Welding condition determination device, welding condition determination method, and program

Abstract

The welding condition determination device outputs a (k + 1)-th user confirmation screen to the output device when a welding parameter is determined on the basis of the input to the k-th user confirmation screen, and outputs the (k + 1)-th user confirmation screen to the output device when the welding parameter is adjusted on the basis of the input to the k-th user confirmation screen. A k-th user confirmation screen for confirming the welding quality of an object to be welded using the adjusted welding parameters is output, and a welding condition, a workpiece posture, and a welding wire target position for welding the object are determined using the determined welding parameters based on an input of a user operation on the N user confirmation screens.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a welding condition determination device, a welding condition determination method, and a program. Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a method for setting welding conditions to facilitate the determination of welding conditions. The method involves a worker setting information related to the welding object and the welding method. Recommended values ​​for welding conditions such as welding current, welding voltage, wire feed speed, welding speed, and leg length that are appropriate for these information are determined and displayed. Furthermore, even if the worker changes the recommended values, recommended values ​​for the welding conditions appropriate for the changed values ​​are determined and displayed.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 5927505 Summary of the Invention

[0006] -Problems to be solved by the invention-

[0007] The present disclosure provides a welding condition determination device, a welding condition determination method, and a program for more easily determining welding conditions for performing high-quality welding work.

[0008] -Methods used to solve the problem-

[0009] The present disclosure provides a welding condition determination device comprising: a communication interface connected to a welding device for data communication; an output device capable of outputting, in a predetermined order, N user confirmation screens for confirming the weld quality of an object welded by the welding device, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2; an input device for inputting a user instruction on the user confirmation screens; and a processor for adjusting or determining welding parameters for the welding based on the input of the user instruction, the processor performing the following processing: when the welding parameters are determined based on the user instruction input on the kth user confirmation screen, outputting a (k+1)th user confirmation screen to the output device, where k is a variable ranging from 1 to N; when the welding parameters are adjusted based on the user instruction input on the kth user confirmation screen, outputting the kth user confirmation screen to the output device for confirming the weld quality of the object welded by the welding device using the adjusted welding parameters; and determining welding conditions, a workpiece posture, and a target wire position for welding the object by the welding device using the welding parameters determined based on the user operation input on the N user confirmation screens.

[0010] In addition, the present disclosure provides a welding condition determination method, which is performed by a welding condition determination device composed of one or more computers, and the welding condition determination method includes: a step of being connected to a welding device for welding an object so as to be capable of data communication; a step of being capable of outputting N user confirmation screens for confirming the welding quality of the object welded by the welding device in a given order, wherein N is an integer greater than or equal to 2; a step of inputting a user instruction on the user confirmation screen; and a step of adjusting or determining a welding parameter of the welding based on the input of the user instruction, wherein the step of adjusting or determining the welding parameter includes: The invention also provides a step of outputting a (k+1)th user confirmation screen to the output device when the welding parameters are determined based on the input of the user instruction on the kth user confirmation screen, wherein k is a variable ranging from 1 to N; a step of outputting the kth user confirmation screen to the output device for confirming the welding quality of the object welded by the welding device using the adjusted welding parameters when the welding parameters are adjusted based on the input of the user instruction on the kth user confirmation screen; and a step of determining the welding conditions, workpiece posture, and welding wire target position for welding the object by the welding device using the welding parameters determined based on the input of the user operation on the N user confirmation screens.

[0011] In addition, the present disclosure provides a program for causing a welding condition determination device including one or more computers to execute the following steps: a step of being connected to a welding device for a welding object so as to enable data communication; a step of being able to output N user confirmation screens for confirming the welding quality of the object welded by the welding device in a given order, wherein N is an integer greater than or equal to 2; a step of inputting a user instruction to the user confirmation screen; and a step of adjusting or determining welding parameters of the welding based on the input of the user instruction, wherein in the step of adjusting or determining the welding parameters, the following steps are executed: The method further comprises the steps of: outputting a (k+1)th user confirmation screen to the output device when the welding parameters are determined based on the input of the user instruction on the kth user confirmation screen, wherein k is a variable ranging from 1 to N; outputting the kth user confirmation screen for confirming the welding quality of the object welded by the welding device using the adjusted welding parameters to the output device when the welding parameters are adjusted based on the input of the user instruction on the kth user confirmation screen; and determining welding conditions, workpiece posture, and welding wire target position for welding the object by the welding device using the welding parameters determined based on the user operation input on the N user confirmation screens.

[0012] -Effects of the Invention-

[0013] According to the present disclosure, welding conditions for performing high-quality welding work can be determined more easily. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing an example of a system configuration of a welding system according to the first embodiment.

[0015] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing a table that defines an example of an appropriate range and a usable range of welding current, welding voltage, and advance angle.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing an example of a user confirmation screen for confirming the presence or absence of burn-through.

[0017] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing an example of a welding parameter guidance screen for suppressing burn-through.

[0018] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing an example of a user confirmation screen for confirming the suitability of the welding amount.

[0019] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing an example of a user confirmation screen for confirming the suitability of a weld bead shape.

[0020] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing an example of a user confirmation screen for confirming the suitability of the penetration depth.

[0021] Figure 8 This is a flowchart showing the operation procedure of the user interface device according to the first embodiment.

[0022] Figure 9 This is a flowchart showing the operation procedure of the user interface device according to the first embodiment.

[0023] Figure 10 This is a diagram showing a table that defines a combination example of the first confirmation item, the second confirmation item, the third confirmation item, the fourth confirmation item, and the fifth confirmation item. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] (The process of realizing this disclosure)

[0025] To produce (especially mass-produce) welded products with the high quality that meets customer expectations, a wide range of welding parameters must be pre-set for welding operations. Until now, these parameters have mostly been determined based on the welder's years of experience or intuition, and then set in the welding equipment (e.g., a welding robot or its controller). In arc welding, welding parameters refer to, for example, welding current, welding voltage, wire feed speed, and torch holding angle. Skilled workers can set these parameters relatively quickly. However, for less experienced welders, setting the welding parameters required for high-quality welding can be time-consuming and difficult.

[0026] Patent Document 1, as mentioned above, does not envision a scenario whereby an operator visually inspects the object being welded based on the determined welding parameters to determine whether the parameters are appropriate for achieving high weld quality. Therefore, simply inputting information about the welding object and the welding method, as envisioned in Patent Document 1, does not necessarily determine optimal welding conditions for producing welded products with the high weld quality expected by customers (e.g., standards suitable for mass production), and this point leaves room for improvement.

[0027] Therefore, in the following embodiments, examples of a welding condition determination device and a welding condition determination method for more easily determining welding conditions for performing high-quality welding work will be described.

[0028] The following detailed description specifically discloses the welding condition determination device, welding condition determination method, and program according to the present disclosure, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. However, unnecessary details may be omitted. For example, detailed descriptions of known matters and repetitive descriptions of substantially identical structures may be omitted. This is to avoid unnecessary length and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. Furthermore, the drawings and the following description are provided to facilitate a thorough understanding of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the subject matter of the claims.

[0029] (Structure of welding system)

[0030] First, refer to Figure 1An example system configuration of a welding system 100 according to the first embodiment will be described. In the first embodiment, a welding robot MC1 performs arc welding on a T-joint, which serves as a welding object (e.g., a metal upper plate Wk1 and a lower plate Wk2; the same applies hereinafter). The welding conditions required for this welding are determined based on the operation of an operator (an example of a user; the same applies hereinafter). The type of welding and the type of joint are not particularly limited.

[0031] Figure 1 1 is a diagram showing an example of a system configuration of a welding system 100 according to Embodiment 1. The welding system 100 includes a welding robot MC1, a robot control device 50, and a user interface device 10. The welding robot MC1 and the robot control device 50 are connected so as to be able to input and output signals such as control signals. The robot control device 50 and the user interface device 10 are connected so as to be able to input and output data signals such as data. Figure 1 In the specification, for convenience, the interface is abbreviated as "I / F".

[0032] The welding robot MC1 drives the manipulator 200 and wire feeder 300 based on control signals from the robot control unit 50, moving the welding torch 400, which holds a consumable electrode wire 301, along a welding path specified by a welding program (not shown), thereby welding the object to be welded. The welding robot MC1 performs arc welding, for example, during the welding process. However, the welding robot MC1 can also perform welding methods other than arc welding (such as laser welding or gas welding). For example, in the case of laser welding, although not shown, the welding torch 400 is replaced with a laser head attached to a laser oscillator serving as a light source via an optical fiber that guides the laser light. The welding robot MC1 includes at least the manipulator 200, the wire feeder 300, the welding wire 301, and the welding torch 400.

[0033] The robot 200 includes a multi-jointed arm with multiple links rotatably coupled via joints, and at least one arm is driven based on a control signal from the robot controller 50. This allows the robot 200 to arbitrarily change the positional relationship between the welding object and the welding torch 400 disposed at the tip of the robot 200 (for example, the torch holding angle, such as the forward and backward angles of the welding torch 400 relative to the normal direction of the joint surface of the lower plate Wk2) by driving the arms.

[0034] The wire feeding device 300 is fixed to the robot arm 200. It includes a feed motor (not shown) with a guide roller and an encoder (not shown) that detects the amount of wire 301 being fed by the feed motor. Based on a control signal from the robot controller 50, the wire feeding device 300 controls the wire feed speed for feeding the consumable electrode, wire 301, to the welding torch 400. Furthermore, the wire feeding device 300 may include a sensor (not shown) that detects the remaining amount of wire 301. The robot controller 50 can detect the completion of the welding process based on the output of this sensor.

[0035] Welding wire 301 is held in welding torch 400 and melted by applying a welding voltage from welding power supply 54 to a contact piece (not shown, as described below) of welding torch 400, thereby functioning as a consumable electrode for welding. Thus, by applying the required welding voltage from welding power supply 54 between welding torch 400 and the object being welded, arc discharge is generated between the tip of welding wire 301 and the object being welded, and welding current flows into the object, thereby performing arc welding.

[0036] A contact piece (not shown) and a gas nozzle (not shown) are attached to the distal end of the welding torch 400. The contact piece (not shown) is a cylindrical conductor that guides the welding wire 301. The gas nozzle (not shown) is positioned so as to surround the contact piece (not shown) and supplies a shielding gas such as argon to the weld site. For ease of illustration, the gas cylinder, regulator, and gas supply pipe used to supply shielding gas such as argon to the welding torch 400 or the weld site have been omitted from illustration and description.

[0037] When the robot control device 50 receives a welding instruction from the user interface device 10, it obtains welding conditions corresponding to the execution instruction by referring to the memory 52. ​​The robot control device 50 generates a control signal for welding the welding object using the obtained welding conditions and transmits it to the welding robot MC1. The control signal transmitted to the welding robot MC1 includes a signal indicating the operation instruction (see FIG. 1 ) to be executed between the user interface device 10 and the robot control device 50. Figure 8 as well as Figure 9 ) is determined by the welding conditions (see below). Here, the so-called welding conditions refer to condition data including a plurality of welding parameters (such as welding current, welding voltage, torch holding angle (advance angle or retreat angle), wire feed speed, etc.), and the welding conditions are based on, for example, the operation instructions between the user interface device 10 and the robot control device 50 (see Figure 8 as well as Figure 9) are generated and stored in the robot controller 50. Furthermore, welding conditions are not limited to the aforementioned welding parameters but may also include the diameter of the welding wire 301, welding speed, welding posture, protruding length of the welding wire 301, diameter of the gas nozzle (not shown), gas flow rate, workpiece posture, and target wire position. The workpiece posture refers to the position in which the workpiece (i.e., the welding object, such as the upper plate Wk1 and the lower plate Wk2) is held. The workpiece target position indicates the position at which the welding torch of the welding robot MC1 approaches (is close to) the workpiece (i.e., the welding object, such as the upper plate Wk1 and the lower plate Wk2). These workpiece posture and target workpiece position may be conceptually included in the aforementioned welding conditions or may be parameters separate from the welding conditions. Furthermore, the welding conditions may also be stored in the user interface device 10. Furthermore, upon detecting the completion of welding, the robot controller 2 may generate a welding completion report indicating the completion of welding and notify the user interface device 10. This allows the operator operating the user interface device 10 to quickly understand the completion of welding performed by the robot controller 2. Furthermore, the method for detecting welding completion by the robot controller 2 can be, for example, a method based on a signal indicating welding completion from a sensor (not shown) provided in the wire feeder 300, or a known method. The details of the welding completion detection method are not limited. Furthermore, the robot controller 50 can also be configured as an example of the welding condition determination device involved in the present disclosure. The robot controller 50 includes at least a processor 51, a memory 52, a communication interface 53, and a welding power supply 54.

[0038] The processor 51 is configured using, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphical Processing Unit), or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and performs various processing and control operations in cooperation with the memory 52. ​​The processor 51 refers to programs and control data stored in the memory 52 and executes the programs using the control data, thereby comprehensively managing and controlling the processing performed by the robot control device 50. The processor 51 functionally includes, for example, a calculation processing unit 51a and a power supply control unit 51b.

[0039] The calculation processing unit 51a calculates or reads various control values ​​constituting welding conditions for the welding robot MC1 to perform welding, or performs operation guidance with the user interface device 10 (see FIG. Figure 8 as well as Figure 9) and various calculations to adjust or determine welding parameters based on data signals from user interface device 10. For example, calculation processing unit 51a refers to mathematical formulas or tables (tables) stored in memory 52 to calculate welding parameters and other parameters used to control the operation of welding robot MC1 (e.g., manipulator 200 and wire feeder 300). Calculation processing unit 51a generates control signals for causing welding robot MC1, which is the subject of the calculations, to perform welding.

[0040] Power supply control unit 51 b calculates a welding voltage or welding current required for welding between welding wire 301 and the object to be welded, and controls output (application) of the welding voltage from welding power supply device 54 .

[0041] The memory 52 includes, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory). The RAM serves as a working memory and temporarily stores data generated or acquired by the processor 51. The ROM stores programs and control data that define the processing of the processor 51. The memory 52 also stores welding conditions, including welding conditions based on the operation instructions (see FIG. 1 ) exchanged between the user interface device 10 and the robot control device 50. Figure 8 as well as Figure 9 ) and determine the welding parameters. In addition, the memory 52 stores the construction guidance performed between the user interface device 10 and the robot control device 50 (refer to Figure 8 as well as Figure 9 ) is referenced in the action of (see below). This reference data is included in the construction instructions (see Figure 8 as well as Figure 9 ), the contents of the first confirmation item (see below), the second confirmation item (see below), the third confirmation item (see below), the fourth confirmation item (see below), and the fifth confirmation item (see below), the type of welding parameter recommended to the operator to meet each confirmation item, and the welding parameter value corresponding to the number of times the welding parameter should be adjusted. A specific example of reference data will be described in detail later. Memory 52 may also include a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD).

[0042] Here, refer to Figure 2 The following describes the appropriate range and usable range of welding current, welding voltage, and advance angle (an example of a torch holding angle), which are welding parameter items constituting part of the reference data. Figure 2This is a diagram showing a table TBL1 that defines an example of an appropriate range and a usable range of welding current, welding voltage, and advance angle.

[0043] Although detailed later, when the operation guidance is performed between the user interface device 10 and the robot control device 50, the reference data stored in the robot control device 50 is read by the robot control device 50. As described above, the reference data specifies the types of welding parameters that should be recommended to the operator in order for the welding robot MC1 to perform welding that satisfies a high welding quality. Figure 2 In FIG. 1 , three types of welding parameters, namely welding current, welding voltage, and advance angle, are exemplified. However, it goes without saying that these three types are exemplified for simplicity of explanation and are not limited to these three types.

[0044] Table TBL1 associates, for each type of welding parameter, an appropriate region (appropriate range) in which use of the welding parameter is appropriate and an applicable region (usable range) in which actual use is possible.

[0045] For example, the preferred range for welding current is defined as follows: the predetermined "recommended current upper limit" serves as the upper limit, and the predetermined "recommended current lower limit" serves as the lower limit. Furthermore, the usable range for welding current is defined as "recommended current upper limit + 10A (amperes)" serving as the upper limit, and "recommended current lower limit - 10A (amperes)" serving as the lower limit. In other words, the usable range for welding current is defined as the range of ±10A (amperes) added to the preferred range.

[0046] For example, the optimum welding voltage range is defined as "given voltage +4V" as the upper limit, and the predetermined "given voltage -4V" as the lower limit. Furthermore, the usable welding voltage range is defined as "given voltage +8V" as the upper limit, and "given voltage -8V" as the lower limit. In other words, the usable welding voltage range is defined as the range of ±4V added to the optimum range.

[0047] For example, the appropriate range of the advancing angle is "+30 degrees" as the upper limit and "-30 degrees" as the lower limit. On the other hand, the usable range of the advancing angle is not specified, and the appropriate range and the usable range can be considered the same for the advancing angle.

[0048] For example, when the welding parameter to be adjusted to satisfy a certain user confirmation item (described later) is the "welding current", and the current set value of the welding current exceeds the "suitable area" and approaches the "usable area" (in other words, the limit value of use), the processor 51 of the robot control device 50 changes the welding parameter to be adjusted to another welding parameter (such as the "welding voltage" or the "advance angle").

[0049] On the other hand, for example, when the welding parameter to be adjusted to satisfy a certain user confirmation item (described later) is the "welding current" and the current setting value of the welding current is within the "appropriate area", the processor 51 of the robot control device 50 is changed according to the number of adjustments so that the adjustment amount is gradually reduced without changing the adjustment parameter (that is, maintaining the "welding current").

[0050] For example, if the welding parameter "welding current" is being adjusted for the first time, processor 51 selects "+20A" (a relative value representing the difference from the current set value) as the adjustment amount. However, if the welding parameter "welding current" is being adjusted for the second time, processor 51 selects "+10A" (see the relative value above) as the adjustment amount, and if the welding parameter "welding current" is being adjusted for the third time, processor 51 selects "+5A" (see the relative value above). In this way, when adjusting within the appropriate or usable range of the same welding parameter, a larger adjustment amount is allocated when the number of adjustments is small, and the adjustment amount is reduced as the number of adjustments increases, thereby shortening the time it takes for the welding parameter adjustments to converge.

[0051] Communication interface 53 is a communication circuit that enables communication of control signals between welding robot MC1 and robot control device 50, and communication of data signals between robot control device 50 and user interface device 10. Communication interface 53 transmits control signals generated by processor 51 to welding robot MC1, and transmits data signals generated by processor 51 to user interface device 10. Communication interface 53 receives data signals from user interface device 10 and transmits them to processor 51. Furthermore, the control signals transmitted to welding robot MC1 may include, for example, control signals for controlling robot arm 200 and wire feeder 300.

[0052] The welding power supply 54 includes a high-voltage generating circuit (not shown) that generates a welding voltage applied to a contact piece (not shown) and a power supply control circuit (not shown) that controls the high-voltage generating circuit. Based on instructions from the power supply control unit 51b, the power supply control circuit generates a desired high voltage at a predetermined timing and controls the wire feeder 300 to adjust the amount or speed of the welding wire 301 fed to the contact piece (not shown). When the high-voltage voltage generated by the high-voltage generating circuit (not shown) is applied between the welding torch 400 and the object to be welded, an arc discharge is generated, melting the welding wire 301 and welding the object. At this time, the object to be welded is at ground potential.

[0053] The user interface device 10 (an example of the welding condition determination device involved in the present disclosure) is a terminal used by a welding operator (an example of a user. The same applies hereinafter). For example, the user interface device 10 is a teaching pendant or a tablet terminal. Figure 8 as well as Figure 9 ) during operation, accepting operator input and selecting welding parameters recommended (proposed) by robot control unit 50 for high-quality welding by welding robot MC1. User interface device 10 includes a processor 11, memory 12, input device 13, display device 14, and communication interface 15.

[0054] The processor 11 is configured using, for example, a CPU, GPU, or FPGA, and performs various processes and controls in cooperation with the memory 12. The processor 11 refers to programs and control data stored in the memory 12 and executes programs using the control data, thereby comprehensively managing and controlling the processes performed by the user interface device 10.

[0055] The memory 12 includes, for example, RAM and ROM. The RAM serves as a working memory to temporarily store data generated or acquired by the processor 11. The ROM stores programs and control data that define the processing of the processor 11. In addition, the memory 12 stores welding conditions, including input and output based on data signals between the user interface device 10 and the robot control device 50 (see Figure 8 as well as Figure 9 ) and determine the welding parameters. In addition, the memory 12 can also store the construction guidance between the user interface device 10 and the robot control device 50 (refer to Figure 8 as well as Figure 9 ) is referenced in the operation (see below). In addition, the memory 12 may also include a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD).

[0056] The input device 13 is a device for detecting the operation input of the operator, and is composed of, for example, a touch panel, a button, etc. The input device 13 detects the construction instructions (see Figure 8 as well as Figure 9 ) is displayed on the display device 14 in various user confirmation screens (refer to Figure 3 、 Figure 4 、 Figure 5 、 Figure 6 、 Figure 7 ) is input by the operator and sent to the processor 11. For example, in order to make the welding robot MC1 perform high-quality welding, the type (option) of the desired welding parameters recommended (proposed) by the robot control device 50, the past change history of the welding parameters (see Figure 4 ).

[0057] The display device 14 (an example of an output device) is a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electroluminescence). The display device 14 is used for construction guidance between the user interface device 10 and the robot control device 50 (see Figure 8 as well as Figure 9 ) operation, various user confirmation screens are displayed under the control of the processor 11 (refer to Figure 3 、 Figure 4 、 Figure 5 、 Figure 6 、 Figure 7 ).

[0058] The communication interface 15 is a communication circuit that enables data signal communication between the user interface device 10 and the robot control device 50. The communication interface 15 transmits data signals generated by the processor 11 based on operator input detected by the input device 13 to the robot control device 50, and transmits data signals transmitted from the robot control device 50 to the processor 11.

[0059] Here, the concept of construction guidance performed between the user interface device 10 and the robot control device 50 will be briefly described.

[0060] As mentioned above, in order to produce welded products with the high quality that customers expect, various welding parameters must be pre-set for welding. Skilled operators can set welding parameters (such as welding current, welding voltage, wire feed speed, and torch holding angle) relatively quickly. However, unskilled operators find it difficult to quickly set these welding parameters.

[0061] Therefore, in the welding system 100 according to the first embodiment, the user interface device 10 and the robot control device 50 communicate data signals in a dialog form (in other words, exchange data back and forth) to perform the operation guidance. For details of the operation process of the operation guidance, please refer to Figure 8 as well as Figure 9 That is, according to the construction guidance, even workers who do not have the technical know-how related to the setting of welding parameters or workers with little experience can satisfy the required welding quality by performing the multiple user confirmation screens (refer to Figure 3 、 Figure 4 、 Figure 5 、 Figure 6 、 Figure 7 ) operation input, so that anyone can easily obtain the optimal solution for welding parameters (in other words, welding conditions for causing the welding robot MC1 to perform welding that satisfies high welding quality).

[0062] Next, refer to Figures 3 to 9 The following describes the operation process of the construction guidance and various user confirmation screens displayed on the user interface device 10 during the operation of the construction guidance.

[0063] Figure 3 1 is a diagram showing an example of a user confirmation screen SCR1 for confirming the presence or absence of burn-through. Figure 4 This is a diagram showing an example of a welding parameter guidance screen SCR1a for suppressing burn-through. Figure 5 1 is a diagram showing an example of a user confirmation screen SCR2 for confirming the suitability of the welding amount. Figure 6 1 is a diagram showing an example of a user confirmation screen SCR3 for confirming the suitability of a weld bead shape. Figure 7 1 is a diagram showing an example of a user confirmation screen SCR4 for confirming the suitability of the penetration depth. Figure 8 as well as Figure 9 1 is a flowchart showing the operation process of the user interface device 10 according to the first embodiment. Figure 8 as well as Figure 9 When explaining the flowchart shown, refer to Figures 3 to 7 The contents of each user confirmation screen are explained.

[0064] exist Figure 8In this example, when the operator initiates the work guidance based on an input to the user interface device 10 (e.g., pressing an icon (not shown) for starting work guidance), the processor 11 of the user interface device 10 generates a screen (not shown) prompting the operator to perform a first confirmation item and displays it on the display device 14. This screen (not shown) is, for example, a screen for confirming whether the welding robot MC1 is in the correct welding posture relative to the welding object (e.g., the upper plate and lower plate Wk2) (in other words, prompting the operator to select the appropriate position from "horizontal," "downward," or "upward," as described later). Here, the first confirmation item, for example, asks the operator whether the welding robot MC1's welding posture is "horizontal," "downward," or "upward." "Horizontal" indicates horizontal welding. "Downward" indicates downward welding. "Upward" indicates upward welding. Since welding is easily affected by gravity, it is preferable to set the welding speed faster in the "downward" position than in the "horizontal" position. That is, as a starting point for the construction guidance, the user interface device 10 confirms with the operator what welding posture the welding robot MC1 adopts to weld the object.

[0065] The processor 11 detects an operator's input (i.e., an operator's input for the first confirmation item) on a screen (not shown) displayed on the display device 14 (step St0) and transmits it to the robot controller 50. Based on the welding posture selected by the operator's input in step St0, the robot controller 50 generates a start instruction screen (not shown) that prompts the operator to confirm items (i.e., the second confirmation item) when welding in that welding posture and urges the operator to start welding using the currently set welding parameters. The screen is then displayed on the display device 14. Upon detecting the operator's input from the user interface device 10 to initiate welding on this screen (not shown), the robot controller 50 retrieves a set (combination) of multiple welding parameters from reference data in the memory 52, generates a control signal for executing welding using those welding parameters, and transmits it to the welding robot MC1. Based on the control signal from the robot controller 50, the welding robot MC1 welds the object (step St1). When the robot control device 50 detects the completion of welding by the welding robot MC1, it generates a user confirmation screen SCR1 (see FIG. 1 ) that prompts the operator to perform an operation on the second confirmation item. Figure 3 ) and sent to the user interface device 10.

[0066] The processor 11 of the user interface device 10 displays the user confirmation screen SCR1 (see Figure 3) is displayed on the display device 14 (step St2). The user confirmation screen SCR1 is a screen that specifies the second confirmation item to be asked of the operator. The second confirmation item is an item that constitutes the welding conditions that must be determined to achieve high-quality welding, and is preferably determined based on the content of the first confirmation item, for example.

[0067] like Figure 3 As shown, user confirmation screen SCR1 is, for example, a screen that inquires the operator about the quality of the weld to the object being welded, as performed by welding robot MC1 in step St1, regarding whether burn-through has occurred. Specifically, user confirmation screen SCR1 includes a question message Q1 indicating whether burn-through has occurred, a guidance text G1, and a "Yes" button B1 and a "No" button B2 for answering whether burn-through has occurred. Guidance text G1 indicates that pressing "Yes" button B1 will guide the operator through adjustment items (welding parameters) that are effective for suppressing burn-through.

[0068] Here, if the operator visually confirms that the welding object does not "burn through" during the welding performed by the welding robot MC1 in step St1, the "No" button B2 is pressed. On the other hand, if the operator visually confirms that the welding object does "burn through" during the welding performed by the welding robot MC1 in step St1, the "Yes" button B1 is pressed. When the "Yes" button B1 is pressed, the processor 11 executes the instruction article G1. Figure 4 The welding parameter guidance screen SCR1a shown is displayed on the display device 14. On the other hand, when the "No" button B2 is pressed, the processor 11 does not adjust the current welding parameters and maintains them, and executes the operation for displaying the next user confirmation screen SCR2 (see Figure 5 ) various treatments.

[0069] like Figure 4 As shown, the welding parameter guidance screen SCR1a is a screen that displays the following information: It asks the operator which welding parameters should be improved among the current welding parameters as a result of burn-through caused by the operator's input. Specifically, the welding parameter guidance screen SCR1a includes a message AD1 urging the operator to select welding parameters that should be improved to prevent burn-through, a guidance text G1a, and welding parameter options C1, C2, and C3 in the recommended order of improvement. The guidance text G1a instructs the operator to select (click) the type (item) of welding parameters that they believe they would like to adjust.

[0070] The occurrence of burn-through is believed to be due to an increase in the amount of burn-through of welding wire 301. Therefore, options C1, "Reduce welding current," C2, "Reduce welding voltage," and C3, "Adjust advance angle" are presented. In other words, user interface device 10 presents options C1, C2, and C3 in the order of priority for the operator to confirm in order to prevent burn-through.

[0071] More specifically, if the operator selects option C1, "Reduce welding current," the processor 11 adjusts the welding current, one of the current welding parameters, to decrease by an amount corresponding to the number of adjustments corresponding to the second confirmation item for suppressing the occurrence of "burn-through." Similarly, if the operator selects option C2, "Reduce welding voltage," the processor 11 adjusts the welding voltage, one of the current welding parameters, to decrease by an amount corresponding to the number of adjustments corresponding to the second confirmation item for suppressing the occurrence of "burn-through." Furthermore, if the operator selects option C3, "Advance angle," the processor 11 adjusts the advance angle, one of the current welding parameters, to change by an amount corresponding to the number of adjustments corresponding to the second confirmation item for suppressing the occurrence of "burn-through."

[0072] Furthermore, the welding parameter guidance screen SCR1a may also include the contents of a table TBL2, which shows a past change history indicating how welding parameters were adjusted (changed) in the past to suppress the occurrence of "burn-through" in correspondence with a user confirmation item indicating whether "burn-through" has occurred. The past change history shown in the table TBL2 is stored in the memory 52 of the robot control device 50 or the memory 12 of the user interface device 10. Figure 4 , which shows the past change history indicating how welding parameters were adjusted (changed) in the past to suppress the occurrence of “burn-through”. However, the past change history may be similarly stored for user confirmation items other than the occurrence of “burn-through”.

[0073] Figure 4 Table TBL2, a change history table, contains multiple items representing a single welding condition (record): "Change Details" [relative value], "Conditions" (A, V, S) [absolute value], "Torch Hold Angle" [absolute value], "Travel Angle" [absolute value], and "Results." The "Change Details" field represents the amount of change (the so-called differential value) from the pre-change welding parameter value. "A" represents the welding current (amperes), "V" represents the welding voltage (volts), and "S" represents the wire feed speed (meters / minute).

[0074] Each record in the change history table TBL2 is assigned an identification code, index numbers HIS1, HIS2, HIS3, etc. "Result" is data indicating the results of welding performed after the welding parameters corresponding to that record (welding conditions) were changed, as well as the weld quality of the welded object as input by the operator. Specifically, a change with index number HIS1 (i.e., reducing the welding current by 20A) indicates "insufficient" in suppressing burnthrough (i.e., burnthrough reoccurred). A change with index number HIS2 (i.e., reducing the welding voltage by 5V) indicates "excessive" in suppressing burnthrough (i.e., burnthrough was prevented, but the welding quality was excessively altered). A change with index number HIS3 (i.e., reducing the torch holding angle by 5 degrees) indicates "resolved" in suppressing burnthrough (i.e., burnthrough was suppressed).

[0075] exist Figure 4 When the welding parameter guidance screen SCR1a is displayed on the display device 14, the operator can refer to each record in the change history table TBL2 and select an index number corresponding to an available past change history record (e.g., index number HIS1). In this case, the processor 11 transmits a data signal corresponding to the operator's selection of index number HIS1 (that is, a data signal indicating the contents of index number HIS1) to the robot controller 50. The robot controller 50 adjusts the welding parameters based on the data signal transmitted from the user interface device 10. By displaying the results of past change history displayed on the welding parameter guidance screen SCR1a, the operator can obtain useful information on whether to adjust the welding parameters according to the change history, enabling the welding robot MC1 to perform high-quality welding.

[0076] Return to Figure 8 When the processor 11 of the user interface device 10 determines that an operator operation that does not satisfy the user confirmation items in the user confirmation screen SCR1 (e.g., whether "burn-through" as the second confirmation item has occurred) has been input (step St3, No), the processor 11 executes the process of step St4. Specifically, the processor 11 performs the process of step St4 based on the operator's operation (e.g., Figure 4 The adjustment parameters are changed (adjusted) and set according to the number of adjustments required to satisfy the second confirmation item (that is, to suppress the occurrence of "burn-through") (step St4).

[0077] After step St4, the processor 11 displays the user confirmation screen SCR1 (refer to Figure 3) is displayed again on the display device 14, and simultaneously (step St2) a welding instruction including a data signal of the changed (adjusted) welding parameters set in step St4 is generated and transmitted to the robot controller 50. Based on the welding instruction transmitted from the user interface device 10, the robot controller 50 causes the welding robot MC1 to perform welding using the changed (adjusted) welding parameters specified in the welding instruction (step St5). After the welding robot MC1 completes welding in step St5, the operator visually inspects the welded object after the welding process and determines the user confirmation item displayed on the user confirmation screen SCR1 of the display device 14 of the user interface device 10 (for example, whether "burn-through" as the second confirmation item has occurred).

[0078] When the processor 11 determines that an operator operation that satisfies the user confirmation item in the user confirmation screen SCR1 (e.g., whether "burn-through" as the second confirmation item has occurred) has been input (step St3, yes), the processor 11 detects the operator's operation input and transmits it to the robot control device 50. The robot control device 50 refers to the reference data stored in the memory 52 and generates a user confirmation screen SCR2 (referring to the user confirmation screen SCR2) that urges the operator to operate the third confirmation item that should be confirmed after the second confirmation item. Figure 5 ), and sends it to the user interface device 10.

[0079] The processor 11 displays the user confirmation screen SCR2 (see Figure 5 ) is displayed on the display device 14 (step St6). The user confirmation screen SCR2 is a screen that specifies the third confirmation item to be asked of the operator. The third confirmation item is an item that is necessary to determine the welding conditions in order to achieve high-quality welding.

[0080] like Figure 5 As shown, user confirmation screen SCR2 is, for example, a screen displaying the following information: The operator is asked whether the "deposition amount" is appropriate regarding the weld quality of the weld object during welding performed by welding robot MC1 in step St5. "Deposition amount" is also referred to as "weld bead size." Specifically, user confirmation screen SCR2 includes a title message Q2 indicating "deposition amount" as the third confirmation item, a guidance text G2, and a "Yes" button B3 and a "No" button B4 for answering whether the "deposition amount" is appropriate. Furthermore, within "No" button B4, a pressable "Small Bead" button L1 for instructing to reduce the deposition amount (i.e., weld bead size) to a smaller value than the current deposition amount, and a "Large Bead" button U1 for instructing to increase the deposition amount (i.e., weld bead size) to a larger value than the current deposition amount, are located. Guidance text G2 indicates whether the operator is satisfied with the deposition amount (weld bead size).

[0081] Here, if the operator visually confirms that the "deposition amount" (that is, the weld bead size) of the welded object during the most recent welding performed by the welding robot MC1 in steps St1 and St5 is inappropriate, the operator presses the small bead button L1 or the large bead button U1 within the "No" button B4. If the small bead button L1 is pressed, the processor 11 generates an instruction to adjust any of the current welding parameters by a predetermined amount corresponding to the number of adjustments, in order to reduce the "deposition amount" (weld bead size) to less than the current depth, and transmits the instruction to the robot controller 50. Upon receipt of the instruction, the robot controller 50 adjusts the welding parameter specified by the instruction by a predetermined amount corresponding to the number of adjustments. As described above, in determining each user confirmation item, the adjustment amount (predetermined amount) of the welding parameter is gradually reduced as the number of adjustments increases, and this applies to the following description as well. In addition, when the large weld bead button U1 is pressed, the processor 11 generates an instruction to adjust any one of the current welding parameters so as to increase it by a given amount corresponding to the number of adjustments in order to make the "deposition amount" (the size of the weld bead) greater than the current depth, and sends it to the robot control device 50. Based on the reception of the instruction, the robot control device 50 adjusts the welding parameter determined by the instruction so as to increase it by a given amount corresponding to the number of adjustments. On the other hand, when the operator visually confirms that the "deposition amount" (that is, the size of the weld bead) of the welding object in the welding performed by the welding robot MC1 at the most recent timing in steps St1 and St5 is appropriate, the "yes" button B3 is pressed. When the "yes" button B3 is pressed, the processor 11 does not adjust the current welding parameters but maintains them, and executes the process for displaying the next user confirmation screen SCR3 (refer to Figure 6 ) various treatments.

[0082] Return to Figure 8 When the processor 11 of the user interface device 10 determines that an operator operation that does not satisfy the user confirmation items (e.g., whether the "deposition amount" as the third confirmation item is appropriate) in the user confirmation screen SCR2 has been input (step St7, No), the processor 11 executes the process of step St8. Specifically, the processor 11 performs the process of step St8 based on the operator operation (e.g., Figure 5 The user confirms the input of the small bead button L1 or the large bead button U1 on the user confirmation screen SCR2 shown, and changes (adjusts) and sets the adjustment parameters according to the number of adjustments required to satisfy the third confirmation item (that is, to achieve the suitability of the "deposition amount") (step St8).

[0083] After step St8, the processor 11 displays the user confirmation screen SCR2 (refer to Figure 5 ) is displayed again on the display device 14, and simultaneously (step St6) a welding instruction including a data signal of the changed (adjusted) welding parameters set in step St8 is generated and transmitted to the robot controller 50. Based on the welding instruction transmitted from the user interface device 10, the robot controller 50 causes the welding robot MC1 to perform welding using the changed (adjusted) welding parameters specified in the welding instruction (step St9). After the welding robot MC1 completes welding in step St9, the operator visually inspects the welded object after the welding process and determines whether the user confirmation items (e.g., "deposition amount," the third confirmation item) displayed on the user confirmation screen SCR2 of the display device 14 of the user interface device 10 are appropriate.

[0084] When the processor 11 determines that an operator operation that satisfies the user confirmation item in the user confirmation screen SCR2 (for example, whether the "deposition amount" as the third confirmation item has been generated) has been input (step St7, yes), the processor 11 detects the operator's operation input and transmits it to the robot control device 50. The robot control device 50 refers to the reference data stored in the memory 52 and generates a user confirmation screen SCR3 (refer to the user confirmation screen SCR3) that urges the operator to operate the fourth confirmation item that should be confirmed after the third confirmation item. Figure 6 ), and sends it to the user interface device 10.

[0085] The processor 11 displays the user confirmation screen SCR3 (see Figure 6 ) is displayed on the display device 14 (step St10). The user confirmation screen SCR3 is a screen that specifies the fourth confirmation item to be asked of the operator. The fourth confirmation item is an item that constitutes the welding condition that must be determined in order to achieve high-quality welding.

[0086] like Figure 6As shown, user confirmation screen SCR3 displays, for example, the following information: Regarding the weld quality of the welded object in the welding performed by welding robot MC1 at the most recent timing in steps St1, St5, and St9, the operator is asked whether the weld bead shape should be set to one of the three following options: "Maintain Current," "Wide and Flat," or "Thin and Tall." Specifically, user confirmation screen SCR3 includes a title message Q3 indicating "weld bead shape" as the fourth confirmation item, a guidance text G3, and a wide and flat button B5, a maintain button B6, and a thin and tall button B7 for the operator to answer the question of whether the weld bead shape should be set to one of the three following options: "Maintain Current," "Wide and Flat," or "Thin and Tall." Guidance text G3 indicates a text asking the operator whether the weld bead shape should be set to one of the three following options: "Maintain Current," "Wide and Flat," or "Thin and Tall."

[0087] Here, if the worker visually confirms that the "weld bead shape" of the object being welded, performed by the welding robot MC1 at the most recent timing in steps St1, St5, and St9, is not sufficient to maintain the current state, the wide, flat button B5 or the thin, tall button B7 is pressed. If the wide, flat button B5 is pressed, the processor 11 generates an instruction to adjust any of the current welding parameters by a predetermined amount corresponding to the number of adjustments, in order to widen the "weld bead shape" compared to the current state, and transmits the instruction to the robot controller 50. Upon receipt of the instruction, the robot controller 50 adjusts the welding parameter identified by the instruction by a predetermined amount corresponding to the number of adjustments. Furthermore, if the thin, tall button B7 is pressed, the processor 11 generates an instruction to adjust any of the current welding parameters by a predetermined amount corresponding to the number of adjustments, in order to thin and tallen the "weld bead shape" compared to the current state, and transmits the instruction to the robot controller 50. Upon receipt of the instruction, the robot controller 50 adjusts the welding parameter identified by the instruction by a predetermined amount corresponding to the number of adjustments. On the other hand, when the operator visually confirms that the "weld bead shape" of the welding object being welded by the welding robot MC1 at the latest timing in steps St1, St5, and St9 satisfies the status quo, the maintain status quo button B6 is pressed. When the maintain status quo button B6 is pressed, the processor 11 maintains the current welding parameters without adjusting them and executes a process for displaying the next user confirmation screen SCR4 (see Figure 7 ) various treatments.

[0088] Return to Figure 8When the processor 11 of the user interface device 10 determines that an operator operation that does not satisfy the user confirmation item in the user confirmation screen SCR3 (e.g., whether the "weld bead shape" as the fourth confirmation item can be maintained as it is) has been input (step St11, No), the processor 11 executes the process of step St12. Specifically, the processor 11 determines the operator operation based on the operator operation (e.g., Figure 6 The user confirms the input of the wide flat button B5 or the thin tall button B7 on the screen SCR3 shown in the figure, changes (adjusts) and sets the adjustment parameters corresponding to the number of adjustments for satisfying the fourth confirmation item (that is, for achieving the desired "weld bead shape") (step St12).

[0089] After step St12, the processor 11 displays the user confirmation screen SCR3 (refer to Figure 6 ) is displayed again on the display device 14, and simultaneously (step St10) a welding instruction including a data signal of the changed (adjusted) welding parameters set in step St12 is generated and transmitted to the robot controller 50. Based on the welding instruction transmitted from the user interface device 10, the robot controller 50 causes the welding robot MC1 to perform welding using the changed (adjusted) welding parameters specified in the welding instruction (step St13). After the welding robot MC1 completes welding in step St13, the operator visually inspects the welded object after welding and determines the user confirmation items (e.g., whether the fourth confirmation item, "weld bead shape," can be maintained as is) displayed on the user confirmation screen SCR3 of the display device 14 of the user interface device 10.

[0090] When the processor 11 determines that an operator operation satisfying the user confirmation item in the user confirmation screen SCR3 (e.g., whether the "weld bead shape" as the fourth confirmation item can be maintained as it is) has been input (step St11, yes), the processor 11 detects the operator operation input and transmits it to the robot control device 50. The robot control device 50 refers to the reference data stored in the memory 52 and generates a user confirmation screen SCR4 (referring to the user confirmation screen SCR5) that urges the operator to operate the fifth confirmation item to be confirmed after the fourth confirmation item. Figure 7 ), and sends it to the user interface device 10.

[0091] The processor 11 displays the user confirmation screen SCR4 (see Figure 7 ) is displayed on the display device 14 (step St14). The user confirmation screen SCR4 is a screen that specifies the fifth confirmation item to be asked of the operator. The fifth confirmation item is an item that constitutes a welding condition that must be determined in order to achieve high-quality welding.

[0092] like Figure 7As shown, user confirmation screen SCR4 displays, for example, a screen that asks the operator whether to select "maintain current," "shallow," or "deeper" for the depth of penetration, regarding the weld quality of the weld object in the welding performed by welding robot MC1 at the most recent timing among steps St1, St5, St9, and St13. Specifically, user confirmation screen SCR4 includes a title message Q4 indicating "depth of penetration" (more specifically, the depth of penetration of welding wire 301 into the weld portion) as the fifth confirmation item, a guidance text G4, and a shallow button B8, a maintain button B9, and a deep button B10 for answering the question of whether to select "maintain current," "shallow," or "deeper" for the depth of penetration. Guidance text G4 indicates a text asking the operator whether to select "maintain current," "shallow," or "deeper" for the depth of penetration.

[0093] Here, if the operator visually confirms that the depth of penetration of the weld object during welding performed by welding robot MC1 at the most recent timing in steps St1, St5, St9, and St13 is insufficient to maintain the current depth, either shallow button B8 or deep button B10 is pressed. If shallow button B8 is pressed, processor 11 generates an instruction to adjust any of the current welding parameters by reducing the depth by a predetermined amount corresponding to the number of adjustments, in order to make the depth of penetration shallower than the current depth, and transmits the instruction to robot controller 50. Upon receipt of the instruction, robot controller 50 adjusts the welding parameter identified by the instruction by reducing the depth by the predetermined amount corresponding to the number of adjustments. Furthermore, if deep button B10 is pressed, processor 11 generates an instruction to adjust any of the current welding parameters by increasing the depth by a predetermined amount corresponding to the number of adjustments, in order to make the depth of penetration deeper than the current depth, and transmits the instruction to robot controller 50. Upon receipt of the instruction, robot controller 50 adjusts the welding parameter identified by the instruction by increasing the depth by the predetermined amount corresponding to the number of adjustments. On the other hand, if the operator visually confirms that the "depth of penetration" of the welding object during welding performed by welding robot MC1 at the most recent timing among steps St1, St5, St9, and St13 satisfies the requirement to maintain the status quo, maintain status quo button B9 is pressed. When maintain status quo button B9 is pressed, processor 11 maintains the current welding parameters without adjusting them, determines the current welding parameters as welding conditions, and transmits these determined welding parameters to robot control unit 50.

[0094] Return to Figure 9When the processor 11 of the user interface device 10 determines that an operator operation that does not satisfy the user confirmation item in the user confirmation screen SCR4 (for example, whether the fifth confirmation item "depth of penetration" can be maintained as it is) has been input (step St15, No), the processor 11 executes the process of step St16. Specifically, the processor 11 determines that the operator operation (for example, Figure 7 The user confirms the input of the shallow button B8 or the deep button B10 on the screen SCR4 shown in the figure, changes (adjusts) and sets the adjustment parameters according to the number of adjustments for satisfying the fifth confirmation item (that is, for achieving the desired "depth of penetration") (step St16).

[0095] After step St16, the processor 11 displays the user confirmation screen SCR4 (refer to Figure 7 ) is displayed again on the display device 14, and simultaneously (step St14) a welding instruction including a data signal of the changed (adjusted) welding parameters set in step St16 is generated and transmitted to the robot controller 50. Based on the welding instruction transmitted from the user interface device 10, the robot controller 50 causes the welding robot MC1 to perform welding using the changed (adjusted) welding parameters specified in the welding instruction (step St17). After the welding robot MC1 completes welding in step St17, the operator visually inspects the welded object after the welding process and determines whether the user confirmation item displayed on the user confirmation screen SCR4 of the display device 14 of the user interface device 10 (for example, whether the fifth confirmation item, "depth of penetration," can be maintained as is) is correct.

[0096] If the processor 11 determines that an operator operation has been input that satisfies a user confirmation item on the user confirmation screen SCR4 (for example, whether the fifth confirmation item, "depth of penetration," can be maintained as it is) (step St15, Yes), it determines that the welding parameters adjusted or determined at that point in time are included as welding conditions (step St18). If the operator operation inputs instructions to terminate the process of determining welding conditions (step St19, Yes), the instruction between the user interface device 10 and the robot controller 50 ends. In this case, the processor 11 transmits the welding conditions determined in step St18 to the robot controller 50. The robot controller 50 stores the welding conditions transmitted from the user interface device 10 in the memory 52.

[0097] On the other hand, when the operator inputs the instruction to continue the process of determining welding conditions (step St19 , No), the processing of the user interface device 10 returns to step St1 .

[0098] Figure 10: is a diagram showing a table that defines a combination example of the first confirmation item, the second confirmation item, the third confirmation item, the fourth confirmation item, and the fifth confirmation item. Figure 10 In the figure, a rotation of the first confirmation item, the second confirmation item, the third confirmation item, the fourth confirmation item, and the fifth confirmation item (specifically, 120 items) is shown. Figure 8 as well as Figure 9 In the description of the flowchart of FIG, the first combination set S1 is illustrated, but each of the other combination sets (specifically, the combination sets S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, ..., S21, S22, S23, S24) can also be used as Figure 8 as well as Figure 9 The flowchart is explained to apply.

[0099] In addition, the order of the remaining confirmation items 2 to 5 can be changed according to the first confirmation item. For example, if the first confirmation item is "welding posture", the processing of the four steps St2, St3, St4, and St5 is performed as a unit for each of the second to fifth confirmation items. In other words, for "welding posture", the processing of the above four steps is not performed, but only the processing immediately after is performed. Figure 8 The process of step St1 shown in FIG. Figure 10 The combination of the first to fifth confirmation items shown above determines the processing units of the two-step processing of steps St0 and St1 (when the confirmation item = "welding posture") and the four-step processing of steps St2, St3, St4, and St5. Figure 8 The order of processing performed in the flowchart.

[0100] As described above, in the welding system 100 according to the first embodiment, the welding condition determination device (e.g., user interface device 10) includes: a communication interface 15 connected to a welding device (e.g., welding robot MC1 and robot controller 50) for data communication; an output device (e.g., display device 14) capable of outputting N (N: an integer greater than or equal to 2) user confirmation screens for confirming the weld quality of objects (e.g., upper plate Wk1 and lower plate Wk2) welded by the welding device in a predetermined order; an input device 13 for inputting user instructions (e.g., operator operations) on the user confirmation screens; and a processor 11 for adjusting or determining welding parameters based on the user instructions. When the processor 11 determines welding parameters based on the user instruction input on the kth (k: a variable from 1 to N)th user confirmation screen, it outputs the (k+1)th user confirmation screen to the output device. When the welding parameters are adjusted based on a user instruction input on the k-th user confirmation screen, the processor 11 outputs a k-th user confirmation screen to the output device for confirming the welding quality of the object welded by the welding apparatus using the adjusted welding parameters. The processor 11 determines the welding conditions, workpiece posture, and wire target position for welding the object using the welding apparatus using the welding parameters determined based on the user operation input on the N user confirmation screens.

[0101] Thus, the welding condition determination device (e.g., user interface device 10) displays a user confirmation screen on the display device 14 and detects the operator's operation input each time for each user confirmation screen, thereby making it easier to determine the welding conditions, workpiece posture, and welding wire target position for the welding robot MC1 to perform high-quality welding.

[0102] Furthermore, processor 11 changes the amount of adjustment for the welding parameter based on the number of times the welding parameter has been adjusted based on the user's instruction input on the k-th user confirmation screen. This allows the welding condition determination device (e.g., user interface device 10) to change the amount of adjustment in accordance with the number of times the welding parameter has been adjusted, thereby facilitating appropriate welding parameter adjustment.

[0103] Furthermore, each time the number of welding parameter adjustments increases, the processor 11 gradually decreases the adjustment amount for that welding parameter. However, if the effect of the adjustment is small, the processor adjusts the parameter again by the same amount as the previous adjustment. This allows the welding condition determination device (e.g., the user interface device 10) to process the parameter adjustment by increasing the amount when the number of adjustments is small and decreasing the amount as the number of adjustments increases, thereby enabling the welding parameter adjustment to converge quickly.

[0104] Furthermore, if a user indicates that the welding parameter adjustment has not resulted in an improvement in the welding quality of an object (e.g., a weld object), the processor performs another adjustment using the same adjustment amount as the welding parameter adjustment. This allows the welding condition determination device (e.g., user interface device 10) to shorten the time required for welding parameter adjustment, thereby enabling faster convergence of welding parameter adjustment.

[0105] Furthermore, the processor 11 changes the display order of the remaining user confirmation screens, from the second to the Nth, based on the first user confirmation screen (e.g., welding posture) among the N user confirmation screens (e.g., the display order of user confirmation screens corresponding to burn-through, deposition amount, weld bead shape, and penetration, respectively). This allows the welding condition determination device (e.g., the user interface device 10) to, for example, initially display a user confirmation screen that is important for adjusting welding parameters, and to change the display order of the remaining user confirmation screens based on the confirmation items on that user confirmation screen, thereby enabling the adjustment of welding parameters to converge more quickly.

[0106] Furthermore, the value of N is 4, and the four user confirmation screens include: a first screen (e.g., user confirmation screen SCR1) for confirming whether burn-through has occurred in the object being welded by the welding device; a second screen (e.g., user confirmation screen SCR2) for confirming whether the amount of metal deposited on the object being welded by the welding device is appropriate; a third screen (e.g., user confirmation screen SCR3) for confirming whether the weld bead shape of the object being welded by the welding device is appropriate; and a fourth screen (e.g., user confirmation screen SCR4) for confirming whether the penetration depth of the object being welded by the welding device is appropriate. Thus, the welding condition determination device (e.g., user interface device 10) can determine welding conditions to assist in achieving high-quality welding based on the four user confirmation screens and the operator's input results for each user confirmation screen.

[0107] Furthermore, the given order is defined as the order of screen 1, screen 2, screen 3, and screen 4. This makes it possible to more efficiently determine the various welding parameters that operators must consider in order to achieve high-quality welding work.

[0108] Furthermore, the processor 11 outputs a selection screen (e.g., user confirmation screen SCR1) to an output device (e.g., display device 14). In this selection screen, based on the user's instruction to improve the welding quality of the object input on the k-th user confirmation screen, an instruction to select any of a plurality of welding parameters as an adjustment item is associated with a selection icon (e.g., options C1, C2, and C3) for each of the plurality of welding parameters. This allows an operator operating the user interface device 10, even with years of experience or limited intuition, to easily understand which welding parameter should be adjusted, thereby achieving more efficient adjustment.

[0109] Furthermore, processor 11 arranges and positions selection icons for each of the multiple types of welding parameters according to the priority order for improving the welding quality of the object on the k-th user confirmation screen. This allows the operator operating user interface device 10 to gain insights into the optimal order for adjusting welding parameters, thereby improving the operator's knowledge and the efficiency of welding parameter adjustment.

[0110] Furthermore, when the processor 11 adjusts the welding parameters based on a user-instructed input, it overlays the selected screen with a change history, which shows the amount of welding parameter adjustment and at least a corresponding result of welding quality using the welding device using the adjusted welding parameters, and outputs the result to an output device (e.g., a display device 14). Thus, the operator operating the user interface device 10 can obtain useful information on whether to adjust the welding parameters according to the change history, thereby enabling the welding robot MC1 to perform high-quality welding.

[0111] Furthermore, recommended usage values ​​(e.g., appropriate ranges) are predefined for each of the multiple types of welding parameters. When a welding parameter adjusted based on a user instruction input exceeds the recommended usage value range corresponding to that welding parameter, the processor 11 rearranges the selection icons for each of the multiple types of welding parameters to lower the priority of that welding parameter. This allows an operator operating the user interface device 10 to easily detect that the value of the welding parameter currently being adjusted is approaching a range that is not recommended for welding by the welding robot MC1, and to easily determine the appropriate welding parameter item (type) to be adjusted next.

[0112] While various embodiments have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is self-evident that the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. Those skilled in the art will readily be able to devise various variations, modifications, substitutions, additions, deletions, and equivalents within the scope of the claims, and will understand that these also fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the various structural elements of the various embodiments described above may be arbitrarily combined without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0113] Furthermore, the welding parameter adjustment amounts may be different when the welding operation mode performed by welding robot MC1 is in production (i.e., in full-scale mass production) and before production begins. In the first embodiment described above, the case before production begins was used as an example. Specifically, if the user interface device 10 detects that production is in progress, even if the number of welding parameter adjustments to be made per user confirmation screen is the first, the adjustment amount is halved compared to the case before production begins. Furthermore, the percentage of this adjustment reduction is not limited to 50%.

[0114] In addition, this application is based on the Japanese patent application (Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-029695) filed on February 28, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0115] Industrial applicability

[0116] The present disclosure is useful as a welding condition determination device, a welding condition determination method, and a program for more easily determining welding conditions for performing high-quality welding work.

[0117] -Explanation of symbols-

[0118] 10 User interface device

[0119] 11, 51 processor

[0120] 12, 52 memory

[0121] 13 Input Devices

[0122] 14 Display devices

[0123] 15, 53 Communication interface

[0124] 50 Robot control device

[0125] 51a Arithmetic processing unit

[0126] 51b Power supply control unit

[0127] 54 Welding power supply unit

[0128] 100 welding systems

[0129] 200 Robot

[0130] 300 Wire Feeding Device

[0131] 301 welding wire

[0132] 400 welding torch

[0133] MC1 welding robot

[0134] Wk1 board

[0135] Wk2 lower plate.

Claims

1. A welding condition determination device comprising: a communication interface, connected to the welding device for data communication; an output device capable of outputting, in a given order, N user confirmation screens for confirming the welding quality of an object welded by the welding device, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2; an input device for inputting a user instruction to the user confirmation screen; and A processor adjusts or determines welding parameters of the welding based on the input indicated by the user, The processor performs the following processing: When the welding parameters are determined based on the user instruction input on the kth user confirmation screen, the (k+1)th user confirmation screen is output to the output device, where k is a variable ranging from 1 to N. When the welding parameters are adjusted based on the user instruction input on the k-th user confirmation screen, the k-th user confirmation screen is output to the output device for confirming the welding quality of the object welded by the welding apparatus using the adjusted welding parameters. Welding conditions, a workpiece posture, and a wire target position for welding the object using the welding device are determined using welding parameters determined based on the user instructions on the N user confirmation screens.

2. The welding condition determination device according to claim 1, wherein: The processor changes an adjustment amount of the welding parameter according to the number of times the welding parameter is adjusted based on the user instruction input on the k-th user confirmation screen.

3. The welding condition determination device according to claim 2, wherein: Whenever the number of times the welding parameter is adjusted increases, the processor gradually reduces the adjustment amount of the welding parameter.

4. The welding condition determination device according to claim 2, wherein: When the user instruction indicating that the welding quality of the object has not been improved due to the adjustment of the welding parameter is input, the processor performs re-adjustment using the same adjustment amount as the adjustment amount of the welding parameter.

5. The welding condition determination device according to claim 1, wherein: The processor changes the display order of the remaining second to Nth user confirmation screens based on the first user confirmation screen among the N user confirmation screens.

6. The welding condition determination device according to claim 1, wherein: The value of N is 5, and the five user confirmation screens include: a first screen for confirming the welding posture of the welding device with respect to the object; a second screen for confirming whether burn-through occurs in the object welded by the welding device; a third screen for confirming whether the amount of metal deposited on the object welded by the welding device is appropriate; a fourth screen for confirming whether the shape of the weld bead of the object welded by the welding device is appropriate; and a fifth screen for confirming whether the penetration of the object welded by the welding device is appropriate.

7. The welding condition determination device according to claim 6, wherein: The given order is defined as the order of the first screen, the second screen, the third screen, the fourth screen, and the fifth screen.

8. The welding condition determination device according to claim 1, wherein: The processor outputs a selection screen to the output device, in which an instruction to select any one of a plurality of types of welding parameters as adjustment items is associated with an icon or button for selecting each of the plurality of types of welding parameters based on the user instruction for improving the welding quality of the object input on the k-th user confirmation screen.

9. The welding condition determination device according to claim 8, wherein: The processor arranges and arranges icons or buttons for selecting each of the plurality of types of welding parameters according to a priority order for improving welding quality of the object on the k-th user confirmation screen.

10. The welding condition determination device according to claim 8, wherein: When the welding parameter is adjusted based on the input of the user instruction, the processor overlays a change history on the selection screen and outputs the change history to the output device, wherein the change history establishes a correspondence between at least an adjustment amount of the welding parameter and a result of welding quality of the welding device using the adjusted welding parameter.

11. The welding condition determination device according to claim 9, wherein: For each of the plurality of welding parameters, a range of recommended values ​​for use is predetermined. The processor rearranges the selection icons of the plurality of types of welding parameters so as to lower the priority of the welding parameter when the welding parameter adjusted based on the input of the user instruction exceeds the range of the recommended usage value corresponding to the welding parameter.

12. A welding condition determination method, performed by a welding condition determination device comprising one or more computers, The welding condition determination method includes: a step of connecting to a welding device of a welding object so as to enable data communication; A step of outputting N user confirmation screens for confirming the welding quality of the object welded by the welding device in a given order, wherein N is an integer greater than or equal to 2; a step of inputting a user instruction to the user confirmation screen; and The step of adjusting or determining the welding parameters of the welding based on the input of the user instruction, The step of adjusting or determining the welding parameters includes: When the welding parameters are determined based on the user instruction input on the k-th user confirmation screen, a step of outputting a (k+1)-th user confirmation screen to an output device, wherein k is a variable ranging from 1 to N; The step of outputting, to the output device, the kth user confirmation screen for confirming the welding quality of the object welded by the welding apparatus using the adjusted welding parameters, when the welding parameters are adjusted based on the user instruction input to the kth user confirmation screen; and The step of determining welding conditions, workpiece posture, and wire target position for welding the object using the welding device using the welding parameters determined based on the user instructions on the N user confirmation screens.

13. A program for causing a welding condition determination device comprising one or more computers to execute the following steps: a step of connecting to a welding device of a welding object so as to enable data communication; A step of outputting N user confirmation screens for confirming the welding quality of the object welded by the welding device in a given order, wherein N is an integer greater than or equal to 2; a step of inputting a user instruction to the user confirmation screen; and The step of adjusting or determining the welding parameters of the welding based on the input of the user instruction, In the step of adjusting or determining the welding parameters, the following steps are performed: When the welding parameters are determined based on the user instruction input on the k-th user confirmation screen, a step of outputting a (k+1)-th user confirmation screen to an output device, wherein k is a variable ranging from 1 to N; The step of outputting, to the output device, the kth user confirmation screen for confirming the welding quality of the object welded by the welding apparatus using the adjusted welding parameters, when the welding parameters are adjusted based on the user instruction input to the kth user confirmation screen; and The step of determining welding conditions, workpiece posture, and wire target position for welding the object using the welding device using the welding parameters determined based on the user instructions on the N user confirmation screens.

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