Patent ID: 8073653

Claim:
A life indicator for a component of a machine, the life indicator comprising: a plurality of sensors operably associated with the machine, each sensor being configured to sense a property associated with the machine and output the sensed property as data signals; a memory element including an engine data structure; a processor for executing the engine data structure to determine engine output torque of the machine based on at least a first data signal; the memory element further including a lower drive data structure, the processor being configured to process the lower drive data structure to determine a transmission output torque of the machine based on at least the engine output torque and at least a second data signal, the memory element further including a damage factor data structure, the processor being configured to determine a damage factor based on at least the transmission output torque and at least a third data signal, the memory element further including a final drive life data structure, the processor being configured to process the final drive life data structure to estimate an actual work life of the component based on at least the damage factor; and a display configured to show the actual work life of the machine component, wherein the display is further configured to show a maintenance status, the maintenance status indicating that service of the component is required when a determined percentage of a designed component life is used.