An automatic welding trolley, device and control method

Abstract

The present invention discloses the technical field of automatic welding equipment, and specifically discloses an automatic welding trolley, device and control method. The automatic welding trolley of the present invention includes a traveling component and a steering component. The steering component includes a linear module equipped with a moving slider, and a power source for driving the moving slider. The moving slider is connected to a in-situ steering mechanism through a linkage mechanism. The automatic welding device includes the automatic welding trolley, and the trolley is equipped with a weld detection component and a welding component. The welding component includes a welding controller. The welding controller is communicatively connected to the weld detection component, and controls the steering component and the traveling component by receiving the weld information, so that the automatic welding trolley travels along the weld, tracks, and completes automatic welding. The welding device in this solution can perform long-distance welding on the weld, is not affected by the stroke of the tracking device, and has the advantages of flexibility, strong adaptability and high control precision.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of automatic welding equipment, and particularly to an automatic welding trolley, device and control method. Background Art

[0002] With the development of automatic welding technology, automatic welding technology has gradually replaced manual welding, enabling the welding process to achieve automation and intelligence. This not only greatly improves the welding production efficiency, but also has high welding quality, and at the same time completely improves the production labor conditions. During the automatic welding process, a weld tracking device is required to timely adjust the posture of the welding torch.

[0003] Existing weld tracking devices are mostly integrated into special welding machines (such as gantry welders, welding manipulators, etc.) or welding robots. However, due to their own characteristics, special welding machines or welding robots have the following deficiencies during use:

[0004] On the one hand, due to the large volume of special welding machines or welding robots, they can only be applied to some occasions with a large welding space. For places affected by various reasons such as narrow space or limited space, it is impossible to use special welding machines or welding robots for automatic welding.

[0005] On the other hand, existing weld tracking devices adjust linearly, and the welding manipulator adjusts in a multi-axis linkage manner, both of which have large stroke limitations and cannot perform long-distance automatic welding, severely affecting the scope of application.

[0006] In addition, there is also a method in the industry of using a mobile trolley for automatic welding of welds. For example, the patent application No. 201711212263.9, titled "An Automatic Submerged Arc Welding Based on Vision and Laser Tracking", uses a trolley to carry welding components (welding equipment) to form an automatic welding equipment. During automatic welding, the trolley is controlled by a DC motor to move forward, and the servo motor controls the welding torch to feed in the Z-axis and X-axis directions according to the information feedback by the laser tracker through a controller to complete welding. After completing the first pass, the trolley automatically adjusts the track and height according to the controller until the sealing welding is completed. This equipment is completed by the cooperation of relevant control components and control processes, with a three-axis manipulator and laser, enabling the automatic trolley to reach the precise positions of the X, Y, and Z axes. From this existing patent technical document, it is also restricted by the stroke adjustment in the three-axis directions. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an automatic welding trolley and an automatic welding device for the problem of limited stroke during the use of special welding machines or welding robots for automatic welding in the prior art.

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned invention purpose, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0009] An automatic welding trolley includes a traveling component for controlling the trolley to travel and a steering component for controlling the trolley to turn. The steering component includes a linear module with a moving slider mounted thereon. A power source for controlling the moving slider to move back and forth along the linear module is provided on the module. The moving slider is connected to a in-situ steering mechanism through a link mechanism. The automatic welding trolley is used to mount a weld detection component and a welding component, and the welding component is used to automatically weld the weld.

[0010] By using the automatic welding trolley of the present application, the trolley is driven by the traveling component to travel along the direction of the weld arrangement. Since the method of using a guide rail to control the welding component to move along the weld and perform welding in the prior art is abandoned, the problem that the automatic welding device is limited by the stroke is solved, and long-distance welding can be carried out. The steering component controls the traveling direction of the automatic welding trolley. During the use of the automatic welding trolley, a weld detection component is usually installed. The steering component adjusts the traveling path of the trolley in a timely manner according to the weld information detected by the weld detection component, so that the welding component is always at the weld part to be welded, ensuring that the welding component completes the welding of the weld. By controlling the moving slider to move back and forth along the linear module through the power source, the moving distance of the moving slider can be accurately controlled, and then transmitted to the in-situ steering mechanism through the link mechanism to achieve accurate steering of the steering component and ensure the welding quality.

[0011] The trolley of this solution is used as a tracking device during the automatic welding process. During the automatic welding process, the welding component is installed for automatic welding. Due to the relatively large weight of the welding component for welding the weld compared to the weight of the trolley itself, it is difficult to control the position of the automatic welding trolley during use. The traveling component in this solution mainly provides power to the trolley and drives the automatic welding trolley to travel along the extension direction of the weld. A power source is installed on the steering component, which is mainly used to control the turning of the automatic welding trolley, so that the position of the automatic welding trolley can be accurately adjusted, the automatic welding process can be completed, and the welding quality of the weld can be ensured.

[0012] In addition, since the automatic welding trolley adopting the technical solution of the present application can realize its traveling and accurate turning according to the weld information detected by the weld detection component during use, the structure of the automatic welding trolley is greatly simplified, ensuring that the trolley is also applicable in places where the welding special machine or welding robot cannot perform welding due to reasons such as narrow space or limited space.

[0013] Preferably, the traveling component and the steering component are independently arranged. The traveling component includes traveling wheels with a transmission shaft connected in the middle, and a reduction motor for driving the traveling wheels to travel. A transmission gear meshing with the reduction motor is installed on the transmission shaft, and a clutch for controlling the power disconnection between the transmission shaft and the reduction motor is also provided on the transmission shaft.

[0014] The clutch can control the drive shaft to disengage from the drive of the reduction motor, thereby controlling the separation and engagement between the walking wheels and the power output part of the reduction motor, facilitating the start and stop of the automatic welding trolley.

[0015] By adopting the method of separately arranging the walking component and the steering component, the walking component is provided with walking wheels driven by separate power, and the steering component is provided with steering wheels driven by separate power, so that the automatic welding trolley can complete steering, ensuring the steering accuracy, and avoiding the problem that when the steering component also serves as the walking component (or the walking component also serves as the steering component) at the same time, the trolley needs to control its walking while steering, or there is a problem that the trolley needs to control its steering while walking, which will lead to a reduction in the steering accuracy of the automatic welding trolley and affect the automatic welding quality.

[0016] Preferably, the power source is a stepper motor, a servo motor, a DC motor or a hydraulic motor. The power source is arranged to provide driving force to the linear module and adjust the moving amount of the moving slider according to the rotation angle of the in-situ steering mechanism, thereby realizing the precise steering of the in-situ steering mechanism.

[0017] The weld detection component detects the weld information and transmits it to the controller of the welding component. The controller of the welding component drives the power source to drive the trolley to turn, so that the position of the trolley matches the weld, and then the automatic welding is completed.

[0018] Correspondingly, the present application also provides an automatic welding device, including the automatic welding trolley as described above. A weld detection component and a welding component for automatically welding the weld are installed on the automatic welding trolley. The weld detection component is used to detect the weld information. The welding component is correspondingly arranged on the path of the weld detection by the weld detection component. The welding component includes a welding controller, and the welding controller is communicatively connected with the weld detection component and controls the steering component and the walking component through the received weld information, so that the automatic welding trolley walks and tracks along the weld.

[0019] For the automatic welding device adopting the technical solution, the weld detection component detects the weld information and transmits the weld information to the welding controller. The welding controller controls the steering component to realize the turning of the trolley according to the weld information, and at the same time controls the walking component to realize the walking of the trolley according to the weld information.

[0020] The welding component includes a wire spool, a wire feeding mechanism, and a conducting nozzle. The wire spool is used to install the welding wire. The welding wire is connected to the wire feeding mechanism and is fed by the wire feeding mechanism to the welding position of the weld seam through the conducting nozzle to ensure the continuous progress of the automatic welding process. The welding component further includes a leakage hopper for conveying the welding flux to the welding position, so that when the automatic welding device welds the weld seam by submerged arc welding, the leakage hopper continuously supplies the welding flux to the weld seam to complete the welding process.

[0021] The welding device in this solution uses an automatic welding trolley and cooperates with a weld seam detection component and a welding component to complete the automatic welding process. It can perform long-distance welding on the weld seam without being affected by the stroke. At the same time, it can be used in places where a special welding machine or a welding robot cannot perform welding due to reasons such as narrow space or limited space. It has the advantages of flexibility, convenience, and strong adaptability.

[0022] Preferably, the welding component is installed at an adjacent position to the traveling component. Installing the welding component near the traveling component makes the center of gravity of the welding component close to the traveling component, and the traveling component bears the load of the welding component, further reducing the bearing capacity of the steering component and further improving the steering accuracy of the steering component of the automatic welding trolley, avoiding phenomena such as deviation and slipping.

[0023] Preferably, the weld seam detection component includes an industrial camera, a laser, and an industrial computer. The laser is arranged obliquely deviating from the normal line of the surface of the workpiece to be welded. The industrial camera is used to obtain the light information irradiated by the laser on the weld seam. The industrial computer processes the light information to obtain the weld seam information and transmits the weld seam information to the welding controller.

[0024] The weld seam information is measured and detected using the principle of laser triangulation, providing a basis for the steering component to adjust the position of the trolley.

[0025] Preferably, a closed-loop controller is provided on the steering component, and the welding controller is communicatively connected to the closed-loop stepping controller.

[0026] By setting a closed-loop controller on the steering component for control and feedback according to the movement amount of the moving slider, and further controlling the steering component through the welding controller, the rotation accuracy of the steering component can be improved, and the ultimate control accuracy index can be obtained.

[0027] Furthermore, the welding controller is electrically connected to the closed-loop controller and communicates in real time by means of a wired connection.

[0028] Preferably, the welding component further includes a wireless data transmission module for transmitting control data to the control system of the external rotating mechanism. The control data includes the angle between the automatic welding device and the horizontal plane. The external rotating mechanism is used to drive the welded part to rotate, and the rotation speed of the welded part is adjusted and matched according to the change of the angle.

[0029] Further, the wireless data transmission module is integrated on the welding controller.

[0030] By arranging the wireless data transmission module, the data of the automatic welding device is transmitted to the control system of the external rotating mechanism, so as to control the speed of the external rotating mechanism through the wireless data transmission module, realize the speed synchronization of the trolley and the rotating mechanism, and at the same time, through the control system of the external rotating mechanism, the working state of the automatic welding trolley can be controlled and displayed externally.

[0031] Preferably, the welding component is installed on the automatic welding trolley through a vertical connecting piece, and the vertical connecting piece is provided with a horizontal adjusting mechanism for adjusting the horizontal position of the welding component on the trolley.

[0032] The welding component is installed on the automatic welding trolley by using a vertical connecting piece, so that the components other than the welding tip in the welding component are far away from the welded workpiece, thus ensuring the normal turning and walking of the automatic welding trolley. By setting a horizontal adjusting mechanism on the vertical connecting piece, the position of the welding tip of the welding component can be adjusted to ensure that the welding tip is on the detection path of the weld seam by the weld seam detection component, and the automatic welding process of the automatic welding device is realized.

[0033] Further, the horizontal adjusting mechanism adopts the adjusting mode of a ball screw or a sliding screw.

[0034] This technical solution also provides an automatic welding equipment for circular weld welding, including the automatic welding device as described above, and the automatic welding device is arranged inside or outside the circular weld.

[0035] Further, an inclination angle sensor is also installed on the automatic welding device. The inclination angle sensor is communicatively connected with the welding controller and the control system of the external rotating mechanism. Through the detection of the inclination angle sensor and the control of the welding controller and / or the control system of the external rotating mechanism, the automatic welding trolley is always in the flat welding state.

[0036] Preferably, the automatic welding equipment further includes a flux recovery machine and a purging device. The flux recovery machine includes a suction pipe with a negative pressure suction port, and the suction pipe is connected to a negative pressure device. The negative pressure suction port of the suction pipe is arranged on the welding path after the automatic welding device performs welding. The purging device includes a blow pipe installed on the automatic welding trolley. The blow pipe is connected to an external air source, and a pneumatic solenoid valve for controlling its opening and closing is connected to the blow pipe.

[0037] The start and stop of the blow pipe are controlled by the pneumatic solenoid valve, so as to realize the gas purging of the surface to be welded, ensuring the welding quality; the flux recovery machine recovers the flux on the surface of the welded part, reducing the workload of the welding workers.

[0038] This solution also provides a control method for an automatic welding device. When welding is performed using the above-mentioned automatic welding device, it includes the following control steps:

[0039] a. Weld seam information detection, detecting the weld seam position information through the weld seam detection component;

[0040] b. Weld seam position information exchange, the weld seam detection component transmits the weld seam position information to the welding controller;

[0041] c. Angle adjustment of the automatic welding trolley, the welding controller controls the power source of the automatic welding trolley to drive the linear module to work. The moving slider drives the linkage mechanism, and the linkage mechanism drives the trolley's in-situ steering mechanism to rotate the trolley at a set angle, thereby realizing the control of the trolley's steering angle;

[0042] d. The automatic welding trolley automatically welds the weld seam through the welding component.

[0043] Adopting the control method of the automatic welding device in this solution, using the power source as the driving force for the angle adjustment of the automatic welding trolley, and the trolley's steering mechanism enables the trolley to turn at a set angle, which can realize the precise control of the trolley's steering angle, avoid the angle adjustment deviation of the automatic welding trolley, thereby ensuring the position accuracy of the automatic welding trolley, smoothly performing welding and ensuring the weld seam quality.

[0044] Preferably, the welding controller uses a PLC programmable controller. Before adjusting the angle of the automatic welding trolley in step c, it further includes step c': calculating the forward angle of the automatic welding trolley. The PLC programmable controller starts a zeroing operation on the steering component of the trolley to match the zero position information in the steering component and the PLC programmable controller. During operation, the angle of the automatic welding trolley is calculated by the PID module of the PLC programmable controller. The PID module records the offset position information given by the current weld inspection component when the automatic welding trolley starts. This offset position information is the target value for adjustment by the PID module. The real-time weld offset information during the forward movement of the trolley is the input feedback value for adjustment by the PID module. The value calculated inside the PID module is the output value, and the output value is used to adjust the steering angle of the steering component of the automatic welding trolley.

[0045] The welding controller uses a PLC programmable controller. When calculating the angle of the automatic welding trolley, the real-time weld offset information during the forward movement of the automatic welding trolley is used as the input feedback value for adjustment by the PID module, which can provide feedback based on the real-time operating state of the automatic welding trolley, thereby greatly improving the precision control of the steering angle of the automatic welding trolley, enabling real-time adjustment during the steering process of the trolley, with high precision and fast response.

[0046] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0047] 1. By using the automatic welding trolley of the present application, the trolley is driven by the traveling component to move along the direction of the weld arrangement. Since the method of using a guide rail to control the movement of the welding component along the weld and perform welding in the prior art is abandoned, the problem that the automatic welding device is limited by the travel is solved, and long-distance welding can be carried out without being affected by the travel of the tracking device.

[0048] 2. The steering component controls the traveling direction of the automatic welding trolley. During the use of the automatic welding trolley, a weld detection component is usually installed. The steering component adjusts the traveling path of the trolley in a timely manner according to the weld information detected by the weld detection component to ensure that the automatic welding trolley always moves along the weld direction, ensuring that the welding component completes welding on the weld; a separate power source is arranged to control the movement of the moving slider back and forth along the module, which can accurately control the moving distance of the moving slider, and then transmit it to the in-situ steering mechanism through the connecting mechanism to achieve accurate steering of the steering component.

[0049] 3. By setting a closed-loop controller on the steering component for control, and further controlling the steering component through the welding controller according to the feedback of the movement amount of the moving slider, the rotation accuracy of the steering component can be improved, and the ultimate control accuracy index can be obtained.

[0050] 4. The automatic welding device adopting this technical solution detects the weld seam information through the weld seam detection component and transmits the weld seam information to the welding controller. The welding controller controls the steering component to realize the turning of the trolley according to the weld seam information, and at the same time controls the traveling component to realize the traveling of the trolley according to the weld seam information.

[0051] 5. By arranging a wireless data transmission module, the data of the automatic welding device is transmitted to the control system of the external rotating mechanism, so as to control the speed of the external rotating mechanism through the wireless data transmission module, realize the speed synchronization between the trolley and the rotating mechanism, and at the same time, through the control system of the external rotating mechanism, the working state of the automatic welding trolley can be externally controlled and displayed. Description of the Drawings

[0052] Figure 1 Schematic structural diagram of the automatic welding trolley with half of the frame support plate removed in Embodiment 1.

[0053] Figure 2 Schematic structural diagram of the steering component of the automatic welding trolley.

[0054] Figure 3 Schematic structural diagram of the traveling component of the automatic welding trolley.

[0055] Figure 4 Schematic structural diagram of the automatic welding device in Embodiment 2.

[0056] Figure 5 Schematic position structure diagram of the weld seam detection component of the automatic welding device.

[0057] Figure 6 Schematic structural diagram of the automatic welding equipment in Embodiment 3.

[0058] Figure 7 Schematic flow diagram of the control method of the automatic welding device in Embodiment 4.

[0059] Markings in the figure: 1A - Automatic welding device, 1a - Automatic welding trolley, 1 - Weld detection component, 101 - Industrial camera, 1011 - Filter, 102 - Laser, 1021 - Cylindrical lens, 2 - Workpiece, 3 - Steering component, 31 - Moving slider, 32 - Linear module, 33 - Power source, 34 - Link mechanism, 35 - In-situ steering mechanism, 351 - Steering wheel, 352 - Bearing, 36 - Displacement sensor, 4 - Weld, 5 - Traveling component, 51 - Transmission shaft, 52 - Traveling wheel, 53 - Reducing motor, 54 - Transmission gear, 55 - Clutch, 6 - Blowpipe, 7 - Absorption pipe, 8 - Welding controller, 9 - Wire reel, 10 - Wire feeding mechanism, 11 - Hopper for leakage, 15 - Pneumatic solenoid valve, 16 - Frame support plate, 16a - Guard plate, 17 - Conductive nozzle, 18 - Horizontal connecting piece, 19 - Vertical connecting piece, 20 - Horizontal adjustment mechanism, 21 - Vertical adjustment mechanism, 22 - Horizontal strut, 23 - External rotation mechanism. Detailed implementation mode

[0060] The present invention will be further described in detail below in combination with test examples and specific implementation modes. However, it should not be understood that the scope of the above-mentioned subject matter of the present invention is limited to the following embodiments. All technologies implemented based on the content of the present invention belong to the scope of the present invention.

[0061] Embodiment 1

[0062] This embodiment provides an automatic welding trolley 1a, as Figure 1 shown, including a traveling component 5 for controlling the traveling of the trolley, and a steering component 3 for controlling the steering of the trolley. The traveling component 5 and the steering component 3 are both installed on the frame support plate 16, so that the three form a trolley structure. The frame support plate 16 is a long strip structure. The steering component 3 and the traveling component 5 are arranged below the frame support plate 16, and the steering component 3 is located in front of the traveling direction of the trolley, and the traveling component 5 is located behind the traveling direction of the trolley. The traveling component 5 and the steering component 3 are independently arranged. The top of the frame support plate 16 is used to install a weld detection component and a welding component. The welding component is used for automatically welding the weld, and the weld detection component is used for detecting weld information. The automatic welding trolley 1a controls the steering of the steering component 3 according to the weld information.

[0063] As one of the preferred implementation modes, guard plates 16a are vertically arranged around the frame support plate 16 for forming a surrounding protection for the steering component 3 and the traveling component 5.

[0064] As shown in 1 and Figure 2As shown, the steering component 3 includes a linear module 32 with a moving slider 31 mounted thereon. A power source 33 for controlling the forward and backward movement of the moving slider 31 along the linear module 32 is provided on the linear module 32. The moving slider 31 is connected to a in-situ steering mechanism 35 through a linkage mechanism 34. The linkage mechanism 34 uses a universal linkage. The in-situ steering mechanism 35 includes a steering wheel 351 and a bearing 352. The steering wheel 351 is mounted on the frame support plate 16 through the bearing 352, enabling the steering wheel 351 to rotate freely relative to the frame support plate 16, thereby realizing the free steering of the trolley. The linear module 32 of the steering component 3 is connected to the frame support plate 16 through fasteners (bolts or screws) for fixation. The steering component 3 further includes a displacement sensor 36 for monitoring the sliding distance of the moving slider 31. The displacement sensor 36 is correspondingly arranged in front of the moving stroke range of the moving slider 31 and is fixed on the frame support plate 16.

[0065] As one of the preferred embodiments, the power source 33 uses a stepping motor. The stepping motor is arranged to provide driving force to the linear module 32, and the moving amount of the moving slider 31 is adjusted according to the rotation angle of the in-situ steering mechanism 35, thereby realizing the precise steering of the in-situ steering mechanism 35.

[0066] The power source 33 can also use a servo motor, a DC motor, or a hydraulic motor. Using these power sources to provide driving force to the linear module 32, their structures and connection methods are all prior arts and will not be elaborated here.

[0067] As Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the traveling component 5 and the steering component 3 are independently arranged on the frame support plate 16. The traveling component 5 includes a traveling wheel 52 with a transmission shaft 51 connected in the middle, and a reduction motor 53 for driving the traveling wheel 52 to travel. A transmission gear 54 meshing with the reduction motor 53 is mounted on the transmission shaft 51. A clutch 55 for controlling the disconnection of the power provided by the transmission shaft 51 and the reduction motor 53 is further provided on the transmission shaft 51. The clutch 55 adopts the commonly used setting method and setting structure in the prior art, enabling the clutch to control the disconnection and connection of the power output parts of the traveling wheel 52 and the reduction motor 53, facilitating the start and stop of the automatic welding trolley 1a. The traveling component 5 and the steering component 3 are independently arranged on the frame support plate 16, improving the steering accuracy of the automatic welding trolley 1a, avoiding the need to simultaneously control its traveling when the automatic welding trolley 1a is steering, improving the steering accuracy of the automatic welding trolley 1a, and effectively ensuring the automatic welding quality. The clutch 55 and the reduction motor 53 of the traveling component 5 are installed on the frame support plate 16 through supports and fasteners. The traveling wheel 52 is installed on the frame support plate 16 through a wheel bracket 521. The wheel bracket 521 is connected to the transmission shaft 51 through a bearing 352.

[0068] Example 2

[0069] This embodiment provides an automatic welding device 1A. As shown in Figure 4 , it includes an automatic welding trolley 1a as in Embodiment 1. A weld detection component 1 and a welding component for automatically welding the weld 4 are installed on the automatic welding trolley 1a. The weld detection component 1 is used to detect weld information. The welding component is correspondingly arranged on the path of the weld detection by the weld detection component 1. The welding component includes a welding controller 8. The welding controller 8 is communicatively connected to the weld detection component 1 and controls the steering component 3 and the traveling component 5 by receiving the weld information, so that the automatic welding trolley 1a travels along and tracks the weld.

[0070] As a preferred implementation manner, the steering component 3 and the traveling component 5 are circuit-connected to the welding controller 8, so that the welding controller 8 can control the steering component 3 and the traveling component 5 in a timely and effective manner. Wireless communication connection can also be adopted for control through electromagnetic signals.

[0071] As shown in Figure 5 , the weld detection component 1 includes an industrial camera 101, a laser 102 and an industrial computer. The laser 102 deviates from the normal line of the surface of the workpiece 2 to be welded and is arranged obliquely. By arranging a cylindrical lens 1021 in front of the laser 102, the laser 102 emits laser light to the weld. A filter 1011 is arranged in front of the industrial camera 101. The industrial camera 101 acquires the light information of the laser 102 irradiating on the weld 4. The industrial computer processes the light information to obtain the weld information and transmits the weld information to the welding controller 8 as shown in Figure 4 . The weld detection component 1 adopts the laser triangulation principle in the prior art to obtain accurate weld information, providing a basis for the steering component 3 to adjust the position of the automatic welding trolley 1a, and at the same time controlling the traveling component 5 according to the weld information to realize the traveling of the automatic welding trolley 1a.

[0072] The industrial computer is a signal processor, including a signal processing circuit, which processes and calculates the light information acquired by the industrial camera 101 to obtain information such as the width, depth and groove angle of the weld 4. As a preferred implementation manner, the industrial computer in this embodiment is integrated into the industrial camera 101. The industrial camera integrated with the industrial computer is communicatively connected to the welding controller 8. Furthermore, by adopting the integrated arrangement method, space can be saved and the volume of the automatic welding device can be reduced. The method of separately arranging the industrial computer can also be adopted. When separately arranged, the industrial computer is circuit-connected to the industrial camera, and the industrial computer is communicatively connected to the welding controller 8.

[0073] As shown inFigure 4 As shown, the weld detection component 1 is fixed on the transverse strut 22, and the transverse strut 22 is installed on the vehicle frame support plate 16 through a clamping seat with a clamping part. The clamping part of the clamping seat can be opened and clamped, and the transverse strut 22 can slide horizontally in the clamping part to adjust the position of the weld detection component 1.

[0074] As Figure 4 shown, the welding component includes a wire reel 9, a wire feeding mechanism 10 and a welding tip 17. The wire reel 9 is used for installing welding wire. A motor is connected to the rotating shaft of the wire reel 9, and the rotation of the wire reel is controlled by the motor. The motor controlling the rotation of the wire reel 9 is electrically connected to the welding controller 8, or a solenoid valve switch is arranged on the motor, and the solenoid valve switch is communicatively connected to the welding controller 8 to realize the control of the rotation speed of the wire reel 9 by the welding controller 8, so as to maintain a reasonable wire feeding speed to feed wire to the wire feeding mechanism 10. The wire feeding mechanism 10 conveys the welding wire to the welding tip 17 to complete the welding of the weld 4 of the workpiece 2 to be welded. Arranging the wire reel 9 controlled by the welding controller 8 and connecting it to the wire feeding mechanism 10 ensures the continuous progress of the automatic welding process. The welding component also includes a leakage hopper 11 for conveying flux to the welding part, so that when the automatic welding device 1A performs welding on the weld by submerged arc welding, the flux is continuously provided to the weld through the leakage hopper 11 to complete the welding process.

[0075] According to the structural form of the automatic welding trolley 1a in Embodiment 1, a closed-loop controller can be provided on the steering component 3 of the automatic welding trolley 1a, and the welding controller 8 is communicatively connected to the closed-loop stepper controller. With this structural form, the welding controller 8 can perform wired control or wireless communication control on the steering component 3. Preferably, the circuit connection method is adopted for wired communication connection control. By setting a closed-loop controller on the steering component 3 for control and further controlling the steering component 3 by the welding controller 8 according to the movement amount feedback of the moving slider 31, the rotation accuracy of the steering component 3 can be improved, and the ultimate control accuracy index can be obtained.

[0076] As another implementation manner, an open-loop control form can also be adopted. By arranging an encoder on the steering wheel 351, the encoder is communicatively connected to the welding controller 8 (wired or wireless). The encoder is used to monitor the steering angle of the steering wheel 351, so that the welding controller 8 performs angle control on the steering wheel 351 according to the rotation angle feedback of the steering wheel 351 monitored by the encoder to ensure the steering accuracy and realize the tracking of the weld by the trolley.

[0077] As one of the preferred embodiments, the welding component further includes a wireless data transmission module for transmitting control data such as the angle between the automatic welding device and the horizontal plane to the control system of the external rotating mechanism (see Embodiment 3). An inclination angle sensor is installed on the automatic welding trolley 1a. The external rotating mechanism is used to drive the welded part to rotate and accelerate or decelerate according to the control data of the angle between the automatic welding device and the horizontal plane (measured by the inclination angle sensor), so as to keep the automatic welding trolley always in the flat welding state. The wireless data transmission module can be arranged separately on the automatic welding device 1A or integrated into the welding controller 8. In this embodiment, the latter scheme is preferably adopted to minimize the volume of the automatic welding device 1A.

[0078] In this embodiment, the wire reel 9 is arranged closely adjacent to the welding controller 8, which is convenient for the welding controller 8 to control the rotation speed of the wire reel 9. The rotating shaft part driving the wire reel 9 can be arranged in the box body of the welding controller 8, and at the same time, the motor and control circuit for controlling the rotation of the wire reel 9 are arranged in the welding controller 8 to reduce the volume of the automatic welding device 1A.

[0079] The connection relationship among the wire feeding mechanism 10, the welding tip 17 and the material leakage hopper 11 adopts the connection mode and structure commonly used in existing automatic welding equipment. After these three components are assembled, they are connected to the welding controller 8 and the wire reel 9 through a transverse connecting piece 18. The welding controller 8 and the wire reel 9 are arranged at the other end of the transverse connecting piece 18. A vertical adjusting mechanism 21 for adjusting the height of the welding tip 7 is provided on the transverse connecting piece 18, and the vertical adjusting mechanism 21 adopts the adjusting mode of ball screw or sliding screw in the prior art.

[0080] The transverse connecting piece 18 connected with the welding component is installed on the automatic welding trolley 1a through a vertical connecting piece 19. A clamping mounting seat is fixed on the transverse connecting piece 18. The vertical connecting piece 19 is slidably connected to the transverse connecting piece 18 through the clamping part of the clamping mounting seat, so that the vertical connecting piece 19 can slide up and down relative to the welding component to adjust the relative height between the automatic welding trolley 1a and the welding component. A locking bolt is provided on the clamping part of the clamping mounting seat. After the height of the vertical connecting piece 19 is adjusted, it is locked and fixed through the locking bolt. A transverse adjusting mechanism 20 for adjusting the transverse position of the welding component on the automatic welding trolley 1a is provided on the vertical connecting piece 19. The transverse adjusting mechanism 20 adopts the adjusting mode of ball screw or sliding screw in the prior art. The vertical connecting piece 19 is installed on the frame support plate 16 of the automatic welding trolley 1a by means of flange connection.

[0081] The welding component is installed on the automatic welding trolley 1a by means of a vertical connecting piece 19, and the height adjustment is realized through the clamping part of the clamping seat. The overall volume of the automatic welding device 1A can be adjusted according to the actual use space. In a welding occasion with a larger space, the welding component can be adjusted to a higher position to keep the welding component away from the welding workpiece, so as to ensure the normal turning and walking of the automatic welding trolley 1a. At the same time, the height of the welding tip 17 is adjusted by the vertical adjustment mechanism 21 on the horizontal connecting piece 18. In a welding occasion with a smaller space, the welding component can be adjusted to a lower position to reduce the volume of the automatic welding device and expand its application range.

[0082] As one of the preferred embodiments, after the horizontal connecting piece 18 connected with the welding component is connected to the vertical connecting piece 19, the vertical connecting piece 19 is installed on the frame support plate 16 through a flange, and the installation position is close to one end of the walking component 5. On the basis of ensuring the balance of the automatic welding trolley 1a, the center of the welding component is mainly borne by the vertical connecting piece 19, so as to ensure the accurate and stable turning of the turning component 3.

[0083] Embodiment 3

[0084] This embodiment provides an automatic welding device applied to the welding of circular seams, as Figure 4 and Figure 6 shown, including the automatic welding device 1A described in Embodiment 2. The automatic welding device 1A is arranged on the circular seam, including the inner side or the outer side of the circular seam. The circular seam is formed by splicing arc-shaped workpieces to be welded 2. An inclination angle sensor is installed on the automatic welding device 1A, and the inclination angle sensor is communicatively connected with the control system of the welding controller 8 and the external rotating mechanism 23. According to the data detected by the inclination angle sensor, the automatic welding trolley 1a is controlled to be in the flat welding state all the time through the control system of the welding controller 8 and / or the external rotating mechanism 23. The external rotating mechanism 23 is used to fix the workpiece to be welded 2 and control the rotation through its own (the external rotating mechanism 23) control system.

[0085] In the process of welding the circular seams of pressure vessels and large pipelines, it is difficult for existing special welding machines or welding robots to carry out welding. However, with the automatic welding device adopting this technical solution, the welding can be conveniently and efficiently completed, and the welding quality is high. Moreover, a wireless data transmission module is arranged on the automatic welding device 1A to transmit the data of the automatic welding device 1A to the control system of the external rotating mechanism 23, so as to control the rotation speed of the external rotating mechanism 23 through the wireless data transmission module to realize the speed synchronization between the trolley and the external rotating mechanism 23. At the same time, through the control system of the external rotating mechanism 23, the working state of the automatic welding trolley 1a can be externally controlled and displayed.

[0086] As one of the preferred embodiments, the automatic welding equipment further includes a flux recovery machine and a purging device. The flux recovery machine includes a suction pipe 7 with a negative pressure suction port. The suction pipe 7 is connected to a negative pressure device. The negative pressure suction port of the suction pipe 7 is arranged on the welding path after the automatic welding device 1A performs welding. The purging device includes a blow pipe 6 installed on the automatic welding trolley. The blow pipe 6 is connected to an external air source. An air-operated solenoid valve 15 for controlling its opening and closing is connected to the blow pipe 6. The blow pipe 6 is installed on the transverse support rod 22 and extends to the front side of the weld detection component 1. The start and stop of the blow pipe 6 are controlled by the air-operated solenoid valve 15, so as to realize gas purging of the surface to be welded, ensure the welding quality, and the flux recovery machine recovers the surface flux of the welded part to reduce the workload of the welding workers.

[0087] Embodiment 4

[0088] This embodiment provides a control method for an automatic welding device. When welding is performed using the automatic welding device in Embodiment 2, as Figures 1-6 and Figure 7 shown, it includes the following control processes:

[0089] a. Weld information detection: The weld position information is detected by the weld detection component 1, specifically including image reading, image processing, and extraction of weld position information. When reading the image, the weld information reflected by the laser 102 is read by the industrial camera 101 and binary processed. Image processing includes performing Hough line transformation on the binary processed image, statistically analyzing the operation result of the probabilistic Hough line transformation, and completing the conversion of the image lines. When extracting the weld position information, taking the V-shaped weld as an example, the characteristic lines of the two bevel surfaces of the V-shaped weld are extracted through a calculation formula. The lowest point or the center point of the weld 4 is obtained through the intersection point of the two bevel surface lines, and at the same time, the coordinate information of this point in the image is also obtained. The offset of this point from the center point is calculated through the calibrated camera data and the image coordinate point data;

[0090] b. Weld position information exchange: The weld detection component 1 transmits the weld position information to the welding controller 8. The welding controller 8 uses a PLC programmable controller. The weld detection component 1 and the PLC programmable controller perform data exchange through the standard RS485 communication protocol;

[0091] c. Calculation of the forward angle of the automatic welding trolley 1a. After the PLC programmable controller is started, it will perform a zeroing operation on the steering component 3 to match the zero position information in the steering component 3 and the PLC programmable controller. During operation, the angle of the trolley is calculated through the PID module of the PLC programmable controller. After pressing the trolley operation button, the offset position information given by the current weld detection component 1 is recorded. This offset position information is the target value for PID module adjustment. The real-time weld offset information during the forward movement of the trolley is the input feedback value for PID module adjustment. The value calculated inside the PID module is the output value, and the output value is used to adjust the steering angle of the trolley steering component 3;

[0092] d. Adjustment of the forward angle of the automatic welding trolley 1a. The steering angle is converted to obtain the position information of the linear module 32 of the steering component 3 running. A pulse signal is sent through the absolute positioning instruction of the PLC programmable controller to drive the closed-loop stepper driver controller, so that the power source 33 pushes the linear module 32. The moving slider 31 of the linear module 32 drives the link mechanism 34 to move, and the link mechanism 34 drives the in-situ steering mechanism 35 of the automatic welding trolley 1a to rotate the trolley steering wheel 351 at a set angle, realizing precise control of the trolley steering angle;

[0093] e. Horizontal detection of the automatic welding trolley 1a. To ensure that the welding process is horizontal welding, in the preferred solution, an inclination angle sensor is installed on the body of the automatic welding trolley 1a. The inclination angle sensor is connected to the PLC programmable controller through RS485 communication for data exchange.

[0094] When welding with the automatic welding equipment in Embodiment 3, step f is further included after step e. The automatic welding trolley 1a is linked with the supporting equipment, specifically including:

[0095] f1. During the operation of the automatic welding trolley 1a, the inclination angle information of the inclination angle sensor is read in real time. The inclination angle information is used to control the rotation speed of the external rotating mechanism 23. The rotation speed of the automatic welding trolley 1a is connected to the frequency converter of the external rotating mechanism 23 through RS485 plus a wireless communication module to realize the synchronization of the rotation speed of the automatic welding trolley 1a and the external rotating mechanism 23;

[0096] f2. The pneumatic solenoid valve 15 is used to control the compressed air to blow the surface of the weld 4 to be welded;

[0097] f3. The pneumatic solenoid valve installed on the absorption pipe 6 is used to control the flux recovery machine to recover the flux of the welded part, and at the same time control the flux supply device to convey the flux to the leakage hopper 11 to complete the automatic conveying work;

[0098] f4. Through the wireless communication module, it is possible to use an external human-machine interaction device with RS485 communication function to control, monitor, and modify the relevant parameters of the automatic welding trolley.

[0099] During welding, first adjust the posture of the automatic welding trolley 1a, that is, place the automatic welding trolley 1a on a horizontal plane parallel to the weld 4.

[0100] Embodiment 5

[0101] This embodiment provides an operation procedure for an automatic welding device:

[0102] 1. Automatic tracking trolley posture adjustment: Place the automatic tracking trolley on a horizontal plane parallel to the weld;

[0103] 2. Power on: Connect the power supply. The power supply of the automatic tracking trolley is a three-hole AC220V plug;

[0104] 3. Inspection: After connecting the power supply, check whether the measuring laser and camera indicator lights are operating normally;

[0105] 4. Start homing: After determining that the indicator light is normal, press and hold the stop button for 2 seconds. Pressing and holding the stop button for 2 seconds is to start the steering component to home. After the homing is successfully completed, the stop button indicator light is always on;

[0106] 5. Laser sensor adjustment: Adjust the laser sensor to the weld through the mechanical knob and make the weld in the middle or within the detection range of the laser (the detection range is ±30mm from the center point of the laser);

[0107] 6. Contact tip adjustment: Adjust the contact tip to the center position of the weld or the position to be welded;

[0108] 7. Start automatic tracking: Press the start button to start automatic tracking. During the operation of automatic tracking, the start button indicator light is always on. After automatic tracking is started, the external devices also start accordingly, including the purging device, the flux recovery machine, and the external rotating mechanism 23;

[0109] 8. Adjustment during operation: During operation, adjusting the laser left and right can adjust the position of the contact tip, and the direction is the opposite of the direction in which the contact tip needs to move;

[0110] 9. Stop automatic tracking: During operation, press the stop button to stop automatic tracking. The start button indicator light goes out. After automatic tracking stops, the external devices also stop accordingly;

[0111] 10. Power off: After automatic tracking stops, the power supply can be disconnected. It is strictly prohibited to disconnect the power supply during the operation of the automatic tracking trolley.

[0112] It should be noted that the trolley described in all embodiments of this application document is an automatic welding trolley. The automatic welding trolley itself does not carry welding components and can only perform welding when welding components are installed to become an automatic welding device. Therefore, this automatic welding trolley can also be called an automatic tracking trolley.

[0113] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, and improvements made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic welding device, characterized in that, it includes an automatic welding trolley (1a), the automatic welding trolley includes a traveling component (5) for controlling the traveling of the trolley, and a steering component (3) for controlling the steering of the trolley. The steering component (3) includes a linear module (32) installed with a moving slider (31). A power source (33) is provided on the linear module (32), and the power source (33) controls the moving slider (31) to move back and forth along the linear module (32). The moving slider (31) is connected to a in-situ steering mechanism (35) through a linkage mechanism (34). The in-situ steering mechanism (35) includes a steering wheel (351) and a bearing (352), and the bearing (352) is located directly above the steering wheel (351); a weld detection component (1) and a welding component for automatically welding a weld (4) are installed on the automatic welding trolley (1a). The weld detection component (1) is used to detect weld information. The welding component is correspondingly arranged on the path where the weld detection component (1) detects the weld (4). The welding component includes a welding controller (8). The welding controller (8) is communicatively connected to the weld detection component (1). The welding controller (8) controls the steering component (3) and the traveling component (5) through the received weld information, so that the automatic welding trolley (1a) travels and tracks along the weld (4); the welding component is used to automatically weld the weld (4); the welding component further includes a wireless data transmission module for transmitting control data to the control system of an external rotating mechanism. The control data includes the angle between the automatic welding device and the horizontal plane. The external rotating mechanism is used to drive the workpiece to rotate. The rotation speed of the workpiece is adjusted and matched according to the change of the angle to achieve speed synchronization between the trolley and the rotating mechanism, and the automatic welding trolley is controlled to always be in the flat welding state through the welding controller and / or the control system of the external rotating mechanism.

2. The automatic welding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the traveling component (5) and the steering component (3) are independently arranged. The traveling component (5) includes traveling wheels (52) connected in the middle by a transmission shaft (51), and a reduction motor (53) for driving the traveling wheels (52) to travel. A transmission gear (54) meshing with the reduction motor (53) is installed on the transmission shaft (51). A clutch (55) for controlling the power disengagement between the transmission shaft (51) and the reduction motor (53) is further provided on the transmission shaft 51.

3. The automatic welding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the power source (33) is a stepping motor or a servo motor or a DC motor or a hydraulic motor.

4. The automatic welding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the welding component is installed at a position close to the traveling component (5).

5. The automatic welding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The weld detection component (1) includes an industrial camera (101), a laser (102), and an industrial computer. The laser (102) is arranged obliquely deviating from the normal line of the surface of the workpiece to be welded (2). The industrial camera (101) is used to obtain the light information of the laser (102) irradiated on the weld (4). The industrial computer obtains the weld information based on the light information and transmits the weld information to the welding controller (8).

6. The automatic welding device according to claim 1, wherein, a closed-loop stepper controller is provided on the steering component (3), and the welding controller (8) is communicatively connected to the closed-loop stepper controller.

7. The automatic welding device according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein, the welding component is mounted on the automatic welding trolley (1a) through a vertical connecting member (19), and a lateral adjustment mechanism (20) for adjusting the lateral position of the welding component on the trolley is provided on the vertical connecting member (19).

8. An automatic welding equipment applied to the welding of circular welds, wherein, it includes the automatic welding device (1A) according to any one of claims 1-7, and the automatic welding device (1A) is arranged inside or outside the circular weld formed by splicing the arc-shaped workpieces to be welded (2).

9. The automatic welding equipment applied to the welding of circular welds according to claim 8, wherein, the automatic welding device (1A) further includes a flux recovery machine and a purging device. The flux recovery machine includes an absorption pipe (7) with a negative pressure suction port. The absorption pipe (7) is connected to a negative pressure device, and the negative pressure suction port of the absorption pipe (7) is arranged on the weld path after welding of the automatic welding device (1A). The purging device includes a blow pipe (6) mounted on the automatic welding trolley (1a). The blow pipe (6) is connected to an external air source, and a pneumatic solenoid valve (15) for controlling its opening and closing is connected to the blow pipe (6).

10. A control method for an automatic welding device, wherein, when welding is performed using the automatic welding device (1A) according to any one of claims 1-7 above, it includes the following control steps: a. Weld information detection, detecting the weld position information through the weld detection component (1); b. Weld position information exchange, the weld detection component (1) transmits the weld position information to the welding controller (8); c. Angle adjustment of the automatic welding trolley (1a), the welding controller (8) controls the power source (33) of the automatic welding trolley (1a) to drive the linear module (32) to work. The moving slider (31) drives the link mechanism (34), and the link mechanism (34) drives the in-situ steering mechanism (35) to rotate the automatic welding trolley (1a) by a set angle, so as to realize the control of the steering angle of the automatic welding trolley (1a); d. The automatic welding trolley (1a) automatically welds the weld (4) through the welding component.

11. The control method for the automatic welding device according to claim 10, wherein, The welding controller (8) adopts a PLC programmable controller. Before step c adjusts the angle of the automatic welding trolley (1a), it further includes step c': calculating the forward angle of the automatic welding trolley (1a). The PLC programmable controller starts a zeroing operation on the steering component (3) to match the zero position information in the steering component (3) and the PLC programmable controller. During operation, the angle of the automatic welding trolley (1a) is calculated through the PID module of the PLC programmable controller. The PID module records the offset position information given by the current weld seam detection component (1) when the automatic welding trolley (1a) starts. This offset position information is the target value for PID module adjustment. The real-time weld seam offset information during the forward movement of the automatic welding trolley (1a) is the input feedback value for PID module adjustment. The value calculated inside the PID module is the output value, and the output value is used to adjust the steering angle of the steering component (3) of the automatic welding trolley (1a).

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