Method, control device, welding system and storage medium for controlling electroslag welding or electro-gas welding

Abstract

The coefficient information is determined based on a parameter specified for a project included in construction information of the project including a welding method and a welding material, the projects of welding conditions in welding include at least a welding current, a wire feeding speed, and a projection length, a reference value for a project of the welding conditions that is not specified is calculated based on a set value specified for at least two of the projects of the welding conditions and the determined coefficient information, and a control amount for the project of the welding conditions that is not specified is calculated based on the reference value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to control methods, control devices, welding systems, and procedures for electroslag welding or gas welding. Background Technology

[0002] Vertical welding is frequently used in the construction of structures in shipbuilding and industrial machinery. This vertical welding typically employs electric arc welding (hereafter referred to as EGW) or electroslag welding (hereafter referred to as ESW), and automation has been steadily advancing.

[0003] Regarding the automation of EGW (Electrical Wire Welding), Patent Document 1 discloses a method for controlling the movement of the welding head while achieving a wide range of applications. In Patent Document 1, the feed speed of the welding wire and the welding current, which varies accordingly with the change in wire elongation, are detected, and the movement speed of the welding head is controlled using these two detected values. Thus, control is achieved in a manner that keeps the wire elongation approximately constant.

[0004] Furthermore, regarding the automation of ESW, Patent Document 2 illustrates a structure for electroslag welding using a sliding pressure plate that maintains the slag bath depth at a preset depth while performing welding and ensuring a healthy penetration depth, thus preventing deterioration of the mechanical properties of the weld metal. In Patent Document 2, the flux is supplied in an electroslag welding manner such that the length of the welding wire from the tip of the contact nozzle to the slag bath is a preset length. Furthermore, the travel speed of the traveling trolley carrying the welding torch and the sliding pressure plate is adjusted so that the welding current is in a preset relationship with a reference current value. Thus, welding is performed while maintaining the slag bath depth at a preset depth.

[0005] Existing technical documents

[0006] Patent documents

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 50-137351

[0008] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2016-215214 Summary of the Invention

[0009] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0010] Each welding method, EGW and ESW, has its own advantages, and it is desirable to use them differently depending on the situation. For example, EGW can achieve high efficiency. On the other hand, ESW has excellent welding workability in terms of fumes and sputtering. However, EGW and ESW have different controls, so it is difficult to apply the control method of Patent Document 1 to ESW, and other devices are needed to differentiate the use of EGW and ESW.

[0011] Furthermore, in Patent Document 1, the function of welding current and protrusion length is calculated when the protrusion length is set constant. In this case, the constant needs to be adjusted individually each time the protrusion length is changed. Similarly, in Patent Document 2, the function is determined by setting the wire feed speed constant; like Patent Document 1, the control formula needs to be adjusted according to the application. Therefore, in Patent Documents 1 and 2, for example, when various welding conditions need to be changed by altering the plate thickness during welding, optimal automatic control cannot be achieved, and universal utilization corresponding to various conditions cannot be realized. Thus, adjusting the control formula and switching welding methods takes time, reducing work efficiency. In addition, since it is difficult to automatically change appropriate welding conditions during welding, welding cannot be performed under appropriate conditions, resulting in adverse effects such as reduced weld quality.

[0012] The purpose of this invention is to provide a welding method applicable to both EGW and ESW in a single device, as well as a versatile control method applicable under various welding conditions.

[0013] Solution for solving the problem

[0014] To address the aforementioned issues, the present invention has the following structure.

[0015] That is, a control method for electroslag welding or gas welding, which has the following characteristics:

[0016] The process is determined by a database obtained based on the correspondence between construction information and coefficient information, and by parameters specified for the items included in the construction information. The coefficient information includes items such as welding methods and welding materials. The coefficient information is associated with the construction information and includes at least two coefficients.

[0017] The first calculation process, which considers welding conditions in welding as including at least welding current, wire feed rate, and lead-out length, calculates a reference value for any unspecified item among the welding conditions based on at least two specified set values ​​for these welding conditions and coefficient information determined in the decision process; and

[0018] The second calculation process involves calculating, based on the reference value, the control quantity for the unspecified items in the welding conditions.

[0019] In addition, the following structure is provided as another aspect of the invention of this application.

[0020] That is, a control device for electroslag welding or gas welding, which has:

[0021] The database is obtained by establishing a correspondence between construction information and coefficient information. The construction information includes items such as welding methods and welding materials. The coefficient information is associated with the construction information and includes at least two coefficients.

[0022] The decision-making body determines the coefficient information based on the parameters specified for the project included in the construction information and the database.

[0023] The first calculating mechanism, whose welding conditions include at least welding current, wire feed rate, and protrusion length, calculates a reference value for any unspecified item among the welding conditions based on at least two specified set values ​​for these welding conditions and coefficient information determined by the determining mechanism; and

[0024] The second calculating mechanism calculates the control quantity for unspecified items in the items for the welding conditions based on the reference value.

[0025] In addition, the following structure is provided as another aspect of the invention of this application.

[0026] That is, a welding system comprising:

[0027] Control device;

[0028] Welding equipment; and

[0029] Welding power source

[0030] The control device has:

[0031] The database is obtained by establishing a correspondence between construction information and coefficient information. The construction information includes items such as welding methods and welding materials. The coefficient information is associated with the construction information and includes at least two coefficients.

[0032] The decision-making body determines the coefficient information based on the parameters specified for the project included in the construction information and the database.

[0033] The first calculating mechanism calculates a reference value for an unspecified item in the welding conditions based on at least two specified set values ​​for the welding conditions and coefficient information determined by the determining mechanism.

[0034] The second calculating mechanism calculates the control quantity for unspecified items in the items for the welding conditions based on the reference value.

[0035] In addition, the following structure is provided as another aspect of the invention of this application.

[0036] That is, a program that causes a computer to perform the following steps:

[0037] The process is determined by a database obtained based on the correspondence between construction information and coefficient information, and by parameters specified for the items included in the construction information. The coefficient information includes items such as welding methods and welding materials. The coefficient information is associated with the construction information and includes at least two coefficients.

[0038] The first calculation process, which considers welding conditions in welding as including at least welding current, wire feed rate, and lead-out length, calculates a reference value for any unspecified item among the welding conditions based on at least two specified set values ​​for these welding conditions and coefficient information determined in the decision process; and

[0039] The second calculation process involves calculating, based on the reference value, the control quantity for the unspecified items in the welding conditions.

[0040] Invention Effects

[0041] According to the present invention, welding methods for both EGW and ESW can be applied in one device, and universal control can be achieved that can be applied under various welding conditions. Attached Figure Description

[0042] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a structural example of a welding system according to one embodiment of the invention of this application.

[0043] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a structural example of a welding apparatus using electroslag welding according to an embodiment of the invention of this application.

[0044] Figure 3 This is a perspective view showing an example of the structure of a sliding copper pressure plate for welding according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 4 This is a block diagram illustrating the functional structure of the traveling trolley control unit according to one embodiment of the invention of this application.

[0046] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the structure of a database according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] Figure 6 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of data flow in the control unit of a traveling trolley according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of the control processing of the traveling trolley control unit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] Figure 8 This is a block diagram illustrating another example of the data flow of a traveling trolley control unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0050] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present application will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described below are for illustrating one embodiment of the invention and are not intended to limit the interpretation of the invention. Furthermore, the structures described in each embodiment are not necessarily all necessary to solve the problems of the present invention. In addition, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to indicate the correspondence of the same constituent elements.

[0051] <First Implementation>

[0052] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that this embodiment is an example of a welding apparatus applicable to both ESW and EGW used in vertical welding, and the control method of the present invention is not limited to the structure of this embodiment described below. Furthermore, this embodiment mainly describes ESW; the differences in control between ESW and EGW will be described later.

[0053] [Overview of the Welding System]

[0054] An overall overview of the welding system 500 used in the control method of this embodiment will be described. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing a structural example of the welding system 500 according to this embodiment. The welding system 500 is configured to include a welding apparatus 100, a welding power source 200, a welding wire feed device 300, and an operation box 400. The welding apparatus 100 is connected to other devices via various cables such as power cables and signal cables.

[0055] (Welding equipment)

[0056] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the structure surrounding the welding apparatus 100 of this embodiment. In this embodiment, an electroslag welding apparatus using ESW will be used as an example for description as the welding apparatus 100.

[0057] exist Figure 2The diagram shows a coordinate system consisting of the X, Y, and Z axes. It should be noted that in the following explanation, the axes shown in each figure will be used as their corresponding axes. Arrow Z represents the direction along the weld line of the base material 3, i.e., the up-down direction; arrow X represents the thickness direction of the base material 3; and arrow Y represents the direction of the pair of base materials arranged, i.e., the horizontal direction along the surface of the base material 3. Therefore, "up" is defined relative to... Figure 2 The top and bottom of the paper are set relative to... Figure 2 The bottom side of the paper. Additionally, the front is set relative to... Figure 2 The left side of the paper, with the back set relative to... Figure 2 The right side of the paper. Furthermore, assuming the welding sliding copper pressure plate 30 is positioned on the surface of the base material 3, arrow Z represents the length direction of the welding sliding copper pressure plate 30, i.e., the length direction of the pressure plate main body. Arrow X represents the thickness direction of the welding sliding copper pressure plate 30, i.e., the thickness direction of the pressure plate main body. Arrow Y represents the width direction of the welding sliding copper pressure plate 30, i.e., the width direction of the pressure plate main body.

[0058] like Figure 2 As shown, the welding apparatus 100 of this embodiment includes a fixed copper pressure plate 1, a sliding copper pressure plate 30 for welding, a welding torch 4, a molten slag bath detector 13, a flux supply device 14, a flux supply control device 15, a traveling trolley 16, and a traveling trolley control device 17. Furthermore, although in Figure 2 Although not shown in the figure, the welding device 100 includes front-to-back and left-to-right sliding members mounted on the traveling trolley 16, a sliding member for the welding sliding copper pressure plate 30, and a travel guide rail. It should be noted that "front-to-back" refers to the X-axis direction, and "left-to-right" refers to the Y-axis direction. These sliding members are preferably electrically movable using a motor or the like (not shown), but are not particularly limited to electrically movable; they can also be manually operated.

[0059] In the welding apparatus 100, a fixed copper pressure plate 1 is disposed on the back side of the bevel of a pair of base materials 3, which are steel plates, and a sliding copper pressure plate 30 for welding is disposed on the surface side of the bevel. Alternatively, a backing material made of heat-resistant ceramic can be used instead of the copper pressure plate 1 on the back side. Furthermore, the sliding copper pressure plate 30 for welding on the surface side is a copper pressure plate that slides in the vertical direction and is cooled, for example, by water cooling. It should be noted that in this embodiment, copper is cited as the material for the sliding copper pressure plate 30 for welding, but it is not limited to copper; the material used for the pressure plate is not particularly limited as long as it is a material with generally good thermal conductivity. In this embodiment, for convenience, the side with the fixed copper pressure plate 1 is designated as the "back side of the bevel," and the side with the sliding copper pressure plate 30 for welding is designated as the "surface side of the bevel," but it is also possible to arrange the sliding copper pressure plates 30 for welding on both sides of the bevel.

[0060] The welding torch 4 uses the welding current 8 supplied from the welding power source 200 to power the welding wire 6 to weld the base material 3. In addition, the welding torch 4 has a conductive tip 5, which guides the welding wire 6 and supplies the welding current 8 to the welding wire 6.

[0061] The welding wire 6 is fed from the tip of the contact nozzle 5 of the welding torch 4 into the groove surrounded by the base metal 3, the copper pressure plate 1, and the welding sliding copper pressure plate 30, and into the molten slag bath 7 formed within the groove. The welding current 8 flows from the welding wire 6 through the molten slag bath 7 into the molten metal 9. At this time, Joule heating is generated due to the welding current 8 flowing in the molten slag bath 7 and the resistance of the molten slag bath 7, melting the welding wire 6 and the base metal 3 while advancing the welding process.

[0062] The molten slag bath detector 13 detects the position of the molten slag bath 7. Regarding the operation example of the molten slag bath detector 13, using… Figure 3 As will be described later. The flux supply device 14 supplies flux 12 to the molten slag bath 7. The flux 12 melts and becomes molten slag, thus increasing the amount of molten slag bath 7 by supplying flux 12.

[0063] The flux supply control device 15 controls the operation of the flux supply device 14 and adjusts the amount of flux 12 supplied to the molten solder bath 7. When the molten solder bath detector 13 does not detect the molten solder bath 7, i.e., when the detection terminal 18 of the molten solder bath detector 13, located on the upper part of the welding sliding copper pressure plate 30 in this embodiment, is not in contact with the upper surface of the molten solder bath 7, the flux supply control device 15 controls the flux supply device 14 to supply flux 12. On the other hand, when the detection terminal 18 detects the molten solder bath 7, i.e., when the detection terminal 18 is in contact with the upper surface of the molten solder bath 7, the flux supply control device 15 controls the flux supply device 14 to stop the supply of flux 12. Thus, the flux supply device 14 supplies flux 12 based on the detection result of the molten solder bath detector 13 and adjusts the depth of the molten solder bath 7.

[0064] As welding progresses, the molten metal 9 is cooled to become the weld metal 10, and a portion of the molten slag bath 7 becomes a molten slag layer formed between the copper pressure plate 1 and the weld metal 10, and between the welding sliding copper pressure plate 30 and the weld metal 10. This molten slag layer is cooled to become solidified slag 11. Thus, a portion of the molten slag bath 7 becomes solidified slag 11 covering the weld surface, and is therefore consumed as welding progresses, with the depth Ls of the molten slag bath 7 gradually decreasing. To compensate for this reduction in the molten slag bath 7, additional flux 12 that has molten to become the molten slag bath 7 needs to be supplied.

[0065] The amount of solidified slag 11 covering the weld surface varies depending on the weld width and the width of the weld bevel. Furthermore, the amount of solidified slag 11 also varies depending on the tightness of contact between the copper pressure plate 1, the welding sliding copper pressure plate 30, and the workpiece (hereinafter also referred to as the welded part or base material), as well as the cooling state of the copper pressure plate 1 and the welding sliding copper pressure plate 30. Therefore, the amount of solidified slag 11 is not constant, and in order to maintain a constant depth Ls of the molten slag bath 7, the amount of flux 12 supplied also needs to vary. However, if the amount of flux 12 supplied is inappropriate due to a lack of understanding of the depth Ls of the molten slag bath 7, the depth Ls of the molten slag bath 7 will vary.

[0066] In this embodiment, control is performed to keep the depth Ls of the molten solder bath 7 constant. Here, "constant" is not limited to the case where the depth Ls of the molten solder bath 7 always remains a single value, but also includes the case where the depth Ls of the molten solder bath 7 represents a value within a constant range, taking into account errors. That is, the depth Ls of the molten solder bath 7 is controlled to be maintained within a predetermined depth range.

[0067] The first requirement for keeping the depth Ls of the molten slag bath 7 constant is that the wire length Ld (hereinafter referred to as the dry extension Ld) from the tip of the contact nozzle 5 to the upper surface of the molten slag bath 7 is controlled to a predetermined length. The second requirement for keeping the depth Ls of the molten slag bath 7 constant is that the traveling carriage control device 17 controls the travel speed of the traveling carriage 16 in a predetermined relationship between the welding current 8 and a reference current value determined according to the wire feed speed, i.e., the reference current value is equal to the welding current 8. At the same wire feed speed, (Ld + Ls) is related to the welding current 8. By controlling the travel speed of the traveling carriage 16 by the traveling carriage control device 17 to make the reference current value equal to the welding current 8, (Ld + Ls) is kept constant.

[0068] It should be noted that the control of the wire extension Ld can be achieved by detecting the molten slag bath 7 using the molten slag bath detector 13. Furthermore, in the above description, the wire extension Ld is defined as the distance from the upper surface of the molten slag bath 7 to the tip of the contact tip 5, but this is based on the premise that the tip of the contact tip 5 is typically the energized position between the welding wire 6 and the contact tip 5. For example, if the tip of the contact tip 5 is protected by ceramic or the like, and the energized portion between the welding wire 6 and the contact tip 5 is located above the tip of the contact tip 5, the position of this energized portion becomes the reference for determining the wire extension Ld.

[0069] It should be noted that in the case of EGW, there is no molten slag bath 7, so the protrusion length (elongation) becomes the distance between the energized position of the welding wire and the contact tip and the surface of the molten metal.

[0070] Furthermore, when the welding torch 4 is oscillating (hereinafter also referred to as oscillation), the distribution of welding voltage on the surface of the molten slag bath 7 varies depending on the position of the welding torch 4 during oscillation. For example, it is conceivable that the welding torch 4 oscillates along the X-axis direction. In such a configuration, to further improve detection accuracy, it is preferable to detect the welding voltage only when the welding torch 4 is near the molten slag bath detector 13. Here, "near" is, for example, defined in advance as a range where the distance between the contact position of the welding wire 6 and the molten slag bath 7 and the detection terminal 18 of the molten slag bath detector 13 is closer than 1 / 4 of the overall oscillation length in the X-axis direction. More preferably, the voltage at the position closest to the contact position of the welding wire 6 and the molten slag bath 7 and the molten slag bath detector 13 is detected only. In addition, a threshold value for the welding voltage is set to a preset value. Furthermore, the amount of flux 12 supplied is preferably set according to the oscillation length, and more preferably, the greater the oscillation length, the greater the amount of flux 12 supplied. By controlling the amount of flux 12 supplied in this way, the depth Ls of the molten slag bath 7 can be controlled more accurately and effectively.

[0071] (Traveling trolley)

[0072] The traveling trolley 16 is equipped with a welding sliding copper pressure plate 30, a welding torch 4, a molten slag bath detector 13, a flux supply device 14, a flux supply control device 15, a traveling trolley control device 17, and a lifting drive unit 19. The traveling trolley 16 moves upwards (in the direction of arrow Z) on a guide rail (not shown) during welding, thereby raising and lowering the welding apparatus 100. That is, the traveling trolley 16 moves as a single unit with the welding sliding copper pressure plate 30, welding torch 4, molten slag bath detector 13, flux supply device 14, flux supply control device 15, traveling trolley control device 17, and lifting drive unit 19, so their relative positions do not change. Vertical welding is performed upwards by raising the traveling trolley 16.

[0073] The traveling carriage control device 17 controls the lifting drive unit 19 of the traveling carriage 16 to increase or decrease the traveling speed (hereinafter also referred to as lifting speed or ascending speed) of the traveling carriage 16, thereby controlling the movement of the traveling carriage 16. The flux supply control device 15 outputs a control quantity to the flux supply device 14 according to the detection value detected from the molten solder bath detector 13, thereby controlling the flux supply quantity. The lifting drive unit 19 drives the traveling carriage 16 based on the control signal from the traveling carriage control device 17.

[0074] (Sliding copper pressure plate for welding)

[0075] The welding sliding copper pressure plate 30 is disposed on one side of the welding part of the workpiece, i.e., the bevel surface, and slides on the bevel surface in response to the lifting and lowering movement of the welding apparatus 100. In addition, the welding sliding copper pressure plate 30 of this embodiment has a cooling mechanism for water cooling.

[0076] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the welding sliding copper pressure plate 30 according to this embodiment. The welding sliding copper pressure plate 30 may also include, in addition to the pressure plate main body 40, a portion of... Figure 3 A pair of slag leakage prevention parts 60 as shown. Additionally, the pressure plate main body 40 may also have... Figure 3 The base 41 is shown, and a pair of rotating members 31 are rotatably held in the base 41. A pair of slag leakage prevention parts 60 are provided on both sides of the pressure plate body 40 to prevent leakage of molten slag or molten metal in the joint portion where there is a difference in plate thickness in the welding line direction.

[0077] An insulating member 48 and a detection terminal 18 of a molten weld slag bath detector 13 are disposed on the upper part of the recess 43. A portion of a water-cooling path (not shown) for allowing cooling water to flow is formed inside the base 41 of the pressure plate body 40. By utilizing the water-cooling path to cool the rotating member 31, the pressure plate body 40, and the weld slag leakage prevention part 60, molten weld slag or molten metal is fixed, and leakage of molten weld slag or molten metal from between the base material 3 and the welding sliding copper pressure plate 30 is suppressed.

[0078] The slag leakage prevention unit 60 includes a plurality of generally cuboid blocks 64 arranged in a slidably contactable manner along the vertical direction of the weld bevel. It should be noted that... Figure 3 In the structural example shown, there are six blocks 64. Each of the blocks 64 is pressed in a direction that abuts against or approaches the base material 3 by the elastic force of a force-applying member (not shown). By sliding the welding sliding copper pressure plate 30 along the welding line, each block 64 follows the surface shape of the base material 3 and moves in the thickness direction, i.e., the X direction, which is perpendicular to the length direction of the pressure plate body 40.

[0079] As in this embodiment, by dividing the block 64 into multiple parts in the slag leakage prevention section 60, the gap between the base material 3 and the movable member 61 can be reduced when passing through the joint portion with a difference in plate thickness in the vertical direction, thereby more reliably preventing the leakage of molten slag. Furthermore, the portion constituting the slag leakage prevention section 60 can also be made of a metal material with good thermal conductivity. It should be noted that copper and stainless steel are examples of metal materials with good thermal conductivity. In addition, to further improve the cooling effect, it is preferable to provide a water cooling path inside the pressure plate main body 40 near the slag leakage prevention section 60.

[0080] (Molten weld slag bath detector)

[0081] In this embodiment, the sliding copper pressure plate 30 for welding is integrated with the detection terminal 18, which is part of the structure of the molten solder bath detector 13. The molten solder bath detector 13 is used to detect the position of the molten solder bath 7.

[0082] The molten weld slag bath detector 13 of this embodiment has a detection terminal 18 and a detection circuit (not shown). The detection terminal 18 is made of copper or a copper alloy, which is a metal with high electrical conductivity, and has a block shape. The detection terminal 18 is insulated from the base 41 of the sliding copper plate 30 for welding. The insulation method here can be simply providing a space between the detection terminal 18 and the base 41 of the sliding copper plate 30 for welding, or it can be using a high-resistivity material such as ceramic to separate the detection terminal 18 from the base 41 of the sliding copper plate 30 for welding. Figure 3 In the structural example shown, insulating member 48 is used to insulate the detection terminal 18 from the welding sliding copper pressure plate 30.

[0083] Furthermore, the detection terminal 18 is more preferably equipped with a cooling mechanism such as water cooling. In the case where the detection terminal 18 is separated from the base 41 of the soldering sliding copper pressure plate 30 by an insulating member 48 such as ceramic, the cooling function of the soldering sliding copper pressure plate 30 also reaches the detection terminal 18 via the insulating member 48. Therefore, in such a mechanism, it is unnecessary for the detection terminal 18 to have its own water cooling mechanism. With this structure, the cooling mechanism can be omitted, thus achieving a lighter device and reduced device cost, which is even more preferable.

[0084] Furthermore, if a space is only provided between the detection terminal 18 and the base 41 of the sliding copper plate 30 for welding, weld slag can enter this space, causing false detections and requiring cleaning after the weld slag has solidified. Therefore, as an insulation method, it is preferable to use an insulating member 48 to separate the detection terminal 18 from the base 41 of the sliding copper plate 30 for welding. It should be noted that the detection terminal 18 may not be integrated with the sliding copper plate 30 for welding. In addition, as the detection terminal 18, for example, a visual sensor or a laser sensor can be used to detect the position of the molten weld slag.

[0085] The detection circuit (not shown) included in the molten slag bath detector 13 is configured to include, for example, a differential amplifier, a reference signal setter, and a comparator. When the detection terminal 18 comes into contact with the molten slag bath 7, the voltage applied by a portion of the welding current 8 changes. The differential amplifier amplifies this potential difference by taking the voltage applied to the detection terminal 18 and the frame GND of the welding apparatus 100 as inputs. It should be noted that the input for calculating the potential difference can also be between the detection terminal 18 and the welding sliding copper pressure plate 30, or between the detection terminal 18 and the workpiece. Since the welding sliding copper pressure plate 30 may have a potential to ground due to contact with the molten slag bath 7, from the viewpoint of the accuracy of the potential difference detection signal, it is more preferable to input the potential difference between the detection terminal 18 and the frame GND of the apparatus.

[0086] The reference signal setter outputs a voltage as a reference signal, which is a predetermined proportion of the potential difference between the detection terminal 18 and the device's frame GND. This reference signal is preferably a voltage that will not be falsely detected due to noise, for example, set within the range of 40% to 60% of the voltage detected when the detection terminal 18 is in contact with the molten solder bath 7. For example, if the voltage applied when the detection terminal 18 is in contact with the molten solder bath 7 is 6V, then a potential difference of 3V is set as the reference signal when the predetermined proportion is set to 50%. It should be noted that when the detection terminal 18 is not in contact with the molten solder bath 7, the potential difference between the detection terminal 18 and the device's frame GND is, of course, 0V.

[0087] It should be noted that, as described above, when the welding torch 4 oscillates, the detected potential difference varies depending on the position of the welding torch 4, i.e., the contact position between the welding wire 6 and the molten slag bath 7, and the distance between the welding torch 4 and the detection terminal 18 of the molten slag bath detector 13. Therefore, the output of the reference signal using the reference signal setter can also vary according to the position of the welding torch 4. On the other hand, when the welding torch 4 does not oscillate, a pre-set fixed potential difference value can be used as the reference signal, and the reference signal setter can be omitted.

[0088] When the comparator takes the output signal of the differential amplifier and the reference signal of the reference signal setter as inputs, and the output signal of the differential amplifier is greater than the reference signal of the reference signal setter, it generates a detection signal indicating that the detection terminal 18 is in contact with the molten solder bath 7. The generated detection signal is input to the flux supply control device 15. The flux supply control device 15 outputs a control signal to the flux supply device 14 based on the input detection signal. The flux supply device 14 supplies and stops flux based on the control signal input from the flux supply control device 15. Thus, the upper surface of the molten solder bath 7 is controlled to be at a predetermined length from the front end of the contact nozzle 5, and the dry extension Ld is controlled to a predetermined length.

[0089] Additionally, the detection signal generated by the comparator is also input to the traveling carriage control device 17. Based on the detection signal, the traveling carriage control device 17 outputs a control signal for controlling the travel of the traveling carriage 16. It should be noted that the traveling carriage control device 17 can also accept the control signal generated by the flux supply control device 15 instead of the detection signal generated by the comparator. That is, the traveling carriage control device 17 can also derive the control signal for controlling the traveling carriage 16 based on the control signal derived by the flux supply control device 15 from the detection signal generated by the comparator.

[0090] Alternatively, in the detection circuit, a filter circuit can be installed after the differential amplifier to prevent false detections and improve the accuracy of the detection signal. In this case, the determination of whether molten weld slag bath 7 is detected is based on the signal processed by the filter circuit. The filter circuit is preferably a low-pass filter circuit with a time constant selected from the range of 1 / 2 to 2 times the oscillation period of the welding torch 4.

[0091] (Welding power source and wire feeding device)

[0092] The welding power source 200 is connected to the welding apparatus 100 via a power cable (not shown) in a manner that allows it to supply power to the welding wire 6, which serves as a consumable electrode. Furthermore, the welding power source 200 is connected to the workpiece via a power cable (not shown). It should be noted that the interface between the welding power source 200 and the welding apparatus 100 can also be a relay box (not shown). The relay box can also house various control cables for power supply to the traveling carriage 16, emergency stop switches, etc. By providing a relay box, for example, cable removal becomes easier, which helps to improve the efficiency of the welding operation. Additionally, a mechanism for storing removable memory such as an SD card can be provided in the relay box, allowing welding records such as welding current and arc voltage to be written into the memory. Furthermore, the welding power source 200 is connected directly or via the relay box to the welding wire feed device 300 for feeding the welding wire 6 via a signal line, enabling control of the feeding speed of the welding wire 6.

[0093] (Control box)

[0094] The control box 400 outputs various commands to the welding apparatus 100 based on operations performed by the operator. Items operable in the control box 400 may include, for example, welding method, welding materials, welding current, arc voltage, wire feed speed, and protrusion length. The control box 400 has a user interface (UI) for inputting operable items. Furthermore, it may also be a structure that allows monitoring of welding current, arc voltage, etc., using the control box 400.

[0095] In this embodiment, a structure is shown that includes a control device within the welding apparatus 100 for performing various processes of this embodiment. However, it is also possible to have a structure in which the control device for performing some or all of the processes of the welding apparatus 100 described above is provided separately from the welding apparatus 100. In this case, the control device may also be connected to the welding system 500 or the welding apparatus 100 via a wired / wireless network (not shown).

[0096] The control device, which is separately provided from the welding apparatus 100, can be implemented, for example, by an information processing device comprising a control unit, a storage unit, and an input / output unit (not shown). The control unit can be composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro Processing Unit), DSP (Digital Single Processor), or dedicated circuitry. The storage unit is composed of temporary and non-temporary storage media such as HDD (Hard Disk Drive), ROM (Read Only Memory), and RAM (Random Access Memory), and can perform various information input and output according to instructions from the control unit. The input / output unit can input various information from external sources and output various information to external sources. The input / output unit is, for example, composed of a display device such as a liquid crystal display, and outputs various information to the operator according to instructions from the control unit. The output method performed by the input / output unit is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, auditory output based on sound or visual notification based on screen output. Furthermore, the input / output unit can be a network interface with communication capabilities, or it can perform output operations by sending data to an external device (not shown) via a network (not shown).

[0097] [Problems with previous technologies]

[0098] Here, we will explain the problems with conventional techniques. Previously, ESW or EGW kept the protrusion length or feed rate settings constant and controlled the rise speed based on the difference between the detected welding current and the preset target value of the welding current, thereby stabilizing the welding operation. However, depending on the welding method (such as ESW or EGW) or welding conditions such as the wire composition, wire diameter, plate thickness, and groove shape, appropriate welding conditions such as welding current, protrusion length, and feed rate will vary. Therefore, in conventional control methods as described above, various melt rate formulas must be constructed according to these conditions.

[0099] Furthermore, conventional methods require obtaining a difference between the welding current and a pre-set reference value, while the weld penetration depth or weld length is fixed. Since the welding current is variable, the heat energy changes depending on the welding position, and consequently, the weld penetration depth also varies. Therefore, even with a fixed weld penetration depth or weld length, welding defects such as poor fusion can still occur depending on the situation. In other words, conventional methods, which rely on maintaining a constant welding current to stabilize heat energy or a constant feed rate to stabilize weld penetration based on welding conditions, cannot provide universal control depending on the specific circumstances. This embodiment aims to solve the aforementioned problems.

[0100] [Functional Structure]

[0101] Figure 4 This diagram illustrates an example of the functional structure of the traveling trolley control device 17 in this embodiment. It should be noted that... Figure 4 Only the parts corresponding to the functions of this embodiment are shown. For the sake of simplicity, parts related to other controls are omitted.

[0102] The traveling trolley control device 17 is configured to include a parameter management unit 441, a reference value calculation unit 442, and a control quantity calculation unit 443. It should be noted that the parameter management unit 441, the reference value calculation unit 442, and the control quantity calculation unit 443 are not limited to the structure of the traveling trolley control device 17. For example, some or all of their functions can be implemented by the operation box 400 or an external information processing device (not shown).

[0103] In this embodiment, the parameter management unit 441 has at least one database (hereinafter also referred to as DB), which is configured to include at least data that establishes a correlation between construction information and coefficient information. Construction information may include, for example, welding methods, welding materials, the configuration of the sliding copper pressure plate, the material of the backing component, the type of shielding gas, the workpiece material, the workpiece plate thickness, and the bevel shape. In this embodiment, at least the items of welding methods and welding materials are included. It should be noted that welding materials may include information on welding wire and flux, which is set to information based on welding wire in EGW and information based on the combination of welding wire and flux in ESW. As for welding wire information in the case of EGW, it may include the type of welding wire (FCW (FluxCored Wire), solid welding wire), composition, wire diameter, etc. Thus, configuring a DB that includes information considering multiple welding methods is preferred from the viewpoint of improving versatility. Furthermore, the coefficient information represents the coefficients involved in the function described later, and in this embodiment, at least two or more coefficients are included.

[0104] Alternatively, the parameter management unit 441 can determine the parameters used in the control quantity calculation unit 443 based on the input construction information and output them to the control quantity calculation unit 443. The parameters here can be, for example, constants such as gain. In this case, the parameter management unit 441 can have a database that establishes a correspondence between the parameters used in the control quantity calculation unit 443 and the construction information 410, and decide whether to output the parameters used in the control quantity calculation unit 443 based on the set values ​​of the construction information. An example of using gain will be described later using equation (2).

[0105] In this embodiment, construction information, including at least the welding method and welding materials, is linked to coefficient information comprising at least two or more coefficients. These at least two coefficients, linked according to the combination of welding method and welding materials, are set to remain constant even when the values ​​of feed rate, welding current, and protrusion length change. Therefore, even with different welding methods and welding conditions, appropriate values ​​are derived for welding conditions such as feed rate, welding current, and protrusion length. Thus, it is unnecessary to manually adjust functions individually based on welding method and welding conditions, or to define separate functions each time, as was done previously. Furthermore, predefined functions can be used to adapt to various welding methods and welding conditions, and stable weld quality can be maintained.

[0106] The reference value calculation unit 442 uses a pre-defined function, taking at least the specified welding condition setting information 420 and information from the parameter management unit 441 as input, to calculate the reference value used in the control quantity calculation unit 443. It should be noted that the function in this embodiment can be pre-defined by the reference value calculation unit 442, or it can be a structure where the corresponding function is read from the storage unit based on the welding method specified as the construction information 410. A specific example of the function used in the reference value calculation unit 442 will be described later as Equation (1).

[0107] The welding condition setting information 420 can include, for example, welding current, feed rate, projection length, arc voltage, and conditions related to oscillation. It should be noted that when specifying the welding current, it can be input simply as amperes (A) or as a current density representing the welding current per unit area. Conditions related to oscillation can include, for example, oscillation length and oscillation period. In this embodiment, at least two of the welding current, feed rate, and projection length are set as welding conditions. The reference value calculated by the reference value calculation unit 442 is derived from any one of the welding conditions based on a predefined function. Therefore, in this embodiment, the reference value is not limited to the welding current as in the past; for example, reference values ​​for other items such as feed rate and projection length can be calculated, enabling highly flexible control.

[0108] The control quantity calculation unit 443 outputs a control quantity based on a preset control formula and table, relative to the reference value output from the reference value calculation unit 442. The control formula and table can be stored in advance by the control quantity calculation unit 443, or it can be a structure where the corresponding control formula and table are read from the storage unit according to specified conditions. Furthermore, the control quantity calculation unit 443 obtains measured values ​​of the actual operation of the lifting drive unit 19, etc., from the measuring unit 430, and this information is also used to calculate the control quantity. For example, PI control (proportional-integral control) can be performed, using the measured values ​​from the measuring unit 430 as feedback. There are no particular limitations on the object controlled by the calculated control quantity. For example, if it is desired to correct the lifting speed, a control quantity can be input to the lifting drive unit 19. If it is desired to control welding conditions such as welding current and arc voltage (welding voltage in the case of ESW), a control quantity can also be input to the welding power source 200. Furthermore, the controlled object does not need to be limited to one; for example, the control quantity calculation unit 443 can also use a control formula to output control quantities for multiple factors such as lifting speed and welding current.

[0109] [Control Methods]

[0110] Regarding the control method of this implementation, taking ESW as an example, based on... Figure 2 The structure shown will be explained. For example, using... Figure 2 As explained, in the welding apparatus 100, a fixed copper pressure plate 1 is provided on one side of the bevel formed by the base material 3, and a sliding copper pressure plate 30 for welding is provided on the other side of the bevel.

[0111] In this embodiment, the welding method and welding materials are used as construction information. Welding current, feed rate, and protrusion length are used as welding conditions. Furthermore, this embodiment focuses on the lifting control of the traveling carriage 16, but the welding power supply 200 and the wire feed device 300 can also be controlled in the same way. Figure 4In this diagram, the lifting drive unit 19, welding power source 200, and welding wire feed device 300 are shown as the destinations for the control quantities output from the traveling trolley control device 17, but the diagram is not limited to these. For example, the control quantity calculation unit 443 could also be configured to output information related to the control quantity to the flux supply control device 15. In this case, the flux supply control device 15 can derive the supply quantity of flux 12 supplied by the flux supply device 14 based on the control quantity received by the control quantity calculation unit 443 and the detection result of the molten slag bath detector 13. More specifically, the supply quantity of flux 12 can be derived by making the protrusion length a value set under welding conditions or a reference value calculated by the reference value calculation unit 442. Furthermore, it is also possible to increase or decrease the control quantity calculated by the calculation unit relative to the reference flux supply quantity based on the bevel cross-sectional area.

[0112] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating the flow of information in this embodiment. The outline structure of each processing unit is shown below. Figure 4 The structures shown are the same.

[0113] The parameter management unit 441 receives the setting values ​​of each input item from the construction information 410 via the operation box 400. Here, the values ​​for welding method 411 and welding material 412 are received respectively. The parameter management unit 441 refers to the stored DB to determine the coefficient information corresponding to the input setting values. Figure 6 In the case of example 410, the example shows that the welding method "ESW" and the welding material "welding wire + flux" are set.

[0114] Figure 5 This diagram illustrates a structural example of the database (DB) managed by the parameter management unit 441 of this embodiment. In the DB, each value of the construction information is maintained in a correspondence with the values ​​of coefficients included in the function used in the reference value calculation unit 442. Here, the function used in the reference value calculation unit 442 includes three coefficients: a, b, and c. In this case, the values ​​corresponding to each coefficient are established as coefficient information and are correlated with the construction information. For example, suppose the construction information is specified via the operation box 400 as the welding method "EGW" and the welding material "welding wire A". In this case, the values ​​of the coefficient information are set as a=a1, b=b1, and c=c1. The set values ​​are output to the reference value calculation unit 442. It should be noted that the number of coefficients is not limited to three; for example, the number can vary depending on the function determined accordingly to the construction information.

[0115] Furthermore, the parameter management unit 441 determines the constants used in the control quantity calculation unit 443 based on the construction information and outputs them to the control quantity calculation unit 443. These constants are also those used in the control quantity calculation unit 443, which establish a correspondence with the construction information and are maintained and managed by the parameter management unit 441. It should be noted that, although in Figure 4 , Figure 6 Although not shown, the constants used in the control quantity calculation unit 443 may also be determined by taking into account the values ​​set by the welding condition setting information 420. In this case, the setting values ​​of the welding condition setting information 420 are also associated with the constants used in the control quantity calculation unit 443, and are maintained and managed by the parameter management unit 441.

[0116] The reference value calculation unit 442 maintains and manages functions used to calculate reference values ​​for welding conditions. These functions determine the reference values ​​for unspecified items among the parameters of multiple welding conditions. For example, when welding current, feed rate, and projection length are used as welding conditions, the reference value for the welding current is calculated based on the operator's specified feed rate and projection length. That is, the various items of the welding conditions are related, and adjustments are made according to the values ​​of each item. It should be noted that this embodiment uses an example of specifying two items out of three welding conditions and calculating the reference values ​​for the remaining unspecified items, but it is not limited to this. For example, it could be a structure that accepts the specification of (N-2) items out of N welding conditions and calculates the reference values ​​for the two unspecified items (N≥4). This varies depending on the definition of the function used in the reference value calculation unit 442. Furthermore, when calculating the reference values ​​for multiple unspecified items, multiple functions can be used as simultaneous equations.

[0117] The reference value calculation unit 442 receives the values ​​of each input item from the welding condition setting information 420 via the operation box 400. Here, welding current, feed rate, and overhang length are taken as the three items, and two of these input items are accepted. In this embodiment, it is described that the feed rate and overhang length of the three welding conditions are accepted. The reference value calculation unit 442 sets the coefficient information received from the parameter management unit 441 into a function for calculating the reference value. Then, the reference value calculation unit 442 inputs the specified feed rate and overhang length values ​​into the function with the set coefficient information, thereby calculating the reference value of the welding current. The calculated reference value is output to the control quantity calculation unit 443.

[0118] The control quantity calculation unit 443 obtains the measured values ​​of the currently controlled welding conditions. Here, in addition to the welding condition items calculated by the reference value calculation unit 442, the measured values ​​of the welding condition items specified by the operator can also be obtained. In this embodiment, at least the measured value of the welding current is obtained. The control quantity calculation unit 443 calculates the control quantity for the lifting drive unit 19 based on the reference value of the welding current received from the reference value calculation unit 442, the constant specified by the parameter management unit 441, and the measured value of the welding current. The control quantity can be calculated using a pre-defined control formula or table. As the control quantity for the lifting drive unit 19, a target value for the lifting speed can be given, but other control values ​​are also possible.

[0119] use Figure 7 The processing flow of this embodiment will be explained. This processing flow can be achieved by reading and executing a program stored in a storage unit (not shown) provided by the traveling carriage control device 17 in this embodiment. For the sake of simplicity, the main processing component will be summarized as the traveling carriage control device 17.

[0120] In S701, the traveling trolley control device 17 obtains construction information from the operator via the operation box 400. This construction information includes the specification of welding methods and welding materials. The specification of construction information can be made, for example, by selecting any option from multiple alternatives. Alternatively, multiple predefined patterns corresponding to the settings of each item in the construction information can be used, allowing the operator to select from such a structure.

[0121] In S702, the traveling trolley control device 17 receives the setting values ​​for each item of the welding conditions from the operator via the operation box 400. Here, welding current, feed speed, and protrusion length are used as welding conditions, and the operator receives the value for two of these items. For the protrusion length, in the case of ESW, it is desirable to use the dry extension length value. It should be noted that the number of items required to be input is specified based on the total number of items used as welding conditions. Therefore, it is also possible to have a structure that prompts the operator to input the required items even if the setting value for the required number of items has not been entered.

[0122] In S703, the traveling trolley control device 17 uses the construction information values ​​obtained in S701 and the pre-defined DB to determine the coefficient information used as parameters for calculating the reference values. DB is determined by... Figure 5 The structure definition shown.

[0123] In S704, the traveling trolley control device 17 uses the construction information values ​​obtained in S701 and a predefined DB to determine a constant used as a parameter for calculating the control quantity. This constant can be, for example, the gain number. When determining the gain number, a predefined fixed value can be used, or a relationship between a predefined condition and the gain number can be set in the DB and the gain number can be read in according to the condition. For example, if a relationship between the feed rate and the gain number is set, an appropriate gain number is determined based on the set feed rate. It should be noted that this step can also be omitted depending on the content of the construction information set in S701. In this case, the value obtained from the construction information obtained in S701 is omitted. Figure 6 The parameter management unit 441 notifies the control quantity calculation unit 443 of the parameters shown. Furthermore, the determination of the constants here can also take into account the welding conditions obtained in S702.

[0124] In S705, the traveling trolley control device 17 sets the coefficient information determined in S703 to the coefficients of a predefined function. Alternatively, the traveling trolley control device 17 may determine the function to be used from among a plurality of predefined functions based on the construction information obtained in S701. For example, in this embodiment, the following formula (1) can be used as the function for calculating the reference value.

[0125] [Mathematical Formula 1]

[0126]

[0127] W f Feed rate

[0128] I: Welding current

[0129] Ext: Protruding length (elongation)

[0130] a, b, c, d: Coefficients determined using DB.

[0131] As shown in equation (1), the relationships between the various items of the welding conditions, such as the feed rate and protrusion length specified as welding conditions, allow for the calculation of the reference values ​​for the welding conditions. That is, formulas are defined corresponding to the items input in S702, allowing for the calculation of reference values ​​for items not input. Furthermore, in the case of equation (1), the constants a, b, c, and d correspond to the items of the coefficient information determined in S703.

[0132] It should be noted that equation (1) can be applied in either ESW or EGW welding. In the case of ESW, it can be applied by converting Ext, which represents the value of the protruding length in mathematical equation (1), into the value of the dry extension.

[0133] In S706, the traveling trolley control device 17 calculates the reference value of the undetermined welding conditions by inputting the welding conditions obtained in S702 into a function that has set coefficient information in S705.

[0134] In S707, the traveling trolley control device 17 acquires the measured value under the current operating conditions. For example, it acquires the measured value of the operating conditions under welding conditions obtained in S702 as the feedback value.

[0135] In S708, the traveling trolley control device 17 calculates the control quantity of the lifting drive unit 19 using the reference value calculated in S706, the measured value obtained in S707, and the constant determined in S704. The control quantity here can also be the target value of the rising speed of the traveling trolley 16. For example, the constant determined in S704 can be set as the gain number, and the control quantity can be obtained through PI control. For example, the control quantity can be calculated using the following equation (2). When using equation (2), K can be set as a constant using the parameter management unit 441. p and K I It should be noted that well-known methods can be applied to PI control, therefore detailed explanations are omitted here.

[0136] [Mathematical Formula 2]

[0137]

[0138] I f Measured current value (feedback value)

[0139] I c The reference value (target value) of the current.

[0140] K p Proportional gain (constant)

[0141] K I Integral gain (constant)

[0142] In S709, the traveling trolley control device 17 controls the lifting drive unit 19 based on the control quantity calculated in S708. Then, this process ends. It should be noted that this process is repeatedly executed during the welding operation performed by the welding device 100.

[0143] (Variation example)

[0144] In the above Figure 5 , Figure 7 In the example, examples of setting the feed rate and protrusion length as welding conditions are explained. As a variation, in... Figure 8The example shown is of setting the welding current and protrusion length in the welding conditions. In this case, the reference value calculation unit 442 sets a function based on the coefficient information set from the parameter management unit 441, and inputs the set values ​​of the welding current and protrusion length in the welding condition settings into the function, thereby calculating the reference value of the feed rate.

[0145] Furthermore, the control quantity calculation unit 443 calculates the target value of the lifting speed based on the measured value of the feed speed and the reference value of the feed speed calculated by the reference value calculation unit 442. Then, the lifting drive unit 19 controls the lifting action based on the calculated control quantity. In this case, the processing flow is also the same as in... Figure 7 The process shown is the same. It should be noted that, as one variation, an example is shown where the feed rate and protrusion length are set as welding conditions, and the rising motion, i.e., the welding speed, is controlled. Similarly, in the case where the welding speed and protrusion length are set as welding conditions and the feed rate is controlled, it is also possible to... Figure 7 The process shown in the diagram is used to achieve this.

[0146] According to this embodiment, a universal control system can be achieved that can be applied even when welding methods and welding conditions change. Furthermore, it enables automated control with a wider range of applications, thereby improving work efficiency and welding quality.

[0147] <Other Implementation Methods>

[0148] Alternatively, in this invention, the following process can be used: a program or application for implementing the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or device using a network or storage medium, and one or more processors in the computer of the system or device reads and executes the program.

[0149] Alternatively, it can be achieved using a circuit that performs more than one function. It should be noted that examples of circuits that perform more than one function include ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) and FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays).

[0150] As stated above, the following matters are disclosed in this specification.

[0151] (1) A control method for electroslag welding or gas welding, characterized in that,

[0152] The control method for electroslag welding or gas welding includes:

[0153] The process is determined by a database obtained based on the correspondence between construction information and coefficient information, and by parameters specified for the items included in the construction information. The coefficient information includes items such as welding methods and welding materials. The coefficient information is associated with the construction information and includes at least two coefficients.

[0154] The first calculation process, which considers welding conditions in welding as including at least welding current, wire feed rate, and lead-out length, calculates a reference value for any unspecified item among the welding conditions based on at least two specified set values ​​for these welding conditions and coefficient information determined in the decision process; and

[0155] The second calculation process involves calculating, based on the reference value, the control quantity for the unspecified items in the welding conditions.

[0156] This structure allows for the application of both EGW and ESW welding methods in a single device, and enables versatile control applicable under various welding conditions. Furthermore, it allows for broader automation, improving operational efficiency and welding quality.

[0157] (2) The control method according to (1) is characterized in that,

[0158] In the first calculation step, the reference value is calculated using a function of values ​​having welding current, wire feed speed, and protrusion length as variables.

[0159] The function has terms that include coefficients represented by coefficient information determined in the decision process.

[0160] Based on this structure, control parameters for each item can be calculated using a function that relates welding current, wire feed rate, and protrusion length.

[0161] (3) The control method according to (2) is characterized in that,

[0162] The function is defined by the following formula.

[0163] [Mathematical Formula 3]

[0164]

[0165] W f Feed rate

[0166] I: Welding current

[0167] Ext: Exaggerated Length

[0168] a, b, c, d: Coefficients determined using a database.

[0169] Based on this structure, for electroslag welding and gas welding, control parameters for each item can be calculated using a function based on the correlation between welding current, wire feed rate, and protrusion length.

[0170] (4) The control method according to (3) is characterized in that,

[0171] When the welding method is gas welding,

[0172] The welding materials items included in the construction information should at least include information related to welding wire.

[0173] The protruding length is defined as the distance between the energized position of the welding wire and the conductive tip and the surface of the molten metal.

[0174] Based on this structure, appropriate control parameters can be calculated according to the setting of the protrusion length corresponding to gas welding.

[0175] (5) The control method according to (3) is characterized in that,

[0176] When the welding method is electroslag welding,

[0177] The welding materials included in the construction information include information on at least one of the welding wire and the flux.

[0178] The protruding length is defined as the distance between the welding wire and the pre-set energized position of the conductive tip and the surface of the welding slag bath.

[0179] Based on this structure, appropriate control parameters can be calculated according to the setting of the protrusion length corresponding to electroslag welding.

[0180] (6) The control method according to (5) is characterized in that,

[0181] The height of the slag bath is controlled based on the surface position of the slag bath detected by a sensor used to detect the surface of the slag bath and the pre-set energized position of the conductive nozzle, so that the protrusion length becomes the specified set value or the reference value calculated in the first calculation process.

[0182] Based on this structure, the height of the slag bath can be controlled appropriately, corresponding to electroslag welding.

[0183] (7) The control method according to (6) is characterized in that,

[0184] The sensor has a block-shaped detection terminal made of copper or a copper alloy.

[0185] The detection terminal is disposed insulated from the sliding copper pressure plate for welding at a predetermined position that slides along the base material.

[0186] The sensor outputs a detection signal indicating that the welding slag bath has been detected based on the potential difference between the potential applied to the detection terminal and a predetermined potential.

[0187] The height of the welding slag bath is controlled based on the detection signal.

[0188] Based on this structure, the height of the slag bath can be controlled appropriately, corresponding to electroslag welding.

[0189] (8) The control method according to (7) is characterized in that,

[0190] When the welding torch is oscillating, the detection signal is output based on the potential difference when the welding torch is near the sliding copper pressure plate for welding.

[0191] According to this structure, even under oscillation, the slag bath can be detected with good accuracy and controlled to an appropriate height.

[0192] (9) The control method according to (8) is characterized in that,

[0193] The flux supply used to control the height of the slag bath is adjusted according to the length of the oscillation.

[0194] According to this structure, even under oscillation, the height of the slag bath can be controlled to be appropriate.

[0195] (10) The control method described in any one of (1) to (9) is characterized in that,

[0196] In the second calculation process, the control quantity is calculated based at least on the deviation between the reference value and the measured value corresponding to the reference value.

[0197] Based on this structure, a reference value can be calculated for undefined items in various welding conditions, and automatic control can be performed using the deviation between the reference value and the measured value.

[0198] (11) The control method according to (10) is characterized in that,

[0199] The welding current is defined as the welding condition item calculated in the first calculation process, which includes the reference value and the corresponding measured value.

[0200] In the second calculation process, a PI control formula, which includes the deviation and a pre-set constant as terms, is used to calculate a control quantity for controlling at least one of the welding speed, welding current, arc voltage, feed speed, and protrusion length.

[0201] According to this structure, a reference value can be calculated for unset items in various welding conditions, and at least one of welding speed, welding current, arc voltage, feed speed, and protrusion length can be controlled by using a PI control formula that uses the deviation between the reference value and the measured value as a variable.

[0202] (12) The control method according to (10) is characterized in that,

[0203] The welding conditions for the reference value calculated in the first calculation process and the corresponding measured value are set as the feed rate.

[0204] In the second calculation process, a PI control formula, which includes the deviation and a pre-set constant as terms, is used to calculate a control quantity for controlling at least one of the welding speed, welding current, arc voltage, feed speed, and protrusion length.

[0205] According to this structure, a reference value can be calculated for undefined items in various welding conditions, and at least one of the following can be controlled by using a PI control formula that sets the deviation between the reference value and the measured value as a variable: welding speed, welding current, arc voltage, feed speed, and protrusion length.

[0206] (13) A control device for electroslag welding or gas welding, characterized in that,

[0207] The control device for electroslag welding or gas welding has the following features:

[0208] The database is obtained by establishing a correspondence between construction information and coefficient information. The construction information includes items such as welding methods and welding materials. The coefficient information is associated with the construction information and includes at least two coefficients.

[0209] The decision-making body determines the coefficient information based on the parameters specified for the project included in the construction information and the database.

[0210] The first calculating mechanism, whose welding conditions include at least welding current, wire feed rate, and protrusion length, calculates a reference value for any unspecified item among the welding conditions based on at least two specified set values ​​for these welding conditions and coefficient information determined by the determining mechanism; and

[0211] The second calculating mechanism calculates the control quantity for unspecified items in the items for the welding conditions based on the reference value.

[0212] This structure allows for the application of both EGW and ESW welding methods in a single device, and enables versatile control applicable under various welding conditions. Furthermore, it allows for broader automation, improving operational efficiency and welding quality.

[0213] (14) A welding system, wherein,

[0214] The welding system includes:

[0215] (13) The control device described above;

[0216] Welding equipment; and

[0217] Welding power source.

[0218] This structure allows for the application of both EGW and ESW welding methods in a single device, and enables versatile control applicable under various welding conditions. Furthermore, it allows for broader automation, improving operational efficiency and welding quality.

[0219] (15) A program in which,

[0220] The program is used to cause the computer to perform the following steps:

[0221] The process is determined by a database obtained based on the correspondence between construction information and coefficient information, and by parameters specified for the items included in the construction information. The coefficient information includes items such as welding methods and welding materials. The coefficient information is associated with the construction information and includes at least two coefficients.

[0222] The first calculation process, which considers welding conditions in welding as including at least welding current, wire feed rate, and lead-out length, calculates a reference value for any unspecified item among the welding conditions based on at least two specified set values ​​for these welding conditions and coefficient information determined in the decision process; and

[0223] The second calculation process involves calculating, based on the reference value, the control quantity for the unspecified items in the welding conditions.

[0224] This structure allows for the application of both EGW and ESW welding methods in a single device, and enables versatile control applicable under various welding conditions. Furthermore, it allows for broader automation, improving operational efficiency and welding quality.

[0225] Various embodiments have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. Those skilled in the art will readily conceive of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the patented technical solutions, and these are also understood to fall within the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the constituent elements of the above embodiments can be arbitrarily combined without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0226] It should be noted that this application is based on Japanese patent application (Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-033678) filed on March 3, 2021, the contents of which are referenced in this application.

[0227] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0228] 1 copper pressure plate

[0229] 4 welding torches

[0230] 13 Molten Slag Bath Detector

[0231] 14 Flux Supply Device

[0232] 15 Flux Supply Control Device

[0233] 16 traveling trolleys

[0234] 17. Traveling trolley control device

[0235] 19 Lifting Drive Unit

[0236] 30 Sliding copper pressure plate for welding

[0237] 100 welding equipment

[0238] 200 welding power supply

[0239] 300 welding wire feed device

[0240] 400 control box

[0241] 410 Construction Information

[0242] 411 Welding Method

[0243] 412 welding material

[0244] 420 Welding Condition Setting Information

[0245] 421 welding current

[0246] 422 feed rate

[0247] 423 protruding length

[0248] 430 Measurement Department

[0249] 441 Parameter Management Department

[0250] 442 Reference Value Calculation Section

[0251] 443 Control Quantity Calculation Section

[0252] 500 welding system.

Claims

1. A control method for electroslag welding or gas welding, characterized in that, The control method for electroslag welding or gas welding includes: The process is determined by a database obtained based on the correspondence between construction information and coefficient information, and by parameters specified for the items included in the construction information. The coefficient information includes items such as welding methods and welding materials. The coefficient information is associated with the construction information and includes at least two coefficients. The first calculation process, which considers welding conditions in welding as including at least welding current, wire feed rate, and lead-out length, calculates a reference value for any unspecified item among the welding conditions based on at least two specified set values ​​for these welding conditions and coefficient information determined in the decision process; and The second calculation process involves calculating, based on the reference value, the control quantities for unspecified items within the welding conditions. In the first calculation step, the reference value is calculated using a function of values ​​having welding current, wire feed speed, and protrusion length as variables. The function has terms including coefficients represented by coefficient information determined in the decision-making process. The function is defined by the following formula. [Mathematical Formula 1] W f Feed rate I: Welding current Ext: Exaggerated Length a, b, c, d: Coefficients determined using a database.

2. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the welding method is gas welding, The welding materials items included in the construction information should at least include information related to welding wire. The protruding length is defined as the distance between the energized position of the welding wire and the conductive tip and the surface of the molten metal.

3. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the welding method is electroslag welding, The welding materials included in the construction information include information on at least one of the welding wire and the flux. The protruding length is defined as the distance between the welding wire and the pre-set energized position of the conductive tip and the surface of the welding slag bath.

4. The control method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The height of the slag bath is controlled based on the surface position of the slag bath detected by a sensor used to detect the surface of the slag bath and the pre-set energized position of the conductive nozzle, so that the protrusion length becomes the specified set value or the reference value calculated in the first calculation process.

5. The control method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The sensor has a block-shaped detection terminal made of copper or a copper alloy. The detection terminal is disposed insulated from the sliding copper pressure plate for welding at a predetermined position that slides along the base material. The sensor outputs a detection signal indicating that the welding slag bath has been detected based on the potential difference between the potential applied to the detection terminal and a predetermined potential. The height of the welding slag bath is controlled based on the detection signal.

6. The control method according to claim 5, characterized in that, When the welding torch is oscillating, the detection signal is output based on the potential difference when the welding torch is near the sliding copper pressure plate for welding.

7. The control method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The amount of flux supplied to control the height of the slag bath is adjusted according to the length of the oscillation.

8. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, In the second calculation process, the control quantity is calculated based at least on the deviation between the reference value and the measured value corresponding to the reference value.

9. The control method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The welding current is defined as the welding condition item calculated in the first calculation process, which includes the reference value and the corresponding measured value. In the second calculation process, a PI control formula, which includes the deviation and a pre-set constant as terms, is used to calculate a control quantity for controlling at least one of the welding speed, welding current, arc voltage, feed speed, and protrusion length.

10. The control method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The welding conditions for the reference value calculated in the first calculation process and the corresponding measured value are set as the feed rate. In the second calculation process, a PI control formula, which includes the deviation and a pre-set constant as terms, is used to calculate a control quantity for controlling at least one of the welding speed, welding current, arc voltage, feed speed, and protrusion length.

11. A control device for electroslag welding or gas welding, characterized in that, The control device for electroslag welding or gas welding has the following features: The database is obtained by establishing a correspondence between construction information and coefficient information. The construction information includes items such as welding methods and welding materials. The coefficient information is associated with the construction information and includes at least two coefficients. The decision-making body determines the coefficient information based on the parameters specified for the project included in the construction information and the database. The first calculating mechanism calculates a reference value for an unspecified item in the welding conditions based on at least two specified set values ​​for the welding conditions and coefficient information determined by the determining mechanism. as well as The second calculating mechanism, based on the aforementioned benchmark value, calculates the control quantity for any unspecified item among the items specified for the welding conditions. The first calculation mechanism calculates the reference value using a function of values ​​having welding current, wire feed speed, and protrusion length as variables. The function has terms including coefficients represented by coefficient information determined by the decision-making body. The function is defined by the following formula. [Mathematical Formula 1] W f Feed rate I: Welding current Ext: Exaggerated Length a, b, c, d: Coefficients determined using a database.

12. A welding system, wherein, The welding system includes: The control device as claimed in claim 11; Welding equipment; and Welding power source.

13. A storage medium, wherein, The storage medium stores the following program, which is used to cause the computer to perform the following steps: The process is determined by a database obtained based on the correspondence between construction information and coefficient information, and by parameters specified for the items included in the construction information. The coefficient information includes items such as welding methods and welding materials. The coefficient information is associated with the construction information and includes at least two coefficients. The first calculation process includes at least the welding current, wire feed speed, and protrusion length as welding conditions. Based on at least two specified set values ​​of the welding conditions and the coefficient information determined in the decision process, a reference value for the unspecified items of the welding conditions is calculated. as well as The second calculation process involves calculating, based on the reference value, the control quantities for unspecified items within the welding conditions. In the first calculation step, the reference value is calculated using a function of values ​​having welding current, wire feed speed, and protrusion length as variables. The function has terms including coefficients represented by coefficient information determined in the decision-making process. The function is defined by the following formula. [Mathematical Formula 1] W f Feed rate I: Welding current Ext: Exaggerated Length a, b, c, d: Coefficients determined using a database.

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