Automated Wire-to-Beam Alignment for Precision Laser Welding
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Summary
Problems
Manual calibration of laser brazing/welding heads is time-consuming and does not account for reaction forces during the welding/brazing process, leading to inefficiencies and potential misalignment of filler wire with the laser beam.
Innovation solutions
Implementing a system with precision computer vision and closed-loop feedback control using a servomotor to adjust the laser head's position, applying corrective side forces to the filler wire based on edge detection and wire displacement errors, ensuring real-time alignment of the filler wire with the laser beam.
TRIZ Analysis
Specific contradictions:
General conflict description:
Principle concept:
If manual calibration is used to position the laser beam and wire feeder, then the equipment can be set up, but the process is time-consuming and does not account for reaction forces
Why choose this principle:
The patent implements a feedback control system using vision sensors to detect wire position and a servomotor to adjust wire feeder positioning in real-time. The system continuously monitors the distance between the wire and laser beam, compares it to a target value, and automatically corrects positioning errors by applying counteracting forces through the servomotor, eliminating manual calibration time
Principle concept:
If manual calibration is used to position the laser beam and wire feeder, then the equipment can be set up, but the process is time-consuming and does not account for reaction forces
Why choose this principle:
The system performs self-calibration by automatically detecting its own positioning errors through vision sensors and correcting them using the servomotor-driven wire feeder. The closed-loop control enables the equipment to self-adjust without operator intervention, making the calibration process autonomous and eliminating the need for time-consuming manual procedures
Application Domain
Data Source
AI summary:
Implementing a system with precision computer vision and closed-loop feedback control using a servomotor to adjust the laser head's position, applying corrective side forces to the filler wire based on edge detection and wire displacement errors, ensuring real-time alignment of the filler wire with the laser beam.
Abstract
Presented are intelligent non-autogenous metalworking systems and control logic for automated wire-to-beam alignment, methods for making/using such systems, and robot-borne laser welding/brazing heads with closed-loop control for real-time wire alignment. A method for controlling operation of a non-autogenous workpiece processing system includes a system controller receiving sensor signals from a position sensor indicative of a location of filler wire discharged into a joint region by a wire feeder. Using the received sensor signals, the controller determines a displacement between the wire location and a location of a beam emitted onto the joint region by a beam emitter. If the wire displacement is greater than a threshold wire displacement value, the controller responsively determines a corrective force calculated to reduce wire displacement to below the threshold wire displacement value. The controller then commands the actuator to pivot the processing head to thereby apply the corrective force to the discharging filler wire.