DEVICE FOR DETERMINING THE CURRENT STATE AND RESIDUAL USEFUL LIFE OF A TRANSMISSION OF A CONSTRUCTION, MATERIAL HANDLING AND / OR TRANSPORT MACHINE.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for determining the current state and remaining service life of a gearbox of a construction, material handling and / or conveying machine, comprising several sensors provided on the construction, material handling and / or conveying machine for acquiring various state information, a detection device connected to the sensors for collecting the acquired state information, a central unit connectable to the detection device for evaluating the collected state information to determine the current state and remaining service life from the collected state information, and a display device for displaying the determined current state and remaining service life.

[0002] For construction machinery such as excavators, cranes, dump trucks, bulldozers, or cable excavators, or material handling machines or conveying systems like forklifts and loaders, or other large construction machines such as surface milling machines or ship cranes, predicting the remaining service life or the time remaining until a component needs replacing is both crucial and challenging. If a piece of construction machinery breaks down on a construction site, for example, due to a drive gearbox failure, a suitable replacement machine often cannot be immediately procured and delivered to the site. This leads to delays on the construction site during the repair time, often causing not only the tasks of the broken-down machinery to be suspended, but also delays in other processes due to the interconnectedness of the various construction machines.To avoid such breakdowns of construction machinery, operational planning requires a reliable determination of the current condition or remaining service life of each machine in order to estimate whether the respective construction machine will survive the work cycle of a construction site or needs to be serviced beforehand.

[0003] Reliably estimating the current condition or remaining service life of construction machinery is very difficult, as the loads and operating conditions vary considerably from one construction site to another. For example, earthmoving equipment is subjected to much heavier loads when hard rock needs to be moved. Similarly, construction machinery such as dump trucks or bulldozers experience different loads on slopes than on level sites. Generally, different construction sites result in significantly different loads, making it difficult to estimate whether the remaining service life of a piece of construction machinery is sufficient for a specific site. Furthermore, construction machinery often has very different operating histories. For instance, if a piece of construction machinery has consistently been used on sites with heavy loads, standard estimates of remaining service life based on operating hours cannot reliably predict its remaining lifespan.

[0004] Therefore, sensor-based monitoring systems for construction machinery have already been proposed, designed to objectify the determination of the actual state of construction machinery based on measured sensor data. For example, it is known to monitor certain operating parameters of the construction machine and to issue an error code in the event of irregularities or unusual values ​​of the measured operating parameters (see, for example, JP-OS-8-144 312). However, such error codes are inherently not very informative or reliable, since, for example, a brief exceedance of a permissible speed, such as can occur when driving downhill on a construction site access road, does not yet allow for a reliable conclusion about any resulting engine damage.

[0005] The patent application DE 101 45 571 A1, filed by applicant Komatsu, further proposes a monitoring system for construction machinery that aims to predict the degree of damage or abnormality in a more differentiated manner. For this purpose, the exhaust pressure and exhaust temperature of the construction machinery's diesel engine are monitored by sensors, and the lubricating oil is analyzed for specific components such as iron particles using a special analysis device. In addition to these sensor-based monitoring parameters, the aforementioned patent application also considers it necessary to incorporate the results of a visual inspection performed by a skilled maintenance technician into the automated assessment of the construction machinery's current condition. This previously known monitoring system for construction machinery suffers from limited reliability in its condition assessment. The monitored exhaust gas parameters of exhaust temperature and exhaust pressure primarily only allow for the detection of problems with the diesel engine itself.On the other hand, the monitoring system is still relatively complex, as visual inspections must be carried out by maintenance staff.

[0006] Furthermore, EP 3 273 414 A1 describes a system for estimating the remaining service life of a construction machine based on component temperatures and loads. Other monitoring systems are known from EP 15 64 688 A1, EP 17 24 730 A1, EP 25 30 209 A1, EP 32 36 326 A1, US 2011 / 0282626 A1, as well as US 2013 / 180319 A1, US 2008 / 140349 A1 and US 2016 / 266006 A1.

[0007] US 2013 / 180319 A1 discloses the preamble of claim 1.

[0008] The present invention therefore aims to provide an improved device for determining the current condition and / or remaining service life of a construction machine, avoiding the disadvantages of the prior art and advantageously developing the latter further. In particular, the invention seeks to achieve a reliable determination of the current condition and / or remaining service life of mobile construction machines that is easy to implement and allows for the timely initiation and planning of maintenance and repair measures, even by untrained maintenance personnel, with sufficient lead time.

[0009] According to the invention, the aforementioned problem is solved by a device according to claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is proposed to design the sensor monitoring of the respective construction machine using various sensor types that are sufficiently comprehensive to allow for a complex assessment of the current condition and / or remaining service life. The sensors provided on the construction machine comprise various sensor types for acquiring at least two different types of information from the group consisting of component vibrations and lubricant properties, and optionally further types of information including component and / or lubricant temperatures and drive load. The central unit of the device is designed to determine the current condition and remaining service life based on these at least two different types of information. The aforementioned types of information specifically reflect the current condition relevant to the remaining service life.Component vibrations are characteristic of uneven drive operation, which can be caused by component wear, abrasion, or improper use. These vibrations always deviate from the target vibration pattern when the machine exhibits wear. Lubricant properties are also a significant indicator of both the load history and the remaining service life. Component and lubricant temperatures rise significantly under excessive loads and with excessive wear of the lubricated components, thus also providing a reliable indicator of the current condition and remaining service life. The aforementioned drive loads, such as speed and torque sensor readings, characterize the load cycles acting on the machine and therefore also allow for a prediction of the remaining service life.

[0011] Advantageously, the information collected from all the aforementioned types of information can be used to predict the remaining service life.

[0012] In a further development of the invention, the aforementioned sensor technology can comprise vibration sensors on various components and / or component sections, in particular on a drive housing and / or a gearbox housing and / or another element of the drive train. The vibration sensors can be piezoelectrically operated and / or comprise electromechanical vibration sensors.

[0013] To detect the aforementioned lubricant properties, various sensors can advantageously be provided. In a further development of the invention, an oil level sensor can initially be provided to detect the lubricant level in a lubricant sump of a drive component, in particular a gearbox. Such a lubricant sensor can include a float and / or determine the fill level tactilely or mechanically. Alternatively or additionally, a capacitive lubricant level sensor can also be provided.

[0014] The lubricant detection system can also advantageously include a moisture sensor in the lubricant compartment of the construction machine to detect moisture in the lubricant and / or moisture in the lubricant compartment.

[0015] Alternatively or additionally, the lubricant sensors can also include a conductivity sensor, which can be located in the lubricant chamber and / or in the lubricant.

[0016] Alternatively or additionally, a temperature sensor can also be provided as a lubricant sensor to detect the lubricant temperature, whereby such a lubricant temperature sensor can be arranged in the lubricant sump. Alternatively or additionally, the lubricant temperature can also be detected indirectly, for example by detecting the temperature of a housing partial wall that delimits the lubricant sump.

[0017] Advantageously, the sensor system not only detects the temperature of the lubricant, but can also include additional temperature sensors that detect the temperature of other thermally stressed components, such as the temperature of bearings.

[0018] The drive load can advantageously be detected by a speed sensor and / or a torque sensor to detect the rotational speed of a drivetrain shaft, in particular a transmission input shaft and / or other transmission shafts, and / or to determine the torque applied to a drivetrain shaft. For example, the transmission input shaft or another transmission shaft can be monitored by a torque sensor to determine the torque applied to the input shaft or another transmission shaft. Such a torque sensor can be configured in various ways, for example, comprising a strain gauge and / or a distance sensor for detecting deformations and / or a sensor that determines inverse magnetostrictive effects.

[0019] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, at least one sensor or all sensors can be integrated into the component of the construction machine to be monitored, in particular by being housed within an interior space. Alternatively or additionally, one or more sensors can also be arranged on an exterior surface of the component and / or in the immediate vicinity of the construction machine component and / or the construction machine itself.

[0020] The aforementioned sensors can advantageously be connected to the aforementioned data acquisition device via a cable, which then collects the recorded status information. Alternatively or additionally, the sensors can also communicate wirelessly with the data acquisition device, in particular transmitting the recorded information, for example via a WLAN, ZigBee, Bluetooth connection or another radio connection.

[0021] Advantageously, at least one of the aforementioned sensors can be supplied with power or energy by the aforementioned detection device. This can be achieved particularly easily if the sensors are connected to the detection unit via cables.

[0022] In principle, the aforementioned sensors can be used to monitor various construction machine components and determine their current condition or remaining service life. To reliably determine the current condition or failure probability of the entire construction machine, it is helpful to monitor a relevant and informative component. According to a further aspect of the present invention, the aforementioned sensors monitor a gearbox of the construction machine, through which drive power is transmitted from a drive unit to a driven component. At least one vibration sensor for detecting component vibrations and at least one of the following sensors—oil particle sensor, oil viscosity sensor, or oil conductivity sensor—are arranged inside the gearbox.In particular, at least one or even all of the sensors can be integrated into the aforementioned transmission, especially arranged in its transmission interior, in order to capture the aforementioned condition information inside the transmission.

[0023] The system is designed to record transmission vibrations, transmission lubricant properties, and, if applicable, transmission temperatures and loads. The central unit will then determine the current condition and remaining service life based on at least the aforementioned transmission vibrations and lubricant properties. These properties can be monitored on one or more transmissions within the construction machine and used to determine the current condition and / or remaining service life. A transmission is a key component of the drivetrain, where the effects of wear and damage manifest themselves characteristically. Therefore, monitoring the construction machine transmission is crucial for determining its current condition and / or remaining service life.

[0024] Depending on the construction machine, such a gearbox can be used in various locations. For example, it could be a travel drive gearbox that powers a construction machine's travel drive, such as a crawler track or a wheel. Alternatively or additionally, a slewing gearbox can be monitored in the aforementioned manner, allowing the upper structure of the construction machine to rotate around a vertical axis relative to the undercarriage or the support base. This could be, for example, the upper structure of a hydraulic excavator, a telescopic mobile crane, or a derrick crane. Alternatively or additionally, the slewing mechanism of a tower crane can also be monitored, allowing the tower to rotate in the case of a top-slewing crane and the tower itself to rotate in the case of a bottom-slewing crane.

[0025] Alternatively or additionally, other gearboxes of a construction machine, such as the lifting gearbox of a lifting device, can also be monitored in the manner mentioned.

[0026] The aforementioned data acquisition unit, which is connected to the sensors and collects their information, can advantageously be powered by the construction machine. For this purpose, the data acquisition unit can have a power connection adapted to the construction machine's power grid.

[0027] Advantageously, the aforementioned data acquisition unit can be arranged directly on the construction machine, for example, forming part of the electronic control system of the construction machine and / or constituting a separate electronic component of the construction machine. The aforementioned data acquisition unit can, for example, include a microprocessor and a memory device to execute program modules stored in the memory and / or to temporarily store the collected data in the memory device.

[0028] Advantageously, the aforementioned detection unit can have a power supply unit to provide energy or current to the sensors.

[0029] Regardless of such a power supply device, the aforementioned detection unit can also be designed separately from the construction machine, in particular being set up in the construction machine environment, for example on the construction site, whereby in such a separate design both a cable connection and a wireless connection to the sensors are possible.

[0030] Advantageously, the aforementioned acquisition unit has at least one digital communication interface, which may include, for example, a CAN interface, an Ethernet interface, a Modbus interface, a serial interface, a cellular interface, a WLAN interface, and / or a Bluetooth interface. The acquisition unit can advantageously be connected to and / or communicate with the aforementioned central unit via this digital interface. Optionally, the aforementioned digital interface can also be used for communication with one or more sensors.

[0031] Advantageously, the aforementioned data acquisition unit possesses a unique identifier that identifies the construction machine to which the data acquisition unit is connected. Such an identifier can be readable and / or electronically retrievable and / or electronically readable, and the data acquisition unit can also transmit this identifier to the central unit along with other data, in particular along with the collected condition information.

[0032] According to a further aspect of the present invention, the acquisition unit is not merely a data or information collector, but is designed to preprocess and / or classify the information collected by the sensors. In particular, the acquisition unit can include a module for pre-compressing and / or classifying the collected data in order to transmit pre-compressed and / or classified status information to the central processing unit.

[0033] In particular, the acquisition unit can be designed to derive vibration spectra and / or characteristic vibration parameters from the collected vibration information and / or to generate frequency-selective parameters.

[0034] Alternatively or additionally, the acquisition unit can have a device that classifies the acquired torque information and / or speed information, in particular classifying it in stages, for example with regard to a load-time distribution.

[0035] Alternatively or additionally, the acquisition unit can include a linking and / or processing unit to calculate sensor data. For example, collected temperature values ​​can be compared and / or temperature differences determined. Alternatively or additionally, power can be calculated from rotational speed and torque in order to forward the information obtained from the collected sensor data, thus compared and / or calculated, to the central unit.

[0036] Alternatively or additionally, the acquisition unit can be designed to derive and determine further characteristic values ​​from the collected sensor data, for example calculating an output torque from the input torque by means of a gear ratio taking into account an efficiency map.

[0037] In In an advantageous further development of the invention, the acquisition unit can have access to a configuration memory and / or include a configuration memory in which central data for the construction machine component are stored, for example operating hours, serial number, number of stages, efficiency map, heat transfer coefficients, limit values ​​and the like.

[0038] InIn an advantageous further development of the invention, the aforementioned detection unit has a self-diagnostic device which determines the operating status of the detection unit itself, for example the on / off state of the device and / or an active or inactive or defective state of a connected sensor.

[0039] The aforementioned central unit can, for example, be located on the construction site where the construction machine is operated. It can, for instance, be integrated with or comprised of a site management computer. Alternatively, in a further embodiment of the invention, the central unit can also be located separately from the construction site, for example, at the premises of a construction machine manufacturer or operator. The central unit can also be implemented in a cloud environment, whereby, for example, a machine supplier can provide a sub-area of ​​a commercial cloud or use its own cloud solution. On the other hand, in a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the central unit can also be installed on the construction machine itself.

[0040] In order to communicate with the aforementioned acquisition unit or several acquisition units, which may be assigned to one or more construction machines, and the display device, the aforementioned central unit may include one or more communication interfaces, preferably one or more digital interfaces, for example in the form of a CAN interface, Ethernet interface, Modbus interface, serial interface, mobile communication interface, WLAN interface or Bluetooth interface.

[0041] Advantageously, the central unit can also include an interface, which can be designed in the aforementioned manner, for programming and / or maintenance and / or for reading out the specific identification and / or status and / or remaining service life data.

[0042] In a further development of the invention, the central unit comprises an analysis module for analyzing the state information collected by the acquisition unit and / or for analyzing the pre-processed state information transmitted by the acquisition unit, which may include, for example, the previously described pre-compressed and / or classified information. In particular, the analysis module of the central unit may also be configured to analyze the state information pre-processed by the acquisition unit, for example, in the form of vibration spectra and / or characteristic vibration parameters and / or frequency-selective parameters.Alternatively or additionally, the analysis module can also further process the information derived from the acquisition unit, for example the temperature differences determined by the acquisition unit, power values ​​determined from speed and torque and / or the output and / or input torques determined by the acquisition unit.

[0043] In an advantageous further development of the invention, the analysis process can therefore be designed in two stages, wherein preprocessing and / or analysis takes place in the acquisition unit and a second analysis step is then carried out in the central unit.

[0044] In a further development of the invention, the analysis module of the central unit can combine both pre-processed state information, which was pre-processed by the acquisition unit in the manner mentioned, and collected sensor data, which was not further processed by the acquisition unit, and / or determine the current state and / or the remaining service life of the construction machine and / or one of the construction machine components on the basis of both data types.

[0045] In order to determine maintenance requirements in a timely manner with sufficient lead time for repair planning, the central unit advantageously includes a trend determination module which, based on the aforementioned condition information (which includes at least the aforementioned recorded component vibrations and the aforementioned recorded transmission oil information), and possibly additionally based on information derived therefrom, determines a trend that follows the change in the aforementioned condition information and the information possibly derived therefrom, in order to be able to more precisely estimate an expected change in the current condition and the remaining service life from this trend.

[0046] In addition to such a trend determination module, the central unit advantageously includes a comparison device that compares the transmitted condition information and / or the information derived therefrom with limit values ​​and / or predetermined ranges and determines the current condition and / or the remaining service life of the construction machine or the construction machine component from the distance of the actual values ​​of the said data from the limit values ​​and / or the range boundaries and / or an exceedance of the said limit values.

[0047] According to the invention, the central unit comprises a weighting device that assigns an individual weight or weighting to the individual state information and / or the information derived therefrom and / or the respective distance of such information from the associated limit value and / or the associated range limit, so that, for example, a vibration characteristic value is given more weight in determining the remaining service life than a temperature value of the oil sump housing.

[0048] The aforementioned weighting device can also assign different weights to the trend of changes in state information determined by the trend determination device. Such weighting can be assigned or determined based on the strength of the trend. For example, if the trend of the vibration parameter shows a very strong change and the trend of a temperature parameter shows only a slight change, the vibration parameter trend can be weighted more heavily to indicate a greater reduction in remaining service life. Such a strong, significant trend can be interpreted as an indication that the component associated with the respective state information is experiencing increased wear and will soon fail.

[0049] According to the invention, the central unit also includes a dynamic assessment device by means of which the approach of one or more condition indicators to a limit value and, optionally, one or more trends are not always considered in the same way when determining the actual condition and remaining service life, but rather dynamically. For example, if a detected condition indicator only slightly exceeds a predetermined threshold by, say, 5%, while all other condition indicators are still within their respective limits, the aforementioned 5% exceedance of one threshold can still be considered unproblematic. However, if three detected condition indicators exceed their respective thresholds by, say, 4%, 3%, and 1.5%, this can trigger a maintenance signal, even if the aforementioned 5% tolerance for exceedance would not apply to any individual exceedance.

[0050] The determination of the remaining service life or a service life forecast can be calculated by the aforementioned central unit on the basis of calculation models, whereby it is advantageous to take into account both the currently collected condition information and an operating history of the construction machine and / or the construction machine component, especially also in parameterized form.

[0051] In particular, the aforementioned calculation model can be fed with data from the operating history to determine the magnitude of deviations exhibited by one or more state information points in the operating history. This allows for the scaling of permissible threshold values. For example, if the operating history shows that a collected vibration characteristic value deviated from a mean value by 40% above and / or below during the period for which data was collected, a deviation of 50% or 60% could be considered critical. If a currently collected data set of the corresponding state information is then fed into the calculation model, a critical condition can be assumed if the scaled deviation is exceeded.

[0052] In a further development of the invention, the central unit for a mechanical construction machine component can determine damage according to predetermined rules, in particular calculate it, whereby strength values ​​of materials used and / or standard values ​​from literature can be used as a basis.

[0053] For a monitored lubricant, the central unit can use a thermal damage model to convert a collected temperature history of the lubricant into a corresponding thermal damage reading. When an oil change is performed, the temperature history and the resulting lubricant damage can be reset.

[0054] The central processing unit (CPU) mentioned above can be an electronic computing device or electronic data processing device that may, for example, have one or more processors, a program memory, and / or a data storage device in order to execute predetermined program modules. For example, the CPU mentioned above can be in the form of a server.

[0055] In a further development of the invention, a storage unit is provided which can be permanently or temporarily connected to the aforementioned central unit via a wired or wireless connection, for example via a corresponding communication interface that grants the central unit access to the storage unit, for example in the form of a CAN interface, Ethernet interface, Modbus interface, serial interface, mobile communication interface, WLAN interface or Bluetooth interface.

[0056] The aforementioned storage unit can be located separately from the central unit, or it can be integrated directly into the central unit.

[0057] Advantageously, the aforementioned storage unit is configured to store both currently collected data and the history of data or other data. The storage unit can include separate storage areas for current data and for data history.

[0058] The data stored can include both raw sensor data, unprocessed by the acquisition unit and the central processing unit, and processed data, calculated or otherwise determined by the acquisition unit and / or the central processing unit. In particular, the aforementioned trend data, remaining service life data, and / or current state data can also be stored in the central processing unit.

[0059] The aforementioned storage unit can be implemented on a locally installed computer, for example, a server containing the central processing unit. Alternatively or additionally, the aforementioned storage unit can also be implemented in a cloud.

[0060] The aforementioned display device for showing the determined current state and / or the determined remaining service life can fundamentally have different designs.

[0061] Advantageously, the aforementioned display device has a communication interface for communicating with the aforementioned central unit and / or with the aforementioned storage unit in order to display data determined by the central unit, in particular the determined remaining service life and / or the determined current state, and / or to display data stored in the storage unit, in particular a current state and / or remaining service life stored there.

[0062] The aforementioned interface of the display device can, as previously explained, include a digital interface, such as a CAN interface, Ethernet interface, Modbus interface, serial interface, mobile communication interface, WLAN interface or Bluetooth interface.

[0063] The aforementioned display device can advantageously be provided on the construction machine to show the operator the relevant data, in particular the determined current condition and / or the determined remaining service life. Alternatively or additionally, the aforementioned display device can be provided in a control center at the machine operator's and / or the machine manufacturer's premises to display the relevant data to the machine operator and / or the machine manufacturer.

[0064] In particular, the aforementioned display device may include at least one display on which the aforementioned data, in particular the determined current state and / or the determined remaining service life and / or the state history and / or trend data and / or forecast data, can be displayed.

[0065] Such a display is advantageously located on the construction machine, particularly in the operator's cab. Alternatively or additionally, a display can also be located in the central control room at the machine operator's and / or the machine manufacturer's premises.

[0066] In an advantageous further development of the invention, the aforementioned display device can be configured to generate warning messages as soon as the construction machine and / or at least one construction machine component is operated outside its operating specifications and / or limit values ​​are exceeded and / or fallen below, and / or a lifetime forecast falls below a certain remaining time.

[0067] Advantageously, the display device can have a user management system that allows the user to configure how data is displayed and / or define access rights to specific data.

[0068] Advantageously, the display device can also be configured to show an overview and individual data from multiple central units and / or multiple storage units to enable fleet management.

[0069] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to a preferred embodiment and the accompanying drawings. The drawings show: Fig. 1: A schematic representation of a construction machine in the form of a crawler excavator with a slewing gear and a travel drive gear, the current state and remaining service life of which are determined by a device according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention by sensor monitoring of the two gears; Fig. 2: A schematic representation of the sensors integrated into the travel drive gear for acquiring certain state information; Fig. 3: A schematic representation of the overall structure of the device for determining the current state and remaining service life of the construction machine. Figure 1and their slewing and drive transmissions, wherein the connection of the transmission sensors to a detection unit, the central unit connected to it for evaluating the data, and the storage units and visualization units connected thereto are shown, Fig. 4: a schematic data flow diagram illustrating the data flow and processing of the detected condition information from its sensorial detection on the construction machine transmission to the display of the current condition and the remaining service life on a display, Fig. 5: a schematic representation of the processing steps concerning the condition data detected by sensors on the transmission up to the display of the determined remaining service life, showing, on the one hand, decentralized data processing and, on the other hand, centralized processing, Fig.Figure 6: a schematic representation of the display of the determined current state, the determined remaining service life, and the determined time remaining until a required service on the display device of the construction machine; and Figure 7: a schematic representation of the display of currently recorded state information and the determined current state and the determined remaining service life of the oil and transmission of the construction machine from the preceding figures.

[0070] How Figure 1 As shown, for example, a construction machine 1 in the form of a crawler excavator can be monitored, whereby in particular one or more gearboxes can be monitored by sensors. For example, a travel drive gearbox 3 and a slewing gear gearbox 2 can be monitored. How Figure 1To illustrate, the drive transmission 3 can, for example, drive the drive of a tracked undercarriage, and the slewing gear 2 can rotate the turntable 4, which is rotatably mounted on the undercarriage 5, which has the drive mechanism, about an upright axis. A driver's cab 6, a knuckle boom 7, and other drives, counterweights, and other construction machinery components can be housed on the turntable 4 in a manner known per se.

[0071] How Figure 1 As shown, alternatively or in addition to the aforementioned gearboxes 2 and 3, other components of the construction machine 1 relevant to its service life can also be monitored by sensors, for example the drive motor 8 of the slewing mechanism and / or a rocker actuator 9 for rocking the boom 7 up and down, for example in the form of a pressure cylinder.

[0072] How Figure 1Furthermore, the collected sensor data can be wirelessly transmitted to a central unit via a transmitter module, as will be explained later.

[0073] How Figure 2 As shown, three different sensors can be integrated into the construction machinery component to be monitored, in particular one of the gearboxes, and can be arranged in an interior enclosed by a component housing in order to capture relevant condition information.

[0074] In particular, the transmission 3 can be equipped with a torque sensor 10, a speed sensor 11, a temperature sensor 12 for detecting the transmission oil temperature and / or the temperature of another transmission component, an oil condition sensor 13 in particular for detecting moisture in the oil or oil space and an oil particle sensor 14 for detecting particles such as metal spiders in the oil.

[0075] How Figure 3As shown, the status information recorded by the various sensors 10 to 14 is transmitted to a data acquisition unit 15, either wirelessly or via a wired connection, as explained earlier. Advantageously, the sensors 10 to 14 can be powered by the aforementioned data acquisition unit 15. The data acquisition unit 15 itself can be powered by the construction machine 1.

[0076] How Figure 3 As shown, the acquisition unit 15 transmits the collected sensor data or the sensor-acquired condition information and / or derived data, parameters, characteristic values ​​and similar information as explained above to the central unit 16, which determines the remaining service life and the current condition of the construction machine 1, in particular the monitored gearboxes 2 and 3, based on the transmitted condition information and / or other quantities transmitted by the acquisition unit 15.

[0077] The storage unit 17 connected to the central unit advantageously stores both the status information transmitted from the acquisition unit 15 to the central unit 16 and / or, if applicable, pre-processed data such as parameters, etc., as well as the remaining service life and the current state determined by the central unit 16. Advantageously, the aforementioned storage unit 17 also stores a corresponding data history.

[0078] How Figure 3 As shown, a display device 18 comprising a visualization unit 19 is connected to both the aforementioned storage unit 17 and the central unit 16 in order to display or visualize the information determined by the central unit 16 and the information stored in the storage unit 17.

[0079] Advantageously, the processing and evaluation of the sensor-acquired status information can be carried out in two stages. On the one hand, how Figure 4This shows that the sensor-acquired state information is preprocessed and / or reduced by the acquisition unit 15 in order to transmit the information to the central unit 16 in a compressed, reduced, and / or preprocessed form. If necessary, the aforementioned acquisition unit 15 can also perform further analysis and / or evaluation steps, as explained above.

[0080] The aforementioned acquisition unit 15 can therefore form a data processing device which may include one or more processors and one or more memories in which program modules are stored that are processed by the processors.

[0081] The central unit 16, which may be configured as a server and / or may include one or more processors and one or more storage devices in order to process program modules accordingly, can further analyze and evaluate the collected status information and / or pre-processed, compressed and / or reduced data transmitted by the acquisition unit 15 in order to determine the current state and remaining service life of the construction machine 1 or its gearboxes 2 and 3.

[0082] For this purpose, the central unit 16 has an analysis module 20 which analyzes the information transmitted by the acquisition unit 15, possibly together with further information transmitted to the central unit 16 and its analysis module 20 from the storage unit 17.

[0083] In particular, the central unit 16 can have a trend determination module 21 to determine a trend from the aforementioned information, as explained at the beginning, cf. Figure 4 .

[0084] Furthermore, the central unit 16 has a trend determination module 21 to determine a trend from the aforementioned information, as explained at the beginning, cf. Figure 4 .

[0085] In addition to the aforementioned trend determination, a comparison unit 22, implemented in the central unit 16, can compare the transmitted data or information with threshold values ​​and / or range limits, as already explained. A weighting unit 23 is provided to weight different status information and / or different trends and / or different threshold deviations differently and to assign different relevance, which are taken into account for determining the current state and the remaining service life.

[0086] The dynamic determination device 24 can dynamically change calculation factors and / or threshold values ​​and / or weightings, as already explained at the beginning.

[0087] The remaining lifetime calculation unit 25 of the central unit 16 then calculates the remaining lifetime of the monitored component based on the information and the data, trends and weightings derived from it, using calculation models.

[0088] How Figure 4 Furthermore, the determined parameters actual state and remaining service life as well as other information of interest such as current state information or derived intermediate evaluations are displayed by the display device 18 on a display 26, which may be provided at the driver's cab 6, but further displays 26 may also be provided at the machine manufacturer or machine operator.

[0089] How Figure 5 This shows that the condition information acquired by sensors on construction machine 1 can be processed decentrally or centrally.

[0090] While centralized processing at the sensor-monitored component, such as the gearbox 3, involves only data acquisition and, if necessary, pre-compression in the case of large data volumes, and at the construction machine 1 only data collection, particularly in the acquisition unit 15, decentralized processing allows for additional pre-evaluation and / or evaluation of the sensor data, such as the generation of characteristic values ​​and trend analysis, to take place at the component, for example in the form of the gearbox 3, and / or at the construction machine 1, particularly through the acquisition unit 15 provided at the construction machine and / or the central unit 16 provided at the construction machine or on-site at the construction site.

[0091] In centralized processing, data compression and analysis, key performance indicator (KPI) generation and trend analysis, preparation for visualization, and provision of global access (e.g., via web services) are all performed centrally, for example, by a central server implementing the central processing unit 16. In contrast, in decentralized processing, since the processing itself is already decentralized, only the preparation for visualization and the provision of global access are performed centrally.

[0092] How Figure 6As shown, the display 26, which presents the recorded and / or determined information, can advantageously comprise a split-screen display similar to a split screen, such that the construction machine 1 and the components, in particular gearboxes 2 and 3, to which the presentation of the recorded and / or determined information relates are shown in one display field 27. In the other display field 28, the determined information, in particular the determined current state, the determined remaining service life, and the remaining interval until the next required service, are presented, advantageously in the form of a step or bar chart and / or a fill-in-the-bar chart. Alternatively or additionally, the determined information is presented in display field 28 in a traffic light display, for example, using the intuitively understandable traffic light color symbols "Green = OK", "Yellow = conditionally OK / trending towards critical", and "Red = critical / problem".

Claims

1. Device for determining the actual condition and the remaining service life of a transmission (2, 3) of a construction, material handling and / or conveying machine (1), with a plurality of sensors (10 to 14) provided on the construction, material handling and / or conveying machine (1) for detecting various condition information, a detection unit (15) connected to the sensors (10 to 14) for collecting the detected condition information, a central unit (16) connectable to the detection unit (15) for evaluating the collected condition information and determining the actual condition and the remaining service life from the collected condition information, as well as a display device (18) for displaying the determined actual condition and the determined remaining service life, wherein the sensors (10 to 14) comprise various sensor types for detecting at least two different information categories from the group comprising component vibrations and lubricant properties, wherein the said sensors (10 to 14) are arrangeable in the interior of a transmission (2, 3) of the construction, material handling and / or conveying machine (1) and comprise a vibration sensor (11) for detecting the component vibrations and at least one of the following sensors: oil particle sensor (14), oil viscosity sensor and oil conductivity sensor for detecting transmission oil particles and / or transmission oil condition, and that the central unit (16) is configured to determine the actual condition and the remaining service life on the basis of the at least two different information categories comprising the component vibrations detected by the vibration sensor (11) and the transmission oil particles and / or transmission oil condition detected by the oil particle and / or oil viscosity and / or oil conductivity sensor, wherein the central unit (16) comprises a trend determination module (21) for determining a trend that characterizes a course of changes of the collected condition information concerning the component vibrations and the transmission oil and predicts a future course, characterized in that the central unit comprises a weighting device (23) for differently weighting different collected condition information and / or different information derived therefrom, wherein the central unit (16) is configured to take into account, for the determination of the remaining service life, the determined trend of the said condition information concerning the component vibrations and the transmission oil and to determine the actual condition and the remaining service life taking into account the various weightings of the various information, and wherein the central unit comprises a dynamic assessment device which is configured to take into account the approach of the plurality of condition information and / or one or more trends to a limit value in the determination of the actual condition and the remaining service life not always equally, but dynamically, such that in the case of only a slight exceedance of one of the detected condition information or trends beyond a predetermined threshold value, when all other condition information or trends still lie on the good side of the respective threshold values, the said exceedance of the one threshold value can still be evaluated as unproblematic for the remaining service life.

2. Device according to the preceding claim, wherein the sensors further comprise at least two of the following sensors: torque sensor (10), rotational speed sensor, temperature sensor (12), force sensor, oil level sensor, dielectric sensor and humidity sensor.

3. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the sensors (10 to 14) are jointly supplied with energy by the detection unit (15), wherein the detection unit (10) has an energy supply input that is connectable to the construction, material handling and / or conveying machine (1), and has an energy supply output that is connected to the sensors (10 to 14).

4. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the transmission (2) is a slewing gear transmission for rotating a slewing platform (4) of the construction, material handling and / or conveying machine (1) relative to its undercarriage (5) or is a travel drive transmission (3) for driving a crawler track or a wheel drive.

5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the detection unit (15) comprises a data processing module for pre-compressing and / or classifying the collected condition information of the sensors (10 to 14) and is configured to transmit pre-compressed and / or classified condition information to the central unit (16), wherein the detection unit (15) comprises a vibration analysis module for analyzing the condition information of a vibration sensor (11) and determining vibration spectra and / or characteristic vibration parameters, and the central unit (16) is configured to take into account, for the determination of the actual condition and the remaining service life, the vibration spectra transmitted by the detection unit (15) and / or the transmitted characteristic vibration parameters.

6. Device according to claim 2 or one of the claims dependent on claim 2, wherein the detection unit (15) comprises a linking and / or computing module for linking and / or computing the collected condition information received from the sensors (10 to 11), wherein the said linking and / or computing module is configured to, - determine temperature differences from collected temperature values of a temperature sensor (12), and / or - calculate a transmission and / or drive power from rotational speed and / or torque values of a rotational speed / torque sensor (10), and / or - calculate an output or input torque from a torque value of a torque sensor (10) using a transmission ratio information and an efficiency map.

7. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the central unit (16) comprises an analysis module (20) for analyzing the condition information collected by the detection unit (15) and for analyzing the preprocessed condition information transmitted by the detection unit (15), wherein the analysis module (20) is configured to take into account, for the determination of the actual condition and / or the remaining service life of the transmission (2, 3) of the construction, material handling and / or conveying machine (1), vibration spectra transmitted by the detection unit (15) and / or characteristic vibration parameters and / or temperature differences transmitted by the detection unit (15) and / or power values determined by the detection unit (15) and / or output and / or input torques determined by the detection unit (15).

8. Device according to the preceding claim, wherein the trend determination module (21) is configured to extrapolate a function approximating the course of the changes of the collected condition information and / or of the information derived therefrom and to determine the future trend from the extrapolated course of the function.

9. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the central unit (16) comprises a comparison device (22) for comparing the collected condition information and / or information derived therefrom with limit values and / or with predetermined ranges, wherein the central unit (16) is configured to determine the remaining service life of the construction, material handling and / or conveying machine from the distance of the actual values of the collected condition information and / or of the information derived therefrom from the said limit values and / or the said range limits.

10. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the weighting device (23) is configured to assign a different weighting to a vibration signal of a vibration sensor (11) and / or to a vibration parameter derived therefrom than to a temperature value of a temperature sensor (12) and / or to a temperature parameter derived therefrom, and / or is configured to assign a different weighting to a rotational speed and / or torque information of a rotational speed and / or torque sensor (10) and / or to a torque and / or rotational speed parameter derived therefrom than to an oil condition information of an oil condition and / or oil particle sensor (13, 14), wherein the weighting device (23) is configured to assign different weightings to different condition information of different sensors (10 to 14) and / or to different information derived therefrom on the basis of the trends determined for the said condition information and / or information derived therefrom.

11. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the dynamic assessment device (24) is configured to dynamically adapt deviation threshold values as a function of the number of condition information and / or information derived therefrom with deviations from threshold values.

12. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the central unit (16) is configured to take into account, for the determination of the actual condition and / or the remaining service life, the history of the collected condition information and / or of information derived therefrom, wherein the history taken into account comprises at least one of the following histories: a history of collected temperature values, a history of collected vibration parameters, a history of collected torque and / or rotational speed values and a history of collected oil condition and / or oil particle values.

13. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the display device (18) comprises at least one display (26) on the construction, material handling and / or conveying machine (1) and / or at least one display at a machine manufacturer and / or a display at a machine operator.

14. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the display device (18) comprises at least one display (26) on which two separate display fields (27, 28) are presented, wherein the one display field (27) contains a representation of the monitored construction, material handling and / or conveying machine (1) and its machine components monitored by the sensors (10 to 14) and the other display field (28) contains a graphical representation of the actual condition and the remaining service life of the machine components (2, 3) shown in the other display field (27), wherein at least the display field (27) for representing the construction, material handling and / or conveying machine (1) and the sensor-monitored machine components (2, 3) is configured to be touch-sensitive, in particular as a touchscreen, wherein the display device (18) comprises a control device which is configured, upon touching of the region of the display field (27) in which a particular machine component of the construction, material handling and / or conveying machine (1) is shown, to reconfigure and / or control the other display field (28) in such a way that on the said other display field (28) the actual condition and the remaining service life of the machine component shown in the touched display field is displayed.

15. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the central unit (16) is configured to provide a warning signal and / or maintenance signal upon or after determination of a remaining service life that falls below a predetermined time span.

16. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the central unit (16) is permanently or temporarily connected to the detection unit (15) in a wired manner or via a wireless connection, and wherein the central unit (16) and storage unit (17) are connected to the visualization unit either permanently or temporarily in a wired or wireless manner.

17. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the central unit (16) is located either directly on the construction, material handling and / or conveying machine or is installed at a location in the form of a central server or a cloud, wherein the processing or a partial processing of the data, in particular a remaining service life calculation, trend formation and / or limit value monitoring, already takes place in the detection unit (15) or in the central unit (16).