Wear Part Testing for Predictive Replacement in Industrial Plants
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial plants lack a method to predict when wear parts, such as filters, need to be replaced, as existing maintenance practices do not effectively monitor wear or filter opening sizes, leading to potential contamination of end products.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method for predictive maintenance that involves testing wear parts after maintenance, determining operating parameter trends, and setting dynamic threshold values based on measured values to predict when parts will no longer meet predetermined ranges, allowing for proactive replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If wear parts are maintained periodically without monitoring, then maintenance operations can be performed, but the wear part openings become larger and the part must be replaced after fewer maintenance operations
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary testing of the wear part after each maintenance operation to determine the operating parameter before the wear part is returned to service. This allows early detection of wear trends and predictive replacement scheduling, preventing the filter openings from becoming too large while maximizing the number of maintenance cycles the part can undergo.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention establishes a feedback loop by measuring the operating parameter (e.g., bubble point pressure) of the wear part after maintenance, comparing it against threshold values, and using this information to determine whether the wear part should be replaced. This closed-loop control optimizes the replacement timing to balance service life extension with maintaining manufacturing precision.
2Productivity
If wear parts are replaced based on fixed schedules, then replacement timing is simple to manage, but replacement may occur too early or too late, affecting productivity and product quality
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces fixed replacement schedules with dynamic, condition-based replacement timing. The operating parameter of each wear part is measured after maintenance, and replacement is scheduled based on the actual wear trend and predicted remaining life rather than a predetermined time interval. This dynamic approach maximizes productivity by keeping parts in service longer when they are still effective while ensuring reliability by replacing parts before they fail to meet quality requirements.
3Device complexity
If no monitoring of wear parameters is performed, then the maintenance process is simple, but it is impossible to predict when wear parts need replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces complex continuous monitoring systems with simpler periodic testing using standard laboratory equipment. Instead of installing sensors and continuous monitoring infrastructure, the operating parameter is measured offline after each maintenance operation using established test methods (e.g., bubble point testing). This substitution maintains low device complexity while capturing essential wear information for predictive replacement decisions.
Data Source
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AI summary
Method of preventive maintenance of an industrial plant comprising the following steps: (a) the maintenance of a wear part removed from the industrial plant; (b) testing of the wear part after the maintenance step, wherein, for at least one operating parameter of the wear part, it is determined whether this operating parameter is within a predetermined range limited by at least one threshold value; (c) repeating steps a and b at least once after a period of use of the wear part in the industrial plant; (d) determining a trend for the operating parameter of the wear part based on the tests; and (e) predicting, based on the trend, when the operating parameter of the wear part will no longer be within the predetermined range. At least one threshold value is dynamic, determined on the basis of a set of measured values for the operating parameter obtained after maintenance and testing wear parts of the same type.