Production Line Maintenance Analytics for Condition-Based Scheduling

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Solution Overview

Problem

In production lines, it is challenging to determine the optimal timing for maintenance of devices due to varying usage conditions, leading to decreased producibility as devices malfunction or degrade over time, necessitating proactive maintenance strategies.

Innovation Solution

A device management system that accumulates and analyzes component information from production-line-configuring devices, providing maintenance information based on analysis results to facilitate timely and accurate maintenance, utilizing an information accumulation part, analysis part, and maintenance information output part connected via a communication network.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If maintenance is performed based on fixed schedules regardless of usage conditions, then maintenance timing can be determined easily, but maintenance accuracy decreases and producibility decreases due to inappropriate maintenance timing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemaintenance schedulingVSAvoidmaintenance accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system changes the parameter basis for maintenance scheduling from fixed time intervals to dynamic parameters including operating hours, production volume, and actual device condition data. This allows maintenance timing to adapt to varying usage conditions while maintaining ease of operation through automated parameter monitoring and analysis.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback loops where device operation data is continuously collected, analyzed, and used to adjust maintenance schedules. The analysis unit processes operating conditions and provides feedback recommendations for optimal maintenance timing, creating a closed-loop system that improves maintenance accuracy while maintaining operational simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If maintenance is delayed to maintain productivity, then producibility increases in short term, but device reliability decreases leading to unexpected failures

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveproducibilityVSAvoiddevice reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis of device condition data and operating parameters to predict future maintenance needs before failures occur. By analyzing trends in device performance and operating conditions, the system provides advance warning and scheduling recommendations that allow maintenance to be performed proactively, maintaining both productivity and reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If comprehensive device monitoring is implemented to improve maintenance accuracy, then maintenance timing precision increases, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemaintenance timing precisionVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system employs a multi-functional analysis unit that handles multiple types of data (operating hours, production volume, device parameters, error logs) through a single integrated analysis platform. This universal approach achieves high maintenance timing precision without proportionally increasing system complexity, as the same hardware and software infrastructure serves multiple monitoring and analysis functions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3432103B1Device management system
Publication Date: 2023.02.15 ISHIDA CO LTD
  • EP3432103B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3432103B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3432103B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided is a device management system to suppress decreases in producibility. A device management system (100) manages a plurality of production-line-configuring devices (112) configuring a production line to produce products (P), and has a device state data storage part (90d), an analysis part (90i), and a server output part (90k). The production-line-configuring devices (112) include a combination weighing machines (10) to weigh the products (P), a bag-making and packaging machine (20) to package the products (P), and a boxing device (40) to box the packaged products (P) into boxes. The device state data storage part (90d) accumulates device state data (DT), which is information pertaining to the components included in the production-line-configuring devices (112). The analysis part (90i) performs an analysis process to analyze the device state data (DT) accumulated in the device state data storage part (90d). The server output part (90k) outputs maintenance information (IF), which pertains to maintenance of the components, on the basis of the results of the analysis process.