US 11,867,586 B2
Method and wearing parts for predictive maintenance
Arne Kjær, Hillerød (DK); and Matias Titoff, Kemi (FI)
Assigned to PTFE Engineering A/S, Hillerød (DK)
Appl. No. 17/425,792
Filed by PTFE Engineering A/S, Hillerød (DK)
PCT Filed Jan. 28, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/051973
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jul. 26, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/157028, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 6, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 19153896 (EP), filed on Jan. 28, 2019; and application No. 19167834 (EP), filed on Apr. 8, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0057294 A1, Feb. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. G01M 11/08 (2006.01); G01N 21/01 (2006.01)
CPC G01M 11/086 (2013.01) [G01N 21/01 (2013.01); G01N 2021/0112 (2013.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for detecting excessive adhesive, abrasive, erosive or fretting wear of a wearing part,
wherein the wearing part includes:
a dynamic sealing or a gasket that is at least partially covered by a sliding layer consisting of a polymer material,
an optical fiber element formed by a single optical fiber or formed by two or more single optical fibers that are interconnected by splitters or reflectors, the optical fiber element fitted in, embedded in, indented in, or fused with the polymer material,
a proximal light detecting device providing a first element configured to emit visible light when light is emitted from a laser device into a proximal end of a first optical fiber of the optical fiber element, and
a distal light detecting device providing a second element configured to emit visible light when light that is emitted from the laser device into the proximal end of the first optical fiber is emitted from a distal end of a second optical fiber of the optical fiber element, wherein the second optical fiber is the first optical fiber or is a different optical fiber,
wherein visible light emitted from the laser device into the proximal end of the first optical fiber is configured to travel either along an entire circumference of the wearing part or along an entire length of the wearing part through the optical fiber element a travel distance of at least 1500 millimeters before being emitted from the distal end of the second optical fiber,
the method comprising the steps of:
turning on the laser device;
inspecting whether the proximal light detecting device and distal light detecting device emit visible light; and
concluding that the wearing part is not subject to excessive wear if visible light is emitted from both the proximal light detecting device and the distal light detecting device.