Continuous duty press monitoring system

Claim 2

A press operation data acquisition apparatus comprising: a linear variable displacement transducer including a coil portion movably disposed relative to a core portion such that magnetic flux generated by current impressed on the coil portion is influenced by a position of the core portion relative thereto; securing means adapted for securing the core portion to a first portion of a housing of an associated press and the coil portion to spaced apart portions of the housing of the associated press such that compression and expansion of the housing will influence a relative position of the core portion to the coil portion; means for providing an electric current to the coil portion; means continuously sensing the magnetic flux induced by operation of the associated press by monitoring of current in the coil portion; position signal generating means for periodically generating a position signal representative of a relative position of the coil portion to the core portion in accordance with sensed magnetic flux; and calibrating means adapted for automatically calibrating the position signal to a base level prior to completing a press cycle of the associated press; means for generating a press deflection signal in accordance with the position signal.

Claim 3

The press operation data acquisition device of claim 1 further comprising means for generating a display signal in accordance with the press deflection signal.

Claim 4

The press operation data acquisition device of claim 2 further comprising means for recording the press deflection signal.

Claim 5

The press operation data acquisition device of claim 3 wherein the means for recording the press deflection signal is comprised of at least one of a plotter, a printer and a data storage unit.

Claim 6

The press operation data acquisition device of claim 1 wherein the position signal generating means includes: means for acquiring an analog signal representative of sensed magnetic flux; means for digitizing the analog signal; and means for filtering the digitized analog signal to form the position signal as digitized position signal.

Claim 7

The press operation data acquisition device of claim 5 further comprising: comparator means for comparing the digitized analog signal to a comparison threshold value; and means for generating an alarm signal when the digitized analog signal exceeds the comparison threshold value.

Claim 8

The press operation data acquisition device of claim 6 further comprising: means for acquiring data representative of a selected threshold value; means for communicating the selected threshold value to the comparator means as the comparison threshold value.

Claim 9

The press operation data acquisition device of claim 7 further comprising means adapted for disabling an associated press in accordance with the alarm signal.

Claim 10

The press operation data acquisition device of claim 7 further comprising a container means for monitoring a minimum output from the monitored press during unloading thereof.

Claim 11

A press operation monitoring method comprising the steps of: activating a press to perform a stamping operation; monitoring deformation of a frame of the press relative to opposed first and second, spaced apart ends of a rod member, the first spaced apart end being mounted to the frame at a first mounting point so as to allow axial displacement of the rod corresponding to frame movement at the first mounting point, and the second spaced apart end being mounted to the frame at a second mounting point such that the rod axis is slidable relative to the second mounting point; generating, via a linear variable displacement transducer secured to the second spaced apart end, a press deflection signal representative of the deformation induced by operation of the press; automatically calibrating the press deflection signal to a base level prior to the step of activating; and generating a display signal in accordance with the press deflection signal.

Claim 12

A press operation monitoring method comprising the steps of: activating a press to perform a stamping operation; monitoring deformation of a frame of the press relative to opposed first and second, spaced apart ends of a rod member, the first spaced apart end being mounted to the frame at a first mounting point so as to allow axial displacement of the rod corresponding to frame movement at the first mounting point, and the second spaced apart end being mounted to the frame at a second mounting point such that the rod axis is slidable relative to the second mounting point; generating, via a linear variable displacement transducer secured to the second spaced apart end, a press deflection signal representative of the deformation induced by operation of the press; automatically calibrating the press deflection signal to a base level prior to the step of activating; and generating a display signal in accordance with the press deflection signal.

Claim 13

The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of generating a tangible, historic record of the frame deformation in accordance with the press deflection signal.

Claim 14

The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps of: comparing the press deflection signal to a comparison threshold value; and selectively generating an alarm signal in accordance with a result of the step of comparing.

Claim 15

The method of claim 12 further comprising the steps of: digitizing the press deflection signal to form a digitized deflection signal; filtering the digitized deflection signal to form a filtered digitized analog signal; and wherein the step of comparing includes the step of comparing the filtered digitized analog signal to the comparison threshold value formed as a digitized value.

Claim 16

A press operation data acquisition device comprising: securing means adapted for securing a frame of the press relative to opposed first and second, spaced apart ends of a rod member, the first spaced apart end being mounted to the frame at a first mounting point so as to allow axial displacement of the rod corresponding to frame movement at the first mounting point, and the second spaced apart end being mounted to the frame at a second mounting point such that the rod axis is slidable relative to the second mounting point; a linear variable displacement transducer including a coil portion secured to the frame at the second mounting, and a core portion secured to the rod at the second spaced part end such that a magnetic flux generated by application of current to the coil portion is affected by a relative position of the core portion thereto; means for providing an electric current to the coil portion; sensing means continuously sensing the magnetic flux during operation of the associated press by monitoring of current in the coil portion; means for acquiring an analog flux level signal representative of sensed magnetic flux from the sensing means; digitizing means for digitizing the flux level signal to form a digitized flux level signal; filter means for filtering the digitized flux level signal to form a position signal; calibrating means adapted for automatically calibrating the position signal to a base level prior to completing a press cycle of the associated press; and means for calculating a press deflection signal representative of a relative position of the coil portion to the core portion in accordance with the position signal.

Claim 17

A press operation data acquisition device comprising: securing means adapted for securing a frame of the press relative to opposed first and second, spaced apart ends of a rod member, the first spaced apart end being mounted to the frame at a first mounting point so as to allow axial displacement of the rod corresponding to frame movement at the first mounting point, and the second spaced apart end being mounted to the frame at a second mounting point such that the rod axis is slidable relative to the second mounting point; a linear variable displacement transducer including a coil portion secured to the frame at the second mounting, and a core portion secured to the rod at the second spaced part end such that a magnetic flux generated by application of current to the coil portion is affected by a relative position of the core portion thereto; means for providing an electric current to the coil portion; sensing means continuously sensing the magnetic flux during operation of the associated press by monitoring of current in the coil portion; means for acquiring an analog flux level signal representative of sensed magnetic flux from the sensing means; digitizing means for digitizing the flux level signal to form a digitized flux level signal; filter means for filtering the digitized flux level signal to form a position signal; calibrating means adapted for automatically calibrating the position signal to a base level prior to completing a press cycle of the associated press; and means for calculating a press deflection signal representative of a relative position of the coil portion to the core portion in accordance with the position signal.

Claim 18

The press operation data acquisition device of claim 14 further comprising means for generating an output signal representative of the press deflection signal.

Claim 19

The press operation data acquisition device of claim 15 further comprising: means for storing a digital threshold value representative of at least one of an upper threshold level and a lower threshold level; comparator means for comparing the press deflection signal to the digital threshold value; and means for generating a comparison signal in accordance with a comparison in the comparator means.

Claim 20

The press operation data acquisition device of claim 16 further comprising means for selectively generating an alarm signal when the comparison signal indicates that the press deflection signal surpasses the threshold level.

Claim 21

The press operation data acquisition device of claim 17 further comprising archiving means for archiving the output signal.

Claim 22

The press operation data acquisition device of claim 15 wherein the archiving means includes a plotter.

Claim 23

The press operation data acquisition device of claim 19 wherein the archiving means includes a non-volatile digital memory.