Industrial Machine Deterioration Diagnostics With Cancelable Alarm Stops
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing control apparatuses for industrial machines may fail to effectively alert operators to the necessity of replacing deteriorated components, leading to potential production line stoppages due to unnoticed alerts, which can decrease operation rates and increase maintenance burdens.
Innovation Solution
A control apparatus with a deterioration diagnostic unit that repeatedly assesses component health, outputs alarm signals for predetermined levels of deterioration, and allows continuous operation with an alarm stop state that can be cancelled by operator input, ensuring timely replacement during maintenance periods without production interruptions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the control apparatus issues an alert when deterioration is detected, then the operator is notified of the deteriorated state, but the alert may be left unnoticed by the operator leading to production line stoppages
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically changes the machine state based on deterioration detection. When deterioration is detected, the machine automatically transitions to an alarm stop state, making the alert visually and operationally prominent rather than a passive notification that can be ignored.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides immediate feedback to the operator through automatic stoppage and alarm display when deterioration is detected. This feedback loop ensures the operator cannot miss the alert, as the machine literally stops and displays the alarm state until acknowledged.
2Reliability
If the industrial machine is stopped for maintenance when deterioration is detected, then the deteriorated component can be replaced, but the operation rate of the industrial machine is decreased
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial stoppage - the machine stops only when deterioration is detected and allows continuation until the next diagnostic execution. This partial action prevents complete shutdown while still providing maintenance opportunity, balancing reliability and productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The diagnostic function executes at predetermined timing to detect deterioration before it causes failure. By performing preliminary detection and allowing planned replacement during natural stop periods, the system prevents emergency stoppages that would severely impact productivity.
3Reliability
If the alarm stop state cannot be cancelled, then the operator is forced to address the deterioration, but the production line is stopped unnecessarily when the deteriorated component can still operate
Solution Approach 1:
The alarm stop state is designed to be dynamically cancelable by operator input. This allows the system to transition from a forced stop state to a continued operation state when the operator determines the deteriorated component can still function, avoiding unnecessary production loss while maintaining safety awareness.
Data Source
AI summary
A control apparatus for controlling an industrial machine includes a deterioration diagnostic unit that has a diagnostic function, which is repeatedly executed at predetermined timing, for diagnosing deterioration of each component of the industrial machine and outputs an alarm signal in response to deterioration equal to or more than a predetermined level in each component, an alarm control unit that outputs a stop command to the industrial machine based on the alarm signal and informs that the industrial machine is in an alarm stop state, and a cancellation operation receiving unit that receives the cancellation operation for cancelling the alarm stop state regardless of deterioration of each component. The deterioration diagnostic unit cancels the alarm stop state brought on by the diagnostic function based on the cancellation operation, and allows the industrial machine to operate until the diagnostic function is executed next.