Industrial furnace management device, industrial furnace system, and program

Abstract

The present invention enables a data item, among data items related to the operation states of an industrial furnace, that should be preferentially reported to be checked at a frequency corresponding to the reporting priority of the data item. A management device (200): acquires operation data (D) items related to the operation states of an industrial furnace (100); extracts, from the acquired operation data (D), priority operation data that is the operation data (D) item having a high reporting priority; and transmits a priority report (RP2) including the extracted priority operation data to a user terminal (300) at a first frequency determined on the basis of a reporting priority of the priority operation data included in the priority report (RP2).

Description

Industrial furnace control device, industrial furnace system, and program

[0001] The present invention relates to an industrial furnace management device, an industrial furnace system, and a program.

[0002] Conventionally, industrial furnaces are known for performing processes such as sintering, semi-sintering, firing, degreasing, brazing, metallizing, quenching, solidification, tempering, and annealing of objects, etc. In these industrial furnaces, various data related to the operating status of multiple components of the industrial furnace are acquired (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] JP 2023-107084 A

[0004] In the above industrial furnace, a report reporting the operating status of the industrial furnace is created from the acquired data and the created report is sent to the user of the industrial furnace. Conventionally, a report reporting the operating status of the entire industrial furnace was created unconditionally based on the acquired data and sent at a predetermined frequency.

[0005] Reports that unconditionally report the operating status of the entire industrial furnace also include data on operating conditions that are of low priority, making it difficult to find data on operating conditions that are of high priority from the submitted reports.

[0006] Furthermore, it is preferable that data with a high reporting priority be checked frequently in order to quickly identify, for example, abnormalities in industrial furnaces, the timing of part replacement, etc. However, since conventional reports are not sent frequently, it has been difficult to check data with a high reporting priority frequently.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to make it possible to check data relating to the operational status of an industrial furnace that should be reported with priority at a frequency that corresponds to the reporting priority of that data.

[0008] An industrial furnace management device according to one embodiment of the present invention acquires operation data relating to the operating status of an industrial furnace, extracts priority operation data from the acquired operation data, which is operation data with a high reporting priority, and transmits the extracted priority operation data to a user terminal at a first frequency determined based on the reporting priority of the priority operation data.

[0009] According to another aspect of the present invention, an industrial furnace system includes an industrial furnace, a data acquisition device, and a management device. The data acquisition device acquires operation data related to the operating status of the industrial furnace. The management device extracts priority operation data, which is operation data with a high reporting priority, from the operation data acquired by the data acquisition device, and transmits the extracted priority operation data to a user terminal at a first frequency determined based on the reporting priority of the priority operation data.

[0010] A program according to yet another aspect of the present invention is a program for causing a computer to execute a management method including the following steps: (a) acquiring operation data related to the operating status of an industrial furnace, (b) extracting priority operation data from the acquired operation data, which is operation data with a high reporting priority, and (c) transmitting the extracted priority operation data to a user terminal at a first frequency determined based on the reporting priority of the priority operation data.

[0011] The industrial furnace management device, industrial furnace system, and program according to the present invention extract priority operation data, which is operation data with a high reporting priority, from operation data related to the operating status of the industrial furnace, and transmit the extracted priority operation data to a user terminal at a first frequency determined based on the reporting priority of the priority operation data. By extracting priority operation data with a high reporting priority from operation data related to the operating status of the entire industrial furnace and transmitting the priority operation data to the user terminal at a first frequency according to the reporting priority, data with a high reporting priority can be viewed at a frequency according to the reporting priority of the data. For example, priority operation data with a high reporting priority can be transmitted to the user terminal at a high frequency. As a result, the user can view priority operation data with a high reporting priority at a high frequency.

[0012] It is a diagram showing the configuration of an industrial furnace system. It is a diagram showing the control configuration of a control device and a management device. It is a flowchart showing the operation of monitoring the operating status of an industrial furnace. It is a diagram showing a management device of a modified example.

[0013] 1. Industrial Furnace System The following describes the industrial furnace system A. First, the configuration of the industrial furnace system A will be described using Figure 1. Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the industrial furnace system A. The industrial furnace system A includes an industrial furnace 100, a management device 200, and a user terminal 300.

[0014] The industrial furnace 100 is an apparatus that performs processes such as degreasing and sintering on a workpiece W. The industrial furnace 100 includes a pressure vessel 1, a heat insulating material 2, a tight box 3, a heater 4, a gas stirring mechanism 5, a gas supply device 6, a gas exhaust mechanism 7, and a control device 8.

[0015] The pressure vessel 1 is, for example, a sealable vessel that includes a cylindrical vessel body 11 and vessel lids 12 provided on both ends of the vessel body 11. The pressure vessel 1 is provided with a vessel cooling mechanism 9 for cooling the wall of the pressure vessel 1.

[0016] The container cooling mechanism 9 is composed of a refrigerant flow passage 91 formed inside the wall body, and a refrigerant circuit 92 that circulates a cooling refrigerant through the refrigerant flow passage 91. The refrigerant in the container cooling mechanism 9 is a liquid such as water. The wall body has a double structure made up of an inner wall and an outer wall, and the refrigerant flow passage 91 is formed between the inner and outer walls.

[0017] The refrigerant circuit 92 includes a refrigerant supply pipe 921 having one end connected to a refrigerant inlet provided in the refrigerant flow passage 91, a refrigerant pump 922 having a discharge port connected to the other end of the refrigerant supply pipe 921 for pumping the refrigerant, and a refrigerant outlet pipe 923 having one end connected to a refrigerant outlet provided in the refrigerant flow passage 91. In this embodiment, the other end of the refrigerant outlet pipe 923 is connected to a suction port of the refrigerant pump 922 so that the refrigerant circulates.

[0018] Furthermore, in order to cool the refrigerant during the circulation process, a heat sink 924 having fins or the like is provided on the refrigerant outlet pipe 923 (or the refrigerant supply pipe 921). In addition, a valve 925 for controlling the flow of the refrigerant is provided on the refrigerant supply pipe 921. Note that this refrigerant circuit may not be a circulation type, but may be a free-flow type in which new refrigerant is constantly sent into the refrigerant flow path.

[0019] The thermal insulation material 2 is a housing-like member disposed inside the pressure vessel 1. The thermal insulation material 2 is, for example, a housing-like member including a cylindrical thermal insulation material body 21 and thermal insulation material lids 22 attached to both ends of the body. The thermal insulation material 2 is made of a heat-resistant material such as graphite felt or graphite foil. The thermal insulation material lid 22 can be opened and closed from the outside of the pressure vessel 1 by an opening and closing mechanism.

[0020] The tight box 3 is airtight and accommodates the workpiece W, and is disposed inside the thermal insulation material 2. More specifically, the tight box 3 is made of graphite or the like. The tight box 3 comprises a cylindrical tight box body 31 and tight box lids 32 provided on both ends of the body. The tight box lids 32 can be opened and closed from outside the pressure vessel 1 by an opening and closing mechanism.

[0021] The heater 4 raises the temperature inside the thermal insulation material 2. The heater 4 is, for example, a rod-type heater made of graphite that generates heat when an electric current is passed through it. A plurality of heaters 4 are intermittently arranged inside the thermal insulation material 2 so as to surround the periphery of the tight box 3.

[0022] The gas agitation mechanism 5 agitates the gas within the pressure vessel 1. The gas agitation mechanism 5 includes a fan 51 disposed within the pressure vessel 1 and a fan motor 52 that drives the fan 51. The gas agitation mechanism 5 agitates the gas within the pressure vessel 1 by the rotation of the fan 51, and is used for forced cooling and uniform heating.

[0023] The gas supply device 6 supplies gas into the pressure vessel 1 and the tight box 3. The gas supply device 6 includes a gas source 61 that stores and / or generates nitrogen, argon, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, helium, methane, etc., a first gas supply pipe 62 that connects the gas source 61 to the pressure vessel 1, a second gas supply pipe 63 that connects the gas source 61 to the tight box 3, and on-off valves 64 and 65 that are provided on the gas supply pipes 62 and 63, respectively.

[0024] The gas supply device 6 is configured so that gas supply to the pressure vessel 1 and the tight box 3 can be independently started and stopped by opening and closing on-off valves 64, 65. Since the heat insulating material 2 is not completely airtight, introducing gas into the pressure vessel 1 also introduces gas into the heat insulating material 2.

[0025] In addition, multiple gas sources 61 may be provided so that multiple types of gas can be introduced into the pressure vessel 1 and the tight box 3, or a gas supply pipe may be connected to the insulation material 2 so that gas can be introduced from the insulation material 2 into the pressure vessel 1.

[0026] The gas exhaust mechanism 7 exhausts gas from the pressure vessel 1 and the tight box 3. The gas exhaust mechanism 7 includes an exhaust pump 71, a first gas exhaust pipe 72 that connects the pressure vessel 1 to the suction port of the exhaust pump 71 in order to exhaust gas from the pressure vessel 1, a second gas exhaust pipe 73 that connects the tight box 3 to the suction port of the exhaust pump 71 in order to exhaust gas from the tight box 3, and on-off valves 74 and 75 provided on the gas exhaust pipes 72 and 73, respectively.

[0027] The gas exhaust mechanism 7 is configured so that it can independently exhaust and stop gas exhaust from the pressure vessel 1 and the tight box 3 by opening and closing these on-off valves. Because the insulation 2 is not completely airtight, exhausting gas from the pressure vessel 1 also exhausts gas from within the insulation 2. In addition, in Figure 1, reference numerals 76 and 77 denote a wax reservoir tank and a wax trap provided on the second gas exhaust pipe 73.

[0028] The control device 8 is a type of computer equipped with an information processing circuit such as a CPU, a memory, a transmission / reception port, etc. The control device 8 is, for example, a PLC. The control device 8 controls each part of the industrial furnace 100. As shown in Fig. 2, the control device 8 is connected to the heater 4, pumps 71, 922, valves 64, 65, 74, 75, 925, and fan motor 52. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the control configuration of the control device 8 and the management device 200.

[0029] The control device 8 includes a first information processing unit 81 and a first storage unit 83. The first information processing unit 81 is configured with an information processing circuit of the control device 8 and executes various information processing in the control device 8. The first information processing unit 81 controls each unit of the industrial furnace 100 so that processes such as degreasing and sintering are performed according to a predetermined recipe by transmitting drive signals to the heater 4, pumps 71, 922, valves 64, 65, 74, 75, 925, and fan motor 52. The first information processing unit 81 executes the program stored in the first storage unit 83 to execute the above information processing.

[0030] The first storage unit 83 is configured by the memory of the control device 8 and stores various programs executed by the control device 8 and various parameters related to the industrial furnace 100 .

[0031] The industrial furnace 100 is provided with sensors at various locations in the industrial furnace 100 so as to detect the operating state of the industrial furnace 100. Specifically, the industrial furnace 100 is provided with a voltmeter 41, an ammeter 42, a pressure sensor 43, a temperature sensor 44, a refrigerant sensor 45, and the like.

[0032] The voltmeter 41 is provided in an electric circuit that operates the heater 4, the pumps 71, 922, the valves 64, 65, 74, 75, 925, the fan motor 52, etc. The voltmeter 41 measures the operating voltages of these components. The voltmeter 41 is provided in a current circuit that operates the heater 4, the pumps 71, 922, the valves 64, 65, 74, 75, 925, the fan motor 52, etc. The ammeter 42 measures the operating currents of these components.

[0033] The pressure sensor 43 measures the pressure inside the pressure vessel 1, inside the tight box 3, near the intake port of the exhaust pump 71, etc. The temperature sensor 44 detects the temperatures inside the pressure vessel 1, the heat insulating material 2, the refrigerant, etc. The refrigerant sensor 45 is provided, for example, in the refrigerant flow passage 91, and measures the flow rate, pressure, etc. of the refrigerant in the vessel cooling mechanism 9.

[0034] A voltmeter 41, an ammeter 42, a pressure sensor 43, a temperature sensor 44, a refrigerant sensor 45, and the like are connected to the control device 8. A first information processing unit 81 of the control device 8 acquires data measured by these sensors at predetermined intervals as operation data D relating to the operating state of the industrial furnace 100 and stores the data in a first storage unit 83.

[0035] The operation data D includes, for example, the operation history of the industrial furnace 100, the power used in the industrial furnace 100, the supply pressure, flow rate, temperature, and temperature after circulation of the refrigerant of the container cooling mechanism 9, the temperature outside the industrial furnace 100, the temperature inside the industrial furnace 100 (e.g., inside the pressure vessel 1, the heat insulating material 2, etc.), the power used by the heater 4, changes in the resistance value of the heater 4, the power balance of the heater 4 (e.g., the current imbalance rate), the power used by the exhaust pump 71, the power of the exhaust pump 71 at maximum load, the operating time of the exhaust pump 71, the power used by the fan motor 52, the power of the fan motor 52 at maximum load, the operating time of the fan motor 52, and the number of times each valve 64, 65, 74, 75, 925 has been operated.

[0036] The above-mentioned operational data D may be the measurement values ​​of the above-mentioned sensors, etc. themselves, or may be data calculated by the first information processing unit 81 from the measurement values ​​of the sensors, etc. (for example, power, resistance value, power balance, number of operations, etc.).

[0037] The management device 200 is connected to the control device 8 of the industrial furnace 100 and the user terminal 300, monitors the operating status of the industrial furnace 100, and transmits the results to the user terminal 300. The management device 200 is a computer system configured with information processing circuits such as a CPU and a GPU, storage devices (storage devices such as RAM, ROM, SSD, and HDD), and various interfaces (e.g., network interfaces, input / output interfaces, etc.). The management device 200 is, for example, a server such as a cloud server. The management device 200 may be a virtual computer that realizes the above hardware in software. The management device 200 has a second information processing unit 201 and a second storage unit 203.

[0038] The second information processing unit 201 is configured by an information processing circuit of the management device 200 and executes various information processing related to the monitoring of the operating status of the industrial furnace 100. The second information processing unit 201 executes programs stored in the second storage unit 203 to execute various information processing related to the monitoring of the operating status of the industrial furnace 100.

[0039] Specifically, the second information processing unit 201 acquires the operation data D from the control device 8 and, based on the operation data D, creates a report on the operation status of the industrial furnace 100. The second information processing unit 201 transmits the created report to the user terminal 300.

[0040] The reports created by the second information processing unit 201 of the management device 200 include an overall report RP1 and a priority report RP2. The overall report RP1 is a report on the overall operating status of the industrial furnace 100. The overall report RP1 includes (substantially) all of the operation data D acquired by the control device 8.

[0041] On the other hand, the priority report RP2 is a report that includes operation data D that needs to be reported to the user with priority among the operation data D acquired by the control device 8. The priority of this report is determined, for example, based on the degree of wear of the components that make up the industrial furnace 100 (e.g., the heater 4, the sensors, the valves 64, 65, 74, 75, 925, etc.).

[0042] For example, the report priority can be set higher for the operation data D related to a part that is more likely to wear out among the parts that make up the industrial furnace 100. Also, the report priority can be set higher for the operation data D related to a part that is more likely to wear out among the parts that make up the industrial furnace 100. The report priority can be set, for example, by the user of the industrial furnace 100, or can be set based on the value included in the operation data D, for example.

[0043] The second storage unit 203 is configured by a storage device of the management device 200, etc. The second storage unit 203 stores various programs executed by the second information processing unit 201, various parameters related to monitoring the operating status of the industrial furnace 100, etc. The second storage unit 203 stores the operation data D acquired from the control device 8, the above-mentioned overall report RP1, and the priority report RP2.

[0044] The user terminal 300 is a terminal used by a user of the industrial furnace 100. The user terminal 300 is connected to the management device 200, receives the report created by the management device 200, and displays the received report to present to the user.

[0045] The user terminal 300 is a computer system configured with information processing circuits such as a CPU and a GPU, storage devices (storage devices such as RAM, ROM, SSD, and HDD), various interfaces (e.g., network interface, input / output interface), display devices (e.g., liquid crystal display, organic EL display), etc. The user terminal 300 is, for example, a personal computer, a notebook computer, or various mobile terminals (e.g., smartphone, tablet terminal, etc.).

[0046] The operation of the industrial furnace system A having the above configuration will be described below. First, the workpiece W is treated using the industrial furnace 100. Specifically, the workpiece W is placed in the tight box 3, and the lids of the industrial furnace 100 are closed. Thereafter, the first information processing unit 81 of the control device 8 controls each part of the industrial furnace 100 in accordance with the treatment content of the workpiece W.

[0047] While the workpiece W is being treated in the industrial furnace 100, the industrial furnace system A monitors the operating status of the industrial furnace 100. This monitoring operation is performed according to the flowchart shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of monitoring the operating status of the industrial furnace 100. First, while the workpiece W is being treated in the industrial furnace 100, the first information processing unit 81 of the control device 8 acquires operating data D related to the operating status of the industrial furnace 100 (step S1).

[0048] Specifically, the first information processing unit 81 calculates the operation data D based on measurements acquired by various sensors and the like provided in the industrial furnace 100, and stores the operation data D in the first storage unit 83. Meanwhile, the second information processing unit 201 of the management device 200 acquires the operation data D acquired by the control device 8.

[0049] Next, the second information processing unit 201 checks whether the current time is a time corresponding to the second frequency since the previous generation and transmission of the overall report RP1, and whether it is time to transmit the overall report RP1 (step S2). The second frequency is the frequency at which the overall report RP1 is generated and transmitted, and can be set to, for example, monthly (e.g., once a month).

[0050] If it is now time to send the overall report RP1 ("Yes" in step S2), the second information processing unit 201 creates an overall report RP1 including all of the operational data D acquired from the control device 8 and stored in the second storage unit 203, and sends the overall report RP1 to the user terminal 300 (step S3). Note that the overall report RP1 may include not only the operational data D itself (i.e., the measured values ​​and calculated values ​​included in the operational data D), but also graphs that allow the status of the operational data D to be visually recognized, such as graphs showing changes in the operational data D over time.

[0051] The user terminal 300 that has received the overall report RP1 displays the received overall report RP1 on the display device of the user terminal 300. The overall report RP1 may be displayed on a web browser running on the user terminal 300, or on a dedicated application.

[0052] As described above, the overall report RP1 regarding the operating status of the entire industrial furnace 100 is generated at the second frequency (e.g., monthly) and transmitted to the user terminal 300. This allows the user to check the operating status of the entire industrial furnace 100 at the second frequency.

[0053] Furthermore, even if it is not currently the time to create and send the overall report RP1 (i.e., "No" in step S2), the second information processing unit 201 determines whether or not there is any operational data (referred to as priority operational data) among the operational data D acquired from the control device 8 and stored in the second memory unit 203 that has a high priority for reporting to the user (step S4).

[0054] For example, if the operation data D relating to a part that is easily worn out among the parts that make up the industrial furnace 100 is to have a higher reporting priority, the second information processing unit 201 will assign a higher reporting priority to the operation data D relating to the part designated by the user as being easily worn out. For example, if the heater 4 of the industrial furnace 100 is designated as a part that is easily worn out, the operation data D including the power used by the heater 4, the change in the resistance value of the heater 4, and the power balance of the heater 4 can be set as the priority operation data.

[0055] Additionally, the second information processing unit 201 can, for example, calculate the change over time in the value of the operation data D, determine that a part corresponding to operation data D that has changed to a value close to an abnormal value in a short period of time is a part that is likely to wear out, and assign a high priority to reporting the operation data D. For example, if the number of times a valve is opened and closed increases in a short period of time, the operation data D related to the valve (for example, data including the number of times the valve is opened and closed) can be set as priority operation data.

[0056] Furthermore, for example, if the operation data D relating to a part that is more highly worn out among the parts that make up the industrial furnace 100 is to have a higher reporting priority, the second information processing unit 201 can determine that the part corresponding to the operation data D has a high degree of wear when the value of the operation data D exceeds a predetermined threshold (the value of the operation data D is equal to or greater than the threshold, or the value of the operation data D is less than the threshold), and can assign a high reporting priority to the operation data D.

[0057] For example, if the resistance value of heater 4 is greater than a predetermined threshold value, it is determined that the degree of wear of heater 4 is high, and operation data D related to heater 4 (e.g., data including the power used by heater 4, the resistance value of heater 4, the power balance of heater 4, etc.) can be set as priority operation data.

[0058] In addition, the second information processing unit 201, for example, calculates the change in the value of the operation data D over time, and if the change in the value of the operation data D over time is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, determines that the part corresponding to the operation data D has a high degree of wear, and assigns a high priority to reporting the operation data D.

[0059] For example, if the change in the resistance value of heater 4 over time is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, it is determined that the degree of wear of heater 4 is high, and operation data D related to heater 4 (e.g., data including the power used by heater 4, the resistance value of heater 4, the power balance of heater 4, etc.) can be set as priority operation data.

[0060] If it is determined that there is no priority operational data in the second storage unit 203 ("No" in step S4), the second information processing unit 201 executes steps S1 to S3. That is, the second information processing unit 201 acquires the operational data D from the control device 8, and if it is currently the timing to send the overall report RP1, creates the overall report RP1 and sends it to the user terminal 300.

[0061] On the other hand, if it is determined that priority operational data exists in the second storage unit 203 ("Yes" in step S4), a priority report RP2 including the priority operational data is created and transmitted to the user terminal 300. In this case, the second information processing unit 201 determines whether the current time is a time corresponding to the first frequency since the previous priority report RP2 was created and transmitted, and whether it is time to transmit the priority report RP2 (step S5). The first frequency is the frequency at which the priority report RP2 is created and transmitted, and can be, for example, daily (e.g., once a day) or weekly (e.g., once a week).

[0062] In this way, the first frequency is higher than the second frequency, which is the frequency at which the overall report RP1 is created and transmitted. This allows the priority report RP2, which includes operational data D with a high reporting priority, to be created and transmitted more frequently than the overall report RP1.

[0063] The first frequency can be set appropriately depending on the priority of the report. For example, for operational data D with the highest priority for reporting, a priority report RP2 including this operational data D can be created and sent daily, while for operational data D with a high but not the highest priority for reporting, a priority report RP2 including this operational data D can be created and sent weekly.

[0064] In addition, for example, if there is a change in the value of operational data D and the priority of the report is higher than before, the frequency of creating and sending priority report RP2 including this operational data D can be increased (for example, changed from one week to one day).

[0065] If it is not currently the timing to transmit the priority report RP2 ("No" in step S5), the second information processing unit 201 executes the above steps S1 to S4 while waiting until it is time to create and transmit the priority report RP2.

[0066] On the other hand, if it is currently the timing to send the priority report RP2 ("Yes" in step S5), the second information processing unit 201 extracts the priority operation data to be included in the priority report RP2 to be sent from the operation data D stored in the second storage unit 203, creates the priority report RP2 including the extracted operation data D (priority operation data), and sends it to the user terminal 300 (step S6). Note that the priority report RP2 may include not only the priority operation data itself (i.e., the measured values ​​and calculated values ​​included in the priority operation data), but also graphs that allow the status of the priority operation data to be visually recognized, such as graphs showing changes in the priority operation data over time.

[0067] The user terminal 300 that has received the priority report RP2 displays the received priority report RP2 on the display device of the user terminal 300. Note that the priority report RP2 may be displayed on a web browser running on the user terminal 300, or on a dedicated application.

[0068] The above steps S1 to S6 are repeatedly executed during operation of the industrial furnace system A. That is, the operational status of the industrial furnace 100 is monitored while the industrial furnace system A is operating.

[0069] In this way, in the industrial furnace system A, operation data D that has a high priority for reporting to the user, such as operation data D related to parts that are prone to wear and / or parts that have become worn out in the industrial furnace 100, is transmitted to the user terminal 300 as a priority report RP2 at a first frequency that is higher than the second frequency at which the overall report RP1 related to the entire industrial furnace 100 is transmitted. This makes it possible to check operation data D with a high reporting priority at a frequency that corresponds to the reporting priority of the operation data D. As a result, for example, the user can quickly grasp abnormalities in the industrial furnace 100, the timing of replacement of parts that make up the industrial furnace 100, etc.

[0070] 2. Modification In the above-described industrial furnace system A, the operation data D is transmitted unconditionally from the control device 8 to the management device 200. However, depending on the user of the industrial furnace 100, there may be operational statuses of the industrial furnace 100 that the user does not want to transmit and / or disclose to the outside. In other words, there may be cases where the user does not want to transmit some of the operation data D acquired by the control device 8 to the management device 200. In this modification, only pre-specified operation data D from the operation data D acquired by the control device 8 can be transmitted to the management device 200.

[0071] In this case, it is necessary to set which operational data D can be transmitted (filtering setting) on ​​the control device 8 side, and this setting may be changed as necessary. However, if the filtering setting is set by someone other than the user of the industrial furnace 100, such as a serviceman of the industrial furnace system A, the serviceman or the like must visit the site where the control device 8 is installed every time the filtering setting is changed. In other words, if filtering setting can be done only on the control device 8 side, the burden of filtering setting becomes heavy.

[0072] Therefore, in this modified example, as shown in Fig. 4, filtering information FI for performing filtering settings is stored in the second storage unit 203 of the management device 200. When performing filtering settings on the control device 8 side, the first information processing unit 81 of the control device 8 accesses the management device 200 to refer to the filtering information FI and performs filtering settings in accordance with the filtering information FI. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the management device 200 of the modified example.

[0073] A service person who can set filtering settings can access management device 200 using a terminal, etc., and the service person can edit filtering information FI using the terminal, etc. In this way, by storing filtering information FI in second storage unit 203 of management device 200, the service person can set / change filtering settings simply by accessing management device 200 and editing filtering information FI, thereby reducing the burden of setting filtering.

[0074] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. The processing content and processing order of each step in the flowchart described in Figure 3 can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0075] The industrial furnace 100 included in the industrial furnace system A is not limited to having the configuration shown in Fig. 1. For example, the monitoring of the operating status of the industrial furnace described above can be applied to various industrial furnaces, such as those in which multiple industrial furnaces 100 are connected together.

[0076] The monitoring of the operating status of the industrial furnace 100 in the above-described industrial furnace system A may be realized by the control device 8. In this case, the management device 200 may be omitted, or may be maintained as a storage destination for the operating data D, reports, etc.

[0077] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the exemplary embodiments described above are examples of the following aspects.

[0078] (First Aspect) A management device (e.g., management device 200) according to the first aspect acquires operation data (e.g., operation data D) relating to the operating status of an industrial furnace (e.g., industrial furnace 100), extracts priority operation data, which is operation data with a high reporting priority, from the acquired operation data, and transmits the extracted priority operation data (e.g., priority report RP2 including the priority operation data) to a user terminal (e.g., user terminal 300) at a first frequency determined based on the reporting priority of the priority operation data.

[0079] In the industrial furnace management device according to the first aspect, operation data with a high reporting priority can be checked at a frequency according to the reporting priority of the operation data. For example, priority operation data with a high reporting priority can be transmitted to a user terminal at a high frequency. As a result, the user can check the priority operation data with a high reporting priority at a high frequency.

[0080] (Second Aspect) In the management device of the first aspect, the priority of the report may be determined based on the degree of wear of the components constituting the industrial furnace. In the management device according to the second aspect, the priority operation data related to the degree of wear of the components constituting the industrial furnace can be checked at an appropriate frequency according to the degree of wear.

[0081] (Third Aspect) In the management device of the second aspect, the reporting priority may be higher for operation data relating to parts that are more likely to wear out among the parts that make up the industrial furnace. In the management device according to the third aspect, the priority operation data relating to parts that are more likely to wear out can be checked at an appropriate frequency depending on the wear susceptibility of the parts.

[0082] (Fourth Aspect) In the management device of the second or third aspect, the reporting priority may be higher for operation data relating to a part that is more highly worn out among parts that make up the industrial furnace. In the management device of the fourth aspect, the priority operation data relating to the part that is more highly worn out can be checked at an appropriate frequency according to the degree of wear.

[0083] (Fifth Aspect) In the management device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, operation data (for example, an overall report RP1 including all of the operation data D) may be transmitted to the user terminal at a second frequency that is lower than the first frequency. In the management device according to the fifth aspect, the operation status of the entire industrial furnace 100 can be checked at an appropriate frequency, although not as frequently as the priority operation data having a higher reporting priority.

[0084] (Sixth Aspect) An industrial furnace system (e.g., industrial furnace system A) according to a sixth aspect includes an industrial furnace, a data acquisition device (e.g., control device 8), and a management device. The data acquisition device acquires operation data related to the operating status of the industrial furnace. The management device extracts priority operation data, which is operation data with a high reporting priority, from the operation data acquired by the data acquisition device, and transmits the extracted priority operation data to a user terminal at a first frequency determined based on the reporting priority of the priority operation data.

[0085] In the industrial furnace system according to the sixth aspect, operation data with a high reporting priority can be checked at a frequency corresponding to the reporting priority of the operation data. For example, priority operation data with a high reporting priority can be transmitted to a user terminal at a high frequency. As a result, the user can check the priority operation data with a high reporting priority at a high frequency.

[0086] (Seventh Aspect) A program according to the seventh aspect is a program for causing a computer to execute a management method. The management method includes the following steps. The following steps (a) to (c) do not limit the order in which each step is performed. (a) A step of acquiring operation data related to the operating status of an industrial furnace. (b) A step of extracting, from the acquired operation data, priority operation data that is operation data with a high reporting priority. (c) A step of transmitting the extracted priority operation data to a user terminal at a first frequency determined based on the reporting priority of the priority operation data.

[0087] In the program according to the seventh aspect, operational data with a high reporting priority can be checked at a frequency according to the reporting priority of the operational data. For example, priority operational data with a high reporting priority can be sent to a user terminal at a high frequency. As a result, the user can check the priority operational data with a high reporting priority at a high frequency.

[0088] A: Industrial furnace system 100: Industrial furnace W: Workpiece 1: Pressure vessel 11: Vessel body 12: Vessel lid 2: Heat insulating material 21: Heat insulating material body 22: Heat insulating material lid 3: Tight box 31: Tight box body 32: Tight box lid 4: Heater 5: Gas stirring mechanism 51: Fan 52: Fan motor 6: Gas supply device 61: Gas source 62: First gas supply pipe 63: Second gas supply pipe 64: Open / close valve 65: Open / close valve 7: Gas exhaust mechanism 71: Exhaust pump 72: First gas exhaust pipe 73: Second gas exhaust pipe 74: Open / close valve 75: Open / close valve 8: Control device 81: First information processing unit 83: First memory unit 9: Vessel cooling mechanism 91: Refrigerant flow path 92: Refrigerant circuit 921: Refrigerant supply pipe 922: Refrigerant pump 923: Refrigerant outflow pipe 924: Heat sink 925: Valve 41: Voltmeter 42: Ammeter 43: Pressure sensor 44: Temperature sensor 45: Refrigerant sensor 200: Management device 201: Second information processing unit 203: Second storage unit D: Operation data RP1: Overall report RP2: Priority report FI: Filtering information 300: User terminal

Claims

1. An industrial furnace management device that acquires operation data related to the operating status of an industrial furnace, extracts priority operation data from the acquired operation data, which is operation data with a high reporting priority, and transmits the extracted priority operation data to a user terminal at a first frequency determined based on the reporting priority of the priority operation data.

2. The industrial furnace management device according to claim 1, wherein the priority of the report is determined based on the degree of wear of components that constitute the industrial furnace.

3. The industrial furnace management device according to claim 2, wherein the report has a higher priority for operation data relating to parts that are more likely to wear out among parts that make up the industrial furnace.

4. The industrial furnace management device according to claim 2, wherein the report has a higher priority for operation data relating to a part that is more highly worn out among parts that make up the industrial furnace.

5. An industrial furnace management device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the operation data is transmitted to the user terminal at a second frequency that is lower than the first frequency.

6. An industrial furnace system comprising: an industrial furnace; a data acquisition device that acquires operation data relating to the operating status of the industrial furnace; and a management device that extracts priority operation data, which is operation data with a high reporting priority, from the operation data acquired by the data acquisition device, and transmits the extracted priority operation data to a user terminal at a first frequency determined based on the reporting priority of the priority operation data.

7. A program that causes a computer to execute a management method comprising: a step of acquiring operation data relating to the operating status of an industrial furnace; a step of extracting priority operation data, which is operation data with a high reporting priority, from the acquired operation data; and a step of transmitting the extracted priority operation data to a user terminal at a first frequency determined based on the reporting priority of the priority operation data.

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