A measuring device for the remaining length of welding wire in a vacuum argon-filled chamber

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of suitable for the measuring device of welding wire surplus in vacuum argon filling cabin.The device includes: sensor, data acquisition system and monitoring device.The application adopts the way of weighing to judge how much welding wire surplus is, installs sensing device in the device of fixed welding wire disc beside robot, is connected to external display screen, when new replacement is completed welding wire disc, external computer will show the pressure received by device, in the process of additive, due to the consumption of welding wire, the pressure received is gradually reduced, the value shown by display screen is also smaller, when less than a certain value, then automatically send alarm or remind.The application realizes accurate control for the welding wire surplus in additive process.At the same time, as far as possible, solve the problem of explosive wire encountered when full disc welding wire is extinguished, which undoubtedly reduces the cost for the environment needing vacuum argon filling.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of welding wire feeding devices, specifically relating to a measuring device for the remaining amount of welding wire in a vacuum argon-filled chamber. Background Technology

[0002] Because titanium is a reactive metallic element, it is highly susceptible to contamination from impurities such as oxygen and nitrogen in the air at high temperatures, leading to severe embrittlement. This necessitates that all current titanium alloy components, whether welded or manufactured using additive manufacturing techniques, must be produced in a vacuum environment filled with argon. For some large, meter-scale structural components, large-scale vacuum equipment is required, which means that the internal conditions are not clearly visible during the process.

[0003] Due to the limitations of the vacuum chamber environment, the cost of each processing operation is relatively high. If a problem occurs during the wire feeding process, resulting in wire breakage, there is no effective solution but to open the chamber door and re-coil the wire, which leads to significant fluctuations in the project time and cost. This device can improve the problem and prevent the occurrence of this situation.

[0004] Due to the limitations of the vacuum chamber environment, the issue of allowance in actual operation has a significant impact on the project schedule and time. Moreover, for critical parts of the components, accidental arc interruption can also have a major impact on their performance and forming, causing numerous inconveniences in subsequent processing. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a device to determine the allowance of welding wire. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the present invention aims to provide a measuring device for the amount of welding wire remaining in a vacuum argon-filled chamber, so as to solve the problems of existing devices that cannot accurately determine the amount of welding wire remaining and the problem of welding wire breakage.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of the present invention is implemented as follows:

[0007] Because the vacuum argon-filled chamber requires vacuum argon filling, it is impossible to determine the remaining amount of welding wire during the additive manufacturing process, and it cannot be replaced in time. Since the manpower and material costs required for a single vacuum argon filling are considerable, it is necessary to complete as many additive manufacturing tasks as possible and the chamber door cannot be opened arbitrarily. Due to the completely sealed interior and lighting issues, it is impossible for people outside to clearly observe the remaining amount of welding wire. Therefore, a welding wire remaining measurement device is needed to determine the remaining amount of welding wire and issue an alarm when the remaining amount is less than a certain amount to avoid problems during continuous additive manufacturing.

[0008] This invention provides a measuring device for the remaining amount of welding wire in a vacuum argon-filled chamber, comprising:

[0009] The main spindle, a limiting plate at one end of the main spindle, and a connecting shaft at the other end of the main spindle.

[0010] The connecting shaft is coaxial with the main shaft; a limiting component is provided on the connecting shaft; the sensor is mounted on the main shaft, and two through holes are provided on the surface of the main shaft for fixing the sensor. A wire is passed through the holes and threaded through the limiting plate from inside the main shaft to connect the sensor to the data acquisition system, which is connected to the monitoring device; an arc-shaped thin plate is provided on the upper surface of the sensor to fit the inner wall of the welding wire spool; two heat-resistant, high-elasticity studs are provided, one end of which is connected to the sensor and the other end of which is connected to the thin plate.

[0011] Furthermore, the monitoring device is connected to the display screen.

[0012] Furthermore, the data acquisition system is connected to the monitoring device via wires, and the monitoring device is connected to the display screen via wires.

[0013] Furthermore, the sensor incorporates strain gauge pressure and temperature sensors. The sensor is equipped with pins for insertion into two circular holes on the spindle, securing it to the spindle. The pins have a hollowed-out design in the center.

[0014] Furthermore, the electrical signals generated by the temperature and pressure sensors are transmitted through wires from the hollow structure of the pin into two through holes on the main shaft. A temperature sensor is required because the high-speed rotation of the wire spool during wire feeding generates a significant amount of heat due to friction with the thin plate; the temperature sensor is used to measure the temperature of the arc-shaped thin plate.

[0015] Furthermore, an arc-shaped thin plate is used to fit the inner wall of the welding wire spool, and the arc-shaped thin plate is made of alumina ceramic material.

[0016] Furthermore, the connection between the arc-shaped thin plate and the heat-resistant, highly elastic stud is threaded, making it easy to replace. A replaceable type is used for the arc-shaped alumina ceramic thin plate to connect to the sensor, as wear will cause it to wear out and require periodic replacement.

[0017] Furthermore, explosion-proof wires are used. The monitoring device has warning data values; when the temperature exceeds a certain degree Celsius or the weight falls below a certain warning value, a red warning will be automatically issued on the display screen. The wires connecting the sensor and the data acquisition system need to be wrapped with explosion-proof tubing because, under vacuum conditions, they need to be protected to ensure the device can operate normally.

[0018] The present invention features an alumina ceramic thin plate mounted on the sensor. The alumina ceramic thin plate is designed in an arc shape to increase the contact area between the inner wall of the welding wire spool and the thin plate. This can slightly increase friction, but will not cause the welding wire spool to rotate poorly. Furthermore, the welding wire spool will not rotate excessively when the wire feeding stops, which can effectively prevent wire breakage.

[0019] This invention uses an explosion-proof wire that passes through a pin and enters the main shaft's wire feed reel. The wire is then connected to a data acquisition system outside the vacuum argon-filled chamber, and transmitted to a monitoring system. The monitoring system then outputs the data to a display for feedback. Sensors receive temperature and pressure readings, converting them into electrical signals, which are transmitted to the data acquisition device, then to the monitoring device, and finally displayed on the screen.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has significant advantages: 1. The detection device for monitoring the welding wire balance provided by the present invention has a simple structure and is easy to implement. It can be applied to various wire feeding devices that are inconvenient for personnel to observe, and can timely and effectively avoid problems such as the decline in the quality of various components and difficulties in subsequent processing caused by accidental arc interruption; 2. It avoids a series of problems caused by insufficient welding wire in the additive manufacturing process, such as excess welding wire causing waste, and insufficient welding wire in the additive manufacturing process leading to arc interruption, resulting in defects or reduced performance of the additive parts. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall process of the device of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall sensor structure of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of the sensor of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the bottom structure of the sensor of the present invention.

[0026] 1—Main shaft, 2—Limiting plate, 3—Limiting component, 4—Connecting shaft, 5—Sensor, 51—Temperature sensor, 52—Strain gauge sensor, 6—Through hole, 7—Monitoring device, 8—Explosion-proof wire, 9—Data acquisition system, 10—Display screen, 11—Arc-shaped thin plate, 12—Heat-resistant high-elasticity stud, 13—Pin. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall device structure provided by the present invention. Figure 2 This is a diagram of the sensor mounting device. Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the sensor. Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional view of the sensor's bottom. The welding wire balance detection device includes a main shaft 1, a limiting plate 2, a limiting component 3, a connecting shaft 4, a sensor 5, a temperature sensor 51, a strain gauge pressure sensor 52, a through hole 6, a monitoring device 7, an explosion-proof wire 8, a data acquisition system 9, a display screen 10, an arc-shaped thin plate 11, a heat-resistant high-elasticity stud 12, and a pin 13. The connecting shaft 4 is coaxial with the main shaft 1. The limiting component 3 is mounted on the connecting shaft 4 and can move to control the limiting width. The main shaft 1 is connected to the limiting plate 2. Two through holes are provided above the main shaft 1 along the direction of the welding wire reel's movement to facilitate the connection of the explosion-proof wire 8. The sensor 5 is fixed to the position of the through hole 6 by the pin 13. The data collected by the sensor is transmitted as an electrical signal through the explosion-proof wire 8 to the data acquisition system 9, and then transmitted to the monitoring device 7 through an external conventional wire. After data acquisition, it is transmitted together through wires and a network cable to the display screen 10. Temperature sensor 51 can accurately reflect the frictional heating condition and avoid changes in the measurement data due to heat of the strain gauge inside the sensor.

[0029] Specifically, the main shaft 1, limiting plate 2, limiting component 3, connecting shaft 4, sensor 5, temperature sensor 51, round hole 6, explosion-proof wire 8, arc-shaped thin plate 11, heat-resistant high-elasticity stud 12, and pin 13 are all located inside the vacuum chamber. The data acquisition system 9, monitoring device 7, and display screen 10 are all located outside the vacuum chamber. The data acquisition system 9 and monitoring device 7 are connected by wires, and the monitoring system 7 and display screen 10 are connected by network cable and wires.

[0030] In this invention, the arc-shaped thin plate 11 and the heat-resistant, high-elasticity stud 12 are connected by a threaded connection.

[0031] In this invention, the data acquisition system 9 adopts the Siemens 1215C system.

[0032] In this invention, the monitoring device 7 adopts a PLC system.

[0033] Sensor 5 is fixed to spindle 1 via pin 13. Pin 13 has a hollow structure in the middle. Arc-shaped thin plate 11 is used to fit the inner wall of the welding wire spool, and arc-shaped thin plate 11 is made of alumina ceramic material.

[0034] The working process of this invention is as follows: First, the sensor 5 is fixed by inserting it into the through hole 6 on the main shaft 1 using the pin 13. The wires are then connected. Next, after the welding wire spool is mounted on the sensor 5, the arc-shaped thin plate 11 of the alumina ceramic on the sensor 5 first contacts the inner wall of the welding wire spool. Under pressure, the heat-resistant, high-elasticity stud 12 deforms and compresses, causing the strain gauge pressure sensor 52 to generate an electrical signal. This signal is transmitted to the data acquisition system 9 outside the vacuum chamber via the explosion-proof wire 8. The data acquisition system 9 then transmits the signal to the monitoring system 7 for judgment. If the weight exceeds a critical value, the signal is safely transmitted to the display 10 to show the specific weight. When the equipment starts feeding wire, the wire spool begins to rotate. The arc-shaped thin plate 11 of alumina ceramic begins to rub slightly against the inner wall of the wire spool, generating heat. This heat is then transferred to the temperature sensor 51 through the heat-resistant, high-elasticity stud 12. The temperature sensor 51 generates an electrical signal, which is transmitted to the data acquisition device 7 via the explosion-proof wire 8. The data acquisition device 9 processes the signal and transmits it to the monitoring device 7. The monitoring device 7 compares the temperature difference with the critical temperature. If the temperature has not been reached, the signal is entered safely and normally into the display screen 10. If the critical temperature is reached, a red warning is displayed in the display screen 10. As additive manufacturing progresses, the wire is continuously consumed. When the remaining wire is insufficient, the monitoring system 7 detects that the weight is about to reach the critical value and similarly sends a red warning to the display screen 10.

[0035] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "embodiment" indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. In this specification, illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0036] The preferred embodiments of the present invention disclosed above are merely illustrative of the invention. These preferred embodiments do not exhaustively describe all details, nor do they limit the invention to the specific implementations described. Clearly, many modifications and variations can be made based on the content of this specification. This specification selects and specifically describes these embodiments to better explain the principles and practical applications of the invention, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to better understand and utilize the invention. The invention is limited only by the claims and their full scope and equivalents.

Claims

1. A measuring device for the remaining amount of welding wire in a vacuum argon-filled chamber, characterized in that: include The main spindle (1), the limiting disk (2) set at one end of the main spindle (1), and the connecting shaft (4) set at the other end of the main spindle (1) The connecting shaft (4) is coaxially arranged with the main shaft (1); the connecting shaft (4) is provided with a limiting member (3); the sensor (5) is installed on the main shaft (1), and two through holes (6) are provided on the surface of the main shaft (1) for fixing the sensor (5). The sensor (5) is connected to the data acquisition system (9) by passing a wire (8) through the hole (6) and passing through the limiting plate (2) from the inside of the main shaft (1). The data acquisition system (9) is connected to the monitoring device (7). A thin, arc-shaped plate (11) is provided on the upper surface of the sensor (5) to fit the inner wall of the welding wire spool; two heat-resistant, high-elasticity studs (12) are provided, one end of which is connected to the sensor (5) and the other end is connected to the thin, arc-shaped plate (11). The sensor (5) is equipped with a strain gauge pressure sensor (52) and a temperature sensor (51). The arc-shaped thin plate (11) is made of alumina ceramic material.

2. The measuring device for the remaining amount of welding wire in a vacuum argon-filled chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The monitoring device (7) is connected to the display screen (10).

3. The measuring device for the remaining amount of welding wire in a vacuum argon-filled chamber according to claim 2, characterized in that: The data acquisition system (9) is connected to the monitoring device (7) via wires, and the monitoring device (7) is connected to the display screen (10) via wires and a network cable.

4. The measuring device for the remaining amount of welding wire in a vacuum argon-filled chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sensor (5) is provided with a pin (13) for inserting the sensor (5) into the two round holes (6) on the spindle (1) and fixing it on the spindle (1).

5. A measuring device for the remaining amount of welding wire in a vacuum argon-filled chamber according to claim 4, characterized in that: The middle of the pin (13) adopts a hollow structure.

6. The measuring device for the remaining amount of welding wire in a vacuum argon-filled chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electrical signals generated by the temperature sensor (51) and the variable pressure sensor (52) are transmitted through the wire (8) from the hollow structure of the pin into the two through holes (6) on the main shaft (1).

7. The measuring device for the remaining amount of welding wire in a vacuum argon-filled chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The arc-shaped thin plate (11) and the heat-resistant high-elasticity stud (12) are connected by threads.

8. A measuring device for the remaining amount of welding wire in a vacuum argon-filled chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conductor (8) is an explosion-proof conductor.

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