Decentralized Maintenance Data Evaluation for Predictive Machine Servicing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Manufacturers of machinery in the beverage and packaging industries face challenges in obtaining continuous and comprehensive measurement, operational, and process data from machines after delivery, as machine operators are reluctant to share such data due to security and confidentiality concerns, hindering predictive maintenance and optimized maintenance services.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for acquiring and evaluating maintenance-relevant data through decentralized plant service facilities, utilizing sensor units, data collection, and evaluation units to incentivize operators with rewards for data provision, enabling predictive maintenance and quality-dependent control of sensor units.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If machine operators share measurement, operational, and process data continuously and comprehensively, then predictive maintenance and optimized maintenance services can be enabled, but security and confidentiality concerns prevent operators from sharing such data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a decentralized service facility that acts as an intermediary between the plant control system and external service providers. This intermediary collects, evaluates, and processes maintenance-relevant data locally, transforming sensitive raw data into anonymized maintenance insights before transmission. This mediator structure enables predictive maintenance while preserving data security and operator confidentiality concerns.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local data evaluation and processing at the decentralized service facility rather than centralized cloud processing. By performing data anonymization, evaluation, and maintenance planning locally, the system preserves sensitive operational data at the source while only transmitting necessary maintenance insights externally. This local processing approach maintains data quality for predictive maintenance while addressing confidentiality concerns.
2Loss of information
If comprehensive data is collected and transmitted to manufacturers, then insights into technical condition and operational behavior are improved, but data quality and quantity available to manufacturers remain insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the decentralized service facility continuously evaluates data quality and quantity metrics, compares them against maintenance requirements, and provides feedback to the plant control system. This feedback loop enables dynamic adjustment of data collection strategies, ensuring that sufficient quality data is captured for predictive maintenance while optimizing transmission to manufacturers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary data evaluation, anonymization, and maintenance relevance filtering at the decentralized service facility before data is transmitted to manufacturers. This preliminary processing ensures that only high-quality, maintenance-relevant data is shared externally, improving data quality for manufacturers while reducing unnecessary data transmission.
3Ease of operation
If decentralized service facilities are implemented with data evaluation capabilities, then maintenance services can be optimized, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the maintenance service system into decentralized service facilities distributed across different plant locations, each with independent data evaluation and maintenance planning capabilities. This segmentation enables localized maintenance optimization without requiring complex centralized coordination, simplifying the overall system architecture while improving maintenance service effectiveness.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a system (1) and a method for detecting and evaluating maintenance- and/or servicing-relevant measurement, operational, and/or process data (MSD) relating to a system (2), in particular in the beverage and/or packaging industry, comprising multiple interacting machines (M1 to Mx) or an individual machine, and/or relating to a process (P1 to Px) carried out in the system (2). The system (2) has multiple measuring and/or sensor units (5.1 – 5.x, 6.1 – 6.x) for detecting the maintenance- and/or servicing-relevant measurement, operational, and/or process data (MSD) of the individual machines (M1 to Mx) and/or the individual processes (P1 to Px), and at least one data collecting unit (2.2), and the measurement, operational, and/or process data (MSD) detected by the measuring and/or sensor units (5.1 – 5.x, 6.1 – 6.x) is transmitted to the data collecting unit (2.2) via at least one data transmission network (2.1, 8) of the system (2) and is collected in said data collecting unit, wherein a decentralized system service device (3) is provided which is arranged outside the system (2) and comprises at least one data evaluation unit (3.1) and at least one diagnosis and remote servicing unit (3.2) for providing maintenance and/or servicing processes (IWD), and at least the maintenance- and/or servicing-relevant measurement, operational, and/or process data (MSD) is provided outside the system (2) by the data collecting unit (2.2) in order to be evaluated by the system service device (3). At least the quantity and/or the quality of the maintenance- and/or servicing-relevant measurement, operational, and/or process data (MSD) provided by the data collecting unit (2.2) is ascertained by means of an evaluation and analysis routine (AAR) carried out in the data evaluation unit (3.1), and the provision of the maintenance and/or servicing processes (IWD) is controlled on the basis of said ascertainment.