JP2018005875A - Control device, factory monitoring system, use frequency detection method of control device, and factory monitoring method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain troubleshooting data for partial wear of a ball screw or the like.SOLUTION: A tool machine comprises: a motor; a ball screw which transforms rotational movement of the motor into linear motion; and a controller which detects use frequency of the ball screw in a stroke. Preferably the controller includes a position sensor, and the use frequency is detected by using a position detected by the position sensor and load torque, or the number of times of passing through any section in the ball screw. A plurality of controllers are provided, and distribution of use frequencies sent from the controllers is collected to be capable of detecting partial wear of the ball screw. The distribution of use frequencies is preferably sent from the controllers in cycles.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6A

Description

  The present invention relates to a control device, a factory monitoring system, a control device usage frequency detection method, and a factory monitoring method.

  As a typical configuration example of a diagnostic service system using a conventional network, there are three systems shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C. The system shown in FIG. 1A transmits the operating status of the machines 11, 12, 13 directly from the machines 11, 12, 13 to the diagnostic center 20 via the network, and considers the status of the machines 11, 12, 13 in order to diagnose the failure. I do. Patent documents describing this system include, for example, patent documents 1, 2, and 3. In the system shown in FIG. 1B, the management device 30 monitors the operating status of the machines 11, 12, and 13, and the diagnosis center 20 performs diagnosis in consideration of log data stored in the management device 30 at the time of an alarm. There is Patent Document 4 as a patent document describing this system. The system shown in FIG. 1C includes a management device 31 having an inquiry system and a diagnostic center 21 having an inquiry system. The management device 31 incorporates an inquiry system and uses the inquiry system when an alarm occurs. The diagnosis center 21 performs diagnosis by combining the information and the log data stored in the management system 31. Patent documents describing this system include, for example, Patent Documents 5 and 6.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-228311 JP-A-5-284573 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-198115 JP-A-10-222220 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-11834 JP 2001-236115 A

In the conventional system, since the actual machine operation data and history data can be used when analyzing the failure content at the time of alarm occurrence, the failure content can be quickly grasped.
However, in an actual service center, a plurality of failures occur at the same time, and how to process them quickly depends on the actual operation system.
Specifically, it is important to know the contents of the failure in a short time, and to deliver the product to the customer as soon as possible even when parts need to be replaced, or a system that promptly dispatches field service personnel to repair the failure early. In addition, a system that provides comprehensive items necessary for machine maintenance is important.

In addition, since these systems are usually operated by a security system for paying members, what kind of user merit other than failure diagnosis is important for improving the satisfaction of members. For this reason, it is important how to use the user failure data and diagnostic data stored in the network for the user.
As a premise of such a system, a control device, a factory monitoring system, a usage frequency detection method of the control device, and a factory monitoring method that can obtain data for failure diagnosis such as uneven wear of the ball screw are desired.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a comprehensive and efficient diagnostic service system and diagnostic method in a diagnostic service system using a network, and improves a user's satisfaction level. In particular, an object of the present invention is to provide a control device, a factory monitoring system, a control device usage frequency detection method, and a factory monitoring method capable of obtaining data for failure diagnosis such as uneven wear of a ball screw.

  (1) The present invention relates to a control device for detecting a use frequency within a stroke of the ball screw in a control device of a machine tool including a motor and a ball screw that converts a rotational motion of the motor into a linear motion.

  (2) The control device includes a position detector, and the use frequency is detected by using the position and load torque detected by the position detector, or the number of times of passing through an arbitrary section in the ball screw. Is desirable.

(3) A factory monitoring system according to the present invention includes a plurality of the control devices according to (1) or (2), and the distribution of the use frequency respectively sent from the plurality of control devices is totaled to thereby calculate the bias of the ball screw. It is a factory monitoring system that detects wear.
(4) The distribution of the usage frequency is preferably sent periodically from the control device.

(5) The present invention provides a motor,
A ball screw for converting the rotational motion of the motor into a linear motion, and a method for detecting the frequency of use of a control device included in a machine tool comprising:
The control device includes a position detector that detects a rotational position of the motor,
The present invention relates to a usage frequency detection method for detecting a usage frequency within a stroke of the ball screw using a position detected by the position detector and a load torque, or a number of times passing through an arbitrary section in the ball screw.
(6) The present invention comprises a plurality of the machine tools used in the usage frequency detection method of (5), and the uneven wear of the ball screw is reduced by counting the distribution of the usage frequencies respectively sent from the machine tools. The present invention relates to a factory monitoring method to be detected.
(7) The distribution of the usage frequency is preferably sent periodically.

  According to the present invention, a comprehensive and efficient diagnostic service system and diagnostic method are provided in a diagnostic service system using a network to improve user satisfaction. A control device, a factory monitoring system, a usage frequency detection method for the control device, and a factory monitoring method capable of obtaining data for failure diagnosis such as the above are provided.

It is a block which shows an example of the diagnostic service system provided with the machine and the diagnostic center. It is a block which shows an example of the diagnostic service system provided with the machine, the management apparatus, and the diagnostic center. It is a block which shows an example of the diagnostic service system provided with the machine, the management apparatus, the diagnostic center, and the inquiry system. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of one Embodiment of the diagnostic service system which concerns on this invention. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a service center management apparatus 401. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a service terminal 700. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a machine and a factory monitoring system. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a machine and a factory monitoring system. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of a factory monitoring system. It is explanatory drawing which shows the outline of a machine tool provided with the mechanism which converts rotational motion into linear motion. It is a characteristic view which shows the relationship between usage frequency and a stroke. It is a characteristic view which shows the relationship between a drive current and a stroke. 3 is a flowchart showing control for obtaining a distribution of disturbance load torque of a machine 200. It is a figure which shows the divided | segmented stroke. It is a figure which shows the screen of a diagnostic service system menu. It is a figure which shows an authentication screen. It is a figure which shows the selection screen of a diagnostic service system menu. It is a figure which shows the screen and input example of a manual search system. It is a figure which shows the screen and example of a failure diagnosis system, and a diagnostic system information confirmation screen. It is a figure which shows the detail of a diagnostic system information confirmation screen. It is an evaluation information input screen with respect to the answer from the diagnostic system. It is a figure which shows the flow of the diagnostic service system at the time of selecting a knowledge diagnostic system. It is a figure which shows the flow of the diagnostic service system at the time of selecting a failure diagnosis system. It is a figure which shows the diagnosis request screen displayed on a respondent. It is a figure which shows the screen of a diagnosis request menu. It is a figure which shows the screen of log | history search. It is a figure which shows the screen of a keyword search. It is a figure which shows the screen of a knowledge search. It is a figure which shows the screen of sensor information. It is a figure which shows the screen of components information. It is a figure which shows the screen of field service man information. It is a figure which shows an example of a machine tool.

First, prior to the description of the embodiments of the present invention, the background leading to the present invention will be described by taking as an example a diagnosis service system related to a failure in a machine tool arranged in a factory.
There are roughly three patterns as the cause of the alarm occurrence of the machine tool inquired by the user.
(1) In the case of a failure in a specific part of the machine tool, for example, in a machine tool including a mechanism that converts a rotational motion into a linear motion with a ball screw or the like, the ball screw may be worn.
(2) When machining under severer machining conditions than the machine tool assumes (when the appearance looks like a failure but is not a failure based on a failure of a specific part of the machine), for example, the motor rating One example is when machining exceeds torque.
(3) When a processing tool (such as a blade) is worn (appears to be an obstacle, but is not an obstacle based on a failure of a specific part of the machine),

The response varies depending on the cause of the alarm occurrence. In particular,
In the case of (1) above, identification of the faulty part and (selection of the optimal part) and whether the cause of the alarm occurrence is a fault in the control system or a fault in the manufacturer system (so-called category) is specified. It is necessary to do.
By specifying these, it is possible to select and dispatch optimal parts and optimal field service personnel.

In the case of (2) above, the alarm can be resolved by specifying the machining conditions on the user side and reviewing the machining conditions. Accordingly, it is not necessary to order machine tool parts and dispatch field service personnel.
In the case of (3) above, the alarm can be resolved by finding a defect in the machining tool on the user side and exchanging the machining tool. Accordingly, it is not necessary to order machine tool parts and dispatch field service personnel.

In the above cases (2) and (3), it is preferable to provide an environment in which it is not necessary to dispatch a skilled engineer and the user can quickly eliminate the error.
In the case of the above (1), that is, when a failure occurs in a specific part of the machine tool, it is possible to arrange an optimal part and dispatch an optimal field service person promptly.
In this way, when an alarm occurs in a machine tool installed in the user's factory, an integrated system (hereinafter referred to as “the system that can quickly determine the cause of the alarm and take appropriate action based on the cause of the alarm”) It is important to provide a “diagnostic service system”.
To that end, in the diagnostic service system, data related to the machines of multiple manufacturers installed in the factory is collected continuously at a predetermined interval, and data is stored so that the stored data can be used effectively when necessary. A factory monitoring system that can store and manage data is important.

By providing the factory monitoring system, in the case of a machine tool having a mechanism for converting rotational motion into linear motion using the above-described ball screw or the like, it is possible to estimate the cause of the occurrence of an alarm as follows.
In the case of (1) above, based on the information stored and managed in the factory monitoring system, in the case of wear of the ball screw, the situation of the use stroke and the load situation of the ball screw are found from the characteristic diagram of FIG. 6B described later. By comparing this data with, for example, data when operating a full stroke in a factory shipment inspection, it is possible to infer that the ball screw is worn at a specific part.

In the case of (2) above, for example, in a factory monitoring system, when machining exceeds the rated torque of the motor, the machine and machining program being machined, the motor command speed during machining, The motor current and various sensor information are stored at regular intervals.
By doing so, the motor current at the time of machining exceeds the rated torque of the motor being used from the relationship between the command speed at the time of shipment from the factory and the relationship between the command speed at the time of machining and the motor current. Can grasp the situation. The used motor can be grasped from the record at the time of shipment.

In the case of the above (3), for example, in the machine as shown in FIG. 24 described later, in addition to the machine being machined and the machining program in the factory monitoring system, the motor command speed at the time of machining, the motor current and various sensor information, A vibration sensor is provided in a place where the state of the processing tool can be detected, so that vibrations during processing are stored at regular intervals.
By doing so, the vibration during processing can be compared with a threshold value. More specifically, for example, by comparing a waveform that has been processed without problems in the past with a current waveform, and comparing with a higher accuracy than the threshold value created with a sample with a small N value, the wear of the processing tool Can be estimated.

The present invention has been made based on such a request, and the present invention will be described in detail below based on embodiments.
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the embodiment described below, an example in which a machine such as a machine tool including an injection molding machine, a cutting machine, an electric discharge machine, and a robot is used as a machine will be described.
FIG. 2A is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of a diagnostic service system according to the present invention. 3 and 4 are block diagrams showing the configuration of the machine and factory monitoring system. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the factory monitoring system. FIG. 6A is an explanatory diagram illustrating an outline of a machine tool including a mechanism that converts rotational motion into linear motion. FIG. 6B is a characteristic diagram showing a distribution of disturbance load torque. FIG. 6C is an explanatory view illustrating detection of uneven wear of the ball screw. It should be noted that n used in the following description is a positive integer of 1 or more unless otherwise specified. The number of machines, the number of factory monitoring systems, the number of service centers, and the number of service terminals are all indicated by n, but unless otherwise stated in the following description, the number of machines, the number of factory monitoring systems, The number, the number of service centers, and the number of service terminals can be arbitrarily set.

<Overall configuration of diagnostic service system 1>
The overall configuration of the diagnostic service system 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 2A. As shown in FIG. 2A, the service center management apparatus 401 is connected to one or more factory monitoring systems 100 via the security shared network 300, and is connected to one or more service centers 600 via the network. Each of the one or more factory monitoring systems 100 is connected to one or more machines via a network. 2A, the factory monitoring system 100 includes a plurality of factory monitoring systems 100-1, 100-2,..., 100-n, and the factory monitoring system 100-1 includes various machines 200-1, 200-2,. .., Indicating that it is connected to 200-n.

  One or more service terminals 700 are connected to each of the one or more service centers 600 through a network via service control. In FIG. 2A, the service center 600 includes a plurality of service centers 600-1, 600-2,..., 600-n, and each service center 600 is connected to a plurality of service terminals 700-1 by a network via a service control 601. , 700-2,..., 700-n are connected. The service control 601 may be realized as a function in the service center 600.

When a failure occurs in a machine installed in a factory, the user inputs an inquiry form via the factory monitoring system 100 to diagnose a failure with respect to the service center 600 via the service center management apparatus 401 and You can ask for a solution.
In addition, by sending the inquiry mail 104 or inquiry IP phone to the service center management apparatus 401 via a personal computer, smartphone, mobile phone, etc., request the service center 600 for failure diagnosis and its solution. Can do. More specifically, instead of the user inputting the medical questionnaire, the operator of the service center 600 inputs the medical questionnaire based on the contents of the report obtained via the inquiry mail 104 or the inquiry IP phone, so that the service center 600 Can be requested for fault diagnosis and solutions.

The service center management apparatus 401 is connected to a customer service server 402, a manual server 403, a social network system (SNS) 404, a sales data server 405, a factory data server 406, a field serviceman location information system 407, and a knowledge system 408. The
Knowledge system 408 is connected to failure know-how data 409. Each of the service centers 600 is connected to a parts dispatch center 500 and a staff dispatch center 501. FIG. 2A shows that the service center 600-1 is connected to the parts dispatch center 500 and the staff dispatch center 501.

  In this way, the service center management apparatus 401 can manage the part status and personnel data, and can quickly perform a personnel dispatch plan for parts replacement and repair adjustment after the failure diagnosis is completed.

Each service center 600 may be a service center arranged globally. For example, service center 600-1 is located in Tokyo, service center 600-2 is located in New York, and service center 600-3 is located in Beijing. By doing so, you may make it give priority to the service center arrange | positioned in the area corresponding to the location of a factory. The failure inquiry (inquiry form) distributed to the service center management apparatus 401 may be distributed to the service terminal of the respondent who has the smallest number of inquiry operations on hand by the service control 601.
Further, the respondent specified by the user may be selected by specifying the respondent ID by the user.
2A shows that the service center 600-1 is connected to the service control 601 and the service control 601 is connected to a plurality of service terminals 700-1, 700-2,..., 700-n. The failure inquiry distributed to the service center management device 401 is distributed to the service terminal (for example, the service terminal 700-1) of the respondent who has the least number of inquiry operations.

<Configuration and operation of machine and factory monitoring system>
Each user and the service provider exchange a maintenance contract for maintenance of each machine in the factory. For example, a breakdown repair contract (contract at the time of abnormality) that repairs when a failure occurs is included in this maintenance contract. In addition to failure repairs, preventive maintenance contracts (regular contracts) that periodically perform failure diagnosis to predict the occurrence of anomaly, and perform preventive maintenance by exchanging parts that are predicted to have anomalies, life parts, and consumable parts Etc.
In this way, maintenance contracts between users and service providers can be made on a factory basis, and each factory is provided with a factory monitoring system for monitoring each machine in the factory.
Factories may be located globally. For this reason, the factory monitoring system is configured to acquire information from an arbitrary machine and convert the acquired information into a common format (referred to as “global format”) set in advance.

Further, as a premise for performing a failure diagnosis in the diagnosis service system 1, it is required to store machine data in a factory monitoring system.
Machine tools are often used in a user's factory for a long time (for example, about 35 years). Since any machine manufacturer is assumed as a machine tool, it is possible to quickly obtain the machine number, the manual related to the machine, the maintenance history, the operation information operated at the user's factory from the time the machine was shipped from the manufacturer's factory, etc. It is important to be able to obtain it.
There are two ways of using machine tools: continuous production (for example, production of the same product for 24 hours) and intermittent production. In particular, when performing intermittent production, it is desirable to accurately know the history of when the system was last operated when an alarm occurred.

Machine tools do not always apply the same parameters, but often apply the parameters applied last time.
For this reason, it is required to collect and manage information (data) about each machine tool so that the information can be referred to immediately when an alarm occurs. Here, as information on the machine tool, in addition to the machine information of FIG.

(1) Operating state of the machine (for example, machining program, motor command speed during machining, motor current and information on various sensors) (for example, in the case of an injection molding machine, the number of shots from the start of operation, injection screw during injection) The maximum current value of the motor that drives the mold, the maximum current value of the motor that drives the clamping mechanism during mold clamping, the maximum current value of the motor that drives the ejector shaft, the maximum current value during the measurement of the motor that rotates the screw, Peak injection pressure, current cycle time of molding cycle, weighing time, injection time, alarm code, etc.
(2) Operating state transition (for example, temporal transition of the operating state),
(3) Failure history (for example, data of alarms that occurred before, occurrence time, repair completion time, failure repair details, etc.),
(4) Maintenance history (for example, periodic inspection contents and timing, replaced consumable parts and life parts, replacement time, etc.),
(5) Production management information (total operating time, total number of strokes (slide processing number), etc.).

<Factory monitoring system 100>
Hereinafter, the control apparatus which comprises the factory monitoring system 100 in the diagnostic service system 1 of this embodiment is demonstrated. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, the control device constituting the factory monitoring system is simply referred to as “factory monitoring system”.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram for realizing the operation of the factory monitoring system 100 with software, and FIG. 4 shows the function in blocks. Each unit illustrated in FIG. 4 may be configured by software or hardware.
In FIG. 3, the factory monitoring system 100 includes a CPU 1001, a storage unit 1003 that stores software executed by the CPU 1001, and an internal converter 1004 connected to the machine 200. In addition, instead of the internal converter 1004, the machine 200 may be connected via the external converter 800.
As shown in FIG. 4, the factory monitoring system 100 communicates with a storage unit 1002, an internal converter 1004, a data acquisition unit 1011, a stored data management unit 1012, a control unit 1013, a service center management device 401 and a security sharing network 300. A communication unit 1014 and a format conversion unit 1015 are provided. The machine 200 may be connected to the machine 200 via the external converter 800 instead of the internal converter 1004. The control unit 1013 controls the internal converter 1004, the external converter 800, the data acquisition unit 1011, the stored data management unit 1012, the communication unit 1014, and the format conversion unit 1015.

The factory monitoring system 100 includes at least one factory terminal (not shown) for displaying information such as screen information shown in FIGS. 7 to 13 described later, which is transmitted from the service center management apparatus 401 via the security shared network 300. Are connected.
The factory terminal includes a control unit (not shown) and a display display (not shown) such as a liquid crystal display provided with a touch panel. A key operation screen is displayed on the display and characters can be input, but an input unit such as a keyboard may be provided separately. The control unit displays information such as the screen information of FIGS. 7 to 13 transmitted from the service center management apparatus 401 on the display. Data input from the touch panel (or an input unit such as a keyboard) is transmitted to the service center management apparatus 401. The factory monitoring system 100 receives display screen information on which necessary data is displayed from the service center management apparatus 401.
Note that the service center management apparatus 401 may be configured to display the screens of FIGS. 17 to 23 by providing a web server and a factory browser with a web browser.

  3 and 4 show one factory monitoring system 100-1, each factory monitoring system 100-2,..., 100-n has the same configuration. As shown in FIG. 2A, each of the factory monitoring systems 100 is provided in each factory and connected to the machine via a network to monitor the machine in the factory. 3 and 4 show only the machines 200-1 and 200-2, the factory monitoring system 100-1 monitors one or more machines 200. The plurality of machines 200-1, 200-2,..., 200-n are not limited to products of a specific manufacturer, and may include machines of any plurality of manufacturers. Each of the plurality of machines 200-1, 200-2,..., 200-n is provided with sensors for detecting position, acceleration, current value, temperature, humidity, and the like. FIG. 3 shows a case where one or more sensors 2001-1, 2001-2,..., 2000-n are attached to the machine 200-1. Information from the sensors 2000-1, 2000-2, ..., 2000-n is read by the control device of the machine 200-1 and transmitted to the factory monitoring system 100-1. The information measured by the sensor is an interface (set by the factory monitoring system 100 for each machine 200 every predetermined cycle (for example, a cycle of 100 milliseconds or less) together with parameter data indicating the operating state of the machine. Acquired via a communication protocol (data configuration) described later.

  FIG. 6A shows an example of sensor data. In the control system as shown in FIG. 6A, the sensor data may be a disturbance load torque or the like calculated by the control device of the machine 200. For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, in the case of a mechanism in which the rotary motion of the motor 3002 is converted into a linear motion by a ball screw 3004 and the workpiece table 3001 is linearly moved, the movement distribution within the operation limit of the table 3001 is This can be represented by the position signal of the pulse coder 3003 attached to the motor 3002 and the distribution of disturbance load torque calculated in the controller of the machine 200 (FIG. 6B).

  This distribution is sent from each of the machines 200-1, 200-2,..., 200-n in the factory to the factory monitoring system 100-1. It is possible to detect where the load torque is large (Fig. 6C) when it is used frequently at a position or when it is moved at a constant speed, and it is also possible to detect uneven wear of the ball screw (deviation of the ball screw). Wear detection). Detection of uneven wear of the ball screw is also performed in the factory monitoring systems 100-2,..., 100-n, as in the factory monitoring system 100-1.

FIG. 6D is a flowchart showing control for obtaining the distribution of disturbance load torque of the machine 200. 6A shows a single-axis machine 200, FIG. 6D shows a control flowchart in the case of a multi-axis machine 200. FIG. FIG. 6E shows the divided strokes, and the normal divided stroke is a distance between ball screw pitches (for example, several millimeters or more).
As shown in FIG. 6D, analysis of data from each machine is started at a predetermined cycle. In step S120, the number of machine axes n is set to 1, and the number m of divided ball screw strokes is set to 1 (n = 1, m = 1).
In step S121, it is determined whether the n-axis is moving. At the start, n = 1. When the n-axis is moving (Yes in step S121), in step S122, the current position X (n) of the n-axis is larger than the divided stroke position L (m-1) and the divided strokes. It is determined whether the position is equal to or less than the position L (m). If the current position X (n) of the n-axis is larger than the divided stroke position L (m-1) and less than or equal to the divided stroke position L (m), the sample is sampled at a predetermined cycle in step S123. 1 is added to the cumulative number S (n, m) at the mth position of the stroke division of the n-axis, and 1 is further added to the division number m of the ball screw stroke in step S124. The cumulative number S (n, m) is reset to 0 at the time of shipment from the factory and when the ball screw is replaced. The cumulative number S (n, m) is counted only while moving, not counted.
In step S125, it is determined whether or not the division number m of the ball screw stroke added with 1 is equal to or greater than the maximum value Mmax of the division number of the ball screw stroke. If it is equal to or greater than the maximum value Mmax of the number of stroke divisions (Yes in step S12), the process proceeds to step S127. If the division number m of the ball screw stroke is not equal to or greater than the maximum division number Mmax of the ball screw stroke, the process returns to step S122. Steps S122 to S125 are repeated until the division number m of the ball screw stroke is equal to or greater than the maximum value Mmax of the division number of the ball screw stroke.
If it is determined in step S121 that the n-axis is not moving (No in step S121), 1 is added to the number of machine axes n in step S126, and the number of machine axes n is the maximum axis of the machine in step S127. It is determined whether or not the number Nmax or more. If the number of machine axes n is not equal to or greater than the machine maximum axis number Nmax, the process returns to step S121. Steps S121, S126, and S127 are repeated until the number of axes n of the machine becomes equal to or greater than the maximum number of axes Nmax of the machine. If the machine axis number n is equal to or greater than the machine maximum axis number Nmax, the process is terminated. The position L (m) of the divided stroke (for example, L (0),..., L (5) in FIG. 6E), the maximum value Nmax, and the maximum value Mmax are set according to the use of the machine at the time of factory shipment.

The machine information of one or more machines 200-1, 200-2,..., 200-n is sent to the factory monitoring system 100-1 by the machines 200-1, 200-2,. Is registered in the factory monitoring system 100-1 for each machine in advance. Specifically, the factory monitoring system 100-1 registers metadata about the machine for each machine number that identifies each machine. For example, as shown in the machine information of FIG. 3, the metadata includes the machine manufacturer name, machine model name, machine serial number, control device name, control device manufacturer serial number, communication interface, communication protocol (data configuration), etc. It is. The machine manufacturer name, model name, serial number, etc. are data for specifying the machine. The machine number may be given a number that is unique within each factory. Further, the machine manufacturer name, model name, and serial number may be used as the machine number.
Here, the communication protocol (data structure) is a command system for the factory monitoring system 100 to acquire information measured by a sensor installed in the machine, parameter data indicating the operating state of the machine, alarm data, and the like. It is.

The factory monitoring system 100 includes a data acquisition unit 1011 illustrated in FIG. 4, and the control unit 1013 designates a machine number and passes the data acquisition unit 1011 every predetermined cycle (for example, a cycle of 100 milliseconds or less). ) To obtain the operating status of the machine. The data acquisition unit 1011 acquires the operation state of the machine based on the communication protocol (data configuration) of the machine corresponding to the machine number.
The acquired information such as the operating state of the machine is stored in the storage unit 1002 together with the acquisition time (time stamp).
As described above, each factory monitoring system 100 acquires data that is the basis of the diagnostic service system 1.

  Each of the machines 200-1, 200-2,..., 200-n can be connected to machines with different hardware and protocols such as Ethernet (registered trademark), Ether Cat (registered trademark), RS485, RS232C. is there. As for the electrical difference, as shown in FIG. 4, the internal converter 1004 of the factory monitoring system 100-1 is used and the inside is unified to the Ethernet communication standard. Instead of the internal converter 1004, the conversion from RS485, RS232C, etc. to Ethernet may be configured to connect an external converter 800 such as a commercially available converter to the machine. The same applies to the other factory monitoring systems 100-2, ..., 100-n.

  Further, the operation data, machine history data, operation history data, etc. input from the various machines 200-1, 200-2,..., 200-n are stored in the upper service centers 600-1, 600-2,. The factory monitoring system has a function (global format) for standardizing data arrangement and units so that it can be determined as the same type of data when viewed from 600-n, and stored in the storage unit 1002 in the global format. To do. For this electrical and software conversion, when a machine is connected to the factory monitoring system, machine information such as the manufacturer name and model name in FIG. 3 is registered in advance and used.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, in the storage unit 1002 in the factory monitoring system 100, software protocols P1, P2,. This protocol stores metadata such as data arrays and units related to temperature, speed, operation data, and the like. The control unit 1001 such as a CPU uses the software stored in the storage unit 1003 to refer to the protocol stored in the storage unit 1002 and retrieves data from the machines 200-1, 200-2,. Take it out and replace it with the data structure (global format) used by the entire system. Further, it has a function of adding a time when data communication is performed and sending the data to the storage unit 1002. The storage unit 1002 is installed on a circuit that can be read from other CPUs. Protocols P1, P2,..., Pn, machine information I1, I2,..., In stored in the storage unit 1003 correspond to the machines 200-1, 200-2,. ing.

  The operation of the factory monitoring system 100 will be described with reference to the block diagram showing the configuration of the machine and the factory monitoring system 100 in FIG. 4 and the flowchart in FIG. 5.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the data acquisition unit 1011 of the factory monitoring system 100 sends an instruction (command) to each machine 200 in order to periodically acquire data from each machine 200 in step S110. Each machine 200 sends data according to an instruction (command). As already described, it is possible to connect to machines having different communication protocols (physical layers) such as Ethernet (registered trademark), Ether Cat (registered trademark), RS485, and RS232C. As for the electrical difference, as shown in FIG. 4, the internal converter 1004 of the factory monitoring system 100 is used, and the inside is unified to the electrical standard of Ethernet. In addition, an external converter 800 such as a commercially available converter can be used for conversion from RS485, RS232C, etc. to Ethernet.

  In step S <b> 111, the electrical standard is converted using the internal converter 1004 or the external converter 800, and the data acquisition unit 1011 acquires data from each machine 200. Data acquisition is performed at predetermined intervals (for example, a cycle of 100 milliseconds or less).

  If there is data processing as described with reference to FIGS. 6B and 6C (YES in step S112), data processing is performed in step S113, and in step S114, the format conversion unit 1015 converts the data into a common format (global format). Convert.

  If there is no data processing (NO in step S112), the process proceeds to step S114. Thereafter, the data converted into the common format is stored in the storage unit 1002 by the storage data management unit 1012 (step S115). When data is stored, time information (type stamp) when the data is acquired is stored together. The time information may be time information at the time of storage.

<Configuration and Operation of Service Center Management Device 401>
The service center management apparatus 401 is a management apparatus when one or more service centers 600-1, 600-2,..., 600-n are arranged globally. When one service center is connected, this service center may also serve as a service center management apparatus and execute the same function. FIG. 2B is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the service center management apparatus 401.

The service center management apparatus 401 includes a first communication unit 4001 that communicates with the factory monitoring system 100 via the security sharing network 300, a second communication unit 4002 that communicates with the service center 600 via the network, and a paid membership system. Storage unit 4003 for storing data for configuring the server, customer service server 402, manual server 403, SNS 404, sales data server 405, factory data server 406, interface unit 4004 connected to the knowledge system 408, and control each unit And a control unit 4005.
The control unit 4005 accesses the customer service server 402, the manual server 403, the SNS 404, the sales data server 405, the factory data server 406, or the knowledge system 408 based on a request from the factory monitoring system 100 or the service terminal 700. Necessary data is obtained and transmitted to the factory monitoring system 100 and the service center 600.

  When the function of the control unit 4005 of the service center management apparatus 401 is configured by software, a storage unit such as a hard disk or ROM that stores a program describing the operation of the control unit 4005 of the service center management apparatus 401, data necessary for calculation Can be realized by storing information necessary for calculation in the DRAM and operating the program by the CPU.

The service center management device 401 is used as a sales data server 405 for storing sales data when an order is received for a machine 200 from a customer (factory) of this system, and inspection data and shipping date when each machine 200 is manufactured. It is connected to a factory data server 406 that stores factory data such as data of parts that are present.
Further, the service center management device 401 is connected to the field serviceman position information system 407, and can track the position of field servicemen all over the world from GPS data such as mobile phones possessed by the field serviceman. is there.

  Further, the service center management device 401 is connected to the knowledge system 408. The knowledge system 408 automatically analyzes the machine situation based on the free text input by the user, accesses the database 409 in which failure know-how is recorded according to the contents, and automatically creates the analysis information corresponding to the machine situation to the service center. Transmit to the management apparatus 401.

Further, the service center management apparatus 401 monitors the communication load status of each service center and automatically distributes it to a service center with a low load. Alternatively, a response request is sent to all service centers 600-1, 600-2,..., 600-n. Failure diagnosis that has occurred may be performed at this service center.
Furthermore, it is also possible to request connection to a familiar answerer by designating an answerer when the user makes an inquiry to the service center management apparatus 401 via a factory monitoring system, an inquiry mail, or an inquiry IP phone.
A diagnostic service system 1 to be described later can be a paid service with a membership system. A membership system that provides the member with the diagnostic service system 1 for a fee can be constructed by providing the storage unit 4003 in the service center management apparatus 401 and recording the number of access times or access time of the user. For example, when the user makes an inquiry to the service center management apparatus 401 via the factory monitoring system 100, the inquiry mail 104, or the inquiry IP phone 105, the number of times or the connection time of the inquiry from the factory monitoring system 100 to the service center management apparatus 401, the inquiry mail 104 The number of inquiries to the service center management apparatus 401 and the call time when inquiring to the service center management apparatus 401 via the inquiry IP phone 105 are stored in the storage unit 4003 of the service center management apparatus 401 in association with the user ID of the inquiry source. To do. A chargeable system can be constructed by charging a fee corresponding to these times and times. The diagnostic service system 1 can also be provided as a fixed fee.

In addition, the service center management device 401 is connected to a social network system (SNS) 404, a manual server 403 serving as a system for managing manuals from different manufacturers, and a customer service server 402 for recording information related to customer service. ing.
The customer service server 402 stores information on which security management is important, for example, member information such as a member ID, machine information, maintenance history, warranty history, and the like.

<Diagnostic service system menu>
The service center management apparatus 401 has a function of providing the user with the diagnostic service system menu shown in FIG. In order to receive the diagnostic service system shown in FIG. 7, first, a user ID and a password are entered on the authentication screen shown in FIG. Here, the user ID is linked to the factory to which the user belongs, and the service center management apparatus 401 can specify the factory by the user ID.
When the user ID and password are entered, the company name (factory name) and its address are displayed. When OK is input by the user, the diagnostic service system menu screen shown in FIG. 7 is displayed. When the number of the system to be used is entered on the screen displaying the diagnostic service system menu shown in FIG. 7, one of the screens (submenus) shown in FIG. 9 is displayed. When necessary information is input by the user and execution is selected, the selected service is provided, and program processing for executing the function provided by each service is executed.

The diagnostic service system can be used by users and service center operators (respondents). When the user uses it, for example, he / she uses “3. Knowledge diagnosis system” to perform knowledge diagnosis. In addition, based on the machine number, the operation status of the machine immediately before the failure reporting time (alarm generation time), the operation status of the machine (how it is used), the maintenance history of the machine, etc. Acquired by “4. Maintenance history search”, “5. Regular maintenance history”, etc., and perform fault diagnosis using one's own knowledge.
Next, main submenus provided by the diagnostic service system menu will be described.

<Manual search system>
When the submenu “1. Manual search system” is selected, the machine number and the keyword to be searched are input on the screen of the manual search system in FIG. Based on the machine information such as the manufacturer name and model name stored in advance, the contents that hit the keyword are retrieved from the manufacturer manual of the specified machine recorded in the manual server 403 and displayed in a list. The user can achieve the purpose by selecting necessary items from the list display.

  More specifically, when “20” is input as the machine number and “override” is input as the keyword to be searched on the screen of the manual search system displayed as shown in FIG. Based on this, the machine manufacturer and the model name are specified, and a manual corresponding to this model is selected from the manual server 403. Next, the selected manual is searched based on the keyword “override”, and the hit page is displayed from the top. When “next keyword” is selected, the next hit page is displayed. The page is scrolled with “↑” and “↓”, and when the information desired to be obtained is obtained from the desired manual, the end key is used to return to the diagnostic service system menu of FIG.

<Failure diagnosis system>
For example, when an alarm of the machine 200 occurs, the submenu “2. Failure diagnosis system” is selected when a user requests an answer from an answerer (service center operator).
In the submenu “2. Failure diagnosis system”, the user inputs a machine number and a situation on a predetermined questionnaire as shown in FIG. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, “20” is input as the machine number on the failure diagnosis system screen (screen of a predetermined questionnaire) in FIG. 9, and “tool wear is early and the cutting edge is missing” as the status input. Is entered (failure declaration), the service center 601 and the service control 601 through the service center 600 select respondents who can answer more. Specifically, by referring to a table for managing the work status of the service center operator, respondents (candidates) who can answer more can be selected. Note that the user can specify an answerer ID on the input screen. In that case, the respondent designated by the user is selected.
When the user designates the respondent ID, it is distributed to the corresponding service terminal. When there is no designated respondent, the user is notified of the reason and delivered to the other respondents who can answer the earliest. Further, when it takes time for the designated respondent to reply, the user is notified of this.

  When the user uses the failure diagnosis system of FIG. 9, data necessary for failure diagnosis can be transmitted to the service center management apparatus 401 as the operation data of the target machine at that time. Whether this transmission is automatic or manual can be selected at the time of membership contract. If automatic transmission is not selected, the user can manually transmit according to the respondent's instructions.

  In addition to this, the failure report route from the user includes a route via mail or inquiry IP phone. In the case of mail reception, the window (operator) creates an inquiry sheet based on the content of the received mail. In the case of IP telephone reception, the window (operator) interviews the user while listening to the user's story via the IP telephone. Create a vote.

By making an inquiry based on the sent machine number, the respondent can grasp the operating status of the machine corresponding to the machine number in the factory and the status when the machine was sold. The analysis of the failure content is started from the sent message. The respondent operates the service terminal 700 and performs failure diagnosis. The operation of the service terminal 700 for performing failure diagnosis will be described later.
If the respondent determines that replacement of parts and dispatch of a field engineer to replace the parts are necessary as a result of the failure diagnosis, the service terminal makes an inquiry to the service center, arranges the parts delivery date, and arranges and arrives the field serviceman. The questioner (user) can be notified of answers such as time.

The questioner (user) can confirm the answer from the respondent by selecting “9. Check diagnosis system information” in the diagnosis service system menu of FIG.
Specifically, the questioner (user) selects an execution key on the diagnosis system information confirmation screen 9 shown in FIG. 11 and confirms the answer from the respondent.
When confirming an answer message from the respondent, the questioner (user) selects a confirmation key. As shown in FIG. 12, the reply message from the respondent includes information such as diagnostic information and parts and field service personnel dispatch. When the questioner (user) accepts the dispatch of the field service person, the field service person is arranged by selecting the arrangement key.
When the user selects the arrangement key and agrees to the service center proposal, the parts and field service personnel are dispatched immediately.
When the field service man arrives at the site, work begins. This exchange between the operator and the user is registered in the customer service server 402 in time series. The field service person can also diagnose the situation of another machine of the visited user. The record at that time is also recorded in the customer service server 402.
As described above, by using this failure diagnosis system, the user can use the failure diagnosis with the highest accuracy and repair the failure portion quickly.

<Knowledge diagnosis system>
The submenu “3. Knowledge diagnosis system” provides the user with the function of the knowledge diagnosis system. By doing so, the user can diagnose the cause of the alarm by himself / herself without requesting an answer from the respondent (service center operator).
When the user inputs the machine number and the situation via the “3. Knowledge diagnosis system” screen shown in FIG. 9, the knowledge system 408 automatically analyzes the situation based on the free text, and the trouble know-how is determined according to the contents. The database 409 in which is recorded is accessed, and the contents of the automatic response are returned via the service center management apparatus 401. If the result of the answer is that the cause of the failure is machining conditions, machining tool wear, etc., it is not necessary to place an order for a machine tool or dispatch a field service person. In other cases, however, “2. When the “diagnostic system” screen is selected, and part ordering or field service personnel dispatch is required as a result of failure diagnosis, the above-described parts and field service personnel are secured. Also, by storing the knowledge system answers, it is possible to create user-specific failure diagnosis guidance.
The submenu “3. Knowledge diagnosis system” is basically a diagnostic investigation by the user's self-service, and does not request the service center 600 to diagnose a failure. The knowledge diagnosis system can give priority to the diagnosis results and answer them.

<Maintenance history search>
The submenu “4. Maintenance history search” is selected by the user, and the machine number is input to the “Maintenance history search” screen shown in FIG. Browse a maintenance history. With this function, the user can automatically manage a specific machine failure log, parts delivery log, and field serviceman dispatch log in the factory without managing them in-house. In addition, by storing and referring to the machine failure log, it is possible to construct a unique knowledge system.

<Sales of maintenance parts>
When the user selects the submenu “5. Sales of maintenance parts” and inputs the machine number on the “Sales of maintenance parts” screen shown in FIG. 9, the user needs the machine via the service center 600. Maintenance parts can be purchased from the parts dispatch center 500. The user can easily purchase maintenance parts necessary for the machine without error even when the manufacturer has different facilities.

<Maintenance tool introduction>
The user selects the maintenance tool necessary for the machine by selecting the submenu “6. Introduction of maintenance tool” and inputting the machine number on the “Introduction of maintenance tool” screen shown in FIG. Can do. Moreover, by using a social network, it is possible to refer to tools effective for maintenance.

<Regular maintenance history>
The submenu “7. Regular maintenance history” is selected by the user, and the machine number is entered in the “periodic maintenance history” screen shown in FIG. The period of regular maintenance performed in the past and the contents of the maintenance can be referred to. In this way, the periodic maintenance history is managed in a batch, so even if there are machines with different manufacturers and different maintenance concepts, users can use it without worrying about the differences between manufacturers. it can.

<Others>
The user selects the submenu “8. E-mail (SNS)” and selects either e-mail transmission or e-mail confirmation via the “E-mail” screen shown in FIG. It is possible to send a mail directly to the service center management apparatus 401 from its own PC, smartphone, or this system, or to receive a mail from the service center management apparatus 401. As a result, the user can manage the mail transmitted from his / her PC, smartphone, and this system to the service center management.
In addition to email, it provides social network (SNS) functions. By doing so, it is possible to exchange business information and technical information between members managed by security.

<Diagnostic service system information>
When the user selects the submenu “9. Diagnostic system information” and selects the execution of the “diagnostic system information confirmation” screen shown in FIG. 9, the diagnostic service system information notified to the user from the diagnostic service system side Can be confirmed. Examples of the diagnostic service system information include important fault information (including bug information), recall information, and upgrade information of the diagnostic service system 1.
For example, when an important failure requiring a recall occurs in the diagnostic service system itself, the service center or the service center management can send the recall information. Thereby, the user can refer to the recall information transmitted quickly. In addition, it is possible to confirm communication such as version upgrade of the diagnostic service system. In addition, as a notification method of diagnostic service system information, it is also possible to send mail to the user's mobile phone (or smartphone or the like) registered in advance by a push method according to the urgency of the diagnostic service system information.

<Evaluation for answer>
FIG. 13 is an “evaluation information input screen” for inputting the user's evaluation for the answer from the diagnostic service system 1. As described above, based on the input information from the user, it is possible to improve the level of respondents and perform additional learning of the knowledge system.
The diagnostic service system menu has been described above.

<Processing flow related to “2. Failure diagnosis system” and “3. Knowledge diagnosis system”>
Next, the processing flow of the diagnostic service system 1 when the user selects the submenu “2. Failure diagnosis system” and when the submenu “3. Knowledge diagnosis system” is selected will be described with reference to FIGS. While explaining.

[When the user selects “3. Knowledge diagnosis system”]
As shown in FIG. 14, when a machine tool alarm is generated in step S210, the factory monitoring system 100-1 selects “3. Knowledge diagnosis system” in step S211 by the user.
When “3. knowledge diagnosis system” is selected, the service center management apparatus 401 starts diagnosis in step S212 based on the input from the user. In step 213, the knowledge system 408 transmits the diagnosis result to the user when the diagnosis is completed. In step S214, the user acquires a diagnosis result by the knowledge diagnosis system.

[When the user selects “2. Fault diagnosis system”]
As shown in FIG. 15, when a machine tool alarm is generated in step S310, a failure diagnosis system is selected by the user in step S311, and when an inquiry form is input, an optimum service center is selected in step S312. The service terminal to which the optimal answerer belongs is selected by the service center selected in step S313. The respondent of the service terminal selected in step S314 performs diagnosis using, for example, “3. Knowledge diagnosis system”, and transmits the diagnosis result to the factory monitoring system 100-1 in step S315. The factory monitoring system 100-1 In step 316, the diagnosis result is received.

<Configuration and operation of service terminal 700>
Next, the configuration of the service terminal 700 and the terminal operation when the respondent who diagnoses the failure when receiving a failure report from the user including the operator on the service center side performs the failure diagnosis of the machine This will be further described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 2C is a block diagram showing a configuration of service terminal 700. The service terminal 700 displays a communication unit 7001 that communicates with the service control 601 via a network, the screen information of FIGS. 17 to 23 transmitted from the service control 601, and the like, and a display display 7002 such as a liquid crystal display including a touch panel. And a control unit 7003 for controlling the communication unit 7001 and the display display 7002. Although a key operation screen is displayed on the display 7002 and characters can be input, an input unit such as a keyboard may be provided separately. The control unit 7003 displays the failure diagnosis request (inquiry content) screen shown in FIG. 16 distributed from the service center management apparatus 401 on the display 7002, and is distributed from the service center management apparatus 401 by operating the touch panel or the input unit. The screen information shown in FIGS. 17 to 23 is displayed on the display 7002. Data input via the touch panel or the input unit is transmitted to the service center management apparatus 401 via the service control 601 and the service center 600. The service terminal 700 receives necessary data from the service center management apparatus 401 via the service center 600 and the service center 600.
Note that the service center management device 401 (or service center) may be configured to display a screen of FIGS. 17 to 23 by providing a Web server and the service terminal 700 with a Web browser.

  When the function of the control unit of the service terminal 700 is configured by software, a storage unit such as a hard disk or ROM that stores a program describing the operation of the control unit of the service terminal 700, a DRAM or CPU that stores data necessary for calculation In a computer composed of a bus connecting each unit, information necessary for calculation is stored in the DRAM, and the program is operated by the CPU.

As shown in FIG. 16, the service terminal 700 provides a function of displaying a list of failure diagnosis requests (inquiry contents) distributed from the service control 601 to the respondent. The respondent can select an unanswered fault diagnosis request (inquiry content) by selecting a selection key.
The respondent can also search for fault diagnosis requests (inquiry contents) processed in the past by selecting the processed search key.
When a failure diagnosis request from a certain user is selected from a failure diagnosis request (inquiry content) displayed by the respondent as a list, a failure diagnosis request screen from the user is displayed as shown in FIG.
When the “start diagnosis” button is selected by the respondent, a “diagnosis request menu” screen shown in FIG. 17 is displayed, a function used for diagnosis is selected, and an execution key is selected. On the diagnosis request menu screen shown in FIG. 17, history search, keyword search, knowledge search, sensor information, parts information, and field serviceman information are selected as functions used for diagnosis. By doing so, the respondent can perform failure diagnosis using these functions. The respondent can also use the “diagnosis service system menu” shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 18, the service terminal 700 provides a function of searching for a history of failure diagnosis requests received so far. As shown in FIG. 18, on the “diagnosis request (history search)” screen, a user's company name and machine number can be referred to and a past inquiry history list related to the machine can be generated from the customer service server 402 or the like. . Here, the past failure display is assumed to be one year, but the number of years of the past failure display can be arbitrarily selected.

  The service terminal 700 provides a keyword search function as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 19, based on the keyword (tool wear) input by the respondent, the past cases are searched from the customer service server 402 and the like, and a list of cases hit by the keyword (tool wear) is obtained. indicate. The respondent can select a search range such as a machine maker and a machine model. By doing so, a list of cases that hit the keyword (tool wear) is displayed, and respondents can query the details of the selected case by entering the number that they want to refer to and selecting the selection key. It becomes possible.

The service terminal 700 provides a knowledge search function as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 20, the knowledge search shows a knowledge search screen, and the query content is automatically decomposed into keywords to create search keywords.
Keyword creation
1) The same character string as the index described in the machine manual 2) Consecutive kanji 3) Consecutive numbers In this example, “tool wear”, “blade edge” and the like are keywords. Only cases that have been resolved and answered are selected. This is to respond to the automatic response later. Note that the knowledge search can be performed using the knowledge system 408.

As shown in FIG. 21, the service terminal 700 provides an inquiry function for sensor information arranged in the machine. FIG. 21 is an example of a screen that is obtained by displaying sensor information that serves as a reference for an inquiry keyword from the factory monitoring system 100. Note that a display period indicating when to display sensor information from when to when can be selected on this screen for comparison with factory shipment data and basic machine specifications.
The machine inquired in FIG. 21 is shipped with a sensor attached to the main shaft as shown in FIG. 24, for example. FIG. 24 is an explanatory view showing a machine tool having a sensor attached to the main shaft portion. In FIG. 24, a vibration sensor 4002 is attached to the spindle mechanism 4001, and acceleration and amplitude are measured. A tool (blade) 4004 is attached to the spindle mechanism 4001 via a tool clamper 4003. A workpiece 4005 is machined with a tool (blade) 4004.

  The service terminal 700 provides a component search function as shown in FIG. FIG. 22 is an example of a screen showing a part search result. In the search for parts, the customer service server 402 is referenced to search for repair parts from the past repair record data, and the factory data server 406 determines whether parts can be shipped.

  As shown in FIG. 23, the service terminal 700 provides a search function for field servicemen who can travel. FIG. 23 shows a screen showing a list of field servicemen who can travel, and displays a list of field servicemen who can be dispatched by field servicemen who have experience of spindle replacement from the field serviceman database of service center 600.

In this way, if the respondent determines that the replacement of parts and the dispatch of a field engineer to replace the parts are necessary as a result of the failure diagnosis, the parts are sent from the service terminal to the parts dispatch center 500 and the factory data 406. In addition, the field dispatcher 501 and the field serviceman position information system 407 identify a field serviceman suitable for the category of the failure that can be reached earliestly. It is possible to notify the questioner (user) of answers such as parts delivery date, field serviceman arrangement and arrival time.
When the failure report route from the questioner (user) is mail or inquiry IP phone, the respondent can notify the questioner (user) by email or IP phone.

  Although the diagnostic service system 1 has been described above, all or part of various servers included in the diagnostic service system 1 of the described embodiment can be realized by hardware, software, or a combination thereof. Here, “realized by software” means realized by a computer reading and executing a program. When configured by hardware, some or all of the servers are integrated circuits (IC) such as LSI (Large Scale Integrated Circuit), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), gate array, FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), etc. Can be configured.

A hard disk storing a program describing all or part of the operations of the various servers included in the diagnostic service system 1 when all or a part of the functions of the various servers included in the diagnostic service system 1 are configured by software; In a computer composed of a storage unit such as a ROM, a DRAM that stores data necessary for calculation, a CPU, and a bus connecting each unit, information necessary for calculation is stored in the DRAM and the program is operated by the CPU. Can be realized.
Moreover, it is good also as a structure which performs each function with which the various servers contained in the diagnostic service system 1 are provided on one or several server suitably. Moreover, you may implement | achieve each function with which the various servers contained in the diagnostic service system 1 utilize a virtual server function etc. on a cloud.

  The program can be stored using various types of computer readable media and provided to a computer. Computer readable media include various types of tangible storage media. Examples of the computer-readable medium include a magnetic recording medium (for example, a flexible disk, a magnetic tape, a hard disk drive), a magneto-optical recording medium (for example, a magneto-optical disk), a CD-ROM (Read Only Memory), a CD-R, a CD- R / W, semiconductor memory (for example, mask ROM, PROM (Programmable ROM), EPROM (Erasable PROM), flash ROM, RAM (random access memory)).

The effect by the diagnostic service system 1 of this embodiment demonstrated above is demonstrated.
Users can receive comprehensive machine maintenance information services such as maintenance history management and information on maintenance parts, maintenance tools, etc. as well as failure diagnosis through the security sharing network 300 simply by using this diagnostic service system 1. Can do. Further, since the machine information stored in the factory monitoring system includes differences between manufacturers, information retrieval can be easily performed.
The diagnostic service system 1 constitutes a total system of a factory monitoring system 100, a service center management device 401, a service center 600, a service control 601, and a service terminal 700. The unique sensor information shown in FIG. Since the difference can be absorbed in the diagnostic service system 1, it is possible to construct a very efficient system.

Since users participating in the network of the diagnostic service system 1 can construct a two-way private network and exchange business information and technical information, it is possible to exchange information safely, quickly and accurately.
In the diagnosis service system 1, even if the machine is different from the manufacturer in the factory monitoring system 100, the factory monitoring system 100 can convert communication specifications and protocol usage into global data, so all machines are evaluated equivalently. Is possible. Moreover, since data conversion is performed by the factory monitoring system 100, data conversion work by the user is unnecessary, and efficient evaluation management can be performed.
When inquiring, users can make calls from various devices such as factory terminals, smartphones, PCs, IP phones, etc., and are managed by a security sharing network, so they are efficient and safe.

Since the user can obtain various notifications and information from the service center 600 through the security shared network 300, it is not necessary to manage a log such as a failure history by itself, which is efficient.
Through the security sharing network 300 of the diagnostic service system 1, the user can receive the recommended maintenance parts purchase time from the customer service server 402 and purchase spare parts. With this diagnostic service system 1, the user can easily perform preventive maintenance.
Since the user can use the diagnostic service system 1 to obtain various notifications and information from the service center 600, it is efficient without managing a log such as a failure history.
By using this diagnostic service system 1 in addition to the system that uses the computer log of the conventional system for diagnosis, the access time to the operator, the part preparation time, and the field service man's dispatch time are minimized. be able to.

Since the user inquiry history and failure history can be automatically registered in the customer service server 402, a customer-specific diagnosis system and failure history system can be constructed.
In the diagnosis, since factory data recorded in the factory data server 406 and sales data recorded in the sales data server 405 can be taken into account, parts used in advance can be determined and replacement parts can be identified for restoration. It is easy and can save time.
An index for the life of the failed part can be created from the data of the failed part stored in the customer service server 402 and the operation status of the machine stored in the factory monitoring system 100. Based on this index, regular maintenance inspections can reduce failures and minimize machine downtime.
Since the system evaluation mechanism shown in FIG. 13 is inherent, it is possible to enhance the failure diagnosis knowledge system and easily improve the respondents' responses.

Here, the following additional remarks are disclosed regarding the above embodiment.
(Appendix 1)
One or more factory monitoring systems for monitoring at least one machine;
A service center management apparatus connected to one or a plurality of the factory monitoring systems via a network;
One or more service centers connected to the service center management device;
A plurality of service terminals connected to each of the one service center or each of the plurality of service centers via service control;
The plurality of service terminals are used by respondents capable of diagnosing the machine failure,
Diagnosis characterized in that one of the plurality of service terminals is selected via the service center management device and the one service center or the plurality of service centers when a failure of the machine occurs. Service system.
(Appendix 2)
When the factory monitoring system selects execution of the failure diagnosis system from a plurality of items of the diagnosis service system menu, one of the plurality of service terminals is the service center management device, the one service center, or the plurality of the service terminals. The diagnostic service system according to appendix 1, wherein the diagnostic service system is selected via a service center.
(Appendix 3)
When an inquiry mail or an inquiry telephone regarding a failure of the machine is received and a failure diagnosis of the machine is necessary, one of the plurality of service terminals is the service center management device and the one service center or the plurality of services. The diagnostic service system according to supplementary note 2, wherein the diagnostic service system is selected via a center.
(Appendix 4)
The service center management device is connected to a knowledge system that searches for fault know-how related to the machine, and a manual server that stores manuals related to the machine,
4. The diagnostic service system according to appendix 2 or 3, wherein the plurality of items of the diagnostic service system menu include an item of knowledge diagnosis using the knowledge system and an item of manual search for searching the manual server.
(Appendix 5)
5. A membership system using the diagnostic service system according to any one of appendix 2 to appendix 4, wherein the diagnostic service system menu is provided for a fee.
(Appendix 6)
The service center management device is connected to a knowledge system that searches for fault know-how related to the machine and a customer service server that accumulates at least failure history data. The customer service server and the knowledge system are the factory monitoring system. 4. The diagnostic service system according to appendix 2 or 3, which can be used from the service terminal.
(Appendix 7)
One or more factory monitoring systems for monitoring at least one machine;
A service center management apparatus connected to one or a plurality of the factory monitoring systems via a network;
One or more service centers connected to the service center management device;
A plurality of service terminals connected to each of the one service center or the plurality of service centers via service control, and the plurality of service terminals are used by respondents capable of diagnosing the machine failure, respectively; A diagnostic method for a diagnostic service system, comprising:
When the factory monitoring system selects execution of the failure diagnosis system from a plurality of items of the diagnosis service system menu, one of the plurality of service terminals is the service center management device, the one service center, or the plurality of the service terminals. Diagnosis method selected via a service center.
(Appendix 8)
When the service center management device receives an inquiry mail or an inquiry telephone regarding a failure of the machine and needs to diagnose a failure of the machine, one of the plurality of service terminals includes the service center management device and the service center. The diagnostic method according to appendix 7, wherein the diagnostic method is selected via
(Appendix 9)
The service center management device is connected to a knowledge system that searches for fault know-how related to the machine, and a manual server that stores manuals related to the machine,
When the execution of knowledge diagnosis is selected from a plurality of items in the diagnostic service system menu, the service center management device performs the knowledge diagnosis using the knowledge system and executes a manual search for searching the manual server. 9. The diagnostic method according to appendix 7 or 8, wherein manual search is performed using the manual server.
(Appendix 10)
The service center management device is connected to a knowledge system that searches for fault know-how related to the machine and a customer service server that accumulates at least failure history data. The customer service server and the knowledge system are the factory monitoring system. And the diagnostic method according to appendix 7 or 8, which can be used from the service terminal.

100-1, 100-2, ..., 100-n Factory monitoring system 104 Inquiry mail 105 Inquiry IP phone 200-1, 200-2, ..., 200-n Machine 300 Security shared network 401 Service center management device 402 Customer service server 403 Manual server
404 SNS
405 Sales data server 406 Factory data server 407 Field service person position information system 408 Knowledge system 409 Failure know-how database 500 Parts dispatch center 501 Staff dispatch center 600-1, 600-2,..., 600-n Service center 601 Service control 700-1, 700-2, ..., 700-n Service terminal

Claims (7)

A motor,
In a machine tool control device comprising a ball screw that converts the rotational motion of the motor into a linear motion,
A control device for detecting the frequency of use within the stroke of the ball screw.   The control device according to claim 1, further comprising: a position detector, wherein the use frequency is detected by using a position detected by the position detector and a load torque, or a number of times passing through an arbitrary section in the ball screw.   A factory monitoring system comprising a plurality of control devices according to claim 1 or 2 and detecting uneven wear of the ball screw by counting distributions of the use frequencies respectively sent from the plurality of control devices.   The factory monitoring system according to claim 3, wherein the distribution of the usage frequency is periodically sent from the control device. A motor,
A ball screw for converting the rotational motion of the motor into a linear motion, and a method for detecting the frequency of use of a control device included in a machine tool comprising:
The control device includes a position detector that detects a rotational position of the motor,
A use frequency detection method for detecting a use frequency within a stroke of the ball screw using a position detected by the position detector and a load torque or the number of times passing through an arbitrary section in the ball screw.   A factory monitoring method comprising a plurality of the control devices used in the usage frequency detection method according to claim 5 and detecting uneven wear of the ball screw by aggregating the distribution of the usage frequencies respectively sent from the plurality of control devices. .   The factory monitoring method according to claim 6, wherein the distribution of the usage frequency is periodically sent.

Images