Patent ID: 7606629
Filing Date: 2009-10-20
Classification: D21G,G05B,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A method for determining causes of failures in industrial processes, comprising: selecting a plurality of distinct industrial process variables for analysis; measuring the selected variables at selected measuring points on a production line over time until a failure indication is detected in a first of the selected variables; detecting an abnormal deviation in one or more others of the selected variables; determining a time correlation between the failure indication and each abnormal deviation; finding an upstream location on the production line that is a source of a failure by correlating the first of the selected variables with the other selected variables having abnormal deviations, and projecting backwards in time to a convergence of the first and other variables in time or location on the production line; determining a cause of the failure indication without a need for detecting a second failure; working-out corrective measures to eliminate the cause of the failure indication; evaluating the corrective measures technically and economically; selecting and implementing an optimum one of the corrective measures on the production line; wherein the production line comprises an automation system and control bus that automate the production line, and wherein the measuring of at least some of the selected variables is performed directly from at least some of the measuring points on the production line without passing through the control bus; and wherein the production line produces a continuously moving web of material.