JP2005353027A - Quality control method for shaft coupling - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a quality control method in which whether a bearing possibly includes a defective can immediately be known without disassembling it and which speedily and properly copes with periodic inspection etc., and to confirm processing condition information on a forging and turning stage, a heat-treating stage, a grinding stage, etc., after shipment or delivery to a customer by increasing a degree of traceability. <P>SOLUTION: In the quality control method for the shaft coupling, an IC tag 9 where information can be recorded and read without contacting is used, and specified information is recorded for management. Included are a stage of fitting the IC tag 9 to the shaft coupling 1, a stage of recording information in the IC tag 9, and a use stage of reading the recorded information of the IC tag 9 at arbitrary time after shipment. The IC tag 9 is fitted to one of element articles such as inner and outer rings constituting the shaft coupling 1 and information on an identification number, a manufacture year, and a manufacture place is recorded. Further, information regarding manufacture of the element articles is recorded. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a shaft joint quality control method that uses a tag to manage shaft joints such as constant velocity joints used in automobiles and mechanical equipment, and facilitates traceability and regular inspection. .

  For automobiles, even if they are the same type of car, it is used to control the shaft joint manufactured by constant velocity joints, including the shaft joints used in automobiles, at what factory, and the production number of the shaft joint. It has not been.

In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for traceability, that is, the ability to track the history, application, or location of what is being considered. In the quality control of machine element products such as shaft couplings, the quality of each manufacturing process (material purchase, forging process, heat treatment process, grinding process, etc.) from material purchase to manufacturing completion, manufacturing history such as lots, etc. It is desirable to be able to understand one-to-one or in lot units.
In the case of an automobile, in the case of a general product, lot management is performed, and sampling inspection and the like are performed in units of lots. Knowing the manufacturing history makes it easy to deal with defective products, such as replacement, identification of defective product mixing ranges, future improvements, etc., and facilitates life diagnosis and pre-replacement leading to machine failure. In addition, it is easy to determine whether similar products are mixed. Special products are individually inspected, and it is required to be able to understand the manufacturing history in a one-to-one correspondence.
As a quality control method for clarifying such a manufacturing history, conventionally, the information generated for each process is dealt with by filling in a slip or inputting it to a database terminal.

On the other hand, IC tags are being used in logistics management and inventory management, and management from manufacturing to disposal using IC tags has also been proposed in the manufacture of articles such as automobiles (for example, Patent Document 1). The IC tag can record and read information in a non-contact manner, and has a large storage capacity, so that high-level management is expected.
JP 2002-169858 A

When a periodic inspection is performed on a shaft joint assembled in an automobile or the like, it can be determined if the report is obtained from the serial number of the shaft joint. It can also be determined from the serial number displayed on the shaft coupling, etc., or the information on the manufacturing year and manufacturing location.
However, the display of the serial number, the manufacturing year, the manufacturing location, and the like given to the shaft coupling by engraving or the like is not understood unless the bearing is disassembled from the member that becomes the bearing housing. Therefore, it takes time to disassemble and reassemble the work. In general, it is necessary to remove the shaft coupling and check the information such as the serial number, which is very laborious and expensive.

In addition, in the proposed quality control method using the conventional IC tag, various information related to the machine element product is directly recorded on the IC tag attached to the machine element product, or identification information is recorded on the IC tag. By comparing with the database, the material of the machine element product, lot management information, various history data, etc. can be known. However, there are cases where the cause of the trouble that has occurred in the machine element product cannot be clarified only by the above-described information on the machine element product. For example, there may be a difference in quality due to a difference in processing conditions in each process, and the difference due to such a difference in processing conditions may not be recognized from the inspection result.
A shaft joint such as a constant velocity joint is composed of a plurality of element products, and even if the inspection result of the assembled shaft joint itself is known, it is not possible to specify a failure due to a difference in quality of each element product. In shaft couplings such as constant velocity joints, slight differences in material and accuracy result in large performance differences as shaft couplings, and thus it is difficult to cope with the proposed quality control method using conventional IC tags.

  Also, in the process management, in the conventional management method for entering slips and terminal input for each process, it takes time to fill in and input, and it is difficult to record a large amount of information in detail. In particular, it is a machine element product that assembles a plurality of element products such as constant velocity joints, etc., and each element product is produced in lots for each process, from material purchase through forging process, heat treatment process, and grinding process. However, management in the manufacturing process of each component is complicated, and it takes time to record and input information by handwriting. Therefore, it is difficult to sufficiently respond to the request for detailed history information of the machine element product, and the management is expensive.

  Therefore, although application of the IC tag was considered, management like the automobile itself cannot be applied to the shaft coupling. In the proposed example of Patent Document 1 described above, an IC tag is attached to an automobile that is an article to be managed, and information on each process is recorded. The IC tag is attached to the frame. However, with shaft couplings, there are no completed standard components such as automobile frames, and each component is manufactured through forging, heat treatment, etc. in the manufacturing process, so an IC tag is attached to the machine component product itself. I can't. In addition, in shaft couplings, the inner ring, outer ring, rolling element, or trunnion shaft forming body is managed through material purchase, forging process, heat treatment process, grinding process, etc. In such a case, there is a problem of how to use the IC tag, and it is difficult to efficiently apply an IC tag.

An object of the present invention is to provide a quality control method for a shaft coupling which can easily and immediately know the manufacturing history without disassembling the shaft coupling and can quickly and appropriately cope with periodic inspections.
Another object of the present invention is to improve the degree of traceability, and to provide a shaft coupling that can easily confirm processing condition information such as forging / turning process, heat treatment process, grinding process, etc. after shipment or after customer delivery. To provide a quality control method.
Another object of the present invention is a shaft joint that is individually inspected, and is a material of each element product for a shaft joint that assembles a plurality of element products each manufactured through a forging / turning process, a heat treatment process, etc. It is to provide a quality control method for a shaft coupling capable of easily managing detailed history information in a one-to-one relationship with a shaft coupling, from purchase to inspection after completion of the shaft coupling.
Still another object of the present invention is a shaft joint to be inspected for each lot, and a shaft joint for assembling a plurality of element products each manufactured through a forging / turning process, a heat treatment process, etc. It is to provide a quality control method of a shaft coupling capable of easily managing detailed history information for each production lot of shaft couplings from purchase of materials to inspection contents after completion of machine element products.

The quality control method for a shaft joint according to the present invention is a quality control method for a shaft joint that records and manages predetermined information about the shaft joint by using an IC tag capable of recording and reading information without contact for the shaft joint. The process of attaching the IC tag to the shaft coupling, the process of recording information about the shaft coupling on the IC tag attached to the shaft coupling, and reading the recorded information of the IC tag at any time after shipment A process of confirming predetermined information from the read information.
In this invention, when the shaft coupling is a constant velocity joint used in an automobile, reading of the IC tag in the use process is performed using a tag reader while the shaft coupling is attached to the automobile. The information processing means integrated with the tag reader or the information processing means connected to the tag reader in a wired or wireless manner may include processing for determining whether or not the bearing is a predetermined inspection target.

According to this method, since information about the shaft coupling is recorded on the IC tag attached to the shaft coupling, the recorded information of the IC tag can be read by bringing the tag reader close to the shaft coupling at any time after shipment. The predetermined information can be confirmed. If the tag reader has information such as the range of the shaft joint to be inspected, it can be determined from the read information whether the shaft joint is to be inspected. Therefore, without disassembling the shaft coupling from the car or machine equipment, for example, a serviceman asks the customer or obtains information on the shaft coupling at the time of refueling at a gas station etc. Information can be confirmed.
The quality control method for a shaft coupling according to the present invention includes the following first to fifth quality control methods for a shaft joint.

The first shaft coupling quality control method according to the present invention uses a non-contact IC tag capable of recording and reading information on a shaft coupling, and records and manages predetermined information on the shaft coupling for quality management of the shaft coupling. A method,
A process of attaching an IC tag to a shaft coupling to any one of a plurality of components constituting the shaft coupling;
The process of recording information in the manufacturing process for the shaft coupling on the IC tag attached to the shaft coupling;
The process includes reading the record information of the IC tag and confirming the predetermined information from the read information at any time after shipment.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a quality control method for a shaft coupling, wherein the shaft coupling is associated with identification information of the shaft coupling, predetermined manufacturing information relating to the shaft coupling is stored, and the stored contents can be extracted from the identification information. A quality control method for a shaft coupling using an IC tag capable of recording and reading information without contact,
A process of attaching an IC tag to a shaft coupling to any one of a plurality of components constituting the shaft coupling;
Recording the identification information about the shaft coupling into the IC tag according to the database at the time of shipment or customer delivery, and recording the information in the manufacturing process for the shaft coupling;
An information reading and utilization process for confirming information in the manufacturing process from the information obtained by reading the recorded information of the IC tag and comparing the read information with the database at any time after shipment. including.

A third shaft coupling quality control method according to the present invention includes a database capable of storing predetermined manufacturing information for a shaft coupling and extracting the stored contents, and an IC tag capable of recording and reading information without contact. A quality control method for shaft couplings using
A process of attaching an IC tag to a shaft coupling to any one of a plurality of components constituting the shaft coupling;
A process of writing predetermined shipping information about the shaft coupling in accordance with the database on the IC tag attached to the shaft coupling;
The process includes the step of reading information recorded on the IC tag at any time after shipment and confirming information about the shaft coupling from the read information or information obtained by comparing the read information with the database.

More specifically, the quality control method of the first shaft coupling is a method in which an IC tag is attached to the shaft coupling, and traceability relating to quality control is enabled only from the record information of the IC tag. including.
This quality control method uses IC tags that can record and read information in a non-contact manner for shaft joints, and purchases materials related to shaft joints, at least one of forging and turning processes, heat treatment process, grinding process, etc. A quality control method for managing a shaft coupling by recording predetermined manufacturing information leading to each inspection process and inspection,
A process of attaching an IC tag to one of a plurality of components constituting the shaft coupling at the time of manufacturing or completing the shaft coupling;
At least one of the processing condition information and material information in at least one of the manufacturing steps for the shaft coupling is recorded on the IC tag attached to the shaft coupling before shipment or customer delivery. Process,
An information reading and utilization process of reading the record information of the IC tag and confirming at least one of the processing condition information and the material information from the read information at any time after the shipment.

  According to this method, any processing condition information or material information such as a forging / turning process, a heat treatment process, a grinding process, etc. can be confirmed in the process of reading and using information at any time after shipment. Since the machining condition information can be confirmed, even in shaft couplings that require strict quality and accuracy, it is possible to easily elucidate the cause when a failure occurs. In this method, information can be managed using only IC tags without using a separate database. Therefore, in facilities that check processing condition information, etc., regardless of whether or not there is communication equipment or access authority to the database. In addition, machining condition information can be read.

More specifically, the quality control method of the second shaft coupling is a method that enables traceability related to quality control using an IC tag and a database attached to the shaft coupling, and includes the following steps: .
This quality control method is related to identification information for a shaft coupling, from material purchase related to the shaft coupling to at least one of forging and turning processes, heat treatment process, grinding process and other manufacturing processes, and inspection. A quality control method for storing shaft manufacturing using a database capable of storing predetermined manufacturing information and extracting the stored content from the identification information and an IC tag capable of recording and reading information without contact,
A process of attaching an IC tag to one of a plurality of components constituting the shaft coupling at the time of manufacturing or completing the shaft coupling;
The identification information about the shaft coupling is recorded on the IC tag attached to the shaft coupling according to the database at the time of shipment or delivery to the customer, and at least of the manufacturing steps for the shaft coupling. A process of recording at least one of processing condition information and material information in one process;
At any time after the shipment, the recorded information of the IC tag is read from the read information, or from the information obtained by comparing the read information with the database, confirmation of the purchased material, confirmation of the manufacturing process, processing conditions thereof An information reading and utilization process for performing at least one of information and material information confirmation and inspection result confirmation.

  Also in this management method, any processing condition information or material information such as a forging process, a heat treatment process, and a grinding process can be confirmed in an information reading and utilization process at any time after shipment. Therefore, even in a shaft coupling that requires strict quality and accuracy, it is possible to easily elucidate the cause when a failure occurs. In addition, since the identification information is recorded on the IC tag attached to the shaft coupling and various information is recorded in the database in correspondence with the identification information, a large amount of information can be obtained without depending on the limited storage capacity of the IC tag. Information can be extracted from the database. Further, the remaining storage capacity of the IC tag can be used for various history management after shipment or after delivery to the customer.

The third shaft coupling quality control method is a method that enables traceability related to quality control using an IC tag and a database attached to the shaft coupling, and includes the following steps.
This quality control method relates to a shaft joint in relation to identification information, purchases a material related to the shaft joint, at least one of forging and turning processes, a heat treatment process, a manufacturing process such as a grinding process, and a predetermined process. A quality control method for managing a shaft coupling using a database capable of storing the manufacturing information and extracting the stored contents from the identification information and an IC tag capable of recording and reading information in a non-contact manner,
A process of attaching an IC tag to one of a plurality of components constituting the shaft coupling at the time of manufacturing or completing the shaft coupling;
The identification information about the shaft coupling is written to the IC tag attached to the shaft coupling according to the above database at the time of shipment or delivery to the customer. The process of recording at least one piece of information on grease brands, gaps between component parts, quality assurance period, and handling precautions;
At any time after the shipment, the recorded information of the IC tag is read from the read information, or from the information obtained by comparing the read information with the database, confirmation of the purchased material, confirmation of the manufacturing process, processing conditions thereof And an information reading and utilization process for performing confirmation of at least one of material information and inspection results.

  In the case of this method, in the process of reading and using information at any time after the shipment, the information obtained by reading the recorded information of the IC tag and checking it from the reading information or by checking the database with the reading information as a key From the above, it is possible to confirm purchased materials, confirm manufacturing processes, confirm processing conditions, and confirm inspection results. In addition, it is possible to confirm any of the manufacturing date, manufacturing place, encapsulated grease brand, gap between component parts, quality assurance period, and handling precautions recorded on the IC tag. These manufacturing dates, manufacturing locations, brands of encapsulated grease, gaps between component parts, quality assurance period, handling precautions, etc. are often desired immediately in various situations. It is convenient in terms of equipment and labor to be able to read directly from There are various types of grease depending on the application, such as high temperature and low temperature, and it is difficult to understand from the outside, so it is convenient to read from the IC tag. In addition, since the quality of grease deteriorates over time, it is easy to confirm whether the grease can be used as it is when it is delivered to the customer, or whether it is necessary to replace the grease, etc., as the date of manufacture is known. This eliminates concerns about accidentally delivering old grease-filled parts to customers. The gap between the element parts is a radial gap or the like in a rolling bearing.

  In the present invention, the quality control method for any one of the first to third shaft couplings may include the following steps. That is, the predetermined manufacturing information from the material purchase of the component of the shaft coupling to at least one of forging and turning, heat treatment, and grinding is used for the manufacturing process prepared for each lot number of the component For each manufacturing process, and a process for reading the recorded information and recording part or all of the read information on the IC tag attached to the shaft coupling. The manufacturing information to be recorded on the IC tag includes at least one of processing condition information and material information in at least one of the manufacturing steps.

  In this way, in the manufacturing process for each element product, manufacturing information from the material purchase to the forging process, heat treatment process, and grinding process is prepared on the IC tag for the manufacturing process by the lot number of the element product. If you record to each IC tag for each process, you can record more detailed information than when you record to a handwritten slip, and unlike the case where you input from the terminal to the database, for example, where to input information Since it is an IC tag, it can be visually recognized, the input work is clarified, and errors are unlikely to occur. Also, unlike the one that records all sorts of miscellaneous information from the material purchase to the grinding process in the database, since these record information is held in IC tags, the burden on the database is light and management is easy. It becomes easy. For this reason, more detailed information can be managed easily. When the lot classification changes for each process, the IC tag prepared for each lot number of the element product is prepared for each lot that changes.

  Recording of manufacturing information at the time of manufacturing the component product may be performed in a database. That is, in the present invention, in any of the first to third shaft joint quality control methods, at least one of the material purchase of the component of the shaft joint, forging and turning, heat treatment step, grinding The process of recording predetermined manufacturing information up to the process and inspection in association with the lot number of each component or the identification number of each component in the manufacturing management database, and attaching this recorded information to the shaft coupling And a process of recording on the IC tag.

The following fourth and fifth methods can be employed as management methods using manufacturing process IC tags prepared for each lot number for management of manufacturing information in the manufacturing process of component products.
The quality control method of the 4th shaft coupling in this invention is a quality control method of the shaft coupling inspected separately. This shaft joint quality control method is a shaft that is assembled by including a plurality of types of components manufactured through a forging / turning process, a heat treatment process, and a grinding process, which are at least one of forging and turning processes from material purchase. A quality control method for joints, which includes the following steps (1) to (4) for each of the above-described components, and the following steps are taken for the shaft joint assembled with the respective components.

(1). A process of recording information on a material lot number and a purchased material for a corresponding material lot on an IC tag prepared for each material lot at the time of purchasing the material of each element.
(2). In the forging / turning process, the IC tag for each material lot or the IC tag that inherits the record information of the IC tag for each material lot is prepared for each forging / turning lot, and the forging / turning corresponding to these IC tags is prepared. The process of recording the forging / turning lot number and information obtained in the forging / turning process.
(3). In the above heat treatment process, an IC tag for each forging / turning lot or an IC tag that inherits the record information of the IC tag for each forging / turning lot is prepared for each heat treatment lot. The process of recording the heat treatment lot number and information obtained in the heat treatment process.

(Four). In the inspection process after the grinding process, an IC tag for each heat treatment lot or an IC tag that inherits the record information of the IC tag for each heat treatment lot is used for each element or a group of the same kind of element that is the unit of inspection. A process of preparing each and recording information obtained in the corresponding grinding lot number and inspection process on these IC tags.
An IC tag is attached to each shaft coupling in which each element is assembled from before assembly to after assembly. The IC tag attached to this shaft coupling has a serial number unique to each shaft coupling, and the above shaft coupling. At least the production number is recorded among the record information of the IC tag after the above-described inspection process of each element used in the above. Corresponding to the manufacturing number, the database records the IC tag record information after the inspection process of each element used for the shaft coupling and the inspection information after the completion of the shaft coupling.

  In addition, each process of the said material purchase, a forge / turning process, a heat treatment process, and a grinding process is each division roughly divided from material purchase to completion of an element product, and each said process consists of a plurality of processes. In some cases, a process that does not correspond to the process name may be included. For example, when turning after forging and performing heat treatment, the turning step is included in the forging step. In the process of recording information obtained in each of the forging / turning process, heat treatment process, and grinding process of (2) to (4) above, the processing condition information of these forging / process, heat treatment process, and grinding process May be recorded. Also, in the process of recording information obtained in each of the forging / turning process, heat treatment process, and grinding process of (2) to (4) above, the processing conditions of these forging / turning process, heat treatment process, and grinding process Information may be recorded.

According to this quality control method, history information from the purchase of materials for each component to the inspection contents after completion of the shaft coupling is stored in the database, and the serial number is recorded on the IC tag attached to the shaft coupling. Therefore, the history information can be managed in a one-to-one relationship with the shaft coupling by checking the production number against the database. Since information generated for each process of each component is recorded together with the lot number on an IC tag prepared for each lot of each process, detailed history information can be managed.
Therefore, when a defective product occurs, it is easy to replace it, specify the defective product mixture range, improve the future, etc., and facilitate life diagnosis and advance replacement leading to a machine failure. Since the information for each process is recorded on an IC tag prepared for each lot of the process, detailed information can be recorded as compared with the case of recording on a handwritten slip. Since the location where information is to be input is an IC tag, it can be visually recognized, the input operation becomes clear, and errors are unlikely to occur. Also, unlike the case of recording all sorts of miscellaneous information from the purchase of the material of the component goods to each process of the grinding process in the computer, since these recorded information is held in the IC tag, the burden on the computer is light and management is easy. It becomes easy. For this reason, more detailed information can be managed easily. Also, since the serial number of the shaft coupling is recorded on an IC tag attached to the shaft coupling, this IC tag is used for various purposes after manufacture, for example, shipping management, distribution management, customer management, maintenance management, etc. Can do.

  The fifth shaft joint quality control method according to the present invention is a shaft joint quality control method inspected for each lot. This shaft joint quality control method is assembled by including a plurality of types of components manufactured through the forging / turning process, the heat treatment process, and the grinding process, which are at least one of forging and turning processes from the purchase of materials. The element product includes the following steps (1) to (3), (4) ′, and the following process is adopted for the shaft joint assembled with each component product. The steps (1) to (3) are the same as the quality control method for the fourth shaft joint, but will be described again.

(1). The process of recording information on the material lot number and the purchased material for the corresponding material lot on the IC tag prepared for each material lot when purchasing the material of each of these element products.
(2). In the forging / turning process, the IC tag for each material lot or the IC tag that inherits the record information of the IC tag for each material lot is prepared for each forging / turning lot, and forging / turning corresponding to these IC tags is prepared. The process of recording the forging / turning lot number and information obtained in the forging / turning process.
(3). In the above heat treatment process, an IC tag for each forging / turning lot or an IC tag taking over the record information of the IC tag for each forging lot is prepared for each heat treatment lot, and the heat treatment lot number for the corresponding heat treatment lot is assigned to these IC tags. And the process of recording information obtained in the heat treatment process.

(Four)'. In the inspection process after the grinding process, an IC tag for each heat treatment lot or an IC tag that inherits the record information of the IC tag for each heat treatment lot is prepared for each grinding lot. The process of recording the grinding lot number and information obtained in the inspection process.
An IC tag is attached to each of the shaft couplings assembled from the above-mentioned component parts before and after assembly, and the manufacturing lot number and each element used for the shaft coupling are attached to the IC tag attached to the shaft coupling. Of the recorded information of the IC tag after the inspection process of the product, at least the production lot number is recorded, and the IC after the inspection process of each component used for the shaft joint corresponding to the production lot number in the database Record tag recording information and inspection information after completion of shaft coupling.

  In the process of recording information obtained in the forging / turning process, heat treatment process, and grinding process of (2) ′ to (4) ′, the forging / turning process, heat treatment process, and grinding process are performed. You may record including process condition information.

  In the case of this quality control method, it is managed according to the production lot of the shaft coupling, and it is not a one-to-one management, but for other matters, each operation and effect described in the quality control method for the first shaft coupling is performed. Is obtained. The database is collated with the lot number obtained from the IC tag attached to the shaft coupling.

In the present invention, the IC tag prepared for each material lot, the IC tag prepared for each forging lot, and the IC tag prepared for each heat treatment process are containers having a plurality of materials of the same material lot, You may each attach to the containers which put several element goods, and the containers which put the element goods of the same heat processing lot.
The IC tag may be attached directly to the container, or may be attached to a tag that is attached to the container and visually recognized. The attachment of the IC tag to the containers may be a detachable attachment.
By attaching the IC tag to the containers, the IC tag prepared for each lot can always be moved together with the components, and the handling of the IC tag is easy. In addition, information can be recorded on the IC tag along the conveying path of the element product.

  In the present invention, the shaft coupling includes an element product different from an element product manufactured through at least one of forging and turning from a material purchase, a heat treatment process, and a grinding process. The information about the separate element product may be recorded in the database in association with the production number or lot number after assembling the shaft coupling. Thereby, the information about another element product can also be known after completion of a shaft coupling.

The shaft coupling is a constant velocity joint composed of a plurality of element products, and is an outer ring as an element product manufactured through the purchase of the material, at least one of forging and turning, a heat treatment process, and a grinding process. , Inner ring, and rolling element may be included.
The constant velocity joint may include an outer ring and a trunnion shaft forming body as an element manufactured through at least one of forging and turning, heat treatment, and grinding from the purchase of the material. good.
These constant velocity joints may be used for a drive transmission system from an engine to wheels in an automobile, or may be used for mechanical equipment installed in a factory.

The shaft coupling may be filled with grease at the time of assembly. In this case, it is preferable to record the assembly date of the shaft coupling on an IC tag attached to the shaft coupling.
Since grease deteriorates with time, management becomes easier if the assembly date is known.

  In the present invention, information such as the location from shipment of the shaft coupling to delivery to the customer may be recorded on the IC tag attached to the shaft coupling. This facilitates shipping management, distribution management, customer management, maintenance management, and the like.

A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 shows each stage of the flow from manufacture to disposal of the shaft coupling 1 and the quality control process using the IC tag 9 at each stage. The quality control method of this shaft coupling attaches an IC tag 9 to the shaft coupling 1 and records predetermined manufacturing information from the purchase of materials related to the shaft coupling 1 to the forging process, heat treatment process, grinding process and inspection on this IC tag 9. In this method, traceability relating to quality control of the shaft coupling 1 is enabled from the record information read from the IC tag 9. The forging process may be a process including turning after forging, or may be a process of turning from a material without forging. The claims refer to the “forging / turning process”, but here they are simply referred to as the “forging process”. The IC tag 9 can record and read information without contact.
The quality control method for the shaft coupling includes the following IC tag attaching process R1, manufacturing information recording process R2, and recorded information reading and using process R3.

(IC tag attachment process R1)
In this process, the IC tag 9 is attached to the shaft coupling 1 when the shaft coupling 1 is manufactured or manufactured. In this case, the shaft coupling 1 may be assembled after the IC tag 9 is attached to one of the component parts 2 constituting the shaft coupling 1, and after the assembly of the shaft coupling 1 is completed, the IC is connected to the shaft coupling 1. A tag 9 may be attached.

(Manufacturing information recording process R2)
In this process, from the purchase of the material for the shaft coupling 1 to the forging process, the heat treatment process, the grinding process, and the inspection of the IC tag 9 attached to the shaft coupling 1 before shipment or customer delivery. Record predetermined manufacturing information. The manufacturing information to be recorded includes processing condition information in at least one of a forging process, a heat treatment process, and a grinding process. The material purchase, forging process, heat treatment process, and grinding process for the shaft joint 1 are the material purchase, forging process, heat treatment process, and grinding process for each component 2 of the shaft joint 1. The processing condition information includes, for example, a press pressure and a cycle time in the forging process, a heat treatment temperature, a heat treatment time, a heat treatment method, and the like in the heat treatment process, and a grinding wheel rotation speed, a cutting speed, a feed speed, and the like in the grinding process. In addition to the processing conditions, at least one of the manufacturing date, manufacturing location, brand of sealed grease, gap between grease components, quality assurance period, and handling precautions is recorded as the manufacturing information. It is preferable to do. It is also preferable to record various inspection results. The various inspection results include an inspection result for each element product 2 and an inspection result as a finished product. Moreover, it is preferable to record the identification information of the shaft coupling 1 in addition to the manufacturing information. The identification information of the shaft coupling 1 may be individual identification information for each shaft coupling 1, for example, a manufacturing number, or may be identification information for each lot of the shaft coupling 1, for example, a lot number. Manufacturing information may be recorded at once or divided into several times. For example, when the assembly of the shaft coupling 1 is completed and a finished product is inspected, information on the inspection result and inspection conditions may be recorded, and the remaining manufacturing information may be recorded later. All manufacturing information may be recorded at once.

(Information reading utilization process R3)
This process is a process of reading the record information of the IC tag 9 at an arbitrary time after shipment and confirming at least the processing condition information from the read information.
As for the flow from the completion of the shaft coupling 1 to the disposal, in the case of the shaft coupling 1 for an automobile, generally, as shown in FIG. 1, the assembly of the shaft coupling 1 is completed, the finished product is inspected, shipped, and stored in a warehouse. , Storage at sales offices, customer delivery (purchase by customer automaker, assembly of shaft coupling 1 into car), car sales route (or car leasing route) at customer or sales company, and car user Purchase, use, and disposal. In the case of custom-made products, they may be delivered directly to customers after shipment.
In the case of the shaft coupling 1 for machine equipment, in the process of FIG. 1, after purchase by the customer, it is assembled to the customer machine, used, and then discarded.
The information recorded in the IC tag 9 is read and used as needed at any stage after shipment, and necessary information is confirmed from the read information. For example, when a malfunction occurs in the shaft coupling 1 at the stage of use by the owner of the automobile, the IC tag 9 attached to the shaft coupling 1 can be removed from the maintenance shop or the site where the automobile is located. Various information such as the material and performance of the shaft coupling 1 is read and the cause is clarified. At this time, if the recorded information includes not only the material and inspection result of each component 2 but also the processing condition information, the cause can be easily and accurately clarified.

When reading information from the IC tag 9, the shaft coupling 1 attached to the automobile can be maintained by attaching the tag reader 20 to the automobile, for example, as shown in FIG. 14 while being attached to the automobile. Therefore, information about the shaft coupling 1 can be obtained simply and quickly.
For example, information on the inspection target range of the shaft coupling is stored in the information processing means 20b provided in the tag reader 20, and information on the inspection target range is stored in the information processing means attached to the tag reader 20, The reading information of the IC tag 9 and the information on the inspection target range may be compared to output a determination result as to whether or not the product is an inspection target product. The information on the target range may be information on the range of the production number, for example, or information on the range of the production year or the production location. In the example of FIG. 14, the tag reader 20 is of a portable type, and has a tag reader unit 20a and information processing means 20b. The tag reader 20 may be a tag reader / writer.

  In FIG. 1, as an additional use in the information reading and utilization process R3, the free capacity portion of the memory in the IC tag 9 attached to the shaft coupling 1 is appropriately used for shipping management, inventory management, distribution management, maintenance management, etc. It is done.

  According to this quality control method for shaft couplings, it is possible to check any processing condition information such as forging process, heat treatment process, grinding process, etc. in the information reading and utilization process R3 at any time after shipment. Even in the shaft coupling 1 that requires high accuracy, it is possible to easily elucidate the cause when a problem occurs. In addition, in this method, since information can be managed only with the IC tag 9 without using another database, there is no need for communication facilities or access authority to the database in the facility for checking the processing condition information. Regardless, machining condition information can be read.

The above embodiment is a method of recording as much manufacturing information as possible on the IC tag 9 and performing quality control based on the recorded information, but it may be used in combination with the database 10.
That is, the database 10 stores predetermined manufacturing information related to the identification information of the shaft coupling 1 from the purchase of the material related to the shaft coupling 1, the forging process, the heat treatment process, the grinding process, and the inspection, and stores the stored contents as the identification information. Prepare what can be extracted. Quality control is performed using the database 10 and the IC tag 9 attached to the shaft coupling 1. In this case, the following processes are performed in each of the processes R1 to R3.

(IC tag attachment process R1)
This process R1 is the same as the above embodiment.
(Manufacturing information recording process R2)
In this process, identification information such as the production number or lot number of the shaft coupling 1 is recorded on the IC tag 9 attached to the shaft coupling 1 according to the database 10 before shipment or delivery to the customer. And manufacturing information about the shaft coupling 1 is recorded. The manufacturing information to be recorded includes processing condition information in at least one of the forging process, the heat treatment process, and the grinding process of each component 2. Since the database 10 is used in combination, the manufacturing information recorded on the IC tag 9 may be limited to information that is convenient to read directly from the IC tag 9. For example, it is preferable to record on the IC tag 9 the date of manufacture, the place of manufacture, the brand of encapsulated grease, the gap between the component parts, the quality assurance period, the handling precautions, etc. for the shaft coupling 1.
(Information reading utilization process R3)
In this process, at any time after the shipment, the record information of the IC tag 9 is read and the purchase information is obtained from the read information or the information obtained by collating the read identification information with the database 10 to obtain the purchase. Any of confirmation of material, confirmation of manufacturing process, confirmation of processing condition information, inspection result, etc. is performed. Various other uses recorded in the IC tag 9 or the database 10 may be performed.

Also in this management method, any processing condition information such as a forging process, a heat treatment process, a grinding process, etc. can be confirmed in an information reading and utilization process R1 at any time after shipment. Therefore, even in the shaft coupling 1 that requires strict quality and accuracy, it is possible to easily elucidate the cause when a defect occurs. Further, since the identification information is recorded on the IC tag 9 attached to the shaft coupling 1 and various information is recorded in the database 10 in correspondence with the identification information, it does not depend on the limited storage capacity of the IC tag 9. In addition, a large amount of information can be extracted from the database 10. Further, the remaining storage capacity of the IC tag 9 can be used for various history management after shipment or after customer delivery.
Details of the management method and the database 10 will be described later with reference to FIGS.

In each of the above embodiments, the collection of various manufacturing information to be recorded in the manufacturing information recording process R2 is recorded in the database 14 for manufacturing time management and recorded in the IC tag 9 of the shaft coupling 1. Alternatively, the IC tag 4 for manufacturing process different from the IC tag 9 attached to the shaft coupling 1 may be used.
In the method of recording in the production time management database 14, predetermined production information from the material purchase of the component 2 of the shaft coupling 1 to the forging process, heat treatment process, grinding process, and inspection is used for production time management. And the process of recording the recorded information in association with the lot number of the component 2 or the identification number of each component, and the process of recording the recorded information on the IC tag attached to the shaft coupling 1. The manufacturing management database 14 is provided, for example, in one or a plurality of computers (not shown) in a computer network.

  A method of using the IC tag 4 for the manufacturing process will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 2 and subsequent drawings. The outline is as follows. In this method, predetermined manufacturing information from the material purchase of the element product 2 of the shaft coupling 1 to the forging process, heat treatment process, and grinding process is stored in the IC tag 4 for the production process prepared for each lot number of the element product 2. A process of recording for each process, and a process of reading the recorded information and recording part or all of the read information on the IC tag 9 attached to the shaft coupling 1 are included. Manufacturing information recorded in the IC tag 4 for the manufacturing process includes processing condition information in at least one of a forging process, a heat treatment process, and a grinding process.

  The method of using the IC tag 4 for the manufacturing process includes a case of a shaft coupling 1 that is individually inspected such as a custom-made product, and a case of a shaft coupling 1 that is inspected for each lot such as a general product. . Generally, it is an inspection by lot. FIG. 2 shows an individual inspection product (custom product), and FIG. 3 shows a lot-by-lot inspection product (general product). Since the inspection after the grinding process and the inspection after assembly differ between the individual inspection or the inspection by lot for the individual inspection product (custom product) and the inspection product by lot (general product), The individual inspection product (custom product) will be described, and the lot-by-lot inspection product (general product) will be explained with the difference from the individual inspection product (custom product).

The shaft coupling 1 to be controlled by this quality control method is an assembly of a plurality of types of element products 2 ((1) to (3)), and the plurality of types of element products 2 ((1) to ( 3)) is manufactured from material purchase S1 through forging step S2, heat treatment step S3, and grinding step S4. The element product 2 ((1) to (3)) includes an outer ring 51, an inner ring 52, and a rolling element 53 when the shaft coupling 1 is a Barfield type constant velocity joint as shown in FIG. In addition to this, the cage 54 is also an element product 2 manufactured through the above-described steps. In the case of a triboard type constant velocity joint as shown in FIG. 13, the element 2 is an outer ring 51 and a trunnion shaft forming body 55. The rolling element 53A is a roller cassette in which a roller has a built-in bearing. Element products constituting the rolling element 53A to be the roller cassette are manufactured through the above-described configurations.
The shaft coupling 1 may include an element product 3 different from the element product 2 manufactured from the material purchase S1 through the forging process S2, the heat treatment process S3, and the grinding process S4. As another component, there is a rubber boot (not shown).
From the material purchase S1 to the forging step S2, the heat treatment step S3, and the grinding step S4, the steps from the material purchase to the completion of the component product are roughly divided into sections, and each of the steps includes a plurality of steps. Or a process that does not correspond to a process name. The name of each process S1-S4 is the name of the process which represents the divided process.

This management method includes the following steps (1) to (4) for each of the component products 2 ((1) to (3)). Take. In addition, lots in each process may be separated on the downstream side of the manufacturing process, but are not merged.
(1). Management process at the time of material purchase (S1).
At the time of purchasing the material of each component 2, the material lot number for the corresponding material lot 5 and information on the purchased material are recorded on the IC tag 4 prepared for each material lot 5.
(2). Management process of forging process (S2).
An IC tag 4 for each material lot 5 or an IC tag 4 that has inherited the record information of the IC tag 4 for each material lot 5 is prepared for each forging lot 6, and the forging for the forging lot 6 corresponding to these IC tags 4 is prepared. Record the lot number and information obtained in the forging process.
(3). Management process of heat treatment process (S3).
The IC tag 4 for each forging lot 6 or the IC tag 4 that inherits the record information of the IC tag 4 for each forging lot 6 is prepared for each heat treatment lot 7, and these IC tags 4 are associated with the corresponding heat treatment lot 7. Record the heat treatment lot number and information obtained in the heat treatment process.
(Four) . Management process during grinding process (S4) and subsequent inspection process.
The IC tag 4 for each heat treatment lot 7 or the IC tag 4 that inherits the record information of the IC tag 4 for this heat treatment lot 7 is prepared for each grinding lot 8, and the corresponding grinding lot 8 is assigned to these IC tags 4. Record the machining conditions. In addition, the IC tag 4 for each grinding lot 8 or the IC tag 4 that has succeeded the record information of the IC tag 4 for each grinding lot 8 is used for each element 2 or a group of the same kind of element 2 as a unit of inspection. Prepared every time, and record the corresponding grinding lot number and information obtained in the inspection process on these IC tags 4.

  An IC tag 9 for use after completion is attached to each shaft coupling 1 assembled with the above-described element products 2 ((1) to (3)) before and after assembly. The IC tag 4 after the above inspection process of each of the component products 2 ((1) to (3)) used for the shaft coupling 1 and the manufacturing number peculiar to the individual shaft coupling 1 are attached to the attached IC tag 9. Among the recorded information, at least the production number is recorded. Corresponding to the manufacturing number, the database 10 records the IC tag 4 recorded after the inspection process of each element 2 ((1) to (3)) used for the shaft coupling 1 and the shaft coupling 1. Record the inspection information after completion.

The IC tag 4 used in each of the above steps (S1) to (S4) may be the same throughout each step. Depending on the step, another IC tag 4 may be used to transfer the record information of the IC tag of the previous step. You may do it. When lots are separated in the downstream process, a new IC tag 4 may be prepared, and the record information of the previous process may be transferred, or IC tags 4 may be prepared in advance for the number of lots divided. In addition, information may be additionally recorded on the same IC tag 4 through each process.
In each step (S1) to (S4), each lot number and information on each step recorded in the IC tag 4 are added for each step as shown in FIG.

  In each process, the IC tag 4 is attached to a container 11 for transportation in which, for example, the element product 2 is put. The containers 11 are a cage, a box, a pallet, etc., for example. In this case, the IC tag 4 may be attached directly to the containers 11 or may be attached to a visual identification tag 12 attached to the containers 11 as shown in FIG. The attachment of the IC tag 4 to the containers 11 may be a detachable attachment. By attaching the IC tag 4 to the containers 11, the IC tag 4 prepared for each lot can always be moved together with the component 2, and handling of the IC tag 4 is easy. In addition, information can be recorded on the IC tag on the conveyance path 13 by the conveyor of the component 2 or the like.

Details of each management process will be described.
(1). Management process at the time of material purchase (S1).
The material is purchased in the form of a lump of steel, a steel plate, a steel pipe, a steel wire or the like. The purchased material is subjected to various quality inspections, for example, in units of material lots. Information on the purchased material recorded in the IC tag 4 in this management process is divided into material origin information and quality information. The source information includes the company name of the distributor and the factory location of the company. The quality information is information on tissue hardness, non-metallic inclusions, and the like. As the quality information, the result of the material inspection performed after the material purchase is recorded in the IC tag. However, the information obtained from the seller or both may be recorded. In this process, a method for recording information on the IC tag 4 performs information obtained from, for example, a purchase management computer (not shown) via a recording terminal.

(2). Management process of forging process (S2).
The forging step (S2) has various forms depending on the type of the shaft coupling 1 and the type of the component 2 thereof. FIG. 7 shows a process of each component 2 of the shaft coupling 1 composed of a Barfield type constant velocity joint. In the element product 2 that becomes the outer ring and the inner ring, the forging step (S2) includes forging to be formed into a rough shape of the outer ring and the inner ring, and a step of turning the forged product. In the case of the element product 2 to be the cage 54, in the forging process (forging / turning), the pipe material is cut and turned. In the element product 2 that is a rolling element such as a steel ball, the stamping, brushing, and raw polishing steps are included as the forging step (S2). In addition, in the shaft joint formed of the triboard type constant velocity joint shown in FIG. 8, the element product 2 manufactured through the above steps is the outer ring 51 and the trunnion shaft forming body 55, and as the forging step (S2), Forging and turning the forged product.
7 and 8, the information recording to the IC tag 4 in the forging process (S2) may be performed once in the forging process (S2), and the forging process (S2). You may make it carry out for every process in (1). For example, when the element product 2 is an outer ring, an inner ring, or a trunnion shaft forming body, and forging and turning are performed as shown in FIG. 7 or FIG. 8, information such as dimensions of each part measured after turning is stored in the IC tag 4. Record. When the component 2 is a rolling element and is processed in each step of FIG. 7, information such as dimensions, distortion, and appearance is recorded after stamping, and measurement is performed after brushing and after raw polishing. Record information such as dimensions, sphericity, and appearance. Also, machining condition information is recorded.
In this process, information is recorded on the IC tag 4 by using a database 14 for manufacturing management such as process management or inspection management used for each process such as the forging process (S2). 15 to do so. Information that requires manual input by the operator is recorded from the terminal 15 via the manufacturing management database 14 or directly by the input means 16 such as a keyboard as shown in FIG.
If the forging lot 6 is larger than the material lot 5 in the previous process, a new IC tag 4 is prepared, and the IC tag duplicating means 17 is used to transfer the record information of the IC tag 4 of the material lot 5 to this. And the information of a forging process is recorded with respect to IC tag 4 which inherited information by this transcription. Also in each of the following processes, when the number of lots increases, it is transferred to a new IC tag 4 in the same manner as described above.

(3). Management process of heat treatment process (S3).
When heat treatment is performed, inspection is performed later. When the element product 2 is an outer ring, an inner ring, or a trunnion shaft forming body, inspection of hardness, deformation, structure, etc. is performed. When the element product 2 is a rolling element, the hardness, the structure, etc. are inspected. These inspection results are recorded as information on the heat treatment process. In addition, heat treatment conditions and the like may be recorded.

(Four) . Management process during grinding process (S4) and subsequent inspection process.
The grinding step (S4) has various forms depending on the type of the shaft coupling 1 and the type of the component 2 thereof. When the element product 2 is a rolling element, rough polishing, intermediate polishing, fine polishing, lapping and the like are performed. In each of these processes, a completed product of the process is inspected. The information recorded on the IC tag 4 is information on the processing conditions for each of the above steps in the grinding step (S4). Information on the processing conditions includes, for example, the type of grinding wheel and the processing speed. After the grinding process is completed, an inspection is performed and the result is recorded on the IC tag 4. The inspection result information includes various dimensions and appearances. When the element product 2 is a rolling element, the element product in a completed state that is a completed product of the grinding step (S4), such as the size and roundness of the inspection results after the rough grinding and other steps in the grinding step (S4) These are the appearance, size, sphericity, mutual difference in diameter, hardness, sound, microscopic inspection results, and the like that are the inspection results of No. 2.
In the grinding process (S4), in the case of a custom-made product or the like, 100% inspection is performed, and in the case of 100% inspection, the IC tag 4 is prepared by the number of element products 2, and the grinding lot number of the element product 2 corresponding to the IC tag 4 is prepared. And record information such as individual test results. In addition to the grinding lot number, a number for identifying each component 2 may be added and recorded. When a large number of element products 2 are used for one shaft coupling 1 such as a rolling element, a set of element products 2 used for one shaft coupling 1 or the same part of one shaft coupling (for example, in a double row bearing) A set of element products 2 used in each column) may be regarded as one element product 2, and one IC tag 4 may be prepared and information for each group may be recorded.

Assembly of the shaft coupling 1 and subsequent management process.
Each component 2 manufactured as described above is assembled into one shaft coupling 1 in an assembly process. An IC tag 9 is attached to the shaft coupling 1 before and after assembly. That is, the IC tag 9 may be attached with the component 2 alone or after assembly is completed. Moreover, this attachment may be performed inside the shaft coupling 1 or on the surface. The IC tag 9 attached to the shaft coupling 1 needs to be small enough not to obstruct the function and handling of the shaft coupling 1. Some IC tags have a size of less than 1 mm, and for example, those having such dimensions are used.

  FIG. 12 shows an example of attachment of the IC tag 9 when the shaft coupling 1 is a Barfield type constant velocity joint. The IC tag 9 is embedded in a mounting hole 56 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the outer ring 51 and is molded with a resin 57. Also in the example of the shaft coupling 1 of the triboard type constant velocity joint shown in FIG. 13, the IC tag 9 is embedded in a mounting hole 56 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the outer ring 51 and molded with a resin 57. The attachment of the IC tag 9 is performed in a state where the outer ring 52 is alone after completion of the grinding step (S4) of the outer ring 52, for example. The IC tag 9 may be attached to the inner ring 52, a boot (not shown) or the like instead of being attached to the outer ring 51.

  When the assembly is completed, each shaft coupling 1 performs various inspections as a finished product inspection. This inspection is performed after the IC tag 9 is mounted, for example, but may be performed before the mounting depending on the mounting form. In the case of individual inspection products such as custom-made products, the finished product inspection is performed on the total number of shaft couplings 1.

In the process of assembling the shaft coupling 1, the record information of the IC tag 4 of each component 2 constituting the shaft coupling 1 is recorded in correspondence with the production number by the database 10 as shown in FIG. Also, the inspection result of the finished product inspection is recorded corresponding to the production number. The production number is a number peculiar to the individual shaft coupling, for example, a serial number. When the shaft coupling 1 includes another component product (for example, a cage) 3 that does not pass through the above-described process, information on the separate component product 3 is also recorded in the database 10.
The IC tag 9 attached to the shaft coupling 1 as described above records at least the manufacturing number. In addition to the manufacturing number, the IC tag 9 may record the record information of the IC tag 4 of each element product 2, the result of the finished product inspection, and the like. When the result of the finished product inspection is recorded on the IC tag 9 attached to the shaft coupling 1, the inspection result may be recorded on the IC tag 9 in the inspection process, and information may be transferred from the IC tag 9 to the database 10. . Further, the IC tag 9 may be attached not only to the shaft coupling 1 but also to the package 1A (FIG. 1) of the shaft coupling 1, and the production number and the like may be recorded.

The database 10 is provided in a management computer system 19 provided on the computer network 18 as shown in FIG. In the storage unit 10a of the database 10, the above-described recording information F for each shaft coupling 1 is recorded. The computer network 18 is, for example, a wide area network such as the Internet, or a local area network in a factory coupled to the wide area network. The database 10 includes a storage unit 10a and a database management unit 10b that manages input / output and search for the storage unit 10a. The database 10 only needs to be conceptually recognizable as a single quality control database. Physically, the database 10 may be a group of databases that are divided into a plurality of pieces of information, and other various databases and information for various purposes. It may be shared. For example, even if the database 10 is composed of a plurality of computers distributed on the computer network 18, the database 14 for manufacturing management, the database for technical information management, etc., and the recording information You may share.
The database 10 is connected via the network 18 to each information processing device in the shaft coupling manufacturing factory, to the technical department, the information processing device 40 in the warehouse, the sales office, the business office of the customer company, and the portable terminal. It has been done.

According to this quality control method, history information from the purchase of the material of each component 2 to the inspection content after completion of the shaft coupling 1 is stored in the management computer system 10 and is stored in the IC tag 9 attached to the shaft coupling 1. Since the manufacturing number is recorded, the history information can be managed in a one-to-one relationship with the shaft coupling by checking the manufacturing number with the management computer system 10. For example, at any stage after shipment, the user of the shaft coupling 1 or a person who performs maintenance service can know the history information of the shaft coupling 1. Information generated for each manufacturing process of each component 2 of the shaft coupling 11 is recorded together with the lot number in the IC tag 4 prepared for each lot of each process, so that detailed history information can be managed. Accordingly, when a defective product occurs, it is easy to deal with replacement, identification of the defective product mixture range, future improvement, etc., and life replacement and advance replacement leading to machine failure are also facilitated.
Since the information for each process is recorded on the IC tag 4 prepared for each lot of the process, more detailed information can be recorded as compared with the case of recording on a handwritten slip, and when the information is input from a terminal to a computer, for example. In contrast, since the IC tag 4 is the place where information should be input, it can be visually recognized, the input operation becomes clear, and errors are unlikely to occur. Also, unlike the case of recording all sorts of miscellaneous information from the material purchase of the component 2 to the grinding process in the computer, the production process keeps this recorded information in the IC tag 4, so the burden of the computer Is light and easy to manage. For this reason, more detailed information can be managed easily.

Further, since the serial number of the shaft coupling 1 is recorded on the IC tag 9 attached to the shaft coupling 1, the remaining storage area of the IC tag 9 can be used freely, and various uses after manufacture, for example, shipping management , Distribution management, customer management, maintenance management, etc.
That is, in the case of a constant velocity joint for automobiles, the shaft coupling 1 is generally delivered to a warehouse after completion of assembly, inspection, and shipment, as described above with reference to FIG. . In the case of custom-made products, they may be delivered directly to customers after shipment. The customer automobile manufacturer sells the shaft coupling 1 incorporated in the vehicle, and the vehicle owner who purchased the vehicle uses the shaft coupling 1 according to the use of the vehicle and disposes it after the durable years. In each of these processes, in addition to reading the manufacturing number of the IC tag 9 attached to the shaft coupling 1 to know the history information, various uses using the remaining storage area of the IC tag 9 can be achieved.

Next, the case where the shaft coupling 1 is a lot-by-lot inspection product such as a general product will be described with reference to FIG. In the management of inspection products by lot, each component 2 ((1) to (3)) includes the following processes (1) to (3) and (4) ', and each component 2 is assembled. For the joint 1, the process described later is taken. Since the management processes (1) to (3) from the material purchase to the heat treatment process are the same as the individual inspection products for the inspection products by lot, the description of these management processes (1) to (3) will be omitted.
(1). Management process at the time of material purchase (S1).
(2). Management process of forging process (S2).
(3). Management process of heat treatment process (S3).
(Four) '. Management process during grinding process (S4) and subsequent inspection process.
In the inspection process after the grinding process (S4), the IC tag 4 for each heat treatment lot 7 or the IC tag 4 that inherits the record information of the IC tag 4 for this heat treatment lot 7 is prepared for each grinding lot 8, and these In the IC tag 4, the grinding lot number and the information obtained in the inspection process for the corresponding grinding lot 8 are recorded. The processing in the grinding step (S4) is the same for the inspection product by lot and the individual inspection product. The information recorded in this management process (4) 'is the inspection result information for each grinding lot 8, but the inspection items for the component 2 are the same for both the inspection product for each lot and the individual inspection product. Record. Although the inspection items may be different for the lot-by-lot inspection products and the individual inspection products, the inspection results are recorded in the IC tag 4 in the same manner regardless of the inspection items.

Assembly of the shaft coupling 1 and subsequent management process.
An IC tag 9 is attached to each shaft coupling 1 in which each component 2 is assembled from before assembly to after assembly. The IC tag 9 attached to this shaft coupling 1 is attached to the production lot number and the shaft coupling 1. At least the production lot number is recorded among the recorded information of the IC tag 4 after the inspection process of each element 2 ((1) to (3)) used, and the database 10 corresponds to the production lot number. The record information of the IC tag 4 after the inspection process of each element 2 ((1) to (3)) used for the shaft coupling 1 and the inspection information after completion of the shaft coupling 1 are recorded.
The management of the inspection product by lot is the same management as the content described for the individual inspection product, except for the matters specifically described.

  In the case of this management method, it becomes management for each production lot of the shaft coupling 1, but it is not a one-to-one management. For other matters, the individual inspection products described in the quality control method for the first shaft coupling are described above. The same actions and effects as in the case of. The collation with respect to the management computer 10 is performed with the lot number obtained from the IC tag 9 attached to the shaft coupling 1.

  The IC tags 4 and 9 used in the above management methods will be described. Information is recorded on and read from the IC tags 4 and 9 by the IC tag reader / writer 20. The IC tag reader / writer 20 has an antenna 21 that faces the IC tags 4 and 9. The IC tags 4 and 9 can record and read information in a non-contact manner, and include an IC chip (an integrated circuit chip) 25 and an antenna 26. The IC chip 25 and the antenna 26 are integrally surrounded by a resin (not shown). The IC glider / writer 20 may have the information processing means 20b as described above with reference to FIG.

  IC tags come in various forms, shapes, and sizes. In addition to plate-shaped objects, there are square and spherical objects with a size of less than 1 mm, etc. Depending on the size and type, it may be selected as appropriate. The IC tag 4 used for the management of the component product 2 may be relatively large because it is attached to the containers 11, but the IC tag 9 attached to the shaft coupling 1 is preferably small. As the IC tags 4 and 9, for example, FRID tags to which RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology is applied can be used. The FRID type IC tag includes a type that uses electrostatic coupling, electromagnetic coupling, electromagnetic induction, microwave, light, etc. as a transmission method, and any of these types may be used. The format is used. In addition, some IC tags can be used even if there is a metal in the periphery. FIG. 10 shows a specific circuit example of the IC tag 3. The IC chips 4 and 9 have a central processing unit (CPU) 27, a memory 28, a transmission / reception circuit 29, and a power supply circuit 30. The power supply circuit 30 obtains power from an antenna 26. As the memory 28, a memory that does not require a power source is used.

  In addition, although each said embodiment demonstrated the case where the shaft coupling 1 was a constant velocity joint, this invention is applicable to the quality control of a shaft coupling in general.

It is explanatory drawing of the quality control method of the shaft coupling which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which concerns on management of the component goods in the quality control method of a coaxial coupling. It is explanatory drawing concerning management by the other method of the component in the quality control method of a coaxial coupling. It is explanatory drawing which shows the change of the recording content of each IC tag. It is a conceptual explanatory drawing of the recording form to an IC tag in the manufacturing process of element goods. It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between a database and an IC tag. It is explanatory drawing of the assembly structure of a shaft coupling. It is explanatory drawing of the assembly structure of the other example of a shaft coupling. It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between an IC tag and a tag reader / writer. It is a circuit diagram of an IC tag. It is explanatory drawing which shows the concept of the write-in form to the containers of element goods, and its IC tag. It is the fragmentary sectional view in the state where the IC tag was attached to the shaft coupling, and an enlarged view of a part thereof. It is the fragmentary sectional view in the state where the IC tag was attached to other shaft couplings, and an enlarged view of a part thereof. It is explanatory drawing of the example which reads the memory content of an IC tag with a tag reader with respect to the shaft coupling built in the motor vehicle.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Shaft coupling 2 ... Element goods 3 ... Separate element goods 4 ... IC tag 5 ... Material lot 6 ... Forging lot

Claims (21)

  A shaft joint quality control method for recording and managing predetermined information related to a shaft joint using an IC tag capable of recording and reading information without contact for the shaft joint, and a process of attaching the IC tag to the shaft joint; The process of recording information about the shaft coupling on the IC tag attached to the shaft coupling, and at any time after shipment, the recorded information of the IC tag is read and the predetermined information is confirmed from the read information. Quality control method of shaft coupling including usage process.   In Claim 1, the shaft coupling is a constant velocity joint used in an automobile, and reading of the IC tag in the use process is performed using a tag reader while the shaft coupling is attached to the automobile. A quality control method for a shaft coupling including processing for determining whether or not the bearing is a predetermined inspection object by information processing means integrated with the tag reader or information processing means wired or wirelessly connected to the tag reader . A quality control method for a shaft coupling that records and manages predetermined information about the shaft coupling using an IC tag capable of recording and reading information in a non-contact manner for the shaft coupling,
A process of attaching an IC tag to a shaft coupling to any one of a plurality of components constituting the shaft coupling;
The process of recording information in the manufacturing process for the shaft coupling on the IC tag attached to the shaft coupling;
A process of reading the record information of the IC tag and confirming the predetermined information from the read information at any time after shipment,
Quality control method for shaft couplings. For a shaft coupling, a predetermined manufacturing information relating to the shaft coupling is stored in association with the identification information of the shaft coupling, and a database capable of extracting the stored contents from the identification information, and an IC tag capable of recording and reading information without contact A quality control method for a shaft coupling using
A process of attaching an IC tag to a shaft coupling to any one of a plurality of components constituting the shaft coupling;
Recording the identification information about the shaft coupling into the IC tag according to the database at the time of shipment or customer delivery, and recording the information in the manufacturing process for the shaft coupling;
An information reading and utilization process for confirming information in the manufacturing process from the information obtained by reading the recorded information of the IC tag and comparing the read information with the database at any time after shipment. including,
Quality control method for shaft couplings. A shaft joint quality control method using a database capable of storing predetermined manufacturing information for a shaft joint, extracting the stored contents, and an IC tag capable of recording and reading information without contact,
A process of attaching an IC tag to a shaft coupling to any one of a plurality of components constituting the shaft coupling;
A process of writing predetermined shipping information about the shaft coupling in accordance with the database on the IC tag attached to the shaft coupling;
At any time after shipment, including reading the recorded information of the IC tag and checking the information about the shaft coupling from the read information, or from the information obtained by comparing the read information with the database,
Quality control method for shaft couplings.   6. The predetermined shipment information about the shaft coupling written to the IC tag according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined shipping information about the shaft coupling includes identification information about the shaft coupling, and the database relates to the identification information about the shaft coupling. A quality control method for a shaft coupling which can store information and extract the stored content from the identification information.   7. The quality control method for a shaft coupling according to claim 5 or 6, wherein information about a year of manufacture is included as predetermined shipment information about the shaft coupling written to the IC tag.   The quality control method for a shaft coupling according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the predetermined shipping information about the shaft coupling written in the IC tag includes information on a manufacturing location. Each shaft coupling uses an IC tag that can record and read information in a non-contact manner. From the purchase of materials related to the shaft coupling, each manufacturing process such as at least one of forging and turning, heat treatment process, grinding process, etc., and A quality control method for managing the shaft coupling by recording predetermined manufacturing information leading to inspection,
A process of attaching an IC tag to one of a plurality of components constituting the shaft coupling at the time of manufacturing or completing the shaft coupling;
At least one of the processing condition information and material information in at least one of the manufacturing steps for the shaft coupling is recorded on the IC tag attached to the shaft coupling before shipment or customer delivery. Process,
At any time after the shipment, including reading information recorded on the IC tag, and from the read information, an information reading utilization process for confirming at least one of the processing condition information and material information,
Quality control method for shaft couplings. Predetermined manufacturing information from the purchase of materials related to the shaft coupling to each manufacturing process such as at least one of forging and turning, heat treatment process, grinding process, and inspection is stored in association with the identification information. , A quality control method for managing a shaft coupling using a database capable of extracting stored contents from the identification information and an IC tag capable of recording and reading information without contact;
A process of attaching an IC tag to one of a plurality of components constituting the shaft coupling at the time of manufacturing or completing the shaft coupling;
The identification information about the shaft coupling is recorded on the IC tag attached to the shaft coupling according to the database at the time of shipment or delivery to the customer, and at least of the manufacturing steps for the shaft coupling. A process of recording at least one of processing condition information and material information in one process;
At any time after the shipment, the recorded information of the IC tag is read from the read information, or from the information obtained by comparing the read information with the database, confirmation of the purchased material, confirmation of the manufacturing process, processing conditions thereof Including an information reading and using process for confirming at least one of information and material information and confirming inspection results,
Quality control method for shaft couplings. Predetermined manufacturing information from the purchase of materials related to the shaft coupling to each manufacturing process such as at least one of forging and turning, heat treatment process, grinding process, and inspection is stored in association with the identification information. , A quality control method for managing a shaft coupling using a database capable of extracting stored contents from the identification information and an IC tag capable of recording and reading information without contact;
A process of attaching an IC tag to one of a plurality of components constituting the shaft coupling at the time of manufacturing or completing the shaft coupling;
The identification information about the shaft coupling is written to the IC tag attached to the shaft coupling according to the above database at the time of shipment or delivery to the customer. The process of recording at least one piece of information on grease brands, gaps between component parts, quality assurance period, and handling precautions;
At any time after the shipment, the recorded information of the IC tag is read from the read information, or from the information obtained by comparing the read information with the database, confirmation of the purchased material, confirmation of the manufacturing process, processing conditions thereof And an information reading and utilization process for performing at least one of confirmation of material information and confirmation of inspection results,
Quality control method for shaft couplings.   In any one of claims 9 to 11, predetermined manufacturing information from the material purchase of the component of the shaft joint to at least one step of forging and turning, a heat treatment step, and a grinding step, A process of recording each process on an IC tag for manufacturing process prepared for each lot number of the component product, and an IC tag in which a part or all of the read information is read and attached to the shaft coupling. Quality control of a shaft coupling including at least one of processing condition information and material information in at least one of the manufacturing steps as manufacturing information to be recorded on the IC tag for the manufacturing step Method.   The manufacturing process according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein at least one of a purchase process, a forging process and a turning process, a heat treatment process, a grinding process, and the like of the element product of the shaft joint, and an inspection. And a process for recording predetermined manufacturing information in the database for manufacturing management in association with the lot number of the component item or the identification number of each component item, and the recorded information is an IC attached to the machine component product. A quality control method for a shaft coupling including a process of recording on a tag. Quality control of shaft joints that are assembled and include multiple types of components manufactured through the forging / turning process, heat treatment process, and grinding process, which are at least one of forging and turning processes, from material purchase. A method for each of the above components
The process of recording information on the material lot number and the purchased material for the corresponding material lot on the IC tag prepared for each material lot at the time of purchasing the material of each of these element products,
In the forging / turning process, the IC tag for each material lot or the IC tag that inherits the record information of the IC tag for each material lot is prepared for each forging / turning lot, and forging / turning corresponding to these IC tags is prepared. Forging / turning lot number and information obtained in the forging / turning process for the lot,
In the above heat treatment process, an IC tag for each forging lot or an IC tag taking over the record information of the IC tag for each forging lot is prepared for each heat treatment lot, and the heat treatment lot number and the heat treatment lot number for the corresponding heat treatment lot are provided in these IC tags. A process of recording information obtained in the heat treatment process;
In the inspection process after the grinding process, an IC tag for each heat treatment lot or an IC tag that inherits the record information of the IC tag for each heat treatment lot is used for each element or a group of the same kind of element that is the unit of inspection. Including the process of recording the corresponding grinding lot number and the information obtained in the inspection process on these IC tags, and before and after the assembly to each shaft joint assembled with the above-mentioned component parts. An IC tag is attached to the shaft coupling, and the IC tag attached to the shaft coupling includes a manufacturing number peculiar to the individual shaft coupling and recorded information of the IC tag after the inspection process of each element used for the shaft coupling. , Record at least the production number, and record in the database the IC tag record information after the inspection process of each element used for the shaft coupling and the inspection information after completion of the shaft coupling corresponding to the production number. The process of recording information,
Quality control method for shaft couplings including Quality control of shaft joints that are assembled from multiple purchases of materials manufactured through the forging / turning process, heat treatment process, and grinding process, which are at least one of forging and turning processes, and inspected by lot. A method for each of the above components
The process of recording information on the material lot number and the purchased material for the corresponding material lot on the IC tag prepared for each material lot at the time of purchasing the material of each of these element products,
In the forging / turning process, the IC tag for each material lot or the IC tag that inherits the record information of the IC tag for each material lot is prepared for each forging / turning lot, and forging / turning corresponding to these IC tags is prepared. Forging / turning lot number and information obtained in the forging / turning process for the lot,
In the above heat treatment process, an IC tag for each forging / turning lot or an IC tag that inherits the record information of the IC tag for each forging / turning lot is prepared for each heat treatment lot, and the heat treatment for the heat treatment lot corresponding to these IC tags is prepared. The process of recording the lot number and information obtained in the heat treatment process;
In the inspection process after the grinding process, an IC tag for each heat treatment lot or an IC tag that inherits the record information of the IC tag for each heat treatment lot is prepared for each grinding lot. Including a grinding lot number and a process of recording information obtained in the inspection process, and an IC tag is attached to each shaft joint assembled with each of the above-mentioned components from before assembly to after assembly. Record the production lot number on the IC tag, and record at least the production lot number among the recorded information of the IC tag after the inspection process of each element used for the shaft coupling, and correspond to the production lot number in the database The process of recording the record information of the IC tag after the inspection process of each element used for the shaft coupling, and the inspection information after completion of the shaft coupling,
Quality control method for shaft couplings including   16. The IC tag prepared for each material lot, the IC tag prepared for each forging / turning lot, and the IC tag prepared for each heat treatment process according to claim 14 or claim 15, wherein a plurality of materials of the same material lot are put. Quality control method for shaft joints attached to containers, containers with multiple forging / turning lot elements, and containers with the same heat treatment lot.   The shaft coupling according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the shaft coupling includes an element that is different from an element manufactured from a material purchase through a forging / turning process, a heat treatment process, and a grinding process. The information on the components of the shaft coupling is recorded in the database according to the production number or lot number after assembling the shaft coupling.   The shaft coupling according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the shaft coupling is a constant velocity joint including a plurality of components, and from the purchase of the material, at least one of forging and turning, a heat treatment process, and a grinding process. Quality control method of a shaft coupling including an outer ring, an inner ring, and a rolling element as an element product manufactured through the above.   The shaft coupling according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the shaft coupling is a constant velocity joint including a plurality of components, and from the purchase of the material, at least one of forging and turning, a heat treatment process, and a grinding process. Quality control method for a shaft coupling including an outer ring and a trunnion shaft forming body as an element manufactured through the above.   20. The shaft coupling according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the shaft coupling is filled with grease at the time of assembly, and an assembly date of the shaft coupling is recorded on an IC tag attached to the shaft coupling. Quality control method for shaft couplings.   21. The quality control method for a shaft coupling according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein information such as a location from shipment of the shaft coupling to customer delivery is recorded on an IC tag attached to the shaft coupling.

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