Maintenance Report Automation Using Field Device State Changes

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Solution Overview

Problem

In large-scale plants, manual generation of maintenance reports is costly and prone to errors, leading to decreased quality and understanding of maintenance operations due to complex file management and increased time in checking report contents.

Innovation Solution

A maintenance managing apparatus and method that includes a device information acquirer and a maintenance operation estimator, which automatically collects and estimates maintenance operations based on device state changes using an estimation rule, reducing the need for manual reporting and improving report quality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If maintenance reports are manually generated, then maintenance operations can be recorded, but the costs for generating maintenance reports increase and the quality of maintenance reports deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvequality of maintenance reportsVSAvoidcosts for generating maintenance reports

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The maintenance management apparatus automatically generates maintenance reports by acquiring device information and maintenance information from the plant system, eliminating the need for manual report generation. The system serves itself by automatically collecting data, estimating maintenance operations, and producing reports without human intervention, thereby reducing costs and improving quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of report generation with an automated information processing system. The maintenance management apparatus uses computer-based automation to acquire device information, estimate maintenance operations, and generate reports, substituting human manual work with automated computational processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Loss of information

If maintenance reports are manually generated, then maintenance operations can be recorded, but the time for checking report contents increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompleteness of maintenance recordsVSAvoidtime for checking report contents

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically generates maintenance reports with complete information by acquiring device information and maintenance information from the plant system. The automated system ensures all necessary maintenance operations are recorded and generates comprehensive reports without requiring manual verification, thereby reducing checking time while maintaining information completeness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The maintenance management apparatus automatically verifies the completeness and accuracy of maintenance reports through automated data acquisition and processing. The system cross-checks acquired device information with maintenance information to ensure report quality, providing automated feedback validation that reduces manual checking time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If maintenance operations are performed manually, then maintenance tasks can be completed, but mistakes in entries and deviations in methods occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveefficiency of maintenance operationsVSAvoidaccuracy of maintenance records

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The maintenance management apparatus automatically estimates maintenance operations by acquiring device information from the plant system and comparing it with maintenance information. This automated self-service approach eliminates human errors in entry and method deviations by using systematic algorithms to determine maintenance operations, thereby improving both accuracy and efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual maintenance operation recording with automated information processing. The system uses computer-based algorithms to acquire device information, estimate maintenance operations, and generate reports, substituting human manual processes with automated computational methods that eliminate entry mistakes and method deviations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

4Productivity

If a maintenance apparatus automatically generating maintenance reports is used, then the efficiency of maintenance operation increases, but the management of generated maintenance reports becomes complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveefficiency of maintenance operationVSAvoidcomplexity of file management

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The maintenance management apparatus merges the maintenance report generation function with the existing plant system by acquiring device information and maintenance information directly from the plant system. This integration combines multiple functions into a unified system, automating report generation while simplifying file management through centralized automated processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3330814B1Maintenance managing apparatus, maintenance managing method, maintenance managing program, and non-transitory computer readable storage medium

Publication Date: 2022.02.23 YOKOGAWA ELECTRIC CORP

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AI summary

A maintenance managing apparatus (1) includes a device information acquirer (11) configured to acquire device information including a change in a state of a field device (2), and a maintenance operation estimator (12) configured to estimate a maintenance operation performed to the field device (2) based on the device information acquired by the device information acquirer (11) with reference to an estimation rule associating the change with a maintenance operation performed to the field device (2).