Shovel Blade Wear Measurement via Sensor Coordinates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing excavator blades lack accurate wear measurement, necessitating manual input of wear length for machine guidance, which is time-consuming and inefficient, especially when the blade is worn, preventing precise operation.
Innovation Solution
A shovel system with a controller that calculates the wear of the excavating blade by obtaining coordinates under different conditions, using sensors and a machine guidance device to provide accurate guidance even when the blade is worn, by determining the amount of wear through contact with a reference feature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual measurement and input of blade wear length is used, then machine guidance can be performed, but it is time-consuming and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automatic wear measurement and calculation without requiring manual intervention. The sensor automatically detects the consumable part's position, the controller obtains coordinates, and the system calculates wear amount, making the entire process self-service and eliminating time-consuming manual operations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical measurement with an automated sensor-based system. The sensor detects the consumable part's position, and the controller automatically calculates wear coordinates, substituting the mechanical manual measurement process with an automated electronic system that significantly reduces time consumption
2Reliability
If the blade is worn, then excavating capability is maintained, but precise machine guidance cannot be achieved without manual input
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the consumable part's position using a sensor and automatically feeds back wear information to the controller. This feedback mechanism ensures that machine guidance remains precise even when the blade is worn, as the system automatically adjusts based on real-time wear data without requiring complex manual inputs
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor acts as an intermediary between the consumable part and the control system. It automatically detects the wear state and transmits position information to the controller, which then calculates wear coordinates. This intermediary eliminates the need for direct manual measurement while maintaining guidance precision
3Measurement precision
If automatic wear calculation system is implemented, then measurement accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller serves multiple functions: it controls the sensor, obtains coordinates of the consumable part, calculates wear amounts, and provides guidance information. By making the controller multi-functional, the system achieves high measurement precision without adding separate dedicated devices, thereby limiting the increase in overall system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the wear measurement and calculation functions into the existing control system. The sensor is integrated with the controller, and the wear calculation is performed using the controller's existing processing capabilities, combining multiple functions into a unified system that avoids the complexity of separate independent systems
Data Source
AI summary
A shovel includes a lower-part traveling body, an upper-part turning body, an attachment, and a controller. The upper-part turning body is turnably mounted on the lower-part traveling body. The attachment is mounted on the upper-part turning body, and has a consumable part attached to its leading edge. The controller is configured to obtain coordinates of the consumable part when the consumable part is caused to contact a predetermined feature, and to calculate the amount of wear of the consumable part based on at least two sets of the coordinates obtained under different conditions.