Machine Component Usage Monitoring for Pay-Per-Use Service
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for monitoring machine components in industrial systems often require purchasing and installing both the components and separate monitoring systems, regardless of actual usage, leading to unnecessary costs and inefficient resource allocation.
Innovation Solution
A device and method that includes a sensor integrated with the machine component to measure operating parameters, a control unit to monitor usage, and a service unit to provide services based on actual usage, enabling a pay-per-use model by determining the operational period and adjusting services accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a machine component and monitoring system are purchased and installed regardless of actual usage, then the system operator ensures availability of the component and monitoring capability, but unnecessary costs are incurred and resources are wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the economic model from fixed purchase to variable rental based on usage parameters. The service unit monitors operating parameters (hours, revolutions, temperature, etc.) and dynamically adjusts service provision and billing based on actual usage, allowing operators to pay only for what they use while ensuring component availability
Solution Approach 2:
The machine component performs self-monitoring through integrated sensors that automatically track usage parameters. The control unit continuously monitors these parameters and communicates with the service unit, enabling automatic service adjustment without manual intervention and ensuring the component serves itself in terms of monitoring and billing
2Reliability
If a monitoring system is purchased and installed independent of actual monitoring requirements, then continuous monitoring capability is ensured, but costs increase and resource allocation becomes inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system transitions from a static, always-active state to a dynamic state where monitoring intensity and service provision are continuously adjusted based on actual usage. The control unit modulates monitoring activities according to operating parameters, intensifying monitoring when the component is in use and reducing it when idle, thereby optimizing resource allocation while maintaining monitoring capability
3Productivity
If machine components are rented instead of bought, then costs are reduced and resources are optimized, but service provision must be precisely tracked and managed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the monitoring function directly into the machine component by integrating sensors and control units with the component itself. This integration ensures that usage data is automatically captured at the source, eliminating the need for separate tracking systems and reducing overall system complexity while enabling precise rental billing
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit continuously monitors usage parameters and provides real-time feedback to the service unit. This feedback loop enables automatic adjustment of service provision and billing based on actual usage, simplifying the rental management process by eliminating manual tracking and ensuring accurate cost allocation
Data Source
AI summary
A device for monitoring the use of a machine component includes a sensor configured to measure at least one operating parameter of the machine component and produce a first output signal indicative of the measured operating parameter, a control unit configured to determine information about a use of the machine based on the received first output signal and to produce a second output signal indicative of the use of the machine, and a service unit configured to receive the second output signal and to permit a continuation of existing services for the machine component and/or to provide further services for the machine component based on the second output signal.