阅读说明：本技术 用于确定建筑、材料处理和/或运输机械的实际状态和/或剩余寿命的装置 (Device for determining the actual state and/or the remaining life of a construction, material handling and/or transport machine ) 是由 伊冯·伊拉卡·穆彭德 简·帕洛 于 2020-03-23 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种用于确定建筑、材料处理和/或运输机械的实际状态和/或剩余寿命的装置,该装置包括设置在建筑、材料处理和/或运输机械上的用于检测各种状态信息的多个传感器、与传感器连接的用于收集所检测的状态信息的检测装置、可连接到检测装置的用于评估所收集的状态信息以根据所收集的状态信息确定实际状态和/或剩余寿命的中央单元及用于显示确定的实际状态和/或确定的剩余寿命的显示装置,其中,传感器包括不同类型的传感器,以用于检测包括部件振动、润滑剂特性、部件温度和/或润滑剂温度及驱动载荷的组中的至少两种不同类型的信息,且中央单元被设计为基于至少两种不同类型的信息来确定实际状态和/或剩余寿命。(The invention relates to a device for determining the actual state and/or the remaining life of a construction, material handling and/or transport machine, comprising a plurality of sensors arranged on the construction, material handling and/or transport machine for detecting various state information, a detection device connected to the sensors for collecting the detected state information, a central unit connectable to the detection device for evaluating the collected state information for determining the actual state and/or the remaining life from the collected state information, and a display device for displaying the determined actual state and/or the determined remaining life, wherein the sensors comprise sensors of different types for detecting at least two different types of information from the group comprising component vibrations, lubricant properties, component temperatures and/or lubricant temperatures and driving loads, and the central unit is designed to determine the actual state and/or the remaining life based on at least two different types of information.)

1. An arrangement for determining the actual state and/or remaining life of a construction, material handling and/or transport machine (1), said arrangement comprising:

a plurality of sensors (10 to 14) arranged on the construction, material handling and/or transport machine (1) for detecting different status information;

a detection unit (15) connected to the sensors (10 to 14) for collecting the detected status information;

a central unit (16) connectable to the detection unit (15) for evaluating the collected status information and determining the actual status and/or the remaining life from the collected status information; and

display means (18) for displaying the determined actual state and/or the determined remaining life,

characterized in that the sensors (10 to 14) comprise different types of sensors for detecting at least two different types of information from the group consisting of component vibration, lubricant properties, component temperature and/or lubricant temperature, and drive load, and

the central unit (16) is designed to determine the actual state and/or the remaining life based on the at least two different types of information.

2. The device according to the preceding claim, wherein the sensors comprise at least two of the following sensors: the oil level sensor comprises a vibration sensor (11), a torque sensor (10), a rotating speed sensor, a temperature sensor (12), an oil condition sensor (13), an oil particle sensor (14), an oil viscosity sensor, an oil conductivity sensor, a force sensor, an oil level sensor, a dielectric sensor and a humidity sensor.

3. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sensor (10 to 14) is integrated in a monitored machine component (2, 3) of the machine (1), in particular arranged in an inner space of the machine component enclosed by a component housing.

4. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sensors (10 to 14) are jointly powered by the detection unit (15).

5. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the central unit (16) is designed to take into account all the status information of the following sensors: a torque sensor (10), a rotational speed sensor, a vibration sensor (11), an oil temperature sensor (12), an oil particle sensor (14), an oil viscosity sensor, an oil conductivity sensor, a force sensor, an oil level sensor, a dielectric sensor and a humidity sensor.

6. The device according to any of the foregoing claims or according to the preamble to claim 1, wherein the sensors (10 to 14) are assigned to the transmission (2, 3) of the construction, material handling and/or transport machinery (1) and comprise at least two of the following sensors: -a torque and/or rotational speed sensor (10), -a vibration sensor (11), -an oil temperature sensor (12), -an oil particle sensor (14), -an oil viscosity sensor, -an oil conductivity sensor, -a force sensor, -an oil level sensor, -a dielectric sensor and-a humidity sensor, wherein the central unit (16) is designed to determine the actual state and/or the remaining life of the construction, material handling and/or transport machine (1) and/or the transmission (2, 3) based on at least two pieces of information from the group comprising transmission rotational speed and/or torque, vibration, transmission oil temperature, transmission oil particles and oil conditions.

7. The device according to the preceding claim, wherein the sensor (10 to 14) is arranged inside the transmission (2, 3).

8. The device according to the preceding claim, wherein the transmission (2) is a slewing gear transmission for rotating a rotating platform (4) of the construction, material handling and/or transport machine (1) relative to its chassis (5), or a travel drive transmission (3) for driving a crawler-type travel or wheel drive.

9. The device according to any one of the preceding claims or according to the preamble to claim 1, wherein the detection unit (15) comprises a data processing module for pre-compressing and/or classifying the collected status information of the sensors (10 to 14) and designed to transmit the pre-compressed and/or classified status information to the central unit (16).

10. The device according to the preceding claim, wherein the detection unit (15) comprises a vibration analysis module for analyzing the status information of the vibration sensor (11) and determining a vibration spectrum and/or characteristic vibration parameters, and the central unit (16) is designed to determine the actual status and/or the remaining life based on the vibration spectrum and/or the characteristic vibration parameters transmitted from the detection unit (15).

11. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the detection unit (15) comprises an association and/or accounting module for associating and/or accounting the collected status information received from the sensors (10 to 11), wherein the association and/or accounting module is configured to associate and/or account for the status information received from the sensors (10 to 11)

-determining a temperature difference from the collected temperature values of the temperature sensor (12), and/or

-calculating the transmission power and/or the drive power from the rotational speed value and/or the torque value of the rotational speed/torque sensor (10), and/or

-calculating an output or input torque from the torque value of the torque sensor (10) using the gear ratio information and the efficiency profile.

12. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the detection unit (10) has a power input connected to the construction, material handling and/or transport machine (1) and has a power output connected to the sensors (10 to 14).

13. The device according to any one of the preceding claims or according to the preamble to claim 1, wherein the central unit (16) comprises an analysis module (20) for analyzing the status information collected by the detection unit (15) and for analyzing the preprocessed status information transmitted from the detection unit (15).

14. The device according to the preceding claim, wherein the analysis module (20) is configured to determine the actual state and/or the remaining life of a transmission (2, 3) of the construction, material handling and/or conveying machine (1) based on a vibration spectrum and/or characteristic vibration parameters transmitted from the detection unit (15), and/or a temperature difference transmitted from the detection unit (15), and/or a power value determined by the detection unit (15), and/or an output and/or input torque determined by the detection unit (15).

15. Device according to either of the two preceding claims, wherein the central unit (16) comprises a trend determination module (21) for determining a trend for characterizing the collected state information and/or changes in information derived from the state information and predicting a trend of future trends, wherein the central unit (16) is designed to determine the actual state and/or the remaining life based on the determined trend.

16. Apparatus according to the preceding claim, wherein the trend determination module (21) is configured to deduce a function for approximating a trend representing the collected state information and/or a variation of information derived from the state information, and to determine the future trend from the deduced trend of the function.

17. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the central unit (16) comprises comparison means (22) for comparing the collected status information and/or information derived from the status information with a limit value and/or a predetermined range, wherein the central unit (16) is designed to determine the remaining life of the building, material handling and/or conveying machine depending on a difference between an actual value of the collected status information and/or information derived from the status information and the limit value and/or a limit of the range.

18. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the central unit (16) comprises weighting means (23) for differently weighting the different collected status information and/or different information derived from the status information, wherein the central unit (16) is designed to determine the actual status and/or the remaining life taking into account the different weights of the different information.

19. The device according to the preceding claim, wherein the weighting means (23) are designed to give different weights to the vibration signal of the vibration sensor (11) and/or to the vibration parameter derived from the vibration signal compared to a temperature value of the temperature sensor (12) and/or to a temperature parameter derived from the temperature value, and/or to give different weights to the rotational speed and/or torque information of the rotational speed and/or torque sensor (10) and/or to the torque and/or rotational speed parameter derived from the rotational speed and/or torque information compared to the oil condition information of the oil condition and/or oil particle sensor (13, 14).

20. The device according to one of the two preceding claims, wherein the weighting device (23) is designed to give different weights to different status information of different sensors (10 to 14) and/or to different information derived from the status information, based on a trend determined for the status information and/or information derived from the status information.

21. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the central unit (16) comprises a dynamic evaluation device for dynamically evaluating the deviation of the collected status information with respect to relevant limit values and/or with respect to a historical trend of the status information, wherein in particular the dynamic evaluation device (24) is designed to dynamically adjust a deviation threshold value as a function of the status information deviating from a threshold value and/or the amount of information derived from these status information.

22. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the central unit (16) is designed to take into account a history of the collected state information and/or information derived from the state information when determining the actual state and/or the remaining life.

23. The apparatus of the preceding claim, wherein the history considered comprises at least one of the following histories: a history of collected temperature values, a history of collected vibration parameters, a history of collected torque values and/or rotational speed values, and a history of collected oil condition values and/or oil particle values.

24. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the display device (18) comprises at least one display (26) on the construction, material handling and/or transport machine (1).

25. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the display device (18) comprises at least one display at a machine manufacturer and/or one display at a machine operator.

26. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the display device (18) comprises at least one display (26) on which two separate display areas (27, 28) are displayed, wherein one of the display areas (27) comprises a representation of the construction, material handling and/or transport machine (1) being monitored and its mechanical components being monitored by the sensors (10 to 14), and the other display area (28) contains a graphical representation of the actual status and the remaining life of the mechanical components (2, 3) displayed in the one display area (27).

27. The device according to the preceding claim, wherein at least the display area (27) for displaying the construction, material handling and/or transport machine (1) and the machine components (2, 3) monitored by the sensors is designed to be touch-sensitive, in particular as a touch screen, wherein the display device (18) comprises a control device which is configured to: -reconfiguring and/or controlling the further display area (28) upon touching the display area (27) displaying a specific mechanical component of the construction, material handling and/or transport machine (1), such that the actual state and the remaining lifetime of the mechanical component displayed in the touched display area are displayed on the further display area (28).

28. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the central unit (16) is configured to provide a warning signal and/or a maintenance signal when or after determining that the remaining lifetime is below a predetermined period of time.

29. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the central unit (16) is permanently or temporarily connected to the detection unit (15) by wire or wirelessly.

30. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the central unit (16) is located directly on the construction, material handling and/or transport machinery or is installed in a specific location in the form of a central server or cloud.

31. The device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the processing or partial processing of data, in particular remaining life calculation, trend formation and/or limit value monitoring, has been carried out in the detection unit (15) or in the central unit (16).

32. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the central unit (16) and the storage unit (17) are permanently or temporarily wired or wirelessly connected to the visualization unit.

Technical Field

The invention relates to a device for determining the actual state and/or the remaining life of a construction, material handling and/or transport machine, comprising a plurality of sensors arranged on the construction, material handling and/or transport machine for detecting various state information, a detection device connected to the sensors for collecting the detected state information, a central unit connectable to the detection device for evaluating the collected state information for determining the actual state and/or the remaining life from the collected state information, and a display device for displaying the determined actual state and/or the determined remaining life.

Background

For construction machines such as excavators, cranes, dump trucks, crawler dozers, bulldozers or cable shovels, or material handling machines or transport equipment such as lift trucks and loaders, or other large work machines such as surface mills or marine cranes, it is also important and difficult to predict the remaining life or time before the construction machine components must be replaced. If the construction machine is out of operation in use at the construction site, for example due to a transmission failure, it is not always possible to immediately acquire a suitable replacement machine and transport it to the construction site, so that a delay at the construction site occurs in the maintenance time required for the maintenance, wherein usually not only the task of the failed construction machine itself is put aside, but also other processes are delayed due to the interlocking effect of the various construction equipment. In order to avoid such a fault situation of the construction machine, the operation plan requires a reliable determination of the actual state or remaining service life of the respective machine in order to be able to estimate whether the respective construction machine can pass the work cycle of the construction site or requires a prior maintenance.

However, since the loads and operating conditions vary widely from building site to building site, it is difficult to reliably estimate the actual state or remaining useful life of the construction machine. For example, when hard rock must be moved at a construction site, earth moving machines will be subjected to significantly greater loads. Also, the load of the construction machine such as a dump truck or a bulldozer on a slope is different from the load on a flat construction site. In general, different construction sites result in very different loads, which makes it difficult to assess whether the remaining life of the construction machine meets the requirements of a particular construction site. Furthermore, construction machines also have very different load experiences. For example, if a construction machine happens to be used on a heavily loaded construction site, the remaining life cannot be reliably predicted, usually based on the remaining time of use of the number of operating hours.

Accordingly, a sensor monitoring system for a construction machine has been proposed, which aims to objectively determine the actual state of the construction machine from measured sensor data. Here, see for example JP-OS-8-144312, it is known, for example, to monitor specific operating parameters of a construction machine and to output an error code when the measured operating parameters are irregular or abnormal values occur. However, such error codes are not of themselves very meaningful or reliable, since, for example, a brief exceeding of the permissible rotational speed (as may occur, for example, during downhill driving into a construction site) does not yet reliably indicate a resulting motor failure.

Document DE 10145571 a1 by the applicant Komatsu also proposes a monitoring system for construction machines which aims at predicting the extent of damage or anomalies in a more differentiated manner. For this purpose, the exhaust pressure and the exhaust gas temperature of the diesel engine of the construction machine are monitored by sensors on the one hand, and specific components of the lubricating oil (for example iron particles) are analyzed by special analysis devices on the other hand. In addition to these sensor monitoring variables, said document also considers that it is necessary to include the result of a visual inspection performed by experienced maintenance personnel in the automatic evaluation of the actual state of the construction machine. Such known monitoring systems for construction machines are on the one hand subject to a limited reliability of the state specification. The exhaust variables (exhaust temperature and exhaust pressure) monitored mainly identify problems with diesel engines only. On the other hand, the monitoring system is still relatively complex, since the visual inspection has to be performed by maintenance personnel.

Disclosure of Invention

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved device for determining the actual state and/or the remaining life of a construction machine, which avoids the disadvantages of the prior art and further develops the prior art in an advantageous manner. In particular, a reliable determination of the actual state and/or the remaining life, which is easy to implement on the mobile construction machine, should be achieved, which allows sufficient lead time for even untrained maintenance personnel to initiate and plan maintenance or repair measures in a timely manner.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by the device of claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

According to one aspect of the invention, it is proposed to achieve a sufficiently extensive sensor monitoring of the respective construction machine by means of various types of sensors in order to carry out a complex evaluation of the actual state or the remaining life. In this case, the sensors provided on the construction machine comprise different types of sensors for detecting at least two different types of information, which are selected from the group consisting of component vibrations, lubricant properties, component and/or lubricant temperatures and driving loads, wherein the central unit of the device is designed to determine the actual state and/or the remaining life from the at least two different types of information. The type of information in this case reflects the actual state of the remaining life in a targeted manner. Component vibration is a characteristic of uneven operation of the drive, which may be caused by component strain, wear, or abuse, and which always deviates from the nominal waveform profile when wear occurs to the machine. Lubricant properties are also a meaningful indicator of load history and remaining life. The component or lubricant temperature can rise significantly due to excessive loads and excessive wear of the structural components lubricated therewith, thus also forming a reliable indicator of the actual conditions and the remaining service life. The driving loads (e.g., speed and torque sensors) characterize the load cycles acting on the machine, and thus the remaining life can also be predicted.

Advantageously, all the information of said information types detected can be used for the prediction of the remaining life.

In a further development of the invention, the sensor system can comprise vibration sensors on various components and/or component parts, in particular on the drive housing and/or the transmission and/or another element of the transmission system. In this case, the vibration sensor may be designed to be piezoelectrically operated and/or comprise an electromechanical vibration sensor.

Various sensors can advantageously be provided for detecting the lubricant properties, wherein, in a further development of the invention, an oil level sensor can first be provided in order to detect the lubricant level in a lubricant sump of the drive component (in particular of the transmission). Such a lubricant sensor may comprise a float and/or determine the filling level tactilely or mechanically. Alternatively or additionally, a capacitive lubricant level sensor may also be provided.

Advantageously, the lubricant detection can also comprise a humidity sensor in the lubricant space of the construction machine in order to detect the humidity in the lubricant and/or to detect the humidity in the lubricant space.

Alternatively or additionally, the lubricant sensor may also comprise a conductivity sensor, which may be arranged in the lubricant space and/or in the lubricant.

Furthermore, alternatively or additionally, a temperature sensor for detecting the lubricant temperature can also be provided as a lubricant sensor, wherein such a lubricant temperature sensor can be arranged in the lubricant oil sump. Alternatively or additionally, the lubricant temperature can also be detected indirectly, for example by detecting the temperature of a housing part wall delimiting the lubricant sump.

Advantageously, the sensor system not only detects the temperature of the lubricant, but may also comprise further temperature sensors, by means of which the temperature of further heated components, for example the temperature of the bearings, is detected.

Advantageously, the detection of the drive load can be carried out by means of a rotational speed sensor and/or a torque sensor in order to detect the rotational speed of the drive train shaft (in particular of the transmission input shaft and/or of the other drive shaft) and/or to determine the torque applied to the drive train shaft. For example, the input shaft or another drive shaft of the transmission may be monitored by a torque sensor to determine the torque applied to the input shaft or another drive shaft. Such torque sensors may be designed differently, for example comprising strain gauges and/or distance sensors for detecting deformations and/or sensors determining the inverse magnetostrictive effect.

In an advantageous development of the invention, at least one sensor or all sensors can be integrated into the monitored component of the construction machine, in particular accommodated in the interior space. Alternatively or additionally, however, one or more sensors may also be arranged on the outside of the structural component and/or in the immediate vicinity of the construction machine component and/or the construction machine.

Advantageously, the sensor may be connected via a cable to the detection means collecting the detected status information. Alternatively or additionally, however, the sensor may also communicate wirelessly, in particular transmit the detected information, with the detection device, for example via a WLAN connection, a ZigBee connection, a bluetooth connection or another radio connection.

Advantageously, at least one of said sensors may be powered or energized by said detection means. This can be achieved in a simple manner, in particular when the sensor is connected to the detection unit via a cable.

In principle, the sensor system can be used to monitor various construction machine components in a corresponding manner and their actual state or remaining life can be determined. In order to be able to reliably determine the current state or the probability of a fault of the entire construction machine, it is helpful to monitor the construction machine components that are relevant for this purpose. According to a further aspect of the invention, the sensor system monitors a transmission of the construction machine, via which transmission drive power is transmitted from the drive to the driven construction machine component. In particular, at least one or all sensors can be integrated into the transmission, in particular arranged in an interior space of the transmission, in order to detect the state information within the transmission.

If the above-mentioned state information is detected on the transmission, transmission vibrations and/or transmission lubricant properties and/or transmission temperature and/or transmission load are detected and the actual state and/or remaining life is determined by the central unit from at least one of said transmission information. In this case, the characteristic can be monitored at one or more transmissions of the construction machine and used for determining the actual state and/or the remaining life. The transmission is a core component of the transmission system, the effects of wear and damage of which are manifested in a characteristic manner, so that monitoring the construction machine transmission is of interest for determining the actual condition and/or the remaining life.

Such a transmission can be used in different positions, depending on the construction machine. For example, it may be a chassis transmission, via which a construction machine chassis drive, such as a track chain or a chassis wheel, is driven. Alternatively or additionally, a slewing gear drive can be monitored in the manner described, by means of which the superstructure of the construction machine can be rotated about a vertical axis relative to the chassis of the device or relative to the support base. This may be, for example, the superstructure of a hydraulic excavator or a telescopic mobile crane or a mast crane. Alternatively or additionally, however, it is also possible to monitor a slewing gear of the rotating tower crane, by means of which the tower can be rotated in the case of a top-rotating crane and in the case of a bottom-rotating crane.

Alternatively or additionally, other transmissions of the construction machine (e.g. the lifting mechanism transmission of the lifting mechanism) can also be monitored in the manner described.

Advantageously, said detection unit, connected to the sensors and collecting their information, can be powered or energized by the construction machine. For this purpose, the detection unit may have a supply terminal adapted to the energy network of the construction machine.

Advantageously, the detection unit can be arranged directly on the construction machine, for example forming part of an electronic control device of the construction machine and/or forming a separate electronic construction machine component. For example, the detection unit may comprise a microprocessor and a memory device in order to be able to process program modules stored in the memory and/or to cache collected data in the memory device.

Advantageously, the detection unit may comprise energy or power supply means for supplying energy or power to the sensor.

However, independently of such a power supply device, the detection unit can also be designed locally separately from the construction machine, in particular in the construction machine environment (e.g. a construction site), wherein cable connections and wireless connections to the sensors can be taken into account in the case of such a separate design.

Advantageously, the detection unit has at least one digital communication interface, wherein such a digital communication interface comprises, for example, a CAN interface, an ethernet interface, a Modbus interface, a serial interface, a mobile radio interface, a WLAN interface and/or a bluetooth interface. Through said digital interface, the detection unit can advantageously be connected to and/or communicate with the above-mentioned central unit. The digital interface may also be used to communicate with one or more sensors, if necessary.

Advantageously, the detection unit has a unique identifier which identifies the construction machine to which the detection unit is connected. Such an identifier can be designed to be readable and/or electronically retrievable and/or electronically readable, wherein the detection unit can also transmit said identifier to the central unit together with other data, in particular together with the collected status information.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the detection unit is not a pure data or information collector, but is designed to preprocess and/or classify the collected information that has been provided by the sensor. In particular, the detection unit may comprise a module for data pre-compression and/or for classifying the collected data, so as to be able to transmit the pre-compressed and/or classified status information to the central unit.

In particular, the detection unit may be designed to derive a vibration spectrum and/or characteristic vibration parameters and/or to form frequency-selective parameters from the collected vibration information.

Alternatively or additionally, the detection unit may comprise means for classifying the detected torque information and/or rotational speed information, in particular as classes, for example with respect to load-time distribution.

Alternatively or additionally, the detection unit may comprise an association and/or accounting unit in order to mutually account for the sensor data. For example, the collected temperature values may be compared to each other and/or a temperature difference may be determined. Alternatively or additionally, the power can be calculated from the rotational speed and the torque, in order to be able to transmit the information obtained from the collected sensor data, which is compared and/or calculated in this way, to the central unit.

Alternatively or additionally, the detection unit may be designed to derive and determine other parameters from the collected sensor data, e.g. to calculate the output torque from the input torque, by means of the transmission ratio of the transmission (taking into account the efficiency profile).

In an advantageous refinement of the invention, the detection unit can access and/or contain a configuration memory in which central data about the construction machine components are stored, for example the number of operating hours, the serial number, the number of grades, the efficiency profile, the heat transfer coefficient, the limit values, etc.

In an advantageous development of the invention, the detection unit has a self-diagnostic device which determines its own operating state, for example the on/off state of the device, and/or the activated or deactivated state or the fault state of the connected sensor.

For example, the above-mentioned central unit may be arranged at a construction site where the construction machine is operated. For example, it may be integrated with or formed from a construction site control computer. However, in an alternative refinement of the invention, the central unit may also be arranged separately from the construction site, for example at the construction machine manufacturer or at the construction machine operator. However, the central unit may also be implemented in the cloud, wherein, for example, machine vendors may also prepare sub-areas of the commercial cloud or use their own cloud solutions. On the other hand, in an advantageous refinement of the invention, the central unit can also be mounted on the construction machine itself.

In order to be able to communicate with the detection unit or even a plurality of detection units and display devices, which CAN be assigned to one or different construction machines, the central unit CAN comprise one or more communication interfaces, preferably one or more digital interfaces, for example in the form of a CAN interface, an ethernet interface, a Modbus interface, a serial interface, a mobile radio interface, a WLAN interface or a bluetooth interface.

Advantageously, the central unit may also comprise an interface which can be designed in the manner described above for programming and/or maintenance and/or for reading out specific identification data and/or status data and/or remaining life data.

In a refinement of the invention, the central unit comprises an analysis module for analyzing the status information collected by the detection unit and/or for analyzing previously processed status information transmitted by the detection unit, which previously processed status information may for example comprise the above-mentioned pre-compressed and/or classified information. In particular, the analysis module of the central unit can also be designed to analyze status information preprocessed by the detection unit, for example in the form of a vibration spectrum and/or characteristic vibration parameters and/or frequency selectivity parameters. Alternatively or additionally, the evaluation module can also further process information derived by the detection unit, for example the temperature difference determined by the detection unit, the power value determined by the rotational speed and the torque, and/or the output and/or input torque determined by the detection unit.

In an advantageous refinement of the invention, the analysis process can thus be designed in two stages, wherein the pretreatment and/or the preliminary analysis is carried out in the detection unit and then the second analysis step is carried out in the central unit.

In a further development of the invention, the evaluation module of the central unit can combine the preprocessed status information preprocessed by the detection unit in the described manner with the collected sensor data not further processed by the detection unit and/or determine the actual status and/or the remaining life of the construction machine and/or one of the construction machine components on the basis of both data types.

In order to be able to determine the need for maintenance in good time with sufficient preparation time for a maintenance plan, the central unit may advantageously comprise a trend determination module which determines from the status information and/or the information derived therefrom a trend to be followed by the status information and/or the change in information derived therefrom, so that from this trend the expected change in actual status and/or remaining life can be estimated more accurately.

As an alternative or in addition to such a trend determination module, the central unit advantageously comprises a comparison device which compares the transmitted state information and/or the information derived therefrom with a limit value and/or a predetermined range and determines the actual state and/or the remaining life of the construction machine or of the construction machine part on the basis of the difference of the actual value of the data from the limit value and/or the range limit and/or the excess of the limit value.

In an advantageous further development of the invention, the central unit can comprise a weighting device which assigns individual weights or weightings to the individual status information and/or the information derived therefrom and/or the respective differences of this information from the relevant limit values and/or the relevant range limits, so that, for example, vibration parameters relevant for determining the residual life are taken into account more than the temperature values of the oil pan housing.

The weighting means may also give different weights to the trend of change of the status information determined by the trend determining means, wherein such weights can be assigned or determined in particular depending on the strength of the trend. For example, if the trend of the vibration parameter shows a very strong change and the trend of the temperature value shows only a slight change, the trend of the vibration parameter may be weighted more to determine a greater reduction of the remaining lifetime. This strong, meaningful trend may be interpreted as a signal that the component associated with the respective status information is experiencing greater wear and will soon fail.

In a further development of the invention, the central unit can also comprise a dynamic evaluation device, by means of which the approach of the one or more status information to the limit values and/or the one or more trends in the determination of the actual status and/or the remaining life is not always the same but is taken into account dynamically. For example, if the detected status information only slightly exceeds a predetermined threshold, e.g. 5%, but all other status information is still on the good side of the respective threshold, then said exceeding of 5% of the threshold may still be evaluated as no problem. However, if three detected status information exceed the respective thresholds 4%, 3% and 1.5%, respectively, for example, this may trigger a maintenance signal, even though the 5% violation tolerance may be insignificant for the individual violation cases.

The central unit can calculate the remaining life determination or the service life prediction on the basis of a calculation model, wherein the currently collected state information and the operating history of the construction machine and/or the construction machine component can advantageously be taken into account, in particular also in parameterized form.

In particular, data from the operation history may be input into the computational model, for example, in order to determine the strength of the deviation of one or more status information displays already in the operation history. The allowed threshold value can thus be scaled. For example, if the operation history indicates that the vibration parameters collected during the time period in which the data was collected deviate 40% upward and/or downward from the average, a deviation of 50% or 60% may be considered critical. Then, if a data set of currently collected corresponding state information is input into the calculation model, a critical state may be assumed when the calibration deviation is exceeded.

In a modified example of the invention, the central unit for the mechanical construction machine component can determine (in particular calculate) the damage situation according to a predetermined determination rule, wherein the strength values of the materials used and/or the standard values in the literature can be used as a basis.

For the lubricant being monitored, the central unit can use a thermal damage model as a basis on which the collected lubricant temperature history can be converted into thermal damage of the lubricant. If the oil is changed, the temperature history or lubricant damage condition may be reset.

The central unit may be an electronic computing device or an electronic data processing device, which may for example comprise one or more processors, program memories and/or data memories in order to be able to process predetermined program modules. For example, the central unit may be designed in the form of a server.

In a further development of the invention, a memory unit is provided, which CAN be connected to the central unit permanently or by wire or wirelessly, for example by means of a corresponding communication interface which permits the central unit to access the memory unit, for example in the form of a CAN interface, an ethernet interface, a Modbus interface, a serial interface, a mobile radio interface, a WLAN interface or a bluetooth interface.

The storage unit may be arranged locally separately from the central unit or may also be integrated directly into the central unit.

Advantageously, the storage unit is configured to store currently collected data and a history of that data or other data. The storage unit may comprise separate storage areas for actual data and for data history.

Here, both the raw sensor data not processed by the detection unit and the central unit and the processed data calculated or otherwise determined by the detection unit and/or the central unit may be stored as actual data and/or a history of data. In particular, the trend data and/or the remaining life data and/or the actual state data may also be stored in the central unit.

The storage unit may be implemented on a locally installed computer, for example, a server containing a central unit. However, alternatively or additionally, the memory unit may also be implemented in the cloud.

In principle, the display device for displaying the determined actual state and/or the determined remaining life can be designed differently.

Advantageously, the display device has a communication interface for communication with the central unit and/or with the memory unit, in order to display data determined by the central unit, in particular to display the determined remaining life and/or the determined actual state, and/or to display data stored in the memory unit, in particular to display the actual state stored therein and/or the stored remaining life.

The interface of the display device may comprise a digital interface as described above, for example a CAN interface, an ethernet interface, a Modbus interface, a serial interface, a mobile radio interface, a WLAN interface or a bluetooth interface.

Advantageously, the display device can be provided on the construction machine in order to display relevant data, in particular the determined actual state and/or the determined remaining life, to a machine operator on the construction machine. Alternatively or additionally, the display device may be provided in a control center at the machine operator and/or the machine manufacturer in order to display the corresponding data to the machine operator and/or the machine manufacturer.

In particular, the display device may comprise at least one display on which the data, in particular the determined actual state and/or the determined remaining life and/or a state history and/or trend data and/or forecast data, may be displayed.

Such a display is advantageously arranged on the construction machine, in particular in the cab of the machine operator. Alternatively or additionally, the display may also be provided in a central control center at the machine operator and/or the machine manufacturer.

In an advantageous refinement of the invention, the display device may be configured to generate a warning message as soon as the operation of the construction machine and/or of at least one construction machine component exceeds its operating specification and/or exceeds and/or falls below a limit value and/or a prediction of the service life falls below a certain remaining time.

Advantageously, the display device may have a user manager that allows the type and manner of data display to be configured and/or access rights to specific data to be defined.

Advantageously, the display device may also be configured to display the overview and the individual data from a plurality of central units and/or a plurality of storage units for fleet management.

Drawings

The invention will be explained in more detail below on the basis of preferred exemplary embodiments and the associated figures.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a construction machine in the form of a crawler excavator with a slewing gear transmission and a chassis transmission, the device according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention determining their actual state and remaining life by sensor monitoring of both transmissions.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of a sensor integrated in the chassis transmission for detecting specific state information.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic representation of the overall structure of the device for determining the actual state and the remaining life of the construction machine and its slewing gear drive and the running gear drive in fig. 1, wherein the connection of the transmission sensors to the detection unit, the central unit connected thereto for evaluating data, and the storage unit and the visualization unit also connected thereto are shown.

Fig. 4 shows a data flow diagram illustrating the processing of data flow and sensed status information from the detection of sensors on the construction machine transmission up to the display of actual status and remaining life.

Fig. 5 shows a schematic representation of the processing steps associated with the state data detected by the sensors on the transmission up to the display of the determined remaining life, wherein on the one hand the decentralized data processing and on the other hand the central processing are shown.

Fig. 6 shows a schematic diagram for displaying the determined actual state, the determined remaining life, and the determined time period remaining before the service is required on a display device of the construction machine.

Fig. 7 shows a schematic diagram showing the currently detected state information and the determined actual state of the preceding figures and the determined remaining life of the oil and transmission of the construction machine.

Detailed Description

As shown in fig. 1, a construction machine 1, for example in the form of a crawler excavator, can be monitored, wherein in particular one or more transmissions can be monitored by means of sensors. For example, the travel drive transmission (Fahrantriebs-Getriebe)3 and the slewing gear transmission (Drehwerks-Getriebe)2 can be monitored. As shown in fig. 1, the travel drive transmission 3 may, for example, drive a sprocket wheel of a crawler-type travel mechanism, while the slewing gear transmission 2 may adjust and rotate a rotary platform 4, which rotary platform 4 is mounted rotatably about a vertical axis on a chassis 5 comprising the travel drive. The cab 6, the link arm 7, other drives and counterweights and other construction machine components can be mounted on the rotary platform 4 in a known manner.

As shown in fig. 1, as an alternative or in addition to the described transmissions 2 and 3, sensors may also be used to monitor other components of the construction machine 1 that are relevant for the service life, for example the drive motor 8 of the slewing gear and/or the pitch actuator 9, for example in the form of a pressure cylinder, for pitching the boom 7 upwards and downwards.

As also shown in fig. 1, the collected sensor data may be wirelessly transmitted to a central unit via a transmission module (as will be explained below).

As shown in fig. 2, various sensors can be integrated into the component of the construction machine to be monitored, in particular into one of the transmissions 3, in particular arranged in the interior space enclosed by the component housing, in order to detect relevant status information.

In particular, the transmission 3 may have a torque sensor 10, a rotational speed sensor 11, a temperature sensor 12 for detecting the temperature of the transmission oil temperature and/or of another transmission component, in particular an oil condition sensor 13 for detecting the humidity in the oil or in the oil chamber, and an oil particle sensor 14 for detecting particles in the oil, such as metal nails or the like.

As shown in fig. 3, the status information detected by the different sensors 10 to 14 is transmitted to the detection unit 15, which can be done in a wireless or wired manner (as described above). Advantageously, the sensors 10 to 14 can be powered by said detection unit 15. Wherein the detection unit 15 itself can be powered by the construction machine 1.

As shown in fig. 3, the detection unit 15 transmits the collected sensor data or the state information detected by the sensors and/or the data derived therefrom, parameters, characteristic values, etc., as described above, to the central unit 16, which determines the remaining life and the actual state, in particular of the monitored transmissions 2 and 3, on the basis of the transmitted state information and/or other variables transmitted by the detection unit 15.

Advantageously, the storage unit 17 connected to the central unit stores not only the status information and/or possibly preprocessed data such as parameters transmitted from the detection unit 15 to the central unit 16, but also the remaining life determined by the central unit 16 and the determined actual status. Advantageously, the storage unit 17 also stores a corresponding data history.

As shown in fig. 3, a display device 18 comprising a visualization unit 19 is connected to said memory unit 17 and to the central unit 16 in order to display or visualize the information determined by the central unit 16 and the information stored in the memory unit 17.

Advantageously, the processing and evaluation of the status information detected by the sensors can be carried out in two stages. On the one hand, as shown in fig. 4, the status information detected by the sensors is preprocessed and/or simplified by the detection unit 15 in order to transmit the information in compressed and/or simplified and/or preprocessed form to the central unit 16. The detection unit 15 may also perform further analysis and/or evaluation steps (as described above), if necessary.

In this regard, the detection unit 15 may form a data processing device that may include one or more processors and one or more memories storing program modules for processing by the processors.

The central unit 16, which may be designed as a server and/or may comprise one or more processors and one or more memory devices in order to process the program modules in a corresponding manner, may further analyze and evaluate the status information transmitted and collected by the detection unit 15 and/or the preprocessed, compressed and/or simplified data transmitted by the detection unit 15 in order to determine the actual status and the remaining life of the construction machine 1 or its transmissions 2 and 3.

To this end, the central unit 16 may comprise an analysis module 20 which analyzes the information transmitted by the detection unit 15, if necessary together with other information transmitted from the storage unit 17 to the central unit 16 and its analysis module 20.

In particular, the central unit 16 may comprise a trend determination module 21 in order to determine a trend as described above on the basis of said information (see fig. 4).

In addition to the trend determiner, the comparison means 22 implemented in the central unit 16 may compare the transmitted data or information with threshold values and/or range limits as described above. The weighting means 23 can weight different status information and/or different trends and/or different threshold deviations differently and assign different correlations, which are taken into account for the determination of the actual status and the remaining operating time.

The dynamic determination means 24 may dynamically change the calculation factors and/or the thresholds and/or the weights as described above.

Then, the remaining life calculation unit 25 of the central unit 16 calculates the remaining life of the monitored component based on the calculation model according to the information and the data, trend and weight derived therefrom.

As also shown in fig. 4, the display device 18 displays the determined actual state and remaining life of the variables and other information of interest (e.g., current state information or derived interim estimates) on a display 26 that may be provided on the operator's station 6, although other displays 26 may be provided at the machine manufacturer or machine operator.

As shown in fig. 5, the status information detected by the sensors on the construction machine 1 may be processed in a distributed manner or may be processed in a centralized manner.

In the case of centralized processing, only data collection takes place on the components monitored by the sensors (for example, the transmission 3), if necessary, in the case of large amounts of data, pre-compression takes place and only data collection takes place on the construction machine 1 (in particular in the detection unit 15), while in the case of decentralized processing, additional pre-evaluation and/or evaluation of the sensor data (for example, characteristic value formation and trend formation) can take place in particular via the detection unit 15 arranged on the construction machine and/or the central unit 16 arranged on the construction machine or on the construction site, additionally on components in the form of, for example, the transmission 3 and/or on the construction machine 1.

In the case of centralized processing, data compression and evaluation, feature value formation and trend formation, visual preparation and provision of global access (e.g. via a Web service) are first centrally carried out, for example by a central processor in which the central unit 16 is implemented. In contrast, in the case of decentralized processing, since processing has already been performed decentralized, only visualization preparation is intensively performed and global access is provided.

As shown in fig. 6, the display 26 of the detected and/or determined information may advantageously comprise a split-screen display similar to a split screen, so that the construction machine 1 and the components (in particular the transmissions 2 and 3) associated with the diagram of the detected and/or determined information are displayed in the display area 27. In a further display area 28, the determined information (in particular the determined actual state), the determined remaining life and the remaining time until the next service is required are advantageously displayed in the form of a ladder diagram or bar diagram and/or a filled bar diagram, respectively. Alternatively or additionally, certain information is displayed in the display area 28 in the form of a traffic light, for example, by means of intuitively understandable traffic light color symbols "green for normal operation", "yellow for conditional normal operation/critical approach" and "red for critical/problematic".