Ford Motor Company Limited

Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Prashanth Magadi

Chandra Sekhar Jalluri

Ingrid Margrit Kaufman

Evangelos Liasi

Youssef A Hamidieh

Gary Farquhar

James Pospisil

Moe Lefrancois

Philip Barlas

A system and method for monitoring operation of a press assembly includes establishing a baseline vibration level for a first location on the press assembly. The baseline vibration level defines a boundary for vibrations beyond which one or more press elements have a reduced life expectancy. Vibrations are measured at the first location and also at a second location during operation of the press. The vibrations measured at the first location are correlated with the vibrations measured at the second location, and a relationship between the vibrations at the first and second locations is established. Vibrations measured at the second location can then be adjusted and compared to the baseline vibration level to determine if adjustments to the press operation need to be made, or if certain press elements will need to be replaced prior to their expected life span.

System and method for monitoring operation of a press assembly

A method for monitoring health of a machine tool includes operating the machine tool outside an operation cycle to effect movement of a portion of the machine tool. Data from signals output from a sensor and from a controller attached to the machine tool are used to define at least one movement-specific data profile for the movement of the portion of the machine tool. An algorithm is then applied to at least a portion of the at least one movement-specific data profile to generate at least one movement-specific data point. This facilitates generation of at least one movement-specific trend line, which can be used to analysis the health of the machine tool.

System and method for monitoring machine health

A data management and networking system and method are provided for automatically retrieving and storing data from a machine tool for distribution to a remote terminal over a network. Raw data related to a machine operation parameter, such as vibrations, are collected. This data is associated with machining operation data, such as the particular cutting tool being used, or the particular feature being cut by the cutting tool. An algorithm is applied to the raw data to generate a parametric representation of the data, thereby significantly reducing the size of the data. At least some data related to non-machining time is separated out, further reducing the size of the data. The associated data is sent to a network server for storage, where it may be accessed by one or more remote terminals.

Data management and networking system and method

A method for managing machine tool data includes operating the machine tool to perform at least a portion of an operation cycle which includes a non-machining operation. Data is processed from signals output from at least one sensor and from a controller to define a non-machining operation-specific data profile for the non-machining operation. An algorithm is applied to the non-machining operation-specific data profile to generate a non-machining operation-specific data point, which facilitates generation of a non-machining operation-specific trend line used to help determine the health of the machine tool.

Method for managing machine tool data

A structurally tuned, vibration-based component checking system for detecting anomalies in a component of an assembly prior to the component being installed in the assembly is provided. The component checking system operates the component being tested at a speed that is different from the speed at which the component operates during normal use in the assembly, and also under a different load. To compensate for this difference in speed and load, the component checking system is structurally tuned such that a relationship exists between the modal frequencies and speed of operation of the component checking system and the modal frequencies and speed of operation of the assembly.

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Ypsilanti, MI, United States of America

Prashanth Magadi