Textile spinning machine management system

Claim 2

A textile spinning machine management system having means for sensing an instantaneous operating condition of at least one of a plurality of components of a spinning machine, means connected to the means for sensing for recording and storing a representation of the sensed operating condition in a digital data acquisition file, and means for manipulating the stored data according to a predetermined stress function and means for evaluating the data for performance of preventative maintenance.

Claim 3

A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the data are updated at least intermittently and continuously or quasi-continuously.

Claim 4

A system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the data are renewed by means of a calculation program which takes into consideration a preset stress function and preselected operating conditions.

Claim 5

A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the data of the condition file is input to analysis or diagnosis programs which are used for operation support.

Claim 6

A system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the analysis program is provided as operation support in maintenance routine by a user of the system.

Claim 7

A system as claimed in claim 5 wherein the analysis program has access to a second file which contains instructions for the maintenance routine.

Claim 8

A system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the analysis program has access to a file which contains information on the availability of spare parts.

Claim 9

A system as claimed in claim 7 wherein the system comprises an interface for communication with a spare part management system.

Claim 10

A system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the condition data file and diagnosis or analysis program are contained in a portable computer.

Claim 11

A system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the condition data file is contained in a computer for controlling operation of the machine and the diagnosis or analysis program is contained in one of the machine control computer and a portable computer.

Claim 12

A system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the machine is controlled by a first computer and the condition data file and the analysis or diagnosis are contained in a second machine-superior control computer connected to the first computer.

Claim 13

A system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the diagnosis or analysis program is designed as an expert program.

Claim 14

A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein each sensor is connected to an evaluation program which relays signals to the system.

Claim 15

A system as claimed in claim 1 including a program for executing a multi-factor analysis of acquired data to determine a parameter which represents a machine condition.

Claim 16

A system as claimed in claim 14 wherein a sensor detects an operating condition of the machine which is used for the evaluation of the component conditions.

Claim 17

A system as claimed in claim 15 wherein the condition data file is accessible to analysis and diagnosis programs.

Claim 18

A machine management system for recording data representative of the operating condition of one or more selected components of a textile spinning machine, the system comprising one or more sensors for detecting a selected operating condition of a component of the spinning machine and a data acquisition file connected to the one or more sensors, the one or more sensors automatically sending a signal indicative of a current operating condition of the component to the data acquisition file, the data acquisition file storing the received signals, the system including means for evaluating the date according to a predetermined stress function.

Claim 19

A machine management system for recording data representative of the operating condition of one or more selected components of a textile spinning machine, the system comprising one or more sensors for detecting a selected operating condition of a component of the spinning machine and a data acquisition file connected to the one or more sensors, the one or more sensors automatically sending a signal indicative of a current operating condition of the component to the data acquisition file, the data acquisition file storing the received signals, the system including means for evaluating the date according to a predetermined stress function.

Claim 20

The machine management system of claim 17 wherein the system includes a plurality of said operating condition sensors connected to and sending signals to the data acquisition file, each sensor detecting an operating condition of a different selected component of the machine.

Claim 21

The machine management system of claim 17 wherein the one or more sensors detect a component operating condition selected from the group consisting of temperature, vibration, noise, dust content, energy consumption, thread standstills, thread breakages, sliver breakages, sliver standstills, processed fiber quality and percentage of waste of fiber material being processed by the machine.

Claim 22

The machine management system of claim 17 wherein the data acquisition file is a file of digital data stored separately in a memory of a computer connected to the one or more sensors.

Claim 23

The machine management system of claim 17 wherein the data acquisition file automatically receives signals from the sensors on a predetermined periodic basis.