Automated Rope Evaluation System Using Optical Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional manual visual inspection of ropes is labor-intensive, unpredictable, and often fails to correctly identify damage, leading to potential rope failure and hazardous conditions during operations.
Innovation Solution
The development of automated systems and methods for rope evaluation, which include a scope device equipped with sensors and light sources, and an evaluation module that analyzes rope parameters in real-time to identify failure points and anomalies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual visual inspection is used to identify rope damage, then the inspection process is simple and low-cost, but the inspection is labor-intensive, unpredictable, and often fails to correctly identify damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual inspection with an automated optical measurement system. The scope device uses optical sensors and image processing to detect rope damage, eliminating the need for human eyes and manual inspection procedures. This substitution improves measurement precision while reducing labor intensity and inspection unpredictability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates optical copies (images) of the rope surface and analyzes these copies to identify damage. Instead of directly examining the rope physically, the system captures visual information and processes it to detect anomalies, enabling consistent and repeatable damage identification without direct manual contact.
2Reliability
If automated optical measurement systems are implemented, then damage identification accuracy improves, but the system complexity and initial cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The evaluation system is divided into distinct functional modules: the scope device for optical capture, the processor for image analysis, and the evaluation module for damage determination. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and facilitates easier maintenance and updates, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-calibration and automatic evaluation without requiring external intervention. The evaluation module automatically compares captured images against damage criteria and generates assessments, reducing the need for operator expertise and ensuring consistent, reliable results across different users and conditions.
3Productivity
If manual inspection methods are used, then the equipment cost is low, but the inspection process is labor-intensive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual inspection labor with an automated optical measurement system that can rapidly capture and analyze rope conditions. The scope device automatically scans the rope surface, and the processor immediately analyzes the images, eliminating the need for human inspectors and significantly increasing inspection efficiency and productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables continuous monitoring and inspection without interruption. The optical measurement system can operate continuously as ropes pass through the evaluation point, providing ongoing damage assessment without the start-stop nature of manual inspection. This continuous operation maximizes productivity and reduces inspection time.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for evaluating rope, the system may include a scope body having an inlet end defining an inlet and an outlet end defining an outlet, the scope body defining a geometry to receive a rope, and at least one light disposed in the scope body to illuminate the rope as it traverses the scope body. The system may further include at least one sensor disposed in the scope body, the at least one sensor to sense at least one rope parameter from the rope as the rope traverses through the scope body and an evaluation module electrically connected to the at least one sensor to receive the at least one rope parameter and determine a rope condition based on the at least one rope parameter.