the ascertained wear information preferably indicates a remaining operational capacity until a wear limit is reached.

10. The rock processing machine (12) as recited in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the working apparatus (14) is a crushing apparatus (14), wherein a control apparatus (60) of the rock processing machine (12) is designed to change a crush gap width of a crush gap between two crushing tools (72 / 75a, 74 / 75a) as the working tool configuration (72, 74, 75a) of the crushing apparatus (14) by displacing at least one crushing tool (72, 74) relative to the other crushing tool (75a) contributing to the formation of the crush gap, wherein the control apparatus (60) is designed to ascertain wear information with respect to a state of wear of the working tool configuration (72, 74, 75a) by changing the crush gap to a crush gap width of zero.

11. The rock processing machine (12) as recited in Claim 10, with the inclusion of Claim 6, characterized in that the wear ascertainment system (60, 76, 78) comprises the control apparatus (60).

12. The rock processing machine as recited in Claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the control apparatus (60) comprises or is the data processing apparatus (60), or in that the control apparatus (60) is connected to the data processing apparatus (60) in data-transmitting fashion.

13. The rock processing machine as recited in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, on the basis of the quality information, the data processing apparatus (60) ascertains and outputs time information for performing a future inspection of the working tool configuration (72, 74, 75a).

14. The rock processing machine (12) as recited in one of the preceding claims, with the inclusion of Claim 9 and at least one of Claims 6, 7, 10 or 11, characterized in that the data processing apparatus (60) outputs as wear information a state of wear predicted for a future operating time, wherein the wear ascertainment system (60, 76, 78) and / or the wear sensor system (82) ascertain(s) a state of wear of the working tool configuration (72, 74, 75a) within a predetermined time span after reaching the operating time and transmit(s) this to the data processing apparatus (60), wherein the data processing apparatus (60), on the basis of a comparison of the predicted state of wear with the ascertained state of wear, ascertains the quality information and / or ascertains and outputs time information for the performance of a future inspection of the working tool system (72, 74, 75a).