System and method for machining data management
AssigneeFord Motor Company
InventorsPaul Charles Edie, Roderick Alexander Simpson, Ingrid Margrit Kaufman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for machining data management is provided. Vibration and operation data are gathered from a machine tool and sent to a processing unit. The processing unit defines operation-specific vibration profiles, and generates an operation-specific data line for each profile. The data lines are stored in a memory for later retrieval. An output device is used to retrieve the data lines and plot them over a time domain to create an operation-specific data matrix useful in manufacturing operations analysis.
Claims22
A method for managing machine tool data using a data matrix, the machine tool having a plurality of tools for performing machining operations on a workpiece, at least one sensor operatively connected to the machine tool for sensing a machine operation parameter and outputting signals related to the sensed parameter, and a controller configured to output signals related to the machining operations, the method comprising:
- performing a first set of machining operations on the workpiece;
- processing data from signals output from the at least one sensor and from the controller to define operation-specific data profiles;
- and
- applying an algorithm to at least some of the operation-specific data profiles to generate an operation-specific data line for each of the at least some operation-specific data profiles, thereby facilitating generation of an operation-specific data matrix, the operation-specific data lines having a time dependent length and representing a statistical value of the sensed parameter.
A method for managing machine tool data using a data matrix, the machine tool having a plurality of tools for performing machining operations on a workpiece, at least one sensor operatively connected to the machine tool for sensing a machine operation parameter and outputting signals related to the sensed parameter, and a controller configured to output signals related to the machining operations, the method comprising:
- sensing a machine operation parameter from the machine tool for a first set of machining operations;
- storing data related to the sensed parameter;
- storing data from signals output from the controller;
- associating the data from the sensor with the data from the controller, thereby defining operation-specific data profiles;
- applying an algorithm to at least some of the operation-specific data profiles to generate an operation-specific data line for each of the at least some operation-specific data profiles, the operation-specific data lines having a time dependent length and representing a statistical value of the sensed parameter;
- and
- storing the operation-specific data lines, thereby facilitating subsequent retrieval.
A data management system for a machine tool having a plurality of tools for performing machining operations on a workpiece, and a controller configured to output signals related to the machining operations, the data management system comprising:
- a sensor configured to be operatively connected to the machine tool for sensing a machine operation parameter and outputting signals related to the sensed parameter;
- a processor operatively associated with the sensor and the controller, and configured to associate data from the signals output from the sensor and from the controller to generate operation-specific data profiles, the processor being further configured to apply an algorithm to at least some of the operation-specific data profiles, thereby generating an operation-specific data line for each of the at least some operation-specific data profiles;
- and
- a memory operatively associated with the sensor, the controller, and the processor, and configured to store information including the operation-specific data lines, thereby facilitating subsequent retrieval of the stored information.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.