Guidance device and method for installing flanges

Abstract

The invention relates to a guidance device for guiding a worker through a process of installing flanges by fastening a plurality of bolts with a torque wrench. The guidance device is arranged to communicate with the torque wrench and the worker via a user interface. The guidance device is arranged to a) obtain flange information about a flange to be installed, the flange information comprising a required torqueing pattern of the bolts to be fastened and required torque values, b) output via the user interface of an indication of a first bolt of the required torqueing pattern, c) receive an applied torque value from the torque wrench, d) output via the user interface of an indication of a next bolt of the required torqueing pattern, repeat c) and d) until a last applied torque value is received and e) transmit a torque record to a remote computer or data storage.

1 . A guidance device for guiding a worker through a process of installing flanges by fastening a plurality of bolts with a torque wrench, the guidance device is arranged to communicate with the torque wrench and is arranged to communicate with the worker via a user interface, the guidance device being further arranged to:
 obtain flange information about a flange to be installed, the flange information comprising an amount of bolts to be torqued, a required torqueing pattern of the bolts to be fastened and required torque values to be applied to the respective bolts in the required torqueing pattern;   output via the user interface of an indication of a first bolt of the required torqueing pattern;   receive an applied torque value from the torque wrench;   output via the user interface of an indication of a next bolt of the required torqueing pattern;   repeat the steps of receiving the applied torque value and outputting the indication of the next bolt until a last applied torque value is received from the torque wrench; and   transmit a torque record to a remote computer or data storage, the torque record comprising applied torque values associated with the flange and an indication of the order in which the torque values have been applied.   
     
     
         2 . The guidance device according to  claim 1 , wherein the flange information is obtained by first obtaining a flange indicator by at least one of
 reading in a digital work plan comprising a plurality of flanges to be installed, the order in which the flanges are to be installed and associated flange indicators,   scanning a flange indicator attached to the flange, such as scanning a RFID code or visual code, e.g. a barcode, using a scanner or camera associated with the guidance device,   capturing an image of the flange using a camera associated with the guidance device and apply pattern recognition techniques to obtain the flange indicator, and   obtaining the flange indicator by manual input via the user interface and subsequently obtaining the flange information from a flange information database by using the flange indicator.   
     
     
         3 . The guidance device according to  claim 2 , wherein subsequently obtaining the flange information from a flange information database by using the flange indicator includes: looking up the amount of bolts of the flange associated with the flange indicator in the flange information database and subsequently looking up the required torqueing pattern for the amount of bolts in the flange information database. 
     
     
         4 . The guidance device according to  claim 1 , wherein the guidance device is arranged to transmit the torque record to the remote computer directly after the last applied torque value is received. 
     
     
         4 . The guidance device according to  claim 1 , wherein the guidance device and the torque wrench are arranged to communicate wirelessly. 
     
     
         6 . The guidance device according to  claim 1 , wherein outputting via the user interface of an indication of the next bolt of the required torqueing pattern is done by providing a visual representation of the bolts, wherein the next bolt of the required torqueing pattern is represented differently than the other bolts. 
     
     
         7 . The guidance device according to  claim 1 , wherein the guidance device is arranged to
 output the required torque value associated with the first bolt to the torque wrench, and   output the required torque value associated with the next bolt to the torque wrench.   
     
     
         8 . A method for guiding a worker through a process of installing flanges by fastening a plurality of bolts with a torque wrench, the method being performed by a guidance device being arranged to communicate with the torque wrench and the worker via a user interface, the method comprising execution of the following by the guidance device:
 obtaining flange information about a flange to be installed, the flange information comprising an amount of bolts to be torqued, a required torqueing pattern of the bolts to be fastened and required torque values to be applied to the respective bolts in the required torqueing pattern;   outputting via the user interface of an indication of a first bolt of the required torqueing pattern;   receiving an applied torque value from the torque wrench;   outputting via the user interface of an indication of a next bolt of the required torqueing pattern;   repeating the steps of receiving the applied torque value and outputting the indication of the next bolt until a last applied torque value is received from the torque wrench; and   transmitting a torque record to a remote computer or data storage, the torque record comprising applied torque values associated with the flange and an indication of the order in which the torque values have been applied.