# US 10,481,046 B2 · Management system, management device, spindle failure detection method using management device, and non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with computer program

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- Number: US 10,481,046 B2
- Document ID: US10481046B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/715,584
- Filed: 2017-09-26
- Published: 2018-03-29
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2016-09-28
- Assignees: Fanuc Corporation
- Applicants: Fanuc Corporation
- Inventors: Yuusaku Oho; Naoto Sonoda
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10481046B2

## CPC

- G01M 99/008: {by doing functionality tests}
- G01H 1/003: {of rotating machines (G01H1/10 takes precedence)}
- G01H 17/00: Measuring mechanical vibrations or ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves, not provided for in the other groups of this subclass
- G05B 19/048: Monitoring; Safety
- G05B 19/4065: Monitoring tool breakage, life or condition
- G08B 21/187: {Machine fault alarms}
- G05B 2219/37245: Breakage tool, failure
- G05B 2219/37434: Measuring vibration of machine or workpiece or tool
- G05B 2219/49105: Emitted noise of tool
- G05B 2219/50041: Measuring intensity of tool vibration
- G05B 2219/50185: Monitoring, detect failures, control of efficiency of machine, tool life
- H04L 67/12: specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
- Y02P 90/02: Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
- G01M: TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G01H: MEASUREMENT OF MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OR ULTRASONIC, SONIC OR INFRASONIC WAVES
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A management system including a network, plural manufacturing cells connected to the network, and a management device that is connected to the network and manages the plurality of manufacturing cells, in which the manufacturing cell includes: a machine tool; and a control device that controls the machine tool, analyzes a vibration state of a spindle positioning shaft of the machine tool, and sends an analysis result via the network; in which the management device includes: a communication unit that receives the analysis result sent by the control device; and a detection unit that compares the analysis results thus received, and compares vibration states of the machine tool of each of the manufacturing cells, so as to detect spindle failure of any of the machine tools; and in which the communication unit, in a case of the detection unit detecting the spindle failure, sends a failure signal via the network.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A management system comprising a network, a plurality of manufacturing cells connected to the network, and a management device that is connected to the network and manages the plurality of manufacturing cells,
wherein each of the manufacturing cell includes:
a machine tool of a same type as a machine tool in another of the manufacturing cells; and
a control device that controls the machine tool, analyzes a vibration state of a spindle positioning shaft of the machine tool, and sends an analysis result via the network,
wherein the control device, in a case of the machine tool being in a non-processing state, sends via the network as the analysis result only frequency spectral intensities having an intensity of at least a predetermined value, among frequency spectral intensities obtained by conducting Fourier transformation on a feedback signal of a servomotor for driving the spindle positioning shaft when rotating the spindle of the machine tool at the same revolution speed as a machine tool in another of the manufacturing cells, and
wherein the management device includes:
a communication unit that receives the analysis result sent by the control device; and
a detection unit that compares the analysis results thus received, and compares vibration states among each of the machine tools of the plurality of manufacturing cells, so as to detect spindle failure of a machine tool having a frequency spectral intensity differing from another of the machine tools, and
wherein the communication unit, in a case of the detection unit detecting the spindle failure, sends a failure signal via the network.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The management system according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit compares frequency spectral intensities of the vibration state of each of the machine tools based on the analysis results thus received, detects a frequency spectrum having an intensity differing by at least a predetermined threshold, and periodically monitors a change in intensity of the spectrum detected so as to detect spindle failure of the machine tool.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The management system according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit compares frequency spectral intensities of the vibration state of each of the machine tools based on the analysis results thus received, and determines that spindle failure occurred in the machine tool having a frequency spectral intensity that differs in intensity by at least a predetermined threshold.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The management system according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit periodically receives spectral intensity of predetermined frequency range in the analysis results via the network.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The management system according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit, in a case of the detection unit detecting the spindle failure, sends a failure signal via the network to either one or both of a higher-order control device and the manufacturing cell having the machine tool in which the spindle failure was detected.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A method of detecting spindle failure that detects spindle failure in a machine tool by employing the management device used in the management system according to claim 1, the method comprising:
a first communication step of receiving the analysis result of only frequency spectral intensities having an intensity of at least a predetermined value, sent by the control device;
a detection step of comparing the analysis result thus received, comparing the vibration state among each of the machine tools of the plurality of manufacturing cells, and detecting spindle failure in a machine tool having a frequency spectral intensity differing from another of the machine tools; and
a second communication step of sending a failure signal via the network, in a case of detecting the spindle failure in the detection step.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with a computer program enabling a computer to function as the management device used in the management system according to claim 1, the program causing the computer to execute:
first communication processing of receiving the analysis result of only frequency spectral intensities having an intensity of at least a predetermined value, sent by the control device;
detection processing of comparing the analysis result thus received, comparing the vibration state among each of the machine tools of the plurality of manufacturing cells, and detecting spindle failure in a machine tool having a frequency spectral intensity differing from another of the machine tools; and
a second communication processing of sending a failure signal via the network, in a case of detecting the spindle failure in the detection processing.