Complex Industrial Machinery Health Diagnosis Challenges and Strategies

This study is dedicated to addressing a spectrum of pivotal challenges and predicting their potential ramifications. Specifically, its objectives encompass the detection of tool breakage in milling-turning composite machinery, the assessment of the service life of punching machine heads, and the evaluation of mold longevity in forging apparatus, among other intricacies. The overarching objective is the establishment of an equipment health diagnosis system tailored for intricate industrial setups. It is evident from our interactions with the industry that the rationale for monitoring strategies and threshold values are contingent upon the idiosyncratic attributes of the equipment and the sector. While the metal processing sector has been trailing behind the semiconductor industry in the realm of intelligent monitoring by an approximate span of a decade, it faces an analogous array of challenges. These encompass dwindling demographics, leading to an increased reliance on external labor for shifts, elevated personnel turnover rates thereby limiting the availability of experienced personnel for tasks such as tool changes, mold replacements, and maintenance. Additionally, the necessity to uphold traceability standards for mold and punching head usage history, notably in the context of aerospace industry compliance, compounds these challenges. Consequently, the industry aspires to achieve two paramount objectives for vital production equipment: first, the execution of failure diagnostics to appraise tool or mold longevity and assess product quality. Second, the transition from time-based to condition-based maintenance practices, even under conditions that necessitate frequent mold substitutions to cater to diverse product manufacturing needs.