System and method for managing and maintaining abrasive blasting machines

Abstract

A system and method for managing abrasive blasting may include timing duration of blast media being blown in performing abrasive blasting using an abrasive blasting machine. Time duration that an operator worked in association with the duration of the blast media being blown may be received. A blasting efficiency ratio may be computed based on the duration of the blasting media being blown and duration of that the operator worked. The blasting efficiency ratio may be displayed to a user.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method for maintaining an abrasive blasting machine, said method comprising:
 establishing, in an electronic memory, a set of preventative maintenance parameters associated with a respective set of components of the abrasive blasting machine;   monitoring, by a computing unit, sensors that collect operational data of components of the abrasive blasting machine that correlate to the set of preventative maintenance parameters;   determining, by the computing unit, that operational data of a component has crossed a preventative maintenance parameter; and   in response to determining that the operational data of the component crossed a preventative maintenance parameter, notifying a user to perform preventative maintenance on the component of the abrasive blasting machine.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising enabling a maintenance worker to log into the computing unit to initiate performing preventative maintenance. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising enabling the maintenance worker to start a clock for timing duration of time in performing the preventative maintenance. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 communicating the collected operational data to a remote computing system; and   updating a report including the collected operational data.   
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein updating a report includes updating a report that includes operational data from multiple abrasive blasting machines. 
     
     
         6 . A jobsite communications system for communicating abrasive blasting messages to operators at a jobsite, said system comprising:
 a transceiver configured with preset message elements activatable by an operator to communicate a preset message associated with abrasive blasting; and   a signaling system reporter configured to receive the preset message associated with abrasive blasting and display the preset message for another operator.   
     
     
         7 . The jobsite communications system according to  claim 6 , where the signaling system reporter is integrated into a controller of an abrasive blasting machine. 
     
     
         8 . A method for providing communications between workers of an abrasive blasting machine on a jobsite, said method comprising:
 communicating a preset message related to abrasive blasting operations to another device in response to an operator selecting to send the preset message; and   displaying the preset message for another operator to view.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , where the preset message is a common command or request used for abrasive blasting.