The INTELL-DIAG Diagnosis includes modules for machine interfaces, malfunction detection module, set-up tool for knowledge repositories, user interface for error registration and error processing. They enable the execution of
- Capturing of deterministic diagnosis models,
- Remote machine monitoring,
- Automatic malfunction detection,
- Semi-automatic error registration and error details refinement,
- Support in identification of the reasons of quality problems,
- Local and remote automatic and manual malfunction diagnosis.
By generic, standardised machine interfaces the information on products, on processes and A&R-facilities is measured and processed either at the plant or by remote monitoring tools. The automatic malfunction detection will notice the occurrence of specific malfunctions. Once the error is reported the error will be augmented with additional information automatically and by the user and stored into database where it will be picked up by the diagnosis tools. The errors can be quality and process problems detected by process facilities, PLC, malfunction detection logic and machine operators. The suspected cause will be reported and in INTELL-DIAG Maintenance the appropriate actions will be proposed.
Taking into account different plants with varying machines and facilities and diverse computer networks the INTELL-DIAG Tools can be adapted to the environment due to flexible machine interfaces and flexible networking. The user interface for error registration is designed for a comfortable and encouraging usage by the machine operator. The knowledge repositories built up by automatic model extraction tools and based on distributed data bases contain the complex and scalable knowledge model about process, products and machines so that the diagnosis process is improved by refined models, which support the reasoning process immensely.
Potential applications:
The main application domain is diagnostics in complex highly automated manufacturing systems, such as automotive industry. The main applications are: Monitoring / optimisation of machines / processes, including identification of the problems and searching for the reasons of problems: On-line reported problems: 1. Machine/robot diagnostic (fault) messages, 2. Automatic monitoring of the machine parameters, 3. Problem identified and reported by foremen or maintenance co-workers. Off-line: Problems identified based on the analysis of the process (e.g. statistical analysis).
End-users:
The INTELL-DIAG Products will be first offered to the automotive sector since the large end-user in the consortium (DaimlerChrysler) comes from this sector and tools will be first applied at their plants. The next potential market segment are suppliers of the automotive industry. The second end-user in the consortium (ALUTECH) is representative of this segment. A distinction must be made between large supplier and SMEs in this sector. The third potential segment for the INTELL-DIAG Tools will be machine manufacturing industry to which the main vendor (REIS) in the consortium belongs to. On top of that the INTELL-DIAG Products will be marketed to other sectors such as: shipbuilding, aerospace industry, etc. Here, one can distinguish as well large companies as SMEs.
Market analysis:
Based on the estimates of the potential exploitation of the large end-user in the consortium, an estimate of the potential market in the automotive sector (final car producers), which will be met, is about 100 products. The next potential market segment are suppliers of the automotive industry. Above assessment of larger suppliers indicates the market volume to be met is about 40 products. Potentials for selling the INTELL-DIAG Tool to the SMEs suppliers are very high: more than 120 products (but this will require scaling/adapting the system to their specific needs, which will require additional investment in the commercialisation phase, or may need an additional RTD project). INTELL-DIAG solutions integrated in the products of machine and robot vendors are likely to reach about 1000 within the first three years after they are put at the market. Also other market sectors are indicated as targets: shipbuilding, aerospace industry, etc. A rough assessment of these market segments leads to an estimation of a potential market volume of a minimum of 150 products. However, the assessment of this market segment is less accurate than the other three segments, and INTELL-DIAG will primarily focus upon the first three segments.