US 7,525,430 B2
Machine components having IC tags, quality control method and abnormality detecting system
Shohei Nakamura, Mie (Japan); Shouichi Hioki, Mie (Japan); Hiroyoshi Ito, Mie (Japan); Tooru Mayumi, Mie (Japan); and Mitsuo Sasabe, Osaka (Japan)
Assigned to NTN Corporation, Osaka (Japan)
Appl. No. 10/545,630
PCT Filed Feb. 16, 2004, PCT No. PCT/JP2004/001667
§ 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Aug. 12, 2005,
PCT Pub. No. WO2004/072747, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 26, 2004.
Claims priority of application No. 2003-036912 (JP), filed on Feb. 14, 2003; application No. 2003-126362 (JP), filed on May 01, 2003; and application No. 2003-191672 (JP), filed on Jul. 04, 2003.
Prior Publication US 2006/0170551 A1, Aug. 03, 2006
Int. Cl. G08B 13/14 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 340—572.1  [340/539.24; 340/682; 384/448] 39 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A quality control method for controlling a machine component having a plurality of elements including a rolling element by utilizing a non-contact recordable/readable IC tag having recorded therein manufacturing information on each stage of a manufacturing process ranging from purchase of material for the machine component to an examination stage by way of forging, heat treatment and grinding stages, to enable the traceability for quality control purpose, the method comprising:
a step of attaching the IC tag to any one of the plural elements of the machine component at the time of manufacture of the machine component or at the time of completion of the manufacture thereof;
a step of recording on the IC tag attached to the machine component, at least one of material information and processing condition information related to at least one of the forging, heat treatment and grinding stages, by the time of shipment or by a time of delivery to a customer; and
a step for reading the information recorded on the IC tag at any desired time subsequent to the shipment and making a confirmation of at least one of the processing condition information and the material information with reference to the information read out from the IC tag.