System and Method to Monitor and Balance Wear in an Independent Cart System

A system for distributing wear on a plurality of movers in an independent cart system, the system comprising a machine learning model executing on a processor, the machine learning model operative to:

• receive a plurality of inputs for each of the plurality of movers, wherein:
• each of the plurality of inputs corresponds to an operating condition for one of the movers as the mover travels along a track for the independent cart system,
• each of the plurality of inputs are received for each of the plurality of movers over a plurality of runs along the track, and
• the plurality of inputs received generate a training set of data for the plurality of movers;
• and
• determine a weighting value for each of the plurality of movers as a function of the training set of data, wherein the weighting value corresponds to a level of wear present on each of the plurality of movers.

A method for distributing wear on a plurality of movers in an independent cart system, the method comprising the steps of:

• monitoring operation of the plurality of movers over a plurality of runs along a track for the independent cart system;
• generating a weighting value corresponding to a level of wear present on each of the plurality of movers as a function of the plurality of runs;
• receiving an order for one of the plurality of movers to travel along the track;
• and
• selecting one of the plurality of movers to complete the order as a function of the weighting value for each of the plurality of movers.