System and method for predicting shock absorber lifespan

A method of monitoring operation of an industrial shock absorber having a body and a force-receiving member movably connected to the body whereby a force applied to the force-receiving member causes movement of the force-receiving member relative to the body from an extended position to a retracted position and a resilient member biasing the force-receiving member towards the extended position such that the force-receiving member returns to the extended position from the retracted position if a force applied to the force-receiving member is released when the industrial shock absorber is installed in machinery having a moving part, the method comprising:

• repeatedly measuring an operating parameter of an industrial shock absorber using a sensor as the industrial shock absorber is repeatedly cycled by repeatedly applying a force to the force-receiving member by causing the moving part of the machinery to move towards the force-receiving member from a first position in which the moving part is spaced apart from the force-receiving member while the force-receiving member is in the extended position into contact with the force-receiving member to move the force-receiving member from the extended position to the retracted position, followed by movement of the moving part away from the force-receiving member to the first position to form a gap between the moving part and the force-receiving member after the resilient member causes the force-receiving member to return to the extended position, whereby the sensor generates operating parameter data;
• storing operating parameter data for a plurality of cycles to form historical operating parameter data;
• and
• utilizing a computing device to perform machine learning on the operating parameter data for a plurality of cycles, and to compare more recent operating parameter data to the historical operating parameter data, whereby the computing device predicts failure of the industrial shock absorber based on changes in the operating parameter data over time.

A method of monitoring operation of an industrial shock absorber, the method comprising:

• repeatedly measuring an operating parameter of an industrial shock absorber using a sensor as the industrial shock absorber is repeatedly cycled by repeatedly applying a cyclical force having a substantially uniform magnitude each time the force is applied to the industrial shock absorber, whereby the sensor generates operating parameter data;
• storing operating parameter data for a plurality of cycles to form historical operating parameter data;
• and
• utilizing a computing device to perform machine learning on the operating parameter data for a plurality of cycles, and to compare more recent operating parameter data to the historical operating parameter data, whereby the computing device predicts failure of the industrial shock absorber based on changes in the operating parameter data over time;
• wherein the industrial shock absorber includes a body and a piston rod that moves relative to the body between extended and retracted positions, the piston rod acting on a working fluid that is pressurized as the piston rod moves from the extended position to the retracted position to resist movement of the piston rod from the extended position to the retracted position, the industrial shock absorber further including a spring biasing the piston rod towards the extended position and causes the piston rod to move from the retracted position to the extended position, and wherein the operating parameter data includes pressure of the working fluid as the piston rod moves from the extended position to the retracted position;
• and including:
• and wherein the pressure of the working fluid as the piston rod moves from the extended position to the retracted position increases from a baseline pressure to a peak pressure, then decreases from the peak pressure back to the baseline pressure;
• and including:
• using the computing device to detect changes in patterns formed by the pressure of the working fluid as the piston rod moves from the extended position to the retracted position over time and to predict failure of the industrial shock absorber if the cyclical force is repeatedly applied to the industrial shock absorber;
• causing the computing device to predict and/or detect a failure of the industrial shock absorber based on changes over time in at least one of the baseline pressure, the peak pressure, and changes in pressure between the baseline pressure and the peak pressure;
• causing the computing device to repeatedly determine at least one of a Time-Through-Stroke (TTS) comprising a time required for the piston rod to move from the extended position to the retracted position when the cyclical force is applied, and a Rod Return Time (RRT) comprising a time required for the piston rod to move from the retracted position to the extended position after the cyclical force is removed;
• and
• causing the computing device to detect failure of the industrial shock and/or predict failure of the industrial shock based on changes in TTS and/or RRT over time.

A method of monitoring operation of an industrial shock absorber, the method comprising:

• repeatedly measuring an operating parameter of an industrial shock absorber using a sensor as the industrial shock absorber is repeatedly cycled by repeatedly applying a cyclical force having a substantially uniform magnitude each time the force is applied to the industrial shock absorber, whereby the sensor generates operating parameter data;
• storing operating parameter data for a plurality of cycles to form historical operating parameter data;
• and
• utilizing a computing device to perform machine learning on the operating parameter data for a plurality of cycles, and to compare more recent operating parameter data to the historical operating parameter data, whereby the computing device predicts failure of the industrial shock absorber based on changes in the operating parameter data over time;
• wherein the industrial shock absorber includes a body and a piston rod that moves relative to the body between extended and retracted positions, the piston rod acting on a working fluid that is pressurized as the piston rod moves from the extended position to the retracted position to resist movement of the piston rod from the extended position to the retracted position, the industrial shock absorber further including a spring biasing the piston rod towards the extended position and causes the piston rod to move from the retracted position to the extended position, and wherein the operating parameter data includes pressure of the working fluid as the piston rod moves from the extended position to the retracted position;
• wherein the pressure of the working fluid as the piston rod moves from the extended position to the retracted position increases from a baseline pressure to a peak pressure, then decreases from the peak pressure back to the baseline pressure;
• and including:
• using the computing device to detect changes in patterns formed by the pressure of the working fluid as the piston rod moves from the extended position to the retracted position over time and to predict failure of the industrial shock absorber if the cyclical force is repeatedly applied to the industrial shock absorber;
• causing the computing device to predict and/or detect a failure of the industrial shock absorber based on changes over time in at least one of the baseline pressure, the peak pressure, and changes in pressure between the baseline pressure and the peak pressure;
• wherein the pressure of the working fluid as the piston rod moves from the extended position to the retracted position comprises a fluid pressure in an external accumulator of the industrial shock absorber;
• wherein during each cycle prior to failure, the peak pressure of the pressure of working fluid in the second chamber is substantially constant for a period of time, and then begins to drop from the peak pressure at a first transition point and continues to drop until the pressure of the working fluid as the piston rod moves from the extended position to the retracted position reaches a second transition point at which the pressure of the working fluid as the piston rod moves from the extended position to the retracted position substantially returns to the baseline pressure;
• and
• wherein an amount of time between the first and second transition points increases over time;
• and including:
• causing the computing device to detect and/or predict failure of the industrial shock absorber based, at least in part, on an increase in the amount of time between the first and second transition points.