Elastically Deformable Component Wear Detection via Stiffness Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for determining the service life of elastically deformable components in devices, such as rubber-metal bearings and fiber composite parts, are not precise enough, leading to premature replacement and associated costs, especially in applications where visual inspection is not feasible, posing safety risks and incurring unnecessary maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
A device with a detection unit that recognizes recurring operating states with measurable deformation forces, coupled with a sensor and measurement unit, allows for the monitoring of component stiffness changes over time, enabling the determination of the start of wear-related service life through relative deformation measurements and comparison with stored values, triggering alerts for replacement when a progressive drop in stiffness is detected.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If component replacement is performed based on estimated service life with safety margins, then safety risks are eliminated and consequential damage is prevented, but device downtime increases and maintenance costs rise due to premature replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical/visual inspection methods with sensor-based measurement systems that continuously monitor component deformation. Sensors detect stiffness changes in real-time, substituting manual inspection and estimation with automated physical measurement, enabling precise determination of actual component condition rather than relying on conservative time-based estimates
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback by monitoring component deformation and stiffness characteristics through sensors. The measured values are compared against reference data to detect deviations indicating wear progression, providing real-time feedback on component health status. This feedback loop enables dynamic adjustment of maintenance timing based on actual component condition rather than fixed schedules
2Loss of time
If component replacement is delayed to maximize utilization, then maintenance costs are reduced, but safety risks increase and consequential damage may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs sensor-based measurement systems to continuously monitor component deformation characteristics, replacing mechanical inspection methods. The sensors detect stiffness changes that indicate wear progression, providing objective physical measurement data that enables safe extension of component service life beyond conservative estimates without compromising safety
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection of wear progression by continuously monitoring component deformation before critical failure occurs. By detecting stiffness changes in advance and comparing them against reference data, the system enables proactive maintenance planning that extends component life to the actual point of wear-related failure rather than replacing components prematurely
3Ease of operation
If visual inspection methods are used to detect component wear, then detection simplicity is maintained, but detection precision is insufficient and safety risks remain in inaccessible installations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces visual inspection methods with sensor-based measurement systems that continuously monitor component deformation. The sensors provide objective, quantitative data on stiffness changes, substituting subjective visual assessment with precise physical measurement. This enables reliable wear detection in inaccessible installations where visual inspection is impossible
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces sensors as intermediary devices between the component and the inspection process. These sensors act as mediators that convert component deformation into measurable electrical signals, enabling indirect but precise measurement of component condition without requiring direct visual access to the component
4Reliability
If conservative service life estimates with safety margins are used, then safety is ensured, but unnecessary maintenance costs and device downtime increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous feedback by monitoring component deformation and comparing it against reference data from test components. This feedback enables dynamic determination of actual component service life based on real-time condition assessment rather than static conservative estimates, optimizing the balance between safety and maintenance cost
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary characterization of component wear behavior through test components under controlled conditions. This preliminary action establishes reference data that enables accurate prediction of service life for installed components, replacing conservative estimates with data-driven predictions that reduce unnecessary maintenance while ensuring safety
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach allows for precise determination of the remaining service life of elastically deformable components, reducing unnecessary replacements and maintenance costs while enhancing safety by enabling continuous use until actual failure, and providing timely warnings for component replacement.
Implementation Method 1
elastically deformable component as a structural part and/or bearing part... subjected to different deformation forces during operation... measurement of component deformation as a characteristic parameter for the current component stiffness
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a device with at least one elastically deformable component as a structural part and/or bearing part, on which different deformation forces act during operation, depending on changing operating conditions, leading to component wear that limits the component's service life. According to the invention, a recurring, identical operating condition is predetermined, to which a specific, identical deformation force is assigned. Upon detection of such a predetermined operating condition (2), a measurement process is automatically started and carried out by a start signal (3), whereby component deformation is measured as a characteristic value for the current component stiffness. A comparison of a current deformation measurement value with previous, stored deformation measurements is then carried out (9), with the result that the deformation measurements stored over a relatively long service life, orthe component stiffness in a plateau area (17) with low inclination are approximately the same, thus confirming a further safe component function, or alternatively, that deformation measurements recorded successively over a short period of use increase successively and progressively, thereby indicating the beginning of a wear-related predetermined remaining component service life and issuing a corresponding warning information (12).