LLM-R: A Framework for Domain-Adaptive Maintenance Scheme Generation Combining Hierarchical Agents and RAG

The increasing use of smart devices has emphasized the critical role of maintenance in production activities. Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals (IETMs) are vital tools that support the maintenance of smart equipment. However, traditional IETMs face challenges such as transitioning from Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) to natural Language User Interfaces (LUIs) and managing complex logical relationships. Additionally, they must meet the current demands for higher intelligence. This paper proposes a Maintenance Scheme Generation Method based on Large Language Models (LLM-R). The proposed method includes several key innovations: We propose the Low Rank Adaptation-Knowledge Retention (LORA-KR) loss technology to proportionally adjust mixed maintenance data for fine-tuning the LLM. This method prevents knowledge conflicts caused by mixed data, improving the model's adaptability and reasoning ability in specific maintenance domains, Besides, Hierarchical Task-Based Agent and Instruction-level Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) technologies are adopted to optimize the generation steps and mitigate the phenomenon of hallucination caused by the model's Inability to access contextual information. This enhancement improves the model's flexibility and accuracy in handling known or unknown maintenance objects and maintenance scheme scenarios. To validate the proposed method's effectiveness in maintenance tasks, a maintenance scheme dataset was constructed using objects from different fields. The experimental results show that the accuracy of the maintenance schemes generated by the proposed method reached 91.59%, indicating which improvement enhances the intelligence of maintenance schemes and introduces novel technical approaches for equipment maintenance.

LLM-based Framework for Bearing Fault Diagnosis

Accurately diagnosing bearing faults is crucial for maintaining the efficient operation of rotating machinery. However, traditional diagnosis methods face challenges due to the diversification of application environments, including cross-condition adaptability, small-sample learning difficulties, and cross-dataset generalization. These challenges have hindered the effectiveness and limited the application of existing approaches. Large language models (LLMs) offer new possibilities for improving the generalization of diagnosis models. However, the integration of LLMs with traditional diagnosis techniques for optimal generalization remains underexplored. This paper proposed an LLM-based bearing fault diagnosis framework to tackle these challenges. First, a signal feature quantification method was put forward to address the issue of extracting semantic information from vibration data, which integrated time and frequency domain feature extraction based on a statistical analysis framework. This method textualized time-series data, aiming to efficiently learn cross-condition and small-sample common features through concise feature selection. Fine-tuning methods based on LoRA and QLoRA were employed to enhance the generalization capability of LLMs in analyzing vibration data features. In addition, the two innovations (textualizing vibration features and fine-tuning pre-trained models) were validated by single-dataset cross-condition and cross-dataset transfer experiment with complete and limited data. The results demonstrated the ability of the proposed framework to perform three types of generalization tasks simultaneously. Trained cross-dataset models got approximately a 10% improvement in accuracy, proving the adaptability of LLMs to input patterns. Ultimately, the results effectively enhance the generalization capability and fill the research gap in using LLMs for bearing fault diagnosis.

An Outline of Prognostics and Health Management Large Model: Concepts, Paradigms, and Challenges

Prognosis and Health Management (PHM), critical for ensuring task completion by complex systems and preventing unexpected failures, is widely adopted in aerospace, manufacturing, maritime, rail, energy, etc. However, PHM's development is constrained by bottlenecks like generalization, interpretation and verification abilities. Presently, generative artificial intelligence (AI), represented by Large Model, heralds a technological revolution with the potential to fundamentally reshape traditional technological fields and human production methods. Its capabilities, including strong generalization, reasoning, and generative attributes, present opportunities to address PHM's bottlenecks. To this end, based on a systematic analysis of the current challenges and bottlenecks in PHM, as well as the research status and advantages of Large Model, we propose a novel concept and three progressive paradigms of Prognosis and Health Management Large Model (PHM-LM) through the integration of the Large Model with PHM. Subsequently, we provide feasible technical approaches for PHM-LM to bolster PHM's core capabilities within the framework of the three paradigms. Moreover, to address core issues confronting PHM, we discuss a series of technical challenges of PHM-LM throughout the entire process of construction and application. This comprehensive effort offers a holistic PHM-LM technical framework, and provides avenues for new PHM technologies, methodologies, tools, platforms and applications, which also potentially innovates design, research & development, verification and application mode of PHM. And furthermore, a new generation of PHM with AI will also capably be realized, i.e., from custom to generalized, from discriminative to generative, and from theoretical conditions to practical applications.