Automatic welding method based on visual identification and intelligent welding equipment

Abstract

The invention provides an automatic welding method based on visual identification and intelligent welding equipment, and relates to the technical field of automatic welding of ships. The automatic welding method comprises the steps that first welding seam position information of a welded workpiece is obtained; based on the first welding seam position information, the first visual sensor is made to be close to the first welding seam, and the actual position of the first welding seam is recognized; the first visual sensor is made to move forwards along the first weld joint, and the actual position of the first weld joint is recognized in real time; and based on the real-time recognized actual position of the first welding seam, the executing mechanism correspondingly adjusts the welding path of the welding gun in real time. According to the method, the approximate position of the welding seam is obtained in advance, then the visual sensor gets close to and recognizes the actual position of the welding seam, and the actual position of the welding seam is obtained in real time along the welding seam along with the visual sensor, so that the intelligent welding equipment accurately, rapidly and efficiently performs automatic welding, and the use cost is effectively controlled.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of automatic ship welding, and more particularly to an automatic welding method based on visual recognition and an intelligent welding device. Background Art

[0002] In the rapid development of China's shipbuilding industry, more and more automated and intelligent devices have been applied to various links of shipbuilding, greatly reducing the labor cost in the ship manufacturing process and significantly improving the manufacturing accuracy, durability, etc.

[0003] Among them, since ship manufacturing mostly adopts the method of welding stiffeners, welding robots have been widely used in the welding of ship stiffeners. Moreover, with the continuous popularization and application of intelligent welding robots represented by visual recognition, more and more visual recognition welding robots have also begun to be applied in the field of ship welding.

[0004] At the same time, although welding robots can greatly improve the welding efficiency of ship stiffeners, due to the high production cost of welding robots, especially the high usage cost of the robotic arm, the production cost of intelligent welding of ship stiffeners is relatively high, and using other welding methods to replace it cannot effectively improve the welding efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides an automatic welding method based on visual recognition. The automatic welding method is used for an intelligent welding device, and the intelligent welding device includes: an actuator, a welding torch, and a first visual sensor. The welding torch is arranged at the end of the actuator, and the first visual sensor is arranged adjacent to the welding torch at the end of the actuator. When the welding torch welds along the weld, the first visual sensor is used to identify the actual position of the weld in a specified area in front of the welding torch.

[0006] The automatic welding method includes:

[0007] Obtain the first weld position information of the workpiece to be welded;

[0008] Based on the first weld position information, control the actuator to move the first visual sensor close to the first weld and identify the actual position of the first weld;

[0009] Move the first visual sensor forward along the first weld and continuously identify the actual position of the first weld;

[0010] Based on the actual position of the first weld identified in real time, control the actuator to correspondingly adjust the welding path of the welding torch in real time, so that the welding torch welds forward along the actual position of the first weld.

[0011] Optionally, obtaining the first weld seam position information of the workpiece to be welded includes:

[0012] By visually identifying the workpiece to be welded, obtaining the workpiece to be welded information, where the workpiece to be welded information at least includes the shape, size of the workpiece to be welded, and the position information of multiple different weld seams relative to the workpiece to be welded;

[0013] Based on the workpiece to be welded information, determining the first weld seam and obtaining the first weld seam position information.

[0014] Optionally, the specified area in front of the welding torch is the specified area at a set distance in front of the welding torch;

[0015] After, based on the actually recognized first weld seam position in real time, enabling the corresponding actuator to adjust the welding path of the welding torch in real time so that the welding torch welds forward along the actually recognized first weld seam position, it includes:

[0016] S510. When the welding torch finishes welding the front end of the actually recognized first weld seam position, based on the workpiece to be welded information, enabling the actuator to control the welding torch to weld the fillet between the front end of the actually recognized first weld seam position and the adjacent second weld seam;

[0017] S520. Based on the workpiece to be welded information and the actually recognized first weld seam position, enabling the actuator to control the welding torch to weld the set distance along the second weld seam at the rear end of the second weld seam. At the same time, enabling the first vision sensor to move forward along the second weld seam and recognize the actually recognized second weld seam position in real time;

[0018] S530. Based on the actually recognized second weld seam position in real time, enabling the actuator to adjust the welding path of the welding torch in real time so that the welding torch welds forward along the actually recognized second weld seam position;

[0019] S540. Sequentially repeating S510 to S530 for the remaining weld seams of the workpiece to be welded until the welding torch winds back and finishes welding the fillet at the rear end of the first weld seam.

[0020] Optionally, after sequentially repeating S510 to S530 for the remaining weld seams of the workpiece to be welded until the welding torch winds back and finishes welding the fillet at the rear end of the first weld seam, it includes:

[0021] Executing S520 and S530 at the rear end of the first weld seam, and simultaneously using the first vision sensor to detect in real time whether the first weld seam has been welded;

[0022] When the first visual sensor detects that the first weld seam in front has been welded, the actuator is made to control the welding torch to weld only the set distance along the first weld seam.

[0023] Optionally, based on the actual position of the first weld seam recognized in real time, the actuator corresponding thereto is made to adjust the welding path of the welding torch in real time, so that after the welding torch welds forward along the actual position of the first weld seam, it includes:

[0024] When the welding torch welds to the first set position along the actual position of the first weld seam, the welding torch is made to lift;

[0025] Based on the information of the workpiece to be welded, the actuator is made to adjust the posture of the welding torch and move to the second set position of the next weld seam;

[0026] Based on the information of the workpiece to be welded and the actual position of the first weld seam, the actuator is made to control the welding torch to weld the set distance along the next weld seam at the second set position. At the same time, the first visual sensor is made to move forward along the next weld seam and recognize the actual position of the next weld seam in real time;

[0027] Based on the actual position of the next weld seam recognized in real time, the actuator is made to adjust the welding path of the welding torch in real time, so that the welding torch welds forward along the actual position of the next weld seam.

[0028] Optionally, the workpiece to be welded is a stiffener;

[0029] S520. Making the actuator control the welding torch to weld the set distance along the second weld seam at the rear end of the second weld seam based on the information of the workpiece to be welded includes:

[0030] S521. Based on the coordinates of the actual position of the first weld seam, using the shape and size of the workpiece to be welded, the position and distance of the second weld seam relative to the first weld seam, calculate and obtain the weld coordinates at the rear end of the second weld seam close to it;

[0031] S522. Making the welding torch weld the set distance along the weld coordinates at the rear end of the second weld seam close to it.

[0032] In addition, it should be noted that the stiffener can be welded to the bottom plate. Specifically as Figure 1 shown.

[0033] In addition, the present invention also provides an intelligent welding device for executing the automatic welding method described above.

[0034] Optionally, the intelligent welding device is used for welding ship stiffeners.

[0035] Optionally, the first vision sensor includes a line laser emitter and an image collector. The line laser emitter is configured to emit a line laser intersecting the weld seam towards the workpiece to be welded, and the image collector is configured to collect the line laser irradiated at the workpiece to be welded.

[0036] Optionally, the intelligent welding device further includes a second vision sensor, a bracket, and a conveying device. A plurality of workpieces to be welded are sequentially placed on the conveying device and conveyed. The second vision sensor is disposed above the conveying device through the bracket, and the second vision sensor is only used to individually identify the shape, size, and position information of a plurality of different weld seams relative to the workpiece to be welded on the conveying device.

[0037] The technical effects of the present invention at least include:

[0038] The present invention is arranged at the end of the actuator by combining a vision sensor and a welding torch, that is, both the first vision sensor and the welding torch are arranged at the end of the actuator, and the first vision sensor is arranged on the front side of the welding direction of the welding torch. In this way, before the welding torch welds along the weld seam, the first vision sensor can identify the actual position of the weld seam within a specified area in front of the welding torch. In this way, only the approximate position and shape of the first weld seam, that is, the first weld seam position information, need to be known in advance. Then, accordingly, the system only needs to make the actuator drive the welding torch and the first vision sensor close to the first weld seam and make the first weld seam enter the visual recognition range of the first vision sensor, so as to use the first vision sensor to identify the actual position of the first weld seam. Then, the first vision sensor is moved forward along the first weld seam by the actuator, and the actual position of the first weld seam is continuously identified in real time. At the same time, based on the actual position of the first weld seam continuously detected by the first vision sensor, the welding position of the rear welding torch is correspondingly adjusted in real time when welding to the corresponding position, so that the welding torch welds forward along the actual position of the first weld seam, realizing the rapid and accurate positioning of the welding torch during movement by using the first vision sensor.

[0039] In this way, only one welding torch, one actuator, and one vision sensor are needed, and in combination with the above control method, there is no need to specify a starting point and perform fixed-point positioning specifically before welding. Instead, only the approximate position of the weld seam needs to be known in advance, and then the vision sensor is brought close to and identifies the actual weld seam position, and along with the vision sensor continuously obtaining its actual position along the weld seam, the welding path of the welding torch behind the vision sensor is correspondingly adjusted in real time, so that the intelligent welding device can accurately, quickly, and efficiently perform automatic welding and effectively control the usage cost. Description of the Drawings

[0040] Figure 1Schematic structural diagram of the intelligent welding device in the specific embodiment of the present invention during the execution of the automatic welding method;

[0041] Figure 2 Schematic front view of the intelligent welding device in the specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 3 Schematic flowchart of the main steps of the automatic welding method based on visual recognition in the specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 4 Schematic flowchart of the remaining steps after welding the front end of the first weld in the automatic welding method based on visual recognition in the specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 5 Schematic flowchart of the gun skipping step of the automatic welding method based on visual recognition in the specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 6 Schematic flowchart of all steps of the automatic welding method based on visual recognition in the specific embodiment of the present invention. Specific Embodiment

[0046] To make the above objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the following detailed description of the specific embodiments of the present invention will be given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to fully understand the embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention. The embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without departing from the connotation of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0047] It can be understood that the terms "first", "second", etc. used in the present invention can be used herein to describe various technical terms and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the quantity of the indicated technical features. However, unless otherwise specifically stated, these technical terms are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one technical term from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the first receiving device and the second receiving device are different receiving devices, the first surface and the second surface are different surfaces, and the first plane, the second plane, the third plane, and the fourth plane are different planes. In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, the meanings of "a plurality" and "several" are at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically and clearly defined.

[0048] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, terms such as "installation", "connection", "setting", "fixing", etc. shall be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or integrated; it may be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it may be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it may be the communication inside two components or the interaction relationship between two components, unless otherwise clearly limited. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present invention can be understood according to specific situations.

[0049] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the first feature being "on" or "under" the second feature may be that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are indirectly in contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, the first feature being "above", "over" and "on top of" the second feature may be that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or merely indicates that the horizontal height of the first feature is higher than the horizontal height of the second feature. The first feature being "under", "beneath" and "underneath" the second feature may be that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or merely indicates that the horizontal height of the first feature is less than the horizontal height of the second feature.

[0050] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as "fixed to" or "set on" another component, or similar expressions such as "fixed in" or "set in", it can be directly on another component or there may also be an intermediate component. When a component is considered to be "connected" to another component, it can be directly connected to another component or there may be an intermediate component at the same time.

[0051] Moreover, in the drawings, the X-axis represents the longitudinal direction; the Y-axis represents the transverse direction; the Z-axis represents the vertical direction, that is, the up and down direction, and the positive direction of the Z-axis (that is, the arrow direction of the Z-axis) represents up, and the negative direction of the Z-axis (that is, the direction opposite to the positive direction of the Z-axis) represents down; at the same time, it should be noted that the above-mentioned meanings represented by the X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation to the present invention.

[0052] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in the present invention have the same meanings as those commonly understood by those skilled in the technical field to which the present invention belongs. The terms used in the description of the present invention in the present specification are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0053] See Figures 1 to 6, this embodiment provides an automatic welding method based on visual recognition. The automatic welding method is used for intelligent welding equipment, and the intelligent welding equipment includes: an execution mechanism, a welding torch, and a first vision sensor. The welding torch is arranged at the end of the execution mechanism, and the first vision sensor is arranged adjacent to the welding torch at the end of the execution mechanism; when the welding torch welds along the weld seam, the first vision sensor is used to identify the actual position of the weld seam within a specified area in front of the welding torch.

[0054] The automatic welding method includes:

[0055] S100. Obtain the first weld position information of the workpiece to be welded;

[0056] S200. Based on the first weld position information, by controlling the execution mechanism, move the first vision sensor close to the first weld and identify the actual position of the first weld;

[0057] S300. Move the first vision sensor forward along the first weld and continuously identify the actual position of the first weld;

[0058] S400. Based on the actual position of the first weld recognized in real time, make the execution mechanism correspondingly adjust the welding path of the welding torch in real time so that the welding torch welds forward along the actual position of the first weld.

[0059] It should be noted that the execution mechanism here can be a robotic arm or a three-axis linear connection mechanism, as long as it can move the welding torch and the first vision sensor to any specified location as needed.

[0060] In addition, the first vision sensor in this embodiment can be a laser vision tracker or a 3D camera, as long as it can identify the shape, size of the workpiece to be welded, the positions, shapes, and lengths of multiple different welds relative to the workpiece to be welded.

[0061] In addition, the multiple welds on the workpiece to be welded here can be linear welds or arc-shaped welds, as long as the partial contour and accurate position of the weld seam can be identified by the vision sensor.

[0062] In addition, the workpiece to be welded in this embodiment can be a rib plate or other structural parts.

[0063] Through research, the inventors of the present invention found that the main reason for the high cost of existing intelligent welding equipment for ship stiffeners is that when automatically welding the stiffeners, in order to improve the welding efficiency, two robotic arms are used to simultaneously weld the welds on both sides of the stiffener. At the same time, due to the complex structure of ship stiffeners and high welding requirements, in order to ensure the welding accuracy and quality of the welds, it is necessary to perform starting point positioning at one end of the weld, that is, the starting point searching method. Then, starting from this point, two welding robots are used to weld the welds on both sides of the stiffener respectively, so as to ensure the welding efficiency and welding quality.

[0064] Although using two welding robots can improve the welding efficiency, it has high usage costs, occupies a large space, and it is also necessary to avoid the motion interference caused by the two robotic arms during the design process, resulting in huge costs. While using one robotic arm can reduce costs, its welding efficiency is greatly reduced. Especially, the welds on ship stiffeners are mostly linear welds. In order to ensure accurate positioning of the welds, it is necessary to determine the starting point of positioning in advance at one end of the weld, which greatly reduces the welding efficiency.

[0065] Therefore, how to improve the welding efficiency while controlling and reducing the cost of intelligent welding equipment has become a major problem.

[0066] To solve this technical problem, through further analysis and observation, the inventors of the present invention found that a visual sensor and a welding torch can be combined and set at the end of the actuator, that is, both the first visual sensor and the welding torch are set at the end of the actuator, and the first visual sensor is set on the front side of the welding direction of the welding torch. In this way, before the welding torch welds along the weld, the first visual sensor can identify the actual position of the weld in the specified area in front of the welding torch. In this way, only the approximate position and shape of the first weld, that is, the first weld position information, need to be known in advance. Then, based on this, the system only needs to make the actuator drive the welding torch and the first visual sensor close to the first weld, and make the first weld enter the visual recognition range of the first visual sensor, so that the first visual sensor can identify the actual position of the first weld. Then, the actuator makes the first visual sensor move forward along the first weld and continuously identifies the actual position of the first weld. At the same time, based on the actual position of the first weld continuously detected by the first visual sensor, when the welding torch at the rear welds to the corresponding position, the welding position is adjusted in real time accordingly, so that the welding torch welds forward along the actual position of the first weld, realizing the rapid and accurate positioning of the welding torch during movement by using the first visual sensor.

[0067] In this way, only one welding torch, one actuator and one vision sensor are required, and in combination with the above control method, there is no need to specify the starting point and perform dedicated fixed-point positioning before welding. Instead, only the approximate position of the weld seam needs to be known in advance, and then the vision sensor is brought close to and recognizes the actual weld seam position, and along with the vision sensor, its actual position is obtained in real time along the weld seam, and the welding path corresponding to the welding torch behind the vision sensor is adjusted in real time, so that the intelligent welding equipment can perform automatic welding accurately, quickly and efficiently, and effectively control the usage cost.

[0068] See Figures 1 to 6 , further, S100, obtaining the first weld seam position information of the workpiece to be welded includes:

[0069] S110, obtaining the information of the workpiece to be welded by visually recognizing the workpiece to be welded, where the information of the workpiece to be welded at least includes the shape, size of the workpiece to be welded, and the position information of multiple different weld seams relative to the workpiece to be welded;

[0070] S120, based on the information of the workpiece to be welded, determining the first weld seam and obtaining the first weld seam position information.

[0071] By visually recognizing the workpiece to be welded and obtaining the information of the workpiece to be welded, relevant information of the workpiece to be welded can be obtained quickly and accurately. And by obtaining the shape, size of the workpiece to be welded, and the position information of multiple different weld seams relative to the workpiece to be welded, it is convenient to accurately identify and position all weld seams in combination with the first vision sensor later.

[0072] See Figures 1 to 6 , further, the designated area in front of the welding torch is the designated area at a set distance in front of the welding torch;

[0073] S400, based on the actually recognized first weld seam position in real time, enabling the corresponding actuator to adjust the welding path of the welding torch in real time, so that after the welding torch welds forward along the actually recognized first weld seam position, it includes:

[0074] S510, when the welding torch finishes welding the front end of the actually recognized first weld seam position, based on the information of the workpiece to be welded, enabling the actuator to control the welding torch to weld the fillet between the front end of the actually recognized first weld seam position and the adjacent second weld seam;

[0075] S520, based on the information of the workpiece to be welded and the actually recognized first weld seam position, enabling the actuator to control the welding torch to weld the set distance along the second weld seam at the rear end of the second weld seam, and at the same time, enabling the first vision sensor to move forward along the second weld seam and recognize the actually recognized second weld seam position in real time;

[0076] S530. Based on the actually recognized actual position of the second weld seam, enable the actuator to adjust the welding path of the welding torch in real time, so that the welding torch welds forward along the actual position of the second weld seam;

[0077] S540. Sequentially repeat S510 to S530 for the remaining weld seams of the workpiece to be welded until the welding torch winds back and welds the fillet at the rear end of the first weld seam.

[0078] The inventor of the present invention found through further analysis of the existing stiffener welding method that due to the complex structure of the stiffener in the ship field, in order to simplify the welding process, in the prior art, the aforementioned method of "two welding robots respectively weld the weld seams on both sides of the stiffener" is adopted, and then the fillets at both ends of the stiffener are welded. Although this welding method has a simple process and can effectively ensure the welding accuracy, it is inefficient. It is necessary to position the two welding torches separately before welding, and then weld the stiffener of the workpiece to be welded in segments, resulting in a very long overall welding time. Therefore, in this embodiment, through the steps S510 to S530, there is no need for segmental welding, and only a single robot is used, simplifying the pre-welding preparation work such as pre-positioning. After welding the first weld seam, the remaining weld seams can be continuously welded until the welding torch winds back to the first weld seam to complete a full circle of welding of the stiffener. Thus, combined with the aforementioned positioning method in this embodiment, the welding efficiency can be greatly improved.

[0079] More importantly, the inventor of the present invention found in the experiment that since the first vision sensor can only recognize the specified area at a set distance in front of the welding torch, and the tip of the welding torch is mostly in a curved arc shape, when the welding torch winds around to the rear end of the second weld seam in S510, the recognition range of the first vision sensor has wound to a set distance in front of the rear end of the second weld seam, and it is impossible to synchronously recognize the actual position at the rear end of the second weld seam along with the welding torch, resulting in a recognition blind area for the first vision sensor. To ensure accurate welding of the weld seam at a set distance at the rear end of the second weld seam, based on the information of the workpiece to be welded obtained in advance, enable the actuator to control the welding torch to weld the set distance along the second weld seam at the rear end of the second weld seam;

[0080] For example, the workpiece to be welded can be a long strip-shaped stiffener, and the first weld seam and the second weld seam are respectively two long sides arranged parallel to each other. By using the width value in the information of the workpiece to be welded obtained and combining it with the actual position of the first weld seam, that is, the actual position coordinates of the first weld seam, plus the width value of the stiffener, accurately calculate the length of the weld seam within the set distance range at the rear end of the second weld seam, and the calculated weld seam position completely coincides with the actual weld seam position at the rear end of the second weld seam.

[0081] For another example, the workpiece to be welded can be a rectangular structural member, and the first weld seam and the second weld seam are perpendicular to each other. By using the actual position coordinates of the first weld seam, adding the thickness of the stiffener plate (i.e., the length of the corner wrap), and then rotating by 90°, the weld seam length within a specified distance range at the rear end of the second weld seam can be accurately calculated.

[0082] In addition, it should be noted that the specified distance in this embodiment can be based on the center line of the lens of the image collector of the first vision sensor. The distance between this lens center line and the tip of the welding torch is specified as the specified distance.

[0083] In this way, through the above two examples, it can be seen that this type of calculation completely belongs to the calculation method of the plane geometric coordinate system. Thus, the weld seam recognition error caused by the recognition blind area of the first vision sensor is eliminated, and the welding accuracy of the weld seam in this vision blind area is ensured. Moreover, since the foregoing algorithm is simple and completely based on the known actual position of the first weld seam and the known information of the workpiece to be welded, during the welding process of the weld seam in this vision recognition blind area, the welding torch does not need to make any pause, thereby ensuring the welding integrity, accuracy, and efficiency of the automatic welding method in this embodiment during the process of welding all weld seams at one time.

[0084] Moreover, during the process of the welding torch welding this section of the specified distance, the first vision sensor is simultaneously moved forward along the second weld seam, and the actual position of the second weld seam is recognized in real time. In this way, when the welding torch finishes welding this section of the specified distance, based on the first vision sensor's real-time recognition of the actual position of the second weld seam, the actual welding trajectory of the welding torch is adjusted accordingly to ensure that the welding torch welds forward along the actual position of the second weld seam, so that after the welding torch completes the welding of the specified distance of the second weld seam, it can be accurately docked with the actual position of the second weld seam, ensuring the overall welding accuracy and welding quality of this weld seam.

[0085] See Figures 1 to 6 , further, S540: Repeat S510 to S530 for the remaining weld seams of the workpiece to be welded in sequence until after the welding torch winds back and welds the corner wrap at the rear end of the first weld seam, including:

[0086] S610: Execute S520 and S530 at the rear end of the first weld seam, and simultaneously use the first vision sensor to detect in real time whether the first weld seam has been welded;

[0087] S620: When the first vision sensor detects that the first weld seam in front has been welded, the actuator is made to control the welding torch to weld only the specified distance along the first weld seam.

[0088] After the welding torch returns to the rear end of the first weld seam, in order to ensure the accurate docking of the welding starting point and the ending point of the welding torch, the first vision sensor is used to detect in real time whether the first weld seam has been welded, so as to prevent the occurrence of over-welding. Specifically, the characteristic that the line laser in the first vision sensor causes the reflected light to bend and deform when irradiating the already welded weld seam can be utilized, so that it can be captured and recognized by the image collector of the first vision sensor, realizing the accurate recognition of whether the first weld seam has been welded.

[0089] In addition, the inventor of the present invention also found in the experiment that if the first vision sensor immediately stops when it recognizes that the first weld seam in front has been welded, there will be a section of unwelded weld seam at the first weld seam, and the length of this section of unwelded weld seam is the same as the length of the set distance. This is because there is a set distance between the image acquisition area of the first vision sensor and the tip of the welding torch, which easily causes a blind area in the welding of the welding torch or inconsistent hand-eye recognition and positioning. To solve this problem, in this embodiment, when the first vision sensor detects that the first weld seam in front has been welded, the welding torch is made to continue welding only the set distance along the first weld seam, so as to weld the aforementioned section of unwelded weld seam, ensuring the accurate docking and coincidence of the welding starting point and the ending point, and ensuring the accuracy of welding the first weld seam.

[0090] See Figures 1 to 6 , further, after S400, based on the actual position of the first weld seam recognized in real time, the actuator corresponding thereto adjusts the welding path of the welding torch in real time, so that after the welding torch welds forward along the actual position of the first weld seam, it includes:

[0091] S710, when the welding torch welds along the actual position of the first weld seam to the first set position, lift the welding torch;

[0092] S720, based on the information of the workpiece to be welded, the actuator adjusts the posture of the welding torch and moves it to the second set position of the next weld seam;

[0093] S730, based on the information of the workpiece to be welded and the actual position of the first weld seam, the actuator controls the welding torch to weld the set distance along the next weld seam at the second set position. At the same time, the first vision sensor moves forward along the next weld seam and recognizes the actual position of the next weld seam in real time;

[0094] S740, based on the actual position of the next weld seam recognized in real time, the actuator adjusts the welding path of the welding torch in real time, so that the welding torch welds forward along the actual position of the next weld seam.

[0095] In the case where the workpiece to be welded needs to jump the welding gun during the welding process, for example, when welding grid-shaped stiffeners or when it is necessary to bypass certain specified areas, the welding gun needs to stop welding and lift above the workpiece to be welded, and then reach the specified position and drop to continue welding.

[0096] Therefore, in the prior art, after the welding gun drops, it is necessary to reposition the position of the welding gun to ensure accurate welding of the next weld seam, which results in low welding efficiency.

[0097] Therefore, in combination with the foregoing automatic welding method of this embodiment, and also taking into account the recognition blind area between the first vision sensor and the welding gun; after the welding gun is lifted, based on the position information of multiple different weld seams relative to the workpiece to be welded in the workpiece to be welded information, and the actual position of the first weld seam, calculate the actual coordinate position of the welding gun at the second set position along the next weld seam for welding the set distance, so as to ensure accurate welding of this section of the set distance. Compared with the prior art, it realizes accurate recognition and rapid positioning of the starting point of the next weld seam, that is, at the second set position. And, during the process of the welding gun welding this section of the set distance, at the same time, move the first vision sensor forward along the next weld seam and continuously recognize the actual position of the next weld seam. In this way, when the welding gun finishes welding this section of the set distance, based on the first vision sensor continuously recognizing the actual position of the next weld seam, then correspondingly adjust the actual welding trajectory of the welding gun to ensure that the welding gun welds forward along the actual position of the next weld seam, so that after the welding gun completes the welding of the set distance of the next weld seam, it can be accurately docked with the actual position of the next weld seam, ensuring the overall welding accuracy and welding quality of this weld seam.

[0098] In this way, through the above steps, not only the rapid and accurate positioning of the next weld seam after the welding gun jumps is realized, but also the accurate docking of the visual recognition part and the blind area is ensured, ensuring the integrity and accuracy of the entire weld seam welding.

[0099] See Figures 1 to 6 , further, the workpiece to be welded is a stiffener;

[0100] S520. Based on the workpiece to be welded information, enabling the actuator to control the welding gun to weld the set distance along the second weld seam at the rear end of the second weld seam includes:

[0101] S521. Based on the coordinates of the actual position of the first weld seam, use the shape and size of the workpiece to be welded, the position and distance of the second weld seam relative to the first weld seam to calculate and obtain the weld seam coordinates at the rear end of the second weld seam close to it;

[0102] S522. Enable the welding gun to weld the set distance along the weld seam coordinates at the rear end of the second weld seam close to it.

[0103] Based on the shape and size of the workpiece to be welded, and the position and distance of the second weld seam relative to the first weld seam, the weld coordinates near the rear end of the second weld seam are calculated to accurately obtain the weld coordinates near the rear end of the second weld seam. Then, the welding torch is moved along the weld coordinates near the rear end of the second weld seam to weld the set distance accurately.

[0104] In addition, referring to Table 1, in this embodiment, gusset plates of the same shape are used as the workpieces to be welded, and a welding robot is equipped. The automatic welding method of the present invention and the starting point positioning welding method in the prior art are compared through experiments, and it is found that the daily production capacity is increased by at least 7.63%. The detailed comparison test process is shown in Table 1.

[0105] In addition, this embodiment also provides an intelligent welding device for performing the automatic welding method described above.

[0106] Since the technical effects achieved by the intelligent welding device are the same as those of the automatic welding method, the intelligent welding device will not be further explained.

[0107] See Figures 1 to 6 , further, the intelligent welding device is used for welding ship gusset plates.

[0108] The intelligent welding device in this embodiment addresses the complex gusset plate welding in the shipbuilding field, where corner welding needs to be set between multiple weld seams, and realizes the dual needs of improving efficiency and controlling costs.

[0109] See Figures 1 to 6 , further, the first vision sensor includes a line laser emitter and an image collector. The line laser emitter is used to emit a line laser intersecting the weld seam to the workpiece to be welded, and the image collector is used to collect the line laser irradiated at the workpiece to be welded.

[0110] Utilizing the characteristic that the reflected light is distorted when the line laser is irradiated on the weld seam, and combining the principle of triangulation ranging, it is collected by the image collector, and the actual position of the weld seam is obtained through calculation, thus ensuring the accuracy of identifying the actual position of the weld seam.

[0111] See Figures 1 to 6, Further, the intelligent welding device further includes a second vision sensor, a bracket, and a conveying device. A plurality of the workpieces to be welded are sequentially placed on the conveying device and conveyed. The second vision sensor is arranged above the conveying device through the bracket, and the second vision sensor is only used to individually identify the shape, size, and the position information of a plurality of different weld seams relative to the workpiece to be welded on the conveying device.

[0112] In this embodiment, the second vision sensor is arranged above the conveying device through the bracket to identify and detect each of the plurality of workpieces to be welded as they are conveyed through the conveying device, thereby detecting the shape, size, and the position information of a plurality of different weld seams relative to the workpiece to be welded, that is, the information of the workpiece to be welded, improving the efficiency of obtaining the information of the workpiece to be welded.

[0113] Although the present invention is disclosed as above, the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and these changes and modifications will all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0114]

[0115]

[0116] Table 1.

Claims

1. An automatic welding method based on visual recognition, characterized in that: The automatic welding method is used for intelligent welding equipment, which includes: an actuator, a welding gun and a first visual sensor, wherein the welding gun is arranged at the end of the actuator, and the first visual sensor is arranged adjacent to the welding gun at the end of the actuator; when the welding gun welds along the weld, the first visual sensor is used to identify the actual position of the weld in a specified area in front of the welding gun; The automatic welding method comprises: Acquire the first weld position information of the welded workpiece; Based on the first weld position information, controlling the actuator to make the first visual sensor approach the first weld and identify the actual position of the first weld; Move the first visual sensor forward along the first weld and identify the actual position of the first weld in real time; Based on the first weld seam actual position identified in real time, the actuator is caused to correspondingly adjust the welding path of the welding gun in real time, so that the welding gun welds forward along the first weld seam actual position.

2. The automatic welding method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Acquiring the first weld position information of the welded workpiece includes: By visually identifying the workpiece to be welded, information of the workpiece to be welded is obtained, wherein the information of the workpiece to be welded includes at least the shape, size, and position information of a plurality of different welds relative to the workpiece to be welded; Based on the welded workpiece information, the first weld is determined, and the first weld position information is acquired.

3. The automatic welding method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The designated area in front of the welding gun is a designated area at a set distance in front of the welding gun; Based on the first weld seam actual position identified in real time, the actuator is caused to correspondingly adjust the welding path of the welding gun in real time so that the welding gun welds forward along the first weld seam actual position, and then the method includes: S510, when the welding gun has welded the front end of the actual position of the first weld, based on the welded workpiece information, the actuator controls the welding gun to weld a wrap angle between the front end of the actual position of the first weld and an adjacent second weld; S520, based on the welded workpiece information and the actual position of the first weld, causing the actuator to control the welding gun to weld the set distance along the second weld at the rear end of the second weld, and at the same time, causing the first visual sensor to move forward along the second weld and identify the actual position of the second weld in real time; S530, based on the real-time identified actual position of the second weld, causing the actuator to adjust the welding path of the welding gun in real time, so that the welding gun welds forward along the actual position of the second weld; S540, repeatedly executing S510 to S530 for the remaining welds of the welded workpiece, until the welding gun goes back and welds the corner at the rear end of the first weld.

4. The automatic welding method according to claim 3, characterized in that: Repeating S510 to S530 for the remaining welds of the welded workpiece until the welding gun goes back and welds the corner at the rear end of the first weld includes: Executing S520 and S530 at the rear end of the first weld, and using the first visual sensor to detect in real time whether the first weld has been welded; When the first visual sensor detects that the first weld seam in front has been welded, the actuator controls the welding gun to weld only the set distance along the first weld seam.

5. The automatic welding method according to claim 3, characterized in that: Based on the first weld seam actual position identified in real time, the actuator is caused to correspondingly adjust the welding path of the welding gun in real time so that the welding gun welds forward along the first weld seam actual position, and then the method includes: When the welding gun welds to a first set position along the actual position of the first weld seam, lifting the welding gun; Based on the welded workpiece information, the actuator adjusts the welding gun posture and moves to a second set position of a next weld; Based on the welded workpiece information and the actual position of the first weld, the actuator controls the welding gun to weld the set distance along the next weld at the second set position, and at the same time, the first visual sensor moves forward along the next weld and identifies the actual position of the next weld in real time; Based on the real-time identified actual position of the next weld, the actuator adjusts the welding path of the welding gun in real time so that the welding gun welds forward along the actual position of the next weld.

6. The automatic welding method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The welded workpiece is a rib plate; S520, based on the welded workpiece information, causing the actuator to control the welding gun to weld the set distance along the second weld at the rear end of the second weld, including: S521, based on the coordinates of the actual position of the first weld, using the shape and size of the welded workpiece, and the position and distance of the second weld relative to the first weld, calculate and obtain the weld coordinates of the second weld near its rear end; S522, making the welding gun weld the set distance along the weld coordinates of the second weld close to its rear end.

7. An intelligent welding device, characterized in that: Used to perform the automatic welding method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The intelligent welding equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that: The intelligent welding equipment is used for welding ship stiffeners.

9. The intelligent welding equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first visual sensor includes a line laser emitter and an image collector. The line laser emitter is used to emit a line laser that intersects the weld seam toward the welded workpiece, and the image collector is used to collect the line laser irradiated on the welded workpiece.

10. The intelligent welding equipment according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that: The intelligent welding equipment also includes a second visual sensor, a bracket and a conveying device. Multiple workpieces to be welded are placed on the conveying device in sequence and conveyed. The second visual sensor is arranged above the conveying device through the bracket. The second visual sensor is only used to identify the shape, size, and position information of multiple different welds of the workpieces to be welded on the conveying device one by one.

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