Pipe welding method, apparatus, device, storage medium and program product

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of welding, and provides a pipeline welding method, device, equipment, storage medium and program product. The method comprises the following steps: controlling a grabbing device to grab a first welding ring until the first welding ring is sleeved outside a mandrel; controlling the grabbing device to grab a pipeline to be welded until a first pipeline opening of the pipeline to be welded is sleeved outside the mandrel; controlling a pushing plate to push the first welding ring until the first welding ring is sleeved outside a first welding position of an outer wall of the pipeline to be welded; controlling the grabbing device to grab the pipeline to be welded with the first welding ring sleeved thereon until the first pipeline opening of the pipeline to be welded is connected with a pipeline joint; the first welding position is located at a first connection position of the first pipeline opening and the pipeline joint; and controlling a welding device to perform welding at the first connection position. The present application can automatically complete pipeline welding by controlling various devices, thereby improving the pipeline welding quality, reducing the pipeline welding cost, and avoiding safety risks caused by manual welding.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of welding technology, and more particularly to a pipe welding method, apparatus, equipment, storage medium, and program product. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, most water heaters have a water tank. For example, the water tank of existing gas water heaters includes inlet and outlet water pipes and corresponding pipe joints for each pipe. Therefore, pipe welding is required during the manufacturing process to ensure the safety of the water heater during use.

[0003] Currently, the pipe fittings are manually placed onto a tooling plate, and then the inlet and outlet water pipes are manually inserted into the positioning holes of the pipe fittings. Then, the turntable of the automatic flame brazing equipment rotates, first preheating with a flame, then heating with the flame and feeding wire to complete the brazing. Finally, the welding is completed, and the pipes are manually unloaded. However, the pipe welding process requires a significant amount of manual operation, relies too heavily on human skills, resulting in lower weld quality, higher costs, and higher safety risks associated with manual welding. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in related technologies. To this end, this invention proposes a pipe welding method that eliminates the need for manual operation, automatically completing pipe welding by controlling various devices, thereby improving pipe welding quality, reducing pipe welding costs, and avoiding the safety risks associated with manual welding.

[0005] The present invention also proposes a pipe welding apparatus.

[0006] The present invention also proposes a pipe welding device.

[0007] The present invention also proposes an electronic device.

[0008] The present invention also proposes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

[0009] The present invention also proposes a computer program product.

[0010] A pipe welding method according to a first aspect of the present invention includes: Control the gripping device to grip the first welding ring until the first welding ring is placed over the mandrel; Control the gripping device to grip the pipe to be welded until the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is fitted over the mandrel; Control the pusher plate to push the first welding ring until the first welding ring is placed on the first welding position on the outer wall of the pipe to be welded. The gripping device is controlled to grip the pipe to be welded that has been fitted with the first welding ring until the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is connected to the pipe joint; the first welding position is located at the first connection position between the first pipe opening and the pipe joint. The welding device is controlled to perform welding at the first connection position; Wherein, the diameter of the first welding ring is larger than the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded, and the diameter of the mandrel is smaller than the inner diameter of the pipe to be welded.

[0011] According to the pipe welding method of the present invention, the gripping device is controlled to grip the first welding ring until the first welding ring is fitted over the mandrel. Then, the gripping device is controlled to grip the pipe to be welded until the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is fitted over the mandrel. The pusher plate is then controlled to push the first welding ring until it is fitted onto the first welding position on the outer wall of the pipe to be welded. That is, by using the first welding ring, the strength, sealing, and stability of the weld joint are ensured, thereby improving the pipe welding quality. Afterwards, the gripping device is controlled to grip the pipe to be welded with the first welding ring fitted over it until the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is connected to the pipe joint, thereby facilitating... Subsequent welding can be performed more effectively to improve the quality of pipe welding. The first welding position is located at the first connection point between the first pipe opening and the pipe joint. The welding device is controlled to perform welding at the first connection point, thereby ensuring the welding stability between the first pipe opening and the pipe joint, and thus improving the quality of pipe welding. Moreover, this pipe welding method is not limited to flame brazing, which can further improve the quality of pipe welding. Most importantly, the above-mentioned pipe welding method does not require manual operation. By controlling each device to automatically complete the pipe welding, the quality of pipe welding is improved, the cost of pipe welding is reduced, and the safety risks caused by manual welding are avoided.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the controlled gripping device grips the first welding ring, comprising: Based on the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded, the material selection device selects the first welding ring to a designated position. The gripping device is controlled to grip the first welding ring at the designated position.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention, before the gripping device grips the pipe to be welded with the first welding ring already fitted, and before connecting the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded to the pipe joint, the method further includes: The gripping device is controlled to grip the pipe joint into the positioning fixture; Accordingly, controlling the gripping device to grip the pipe to be welded, which has the first welding ring already fitted, until the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is connected to the pipe joint, includes: Based on the position of the positioning fixture, the gripping device is controlled to grip the pipe to be welded with the first welding ring already attached to it and move it to the positioning fixture, and the gripping device is controlled to connect the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded with the positioning opening of the pipe joint. The control and fixing device is used to fix the pipe to be welded.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the controlled welding device performs welding at the first connection position, comprising: The first connection position is obtained; the first connection position is obtained by visually identifying the pipe to be welded and the pipe joint. Control the welding device to move to the first connection position; The welding device is controlled to weld the first connection position.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present invention, before the gripping device grips the pipe to be welded with the first welding ring already fitted, and before connecting the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded to the pipe joint, the method further includes: The gripping device is controlled to grip the pipe to be welded, which has the first welding ring already attached, and move it to the flux tank so that the first welding position is immersed in the flux tank; the flux tank contains flux.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present invention, after the controlled welding device performs welding at the first connection position, the method further includes: Control the gripping device to grip the second welding ring until the second welding ring is placed over the mandrel; The gripping device is controlled to grip the pipe to be welded with the first pipe opening already welded, until the second pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is fitted over the mandrel; The pusher plate is controlled to push the second welding ring until the second welding ring is placed on the second welding position on the outer wall of the pipe to be welded. The gripping device is controlled to grip the pipe to be welded that has been fitted with the second welding ring until the second pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is connected to the water pipe opening of the water tank base; the second welding position is located at the second connection position between the second pipe opening and the water pipe opening; The welding device is controlled to perform welding at the second connection position; The diameter of the second welding ring is larger than the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the present invention, before the gripping device grips the pipe to be welded with the second welding ring already fitted, and before connecting the second pipe opening of the pipe to be welded to the water pipe opening of the water tank base, the method further includes: The gripping device is controlled to grip the water tank base and place it at the positioning station; Accordingly, controlling the gripping device to grip the pipe to be welded, which has been fitted with the second welding ring, until the second pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is connected to the water pipe opening of the water tank base, includes: Based on the location of the positioning station, the gripping device is controlled to grip the pipe to be welded with the second welding ring already attached to it and move it to the positioning station, and the gripping device is controlled to connect the second pipe opening to the water pipe opening. The control and fixing device secures the pipe to be welded and the water tank base.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the present invention, after the gripping device is controlled to grip the water tank base to the positioning station, the method further includes: The control clamping device fixes the water tank base, and the control clamp with fixed inner diameter holds the water pipe opening; The flaring tool is used to flare the water pipe opening so that when the second pipe opening is connected to the water pipe opening, the water pipe opening is fitted over the second pipe opening.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the welding device is a high-frequency welding torch, which is used for high-frequency brazing.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the grasping device includes an image acquisition device, a grasping component, and a control device, wherein the control device is connected to the image acquisition device and the grasping component respectively; The control device is used to perform visual recognition based on the images acquired by the image acquisition device, and to control the grasping component to perform grasping tasks based on the visual recognition results.

[0021] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a pipe welding apparatus includes: A first control device is used to control the gripping device to grip the first welding ring until the first welding ring is placed over the mandrel. The second control device is used to control the gripping device to grip the pipe to be welded until the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is put over the mandrel. The third control device is used to control the pusher plate to push the first welding ring until the first welding ring is placed on the first welding position of the outer wall of the pipe to be welded. The fourth control device is used to control the gripping device to grip the pipe to be welded with the first welding ring already attached, until the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is connected to the pipe joint; the first welding position is located at the first connection position between the first pipe opening and the pipe joint. The fifth control device is used to control the welding device to perform welding at the first connection position; Wherein, the diameter of the first welding ring is larger than the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded, and the diameter of the mandrel is smaller than the inner diameter of the pipe to be welded.

[0022] According to a third aspect of the present invention, a pipe welding apparatus includes: a controller, a gripping device, a mandrel, a pusher plate, and a welding device; The controller performs the pipe welding method as described in any of the above.

[0023] An electronic device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention includes a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the pipe welding method as described in any of the preceding claims.

[0024] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided thereon storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the pipe welding method as described in any of the preceding claims.

[0025] A computer program product according to a sixth aspect of the present invention includes a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the pipe welding method as described in any of the preceding claims.

[0026] The above-described one or more technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention have at least one of the following technical effects: The process involves controlling the gripping device to grasp the first welding ring until it is fitted over the mandrel. Then, the gripping device grasps the pipe to be welded until the first pipe opening is fitted over the mandrel. The pusher plate then pushes the first welding ring until it is positioned at the first welding point on the outer wall of the pipe. This first welding ring ensures the strength, sealing, and stability of the weld joint, thus improving the pipe welding quality. Next, the gripping device grasps the pipe with the first welding ring on it until the first pipe opening is connected to the pipe joint, facilitating subsequent welding and further improving the welding quality. The first welding point is located at the first connection point between the first pipe opening and the pipe joint. Welding is performed at this first connection point to ensure welding stability and improve welding quality. This pipe welding method is not limited to flame brazing, further enhancing welding quality. Most importantly, this method eliminates the need for manual operation, automatically completing the welding process and improving welding quality while reducing costs and avoiding safety risks associated with manual welding.

[0027] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0028] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0029] Figure 1 This is one of the schematic flowcharts of the pipe welding method provided by the present invention.

[0030] Figure 2 This is the second schematic diagram of the pipeline welding method provided by the present invention.

[0031] Figure 3 This is the third schematic diagram of the pipeline welding method provided by the present invention.

[0032] Figure 4 The fourth schematic diagram of the pipeline welding method provided by the present invention.

[0033] Figure 5 The fifth schematic diagram of the pipeline welding method provided by the present invention.

[0034] Figure 6 This is the sixth flowchart illustrating the pipe welding method provided by the present invention.

[0035] Figure 7 This is the seventh flowchart illustrating the pipe welding method provided by the present invention.

[0036] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the pipe welding device provided by the present invention.

[0037] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic device provided by the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

[0039] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of the present invention. In addition, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0040] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0041] In embodiments of the present invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0042] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0043] Currently, most pipeline welding methods rely on manual welding. For example, when the water outlet pipe arrives, the inlet brass connector is placed manually, the outlet pipe is inserted manually into the brass connector, and then flame brazing is performed manually. Similarly, when the inlet pipe arrives, the outlet brass connector is placed manually, the inlet pipe is inserted manually into the brass connector, and then flame brazing is performed manually. The welded components are then manually placed in a material crate; the material crate is manually transferred, and the inlet and outlet pipes and the water tank base are assembled manually, with flame brazing performed manually again. However, manual welding results in lower weld quality, higher costs, and higher safety risks.

[0044] Given the current low quality of pipe welding, the high cost of pipe welding, and the high safety risks of manual welding, the initial idea of ​​this invention was to automatically place the pipe joint onto the tooling plate, then automatically pick up the inlet and outlet water pipes and insert them into the positioning holes of the pipe joint, and then rotate the turntable of the automatic flame brazing equipment to preheat the pipe joint with a flame, then heat it with a flame and feed wire to complete the brazing.

[0045] The inventors of this invention studied the above-mentioned approach and found that although it does not require manual operation, it can only perform flame brazing. Flame brazing has a large radiation area, high safety risks, and cannot concentrate the heating of pipe joints, resulting in a relatively low first-pass yield, meaning that the pipe welding quality is still not high.

[0046] To address the problems existing in the above-mentioned approaches, this invention provides a pipe welding method. The pipe welding method provided by this invention will be described below through the following embodiments.

[0047] This pipe welding method can be applied to control equipment, which can be configured according to actual conditions, such as a controller.

[0048] Figure 1 One of the schematic flowcharts of the pipe welding method provided by the present invention is shown below. Figure 1 As shown, the pipe welding method includes steps 110, 120, 130, 140 and 150.

[0049] Step 110: Control the gripping device to grip the first welding ring until the first welding ring is placed over the mandrel.

[0050] Here, the gripping device is used to grasp objects and to move them from one place to another. For example, the gripping device is a robotic arm that can simulate a human hand to perform various operations.

[0051] Assuming the controller is the main body executing the pipe welding method, the controller is connected to the gripping device, so the controller can control the gripping device by sending control commands.

[0052] Here, the welding ring (annular welding ring brazing filler metal) is a metal annular component used for pipe welding connections. In this embodiment of the invention, the use of welding rings ensures the strength, sealing, and stability of the welded joint, thereby improving the quality of pipe welding. In this embodiment of the invention, both the first welding ring and the second welding ring are welding rings; the only distinction is that they are not the same welding ring.

[0053] In this design, the diameter of the first welding ring is larger than the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded, while the diameter of the mandrel is smaller than the inner diameter of the pipe to be welded. Therefore, the diameter of the first welding ring is larger than the diameter of the mandrel, allowing the first welding ring to be fitted over the mandrel, i.e., the mandrel is inserted into the first welding ring.

[0054] In other words, the gripping device grips the first welding ring to the mandrel and places the first welding ring over the mandrel. For example, the gripping device grips the first welding ring to the loading position, and the loading mechanism is a mandrel with a diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the pipe to be welded. The gripping device places the first welding ring over the mandrel.

[0055] Furthermore, to ensure that the diameter of the first weld ring is larger than the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded, the material selection device is controlled to select the first weld ring based on the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded. For example, a vibratory feeder is used to select the first weld ring (annular weld ring brazing filler metal) that matches the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded.

[0056] Step 120: Control the gripping device to grip the pipe to be welded until the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is fitted over the mandrel.

[0057] Here, the pipe to be welded is the pipe that needs to be welded, such as the inlet pipe or outlet pipe of the water tank.

[0058] Considering that existing gas water heaters use oxygen-free copper pipes for the main water tank piping and brass fittings for the inlet and outlet pipes; however, since the inlet and outlet pipes do not participate in direct heat exchange and do not require materials with high thermal conductivity, using copper materials results in cost waste. Therefore, the pipe welding method of this invention, specifically the welding method using welding rings, can avoid the limitation to using copper materials, thereby reducing manufacturing costs. For example, the pipe to be welded is made of stainless steel, the pipe fitting is a brass fitting, and the welding ring is a low-melting-point brazing ring developed based on copper and steel materials, suitable for joining dissimilar metals like copper and steel.

[0059] Here, the first pipe opening is the pipe opening to be welded to the pipe joint, that is, one port of the pipe to be welded.

[0060] The diameter of the mandrel is smaller than the inner diameter of the pipe to be welded, allowing the first opening of the pipe to be welded to fit over the mandrel. It should be understood that the inner diameter of the pipe to be welded is the same at all locations. Furthermore, the diameter of the mandrel only needs to be slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the pipe to be welded; that is, it is only necessary to ensure that the first opening of the pipe to be welded can fit over the mandrel.

[0061] In other words, the gripping device grasps the pipe to be welded and moves it to the mandrel, then places the first opening of the pipe over the mandrel. For example, a robotic arm grips a stainless steel water inlet pipe and inserts it into the mandrel.

[0062] Furthermore, prior to step 120 above, the material discharge device is controlled to select the pipe to be welded, or the pipe to be welded is placed in the material placement device. For example, the pipe to be welded is placed on a vibratory feeder or a pusher, and the vibratory feeder or pusher is controlled to screen and obtain the pipe to be welded, or the pipe to be welded is placed on a jig tray. Discharging material in this way can ensure the smoothness of pipe welding.

[0063] Step 130: Control the pusher plate to push the first welding ring until the first welding ring is placed on the first welding position on the outer wall of the pipe to be welded.

[0064] Here, the pusher plate is used to push the first welding ring so that it fits onto the first welding position on the outer wall of the pipe to be welded. Furthermore, the pusher plate is located behind the first welding ring for better pushing. This pusher plate can be configured according to actual needs, such as a servo-driven pusher plate or a cylinder-driven pusher plate.

[0065] Assuming the controller is the main body executing this pipe welding method, the controller is connected to the pusher plate, so the controller can control the pusher plate by sending control commands.

[0066] The diameter of the first welding ring is larger than the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded, allowing it to be fitted onto the first welding position on the outer wall of the pipe. Furthermore, it is precisely because the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is fitted over the mandrel, and the first welding ring is fitted over the mandrel, that the first welding ring is pushed to the first welding position on the outer wall of the pipe. It should be understood that it is through the automatic control of the gripping device and the pusher plate, and precisely by first fitting the first welding ring over the mandrel and then fitting the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded over the mandrel, that the first welding ring can be fitted onto the first welding position on the outer wall of the pipe.

[0067] Furthermore, the diameter of the first welding ring only needs to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded, that is, it is only necessary to ensure that the first welding ring can be fitted onto the outer wall of the pipe to be welded.

[0068] Here, the first welding position is the position to be welded, and therefore the first welding ring needs to be placed on this position. This first welding position can be a pre-defined designated position.

[0069] In other words, the pusher plate pushes the first welding ring onto the first welding position on the outer wall of the pipe to be welded. For example, the pusher plate pushes the first welding ring onto a designated position on the outer wall of an inlet or outlet water pipe.

[0070] Step 140: Control the gripping device to grip the pipe to be welded that has been fitted with the first welding ring, until the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is connected to the pipe joint.

[0071] Here, the pipe fitting is the joint to be welded, used to make a welding connection with the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded. For example, the pipe fitting is a brass fitting.

[0072] The diameter of the pipe opening connected to the first pipe port of the pipe fitting is larger than the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded, so that the first pipe port of the pipe to be welded can be inserted into the pipe fitting. Furthermore, the diameter of the pipe opening connected to the first pipe port of the pipe fitting only needs to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded, that is, it is only necessary to ensure that the first pipe port of the pipe to be welded can be inserted into the pipe fitting.

[0073] The first welding position is located at the first connection point between the first pipe opening and the pipe joint. This ensures the welding stability between the first pipe opening and the pipe joint.

[0074] It should be understood that the first pipe opening must be connected to the pipe joint for better welding.

[0075] Furthermore, in order to better connect the first pipe opening to the pipe joint, before step 140 above, the gripping device is controlled to grip the pipe joint into the positioning fixture, so as to connect the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded with the positioning port of the pipe joint, thereby improving the pipe welding quality.

[0076] Furthermore, after connecting the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded to the pipe joint, a control and fixing device is used to fix the pipe to be welded, preventing it from moving and thus improving the quality of the pipe welding. For example, a control clamp can be used to fix the position of the inlet or outlet pipe.

[0077] Step 150: Control the welding device to perform welding at the first connection position.

[0078] Here, the welding device is used to perform welding, for example, it is a welding torch.

[0079] Assuming the controller is the main body executing this pipeline welding method, the controller is connected to the welding device through communication, so the controller can control the welding device by sending control commands.

[0080] In one specific embodiment, the welding device is controlled to move to the first connection position; the welding device is then controlled to weld at the first connection position. Exemplarily, the welding device is mounted on a tooling plate, the tooling plate is controlled to move to the first connection position, the high-frequency welding torch is adjusted in three axes, the open coil extends to complete high-frequency brazing, and the welding torch retracts after welding is completed.

[0081] It should be understood that by placing the first welding ring on the first welding position on the outer wall of the pipe to be welded in the above manner, the welding process can be carried out without being limited to flame brazing, for example, high-frequency brazing, thereby avoiding safety risks and improving the quality of pipe welding.

[0082] The pipe welding method provided in this invention involves controlling a gripping device to grip a first welding ring until it is fitted over a mandrel. Then, the gripping device grips the pipe to be welded until the first pipe opening is fitted over the mandrel. A pusher plate then pushes the first welding ring until it is fitted onto the first welding position on the outer wall of the pipe. By using the first welding ring, the strength, sealing, and stability of the weld joint are ensured, thereby improving the pipe welding quality. Afterward, the gripping device grips the pipe with the first welding ring fitted until the first pipe opening is connected to the pipe joint, facilitating... Subsequent welding can be performed more effectively to improve the quality of pipe welding. The first welding position is located at the first connection point between the first pipe opening and the pipe joint. The welding device is controlled to perform welding at the first connection point, thereby ensuring the welding stability between the first pipe opening and the pipe joint, and thus improving the quality of pipe welding. Moreover, this pipe welding method is not limited to flame brazing, which can further improve the quality of pipe welding. Most importantly, the above-mentioned pipe welding method does not require manual operation. By controlling each device to automatically complete the pipe welding, the quality of pipe welding is improved, the cost of pipe welding is reduced, and the safety risks caused by manual welding are avoided.

[0083] Based on any of the above embodiments, in this method, step 110 includes: step 111 and step 112.

[0084] Step 111: Based on the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded, control the material selection device to select the first welding ring to the designated position.

[0085] Here, the material selection device is used to screen the welding rings, for example, it is a vibratory plate.

[0086] For example, a vibratory feeder is used to select the first welding ring, which is adapted to the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded, to a designated position. For example, a material trough is placed below the vibratory feeder, so that the designated position is in the material trough.

[0087] Step 112: Control the gripping device to grip the first welding ring at the designated position.

[0088] Since the material selection device places the first welding ring at a designated position, the gripping device needs to grip the first welding ring at the designated position.

[0089] The pipe welding method provided in this embodiment of the invention controls the material selection device to select the first welding ring based on the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded, thereby ensuring that the diameter of the obtained first welding ring is greater than the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded, thus ensuring the quality of pipe welding; and controlling the material selection device to select the first welding ring to a designated position, and then controlling the gripping device to grip the first welding ring at the designated position, can ensure that there is no conflict between the material selection device and the gripping device, and ensure the smoothness of pipe welding.

[0090] Based on any of the above embodiments Figure 2 This is a second schematic diagram of the pipeline welding method provided by the present invention, as shown below. Figure 2 As shown, prior to step 140, the pipe welding method further includes step 210, and step 140 includes steps 141 and 142.

[0091] Step 210: Control the gripping device to grip the pipe joint into the positioning fixture.

[0092] Here, positioning fixtures are used to ensure precise positioning of pipe fittings, and to fix and align pipe fittings to ensure the accuracy and consistency of subsequent connections.

[0093] Furthermore, the gripping device has a visual recognition function, which allows for more accurate placement of the pipe fitting in the positioning fixture. For example, the gripping device uses visual recognition to confirm the orientation of the pipe fitting and, based on visual recognition, confirms the corrected position to be gripped before gripping and placing it in the positioning fixture.

[0094] Furthermore, prior to step 140 above, the material discharge device is controlled to select pipe joints, or the pipe joints are placed in the material placement device. For example, the pipe joints are placed on a vibratory feeder or pusher to control the vibratory feeder or pusher to screen and obtain the pipe joints, or the pipe joints are placed on a fixture tray. Discharging material in this way ensures the smoothness of pipe welding.

[0095] Step 141: Based on the position of the positioning fixture, control the gripping device to grip the pipe to be welded with the first welding ring already attached to it and move it to the positioning fixture, and control the gripping device to connect the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded with the positioning port of the pipe joint.

[0096] Here, the positioning port (positioning hole) is used to connect with the first pipe port and, in conjunction with the positioning fixture, can accurately and smoothly connect the first pipe port of the pipe to be welded with the positioning port of the pipe joint.

[0097] Furthermore, the gripping device has a visual recognition function, which can more accurately connect the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded with the positioning port of the pipe joint, thereby improving the quality of pipe welding. For example, the positioning port of the pipe joint is visually recognized, and then the pipe to be welded, dipped in flux, is inserted into the positioning port.

[0098] Step 142: Control the fixing device to fix the pipe to be welded.

[0099] Here, the fixing device is used to secure the pipe to be welded, preventing it from shaking and ensuring its stability. For example, it is a clamp.

[0100] The pipe welding method provided in this invention controls the gripping device to grip the pipe joint into the positioning fixture, thereby ensuring accurate connection between the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded and the positioning port of the pipe joint, thus improving the pipe welding quality. Based on the position of the positioning fixture, the gripping device can be accurately controlled to grip the pipe to be welded with the first welding ring already fitted onto it and place it into the positioning fixture, thereby ensuring accurate connection between the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded and the positioning port of the pipe joint, thus improving the pipe welding quality. The fixing device controls the fixing device to fix the pipe to be welded, thereby ensuring the stability of the pipe to be welded and ensuring the quality of subsequent welding by the welding device at the first connection position, i.e., improving the pipe welding quality. Moreover, through the above-mentioned pipe welding method, no manual operation is required. By controlling each device to automatically complete the pipe welding, the pipe welding quality is improved, the pipe welding cost is reduced, and the safety risks caused by manual welding are avoided.

[0101] Based on any of the above embodiments, in this method, step 150 includes: step 151, step 152 and step 153.

[0102] Step 151: Obtain the first connection location.

[0103] The first connection position is obtained by visually identifying the pipe to be welded and the pipe joint.

[0104] In one embodiment, the gripping device has a visual recognition function, so that the gripping device can visually recognize the first connection position and then feed back the first connection position to the execution body of the pipe welding method.

[0105] In another embodiment, an image acquisition device can be set up separately, so that the first connection position can be obtained by visual recognition through the image acquired by the image acquisition device.

[0106] Step 152: Control the welding device to move to the first connection position.

[0107] Here, movement can refer to the movement of the welding apparatus in space; further, movement also includes the rotation of the welding apparatus itself. For example, the welding apparatus can be adjusted along three axes.

[0108] In one embodiment, the welding device is mounted on a tooling plate, so that controlling the movement of the tooling plate can cause the welding device to move synchronously.

[0109] For example, the tooling plate is controlled to move to the first connection position, and then the high-frequency welding gun is adjusted in three axes based on the first connection position.

[0110] Step 153: Control the welding device to weld the first connection position.

[0111] Since the welding device moves to the first connection position, it can be directly controlled to weld at the first connection position. For example, if the welding device is a high-frequency welding torch, the high-frequency welding torch can be controlled to extend the open coil to complete high-frequency brazing, and then the welding torch can be controlled to retract after welding is completed.

[0112] The pipe welding method provided in this embodiment of the invention obtains a first connection position, which is obtained by visual recognition of the pipe to be welded and the pipe joint. Thus, the first connection position can be determined in real time through visual recognition, so as to accurately control the welding device to move to the first connection position and ensure that the welding device accurately welds the first connection position, thereby improving the quality of pipe welding.

[0113] Based on any of the above embodiments Figure 3 This is the third schematic diagram of the pipeline welding method provided by the present invention, as shown below. Figure 3 As shown, prior to step 140 above, the pipe welding method further includes step 310.

[0114] Step 310: Control the gripping device to grip the pipe to be welded with the first welding ring already attached to it and bring it to the flux tank so that the first welding position is immersed in the flux tank.

[0115] The flux tank contains flux. This flux can remove the oxide film on the contact surfaces. For example, if the pipe to be welded is made of steel and the pipe joint is made of copper, the flux can be a high-temperature flux suitable for both copper and steel to remove the oxide film on the contact surfaces of the copper and steel.

[0116] Furthermore, the flux bath can have an agitation function. After the first welding position is immersed in the flux bath, the flux bath can be controlled to agitate, thereby improving the welding quality and ultimately enhancing the quality of pipeline welding.

[0117] It should be noted that immersing the first welding position in the flux bath can be understood as immersing the first pipe opening in the flux bath, ensuring that the oxide film on the contact surface of the first pipe opening can be removed, thereby improving the quality of subsequent pipe welding.

[0118] The pipe welding method provided in this invention involves controlling a gripping device to grip the pipe to be welded, which has been fitted with a first welding ring, and immersing the first welding position in the flux tank. The flux tank contains flux, which removes the oxide film on the contact surface at the first welding position, thereby improving the subsequent pipe welding quality. Furthermore, this pipe welding method eliminates the need for manual operation, as the pipe welding is automatically completed by controlling various devices, thus improving the pipe welding quality, reducing pipe welding costs, and avoiding the safety risks associated with manual welding.

[0119] Based on any of the above embodiments Figure 4 This is the fourth flowchart illustrating the pipe welding method provided by the present invention, as shown below. Figure 4 As shown, after step 150 above, the pipe welding method further includes steps 410, 420, 430, 440 and 450.

[0120] Step 410: Control the gripping device to grip the second welding ring until the second welding ring is placed over the mandrel.

[0121] Here, the second welding ring (annular welding ring brazing filler metal) is a metal annular component used for pipe welding connections. In this embodiment of the invention, the use of welding rings ensures the strength, sealing, and stability of the welded joint, thereby improving the quality of pipe welding. In this embodiment of the invention, both the first and second welding rings are welding rings; the only distinction is that they are not the same welding ring.

[0122] In other words, the gripping device grips the second welding ring to the mandrel and places the second welding ring over the mandrel. For example, the gripping device grips the second welding ring to the loading position, and the loading mechanism is a mandrel with a diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the pipe to be welded. The gripping device places the second welding ring over the mandrel.

[0123] Furthermore, to ensure that the diameter of the obtained second welding ring is larger than the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded, the material selection device is controlled to select the second welding ring based on the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded. For example, a vibratory feeder is used to select a second welding ring that matches the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded.

[0124] Step 420: Control the gripping device to grip the pipe to be welded with the first pipe opening already welded, until the second pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is fitted over the mandrel.

[0125] Considering that existing gas water heaters use oxygen-free copper pipes for their main water tank piping, and since the inlet and outlet pipes do not participate in direct heat exchange and do not require materials with high thermal conductivity, using copper still results in cost waste. Therefore, the pipe welding method of this invention, specifically the welding method using welding rings, can avoid the limitation to using copper materials, thereby reducing manufacturing costs. For example, the pipe to be welded is made of stainless steel.

[0126] Here, the second pipe opening is the pipe opening to be welded to the water pipe opening of the water tank base, that is, the other port of the pipe to be welded.

[0127] The diameter of the mandrel is smaller than the inner diameter of the pipe to be welded, allowing the second opening of the pipe to be welded to fit over the mandrel. It should be understood that the inner diameter of the pipe to be welded is the same at all locations. Furthermore, the diameter of the mandrel only needs to be slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the pipe to be welded; that is, it only needs to ensure that the second opening of the pipe to be welded can fit over the mandrel.

[0128] In other words, the gripping device grasps the pipe to be welded to the mandrel and places the second pipe opening of the pipe to be welded over the mandrel. For example, the robotic arm grasps a stainless steel water inlet pipe and inserts it into the mandrel.

[0129] Step 430: Control the pusher plate to push the second welding ring until the second welding ring is placed on the second welding position on the outer wall of the pipe to be welded.

[0130] Here, the pusher plate is used to push the second welding ring so that it fits onto the second welding position on the outer wall of the pipe to be welded. Furthermore, the pusher plate is located behind the second welding ring for better pushing. This pusher plate can be configured according to actual needs, such as a servo-driven pusher plate or a cylinder-driven pusher plate.

[0131] The diameter of the second welding ring is larger than the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded, allowing it to be fitted onto the second welding position on the outer wall of the pipe. It is precisely because the second pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is fitted over the mandrel, and the second welding ring is fitted over the mandrel, that the second welding ring is pushed to the second welding position on the outer wall of the pipe. It should be understood that it is through the automatic control of the gripping device and the pusher plate, and precisely by first fitting the second welding ring over the mandrel and then fitting the second pipe opening of the pipe to be welded over the mandrel, that the second welding ring can be fitted onto the second welding position on the outer wall of the pipe.

[0132] Furthermore, the diameter of the second welding ring only needs to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded, that is, it is only necessary to ensure that the second welding ring can be fitted onto the outer wall of the pipe to be welded.

[0133] Here, the second welding position is the location to be welded, requiring the second welding ring to be fitted onto that position. This second welding position can be a pre-defined, designated location.

[0134] In other words, the pusher plate pushes the second welding ring onto the second welding position on the outer wall of the pipe to be welded. For example, the pusher plate pushes the second welding ring onto a designated position on the outer wall of an inlet or outlet water pipe.

[0135] Step 440: Control the gripping device to grip the pipe to be welded that has been fitted with the second welding ring, until the second pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is connected to the water pipe opening of the water tank base.

[0136] Here, the water pipe opening on the water tank base is the pipe opening to be welded, which is used to weld to the second pipe opening of the pipe to be welded. For example, the water pipe opening is made of stainless steel.

[0137] It should be noted that the diameter of the water pipe opening should normally be larger than the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded, so that the second pipe opening of the pipe to be welded can be inserted into the water pipe opening. Further, the diameter of the water pipe opening only needs to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded; that is, it is only necessary to ensure that the second pipe opening of the pipe to be welded can be inserted into the water pipe opening.

[0138] The second welding position is located at the second connection point between the second pipe opening and the water pipe opening. This ensures the stability of the weld between the second pipe opening and the water pipe opening.

[0139] It should be understood that the second pipe opening needs to be connected to the water pipe opening for better welding.

[0140] Furthermore, in order to better connect the second pipe opening to the water pipe opening, before step 440 above, the gripping device is controlled to grip the water tank base to the positioning position, so as to connect the second pipe opening of the pipe to be welded to the water pipe opening, thereby improving the pipe welding quality.

[0141] Furthermore, after connecting the second pipe opening of the pipe to be welded to the water pipe opening, a control and fixing device is used to secure the pipe to be welded and the water tank base, preventing them from moving and thus improving the welding quality. For example, the control clamp can be used to fix the position of the inlet or outlet pipe, as well as the position of the water tank base.

[0142] Step 450: Control the welding device to perform welding at the second connection position.

[0143] In one specific embodiment, the welding device is controlled to move to the second connection position; the welding device is then controlled to weld at the second connection position. Exemplarily, the welding device is mounted on a tooling plate, the tooling plate is controlled to move to the second connection position, the high-frequency welding torch is adjusted in a three-axis manner, the open coil extends to complete high-frequency brazing, and the welding torch retracts after welding is completed.

[0144] It should be understood that by placing the second welding ring on the second welding position on the outer wall of the pipe to be welded in the above manner, the welding process can be carried out without being limited to flame brazing, for example, high-frequency brazing, thereby avoiding safety risks and improving the quality of pipe welding.

[0145] The pipe welding method provided in this invention involves controlling a gripping device to grip a second welding ring until it is fitted over a mandrel. Then, the gripping device grips the pipe to be welded until the second pipe opening is fitted over the mandrel. A pusher plate then pushes the second welding ring until it is fitted onto the second welding position on the outer wall of the pipe. By using the second welding ring, the strength, sealing, and stability of the weld joint are ensured, thereby improving the pipe welding quality and consequently the quality of the water tank. Afterward, the gripping device grips the pipe with the second welding ring fitted until the second pipe opening is connected to the water pipe opening of the water tank base, facilitating subsequent welding. Welding is performed to improve the quality of pipe welding, thereby enhancing the quality of the water tank. The second welding position is located at the second connection point between the second pipe opening and the water pipe opening. The welding device is controlled to perform welding at the second connection point, thereby ensuring the welding stability between the second pipe opening and the water pipe opening, thus improving the quality of pipe welding and the quality of the water tank. Moreover, this pipe welding method is not limited to flame brazing, which can further improve the quality of pipe welding and the quality of the water tank. Most importantly, the above-mentioned pipe welding method does not require manual operation. By controlling each device to automatically complete the pipe welding, the quality of pipe welding is improved, the cost of pipe welding is reduced, and the safety risks caused by manual welding are avoided.

[0146] Based on any of the above embodiments Figure 5 This is the fifth flowchart illustrating the pipe welding method provided by the present invention, as shown below. Figure 5 As shown, prior to step 440, the pipe welding method further includes step 510, and step 440 includes steps 441 and 442.

[0147] Step 510: Control the gripping device to grip the water tank base and place it on the positioning station.

[0148] Here, the positioning station is used to ensure the precise positioning of the water tank base and to fix the water tank base in order to ensure the accuracy and consistency of subsequent connections.

[0149] Furthermore, the gripping device has a visual recognition function, which allows it to place the water tank base more accurately at the positioning station.

[0150] Furthermore, the water tank base is placed on a material placement device. For example, the water tank base is placed on a tooling fixture. Discharging materials in this way ensures the smoothness of pipe welding.

[0151] Step 441: Based on the position of the positioning station, control the gripping device to grip the pipe to be welded with the second welding ring already attached to it and move it to the positioning station, and control the gripping device to connect the second pipe opening to the water pipe opening.

[0152] Furthermore, the gripping device has a visual recognition function, which can more accurately connect the second pipe opening to the water pipe opening, thereby improving the quality of pipe welding.

[0153] Step 442: Control the fixing device to fix the pipe to be welded and the water tank base.

[0154] Here, the fixing device is used to secure the pipe to be welded and the water tank base, preventing them from shaking and ensuring their stability. For example, the fixing device is a clamp.

[0155] The pipe welding method provided in this invention controls the gripping device to grip the water tank base to the positioning station, thereby ensuring accurate connection between the second pipe opening and the water pipe opening of the water tank base, thus improving the pipe welding quality and ultimately the water tank quality. Based on the position of the positioning station, the gripping device can be accurately controlled to grip the pipe to be welded with the second welding ring attached to it to the positioning station, thereby ensuring accurate connection between the second pipe opening and the water pipe opening of the water tank base, thus improving the pipe welding quality and ultimately the water tank quality. The fixing device controls the fixing device to fix the pipe to be welded and the water tank base, thereby ensuring the stability of the pipe to be welded and the water tank base, ensuring the quality of subsequent welding by the control welding device at the second connection position, that is, improving the pipe welding quality and ultimately improving the water tank quality. Moreover, through the above pipe welding method, no manual operation is required. By controlling each device to automatically complete the pipe welding, the pipe welding quality is improved, the pipe welding cost is reduced, and the safety risks caused by manual welding are avoided.

[0156] Based on any of the above embodiments Figure 6 This is the sixth flowchart illustrating the pipe welding method provided by the present invention. Figure 6 As shown, after step 510 above, the pipe welding method further includes steps 520 and 530.

[0157] Step 520: Control the clamping device to fix the water tank base, and control the clamp with fixed inner diameter to hold the water pipe opening.

[0158] Here, the clamping device is used to clamp the water tank base to prevent displacement. For example, the clamping device can be used to clamp the water tank base over a large area.

[0159] Here, the clamp with a fixed inner diameter is not only used to fix the water pipe opening, but also to control the flaring amount of the water pipe opening to avoid it being too large, thereby improving the quality of pipe welding.

[0160] Furthermore, after the water tank base is fixed by the clamping device, it can be straightened (shaped). Since the water tank base is fixed by the clamping device, no displacement of the main body will occur during the straightening process, thereby improving the quality of pipe welding. For example, using pneumatic clamping to straighten the water tank base allows it to be held in the correct position during the straightening process, facilitating subsequent shaping and installation. Furthermore, to control springback, multiple rounds of shaping can be performed.

[0161] Step 530: Control the flaring tool to flare the water pipe opening so that when the second pipe opening is connected to the water pipe opening, the water pipe opening is fitted over the second pipe opening.

[0162] Here, a flaring tool is used to flare the water pipe opening; for example, it is a conical tool used to round the conical opening. Furthermore, to control the flaring amount, a clamp with a fixed inner diameter is used to hold the water pipe opening and perform contour flaring.

[0163] It should be noted that the diameter of the flared water pipe opening only needs to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded, so that the water pipe opening can be fitted over the second pipe opening, and the second pipe opening of the pipe to be welded can be inserted into the water pipe opening.

[0164] The pipe welding method provided in this invention controls the clamping device to fix the water tank base, preventing displacement of the main body during the flaring process, thereby improving the pipe welding quality and the water tank quality; controls the clamp with a fixed inner diameter to hold the water pipe opening, thereby controlling the flaring amount and preventing the water pipe opening from being too large, thus improving the pipe welding quality and the water tank quality; controls the flaring tool to flare the water pipe opening so that when the second pipe opening is connected to the water pipe opening, the water pipe opening fits outside the second pipe opening, thereby improving the pipe welding quality and the water tank quality.

[0165] Based on any of the above embodiments, in this method, step 410 includes steps 411 and 412.

[0166] Step 411: Based on the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded, control the material selection device to select the second welding ring to the designated position.

[0167] For example, a vibratory feeder is used to select a second welding ring that matches the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded to a designated position. For instance, a material trough is placed below the vibratory feeder, so that the designated position is in the material trough.

[0168] Step 412: Control the gripping device to grip the second welding ring at the designated position.

[0169] Since the material selection device places the second welding ring at a designated position, the gripping device needs to grip the second welding ring at that designated position.

[0170] The pipe welding method provided in this invention, based on the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded, controls the material selection device to select the second welding ring, thereby ensuring that the diameter of the obtained second welding ring is greater than the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded, thus ensuring the quality of pipe welding and improving the quality of the water tank; and controlling the material selection device to select the second welding ring to a designated position, and then controlling the gripping device to grip the second welding ring at the designated position, can ensure that there is no conflict between the material selection device and the gripping device, ensuring the smoothness of pipe welding.

[0171] Based on any of the above embodiments, in this method, step 450 includes: step 451, step 452 and step 453.

[0172] Step 451: Obtain the second connection location.

[0173] The second connection position is obtained by visually identifying the pipe to be welded and the water tank base.

[0174] In one embodiment, the gripping device has a visual recognition function, so that the gripping device can visually recognize the second connection position and then feed back the second connection position to the execution body of the pipe welding method.

[0175] In another embodiment, an image acquisition device can be set up separately, so that the second connection position can be obtained by visual recognition through the image acquired by the image acquisition device.

[0176] Step 152: Control the welding device to move to the second connection position.

[0177] Here, movement can refer to the movement of the welding apparatus in space; further, movement also includes the rotation of the welding apparatus itself. For example, the welding apparatus can be adjusted along three axes.

[0178] In one embodiment, the welding device is mounted on a tooling plate, so that controlling the movement of the tooling plate can cause the welding device to move synchronously.

[0179] For example, the tooling plate is controlled to move to the second connection position, and then the high-frequency welding gun is adjusted in three axes based on the second connection position.

[0180] Step 153: Control the welding device to weld the second connection position.

[0181] Since the welding device moves to the second connection position, it can be directly controlled to weld at the second connection position. For example, if the welding device is a high-frequency welding torch, the high-frequency welding torch can be controlled to extend the open coil to complete high-frequency brazing, and then the welding torch can be controlled to retract after welding is completed.

[0182] The pipe welding method provided in this embodiment of the invention obtains a second connection position, which is obtained by visual recognition of the pipe to be welded and the water tank base. The second connection position can be determined in real time through visual recognition, so as to accurately control the welding device to move to the second connection position and ensure that the welding device accurately welds the second connection position, thereby improving the quality of pipe welding and thus improving the quality of water tank.

[0183] Based on any of the above embodiments, prior to step 440, the pipe welding method further includes: The gripping device is controlled to grip the pipe to be welded, which has been fitted with the second welding ring, and move it to the flux tank so that the second welding position is immersed in the flux tank.

[0184] The flux bath contains flux. This flux can remove the oxide film on the contact surface.

[0185] Furthermore, the flux bath can have an agitation function. After the second welding position is immersed in the flux bath, the flux bath can be controlled to agitate, thereby improving the welding quality and ultimately enhancing the quality of pipeline welding.

[0186] It should be noted that immersing the second welding position in the flux bath can be understood as immersing the second pipe opening in the flux bath, ensuring that the oxide film on the contact surface of the second pipe opening can be removed, thereby improving the subsequent pipe welding quality.

[0187] The pipe welding method provided in this invention involves controlling a gripping device to grip the pipe to be welded, which has been fitted with a second welding ring, and immersing the second welding position in the flux tank. The flux tank contains flux, which removes the oxide film on the contact surface at the second welding position, thereby improving the subsequent pipe welding quality and thus the quality of the water tank. Furthermore, this pipe welding method eliminates the need for manual operation, as the pipe welding is automatically completed by controlling various devices, thereby improving the pipe welding quality, reducing pipe welding costs, and avoiding the safety risks associated with manual welding.

[0188] Based on any of the above embodiments, considering that flame brazing has a large radiation area, high safety risks, and cannot concentrate the heating of pipe interfaces, the first-pass yield is relatively low, that is, the pipe welding quality is still not high; therefore, in this method, the welding device is a high-frequency welding gun, which is used to perform high-frequency brazing.

[0189] The pipe welding method provided in this embodiment of the invention can avoid safety risks and improve the quality of pipe welding through the above-described manner.

[0190] Based on any of the above embodiments, the grasping device includes an image acquisition device, a grasping component, and a control device, wherein the control device is connected to the image acquisition device and the grasping component respectively; the control device is used to perform visual recognition based on the image acquired by the image acquisition device, so as to control the grasping component to perform a grasping task based on the visual recognition result.

[0191] The pipe welding method provided in this embodiment of the invention enables the gripping device to accurately perform gripping tasks based on visual recognition, thereby improving the operational accuracy of pipe welding and thus improving the quality of pipe welding.

[0192] Based on any of the above embodiments, when obtaining the welded water tank, the pipe welding method further includes: The system controls the post-processing device to perform post-processing on the water tank; and controls the gripping device to grip the post-processed water tank for automatic unloading.

[0193] For example, the material is cooled and the residual flux and slag at the weld joint are removed by blowing cold air or rinsing with water. Then it is moved to the designated station and automatically unloaded by the grabbing device grabbing the water tank.

[0194] To facilitate understanding of the above embodiments, a specific embodiment will be described here. For example... Figure 7 As shown, firstly, the inlet pipe (the pipe to be welded) and outlet pipe (the pipe to be welded) are automatically fitted with welding rings and coated with flux. Then, the brass connector of the inlet pipe is connected to the inlet pipe (that is, the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is connected to the pipe connector), and the brass connector of the outlet pipe is connected to the outlet pipe (that is, the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is connected to the pipe connector). Then, brazing is performed separately to obtain the inlet pipe assembly and the outlet pipe assembly. The inlet pipe assembly and the outlet pipe assembly are automatically fitted with welding rings and coated with flux. Then, the inlet pipe assembly and the outlet pipe assembly are connected to the water tank base (that is, the second pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is connected to the water pipe opening of the water tank base). Then, brazing is performed separately to obtain the welded water tank.

[0195] It should be understood that, following the above approach to pipe welding, additional welding stations can be added based on cycle time requirements.

[0196] Based on the above embodiments, this invention proposes a fully automated high-frequency welding manufacturing solution for gas water heater tanks made of dissimilar materials. This solution enables automated assembly and welding of gas water heater tanks without manual operation. It is applicable to, but not limited to, specialized brazing filler metals and flux systems for joining dissimilar metals such as copper / steel and copper / aluminum. Utilizing visual positioning and high-frequency induction brazing, it achieves high-quality connections between dissimilar pipe joints, supporting the lean design and use of various product components.

[0197] The pipe welding apparatus provided by the present invention is described below. The pipe welding apparatus described below and the pipe welding method described above can be referred to in correspondence.

[0198] like Figure 8 As shown, the present invention also provides a pipe welding device, which includes: a first control device 810, a second control module 820, a third control module 830, a fourth control module 840 and a fifth control module 850.

[0199] The first control device 810 is used to control the gripping device to grip the first welding ring until the first welding ring is placed over the mandrel.

[0200] The second control device 820 is used to control the gripping device to grip the pipe to be welded until the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is fitted over the mandrel.

[0201] The third control device 830 is used to control the pusher plate to push the first welding ring until the first welding ring is placed on the first welding position on the outer wall of the pipe to be welded.

[0202] The fourth control device 840 is used to control the gripping device to grip the pipe to be welded with the first welding ring already attached, until the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is connected to the pipe joint; the first welding position is located at the first connection position between the first pipe opening and the pipe joint.

[0203] The fifth control device 850 is used to control the welding device to perform welding at the first connection position.

[0204] Wherein, the diameter of the first welding ring is larger than the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded, and the diameter of the mandrel is smaller than the inner diameter of the pipe to be welded.

[0205] This invention also provides a pipe welding device, which includes a controller, a gripping device, a mandrel, a pusher plate, and a welding device. The controller may include a processor, a communication interface, a memory, and a communication bus, wherein the processor, communication interface, and memory communicate with each other through the communication bus. The processor can call logical instructions in the memory to execute the following methods: controlling the gripping device to grip a first welding ring until the first welding ring is fitted over the mandrel; controlling the gripping device to grip the pipe to be welded until the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is fitted over the mandrel; controlling the pusher plate to push the first welding ring until the first welding ring is fitted over the first welding position on the outer wall of the pipe to be welded; controlling the gripping device to grip the pipe to be welded with the first welding ring fitted over it until the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is connected to the pipe joint; the first welding position is located at the first connection position between the first pipe opening and the pipe joint; controlling the welding device to perform welding at the first connection position; wherein the diameter of the first welding ring is larger than the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded, and the diameter of the mandrel is smaller than the inner diameter of the pipe to be welded.

[0206] Figure 9 An example is a schematic diagram of the physical structure of an electronic device, such as... Figure 9 As shown, the electronic device may include: a processor 910, a communications interface 920, a memory 930, and a communications bus 940, wherein the processor 910, the communications interface 920, and the memory 930 communicate with each other through the communications bus 940. The processor 910 can call logic instructions in the memory 930 to execute the following methods: controlling the gripping device to grip the first welding ring until the first welding ring is fitted over the mandrel; controlling the gripping device to grip the pipe to be welded until the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is fitted over the mandrel; controlling the pusher plate to push the first welding ring until the first welding ring is fitted over the first welding position on the outer wall of the pipe to be welded; controlling the gripping device to grip the pipe to be welded with the first welding ring fitted over it until the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is connected to the pipe joint; the first welding position is located at the first connection position between the first pipe opening and the pipe joint; controlling the welding device to perform welding at the first connection position; wherein, the diameter of the first welding ring is larger than the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded, and the diameter of the mandrel is smaller than the inner diameter of the pipe to be welded.

[0207] Furthermore, the logical instructions in the aforementioned memory 930 can be implemented as software functional units and, when sold or used as independent products, can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention, or the part that contributes to related technologies, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of the present invention. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0208] On the other hand, embodiments of the present invention disclose a computer program product, the computer program product including a computer program stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the computer program including program instructions, when the program instructions are executed by a computer, the computer is able to execute the pipe welding method provided in the above-described method embodiments, the method including: controlling a gripping device to grip a first welding ring until the first welding ring is fitted over a mandrel; controlling the gripping device to grip a pipe to be welded until the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is fitted over the mandrel; controlling a pusher plate to push the first welding ring until the first welding ring is fitted over a first welding position on the outer wall of the pipe to be welded; controlling the gripping device to grip the pipe to be welded with the first welding ring fitted over it until the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is connected to a pipe joint; the first welding position is located at a first connection position between the first pipe opening and the pipe joint; controlling a welding device to perform welding at the first connection position; wherein, the diameter of the first welding ring is larger than the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded, and the diameter of the mandrel is smaller than the inner diameter of the pipe to be welded.

[0209] In another aspect, embodiments of the present invention also provide a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program thereon. When executed by a processor, the computer program is implemented to perform the pipe welding method provided in the above embodiments. The method includes: controlling a gripping device to grip a first welding ring until the first welding ring is fitted over a mandrel; controlling the gripping device to grip a pipe to be welded until the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is fitted over the mandrel; controlling a pusher plate to push the first welding ring until the first welding ring is fitted over a first welding position on the outer wall of the pipe to be welded; controlling the gripping device to grip the pipe to be welded with the first welding ring fitted over it until the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is connected to a pipe joint; the first welding position is located at a first connection position between the first pipe opening and the pipe joint; controlling a welding device to perform welding at the first connection position; wherein the diameter of the first welding ring is larger than the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded, and the diameter of the mandrel is smaller than the inner diameter of the pipe to be welded.

[0210] The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs. Those skilled in the art can understand and implement this without any creative effort.

[0211] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that each embodiment can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms, and of course, it can also be implemented by hardware. Based on this understanding, the above technical solutions, in essence or the parts that contribute to the related technology, can be embodied in the form of software products. This computer software product can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk, etc., and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments or some parts of the embodiments.

[0212] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only for illustrating the present invention and not for limiting the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that various combinations, modifications, or equivalent substitutions of the technical solutions of the present invention do not depart from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention and should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A pipe welding method, characterized in that, include: Control the gripping device to grip the first welding ring until the first welding ring is placed over the mandrel; Control the gripping device to grip the pipe to be welded until the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is fitted over the mandrel; Control the pusher plate to push the first welding ring until the first welding ring is placed on the first welding position on the outer wall of the pipe to be welded. The gripping device is controlled to grip the pipe to be welded that has been fitted with the first welding ring until the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is connected to the pipe joint; the first welding position is located at the first connection position between the first pipe opening and the pipe joint. The welding device is controlled to perform welding at the first connection position; Wherein, the diameter of the first welding ring is larger than the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded, and the diameter of the mandrel is smaller than the inner diameter of the pipe to be welded.

2. The pipe welding method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The controlled gripping device grips the first welding ring, including: Based on the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded, the material selection device selects the first welding ring to a designated position. The gripping device is controlled to grip the first welding ring at the designated position.

3. The pipe welding method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before the gripping device grips the pipe to be welded with the first welding ring already attached, and before the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is connected to the pipe joint, the procedure further includes: The gripping device is controlled to grip the pipe joint into the positioning fixture; Accordingly, controlling the gripping device to grip the pipe to be welded, which has the first welding ring already fitted, until the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is connected to the pipe joint, includes: Based on the position of the positioning fixture, the gripping device is controlled to grip the pipe to be welded with the first welding ring already attached to it and move it to the positioning fixture, and the gripping device is controlled to connect the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded with the positioning opening of the pipe joint. The control and fixing device is used to fix the pipe to be welded.

4. The pipe welding method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The controlled welding device performs welding at the first connection position, including: The first connection position is obtained; the first connection position is obtained by visually identifying the pipe to be welded and the pipe joint. Control the welding device to move to the first connection position; The welding device is controlled to weld the first connection position.

5. The pipe welding method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before the gripping device grips the pipe to be welded with the first welding ring already attached, and before the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is connected to the pipe joint, the procedure further includes: The gripping device is controlled to grip the pipe to be welded, which has the first welding ring already attached, and move it to the flux tank so that the first welding position is immersed in the flux tank; the flux tank contains flux.

6. The pipe welding method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, After the controlled welding device performs welding at the first connection position, the method further includes: Control the gripping device to grip the second welding ring until the second welding ring is placed over the mandrel; The gripping device is controlled to grip the pipe to be welded with the first pipe opening already welded, until the second pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is fitted over the mandrel; The pusher plate is controlled to push the second welding ring until the second welding ring is placed on the second welding position on the outer wall of the pipe to be welded. The gripping device is controlled to grip the pipe to be welded that has been fitted with the second welding ring until the second pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is connected to the water pipe opening of the water tank base; the second welding position is located at the second connection position between the second pipe opening and the water pipe opening; The welding device is controlled to perform welding at the second connection position; The diameter of the second welding ring is larger than the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded.

7. The pipe welding method according to claim 6, characterized in that, Before the gripping device grips the pipe to be welded, which has been fitted with the second welding ring, and before the second pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is connected to the water pipe opening of the water tank base, the procedure further includes: The gripping device is controlled to grip the water tank base and place it at the positioning station; Accordingly, controlling the gripping device to grip the pipe to be welded, which has been fitted with the second welding ring, until the second pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is connected to the water pipe opening of the water tank base, includes: Based on the location of the positioning station, the gripping device is controlled to grip the pipe to be welded with the second welding ring already attached to it and move it to the positioning station, and the gripping device is controlled to connect the second pipe opening to the water pipe opening. The control and fixing device secures the pipe to be welded and the water tank base.

8. The pipe welding method according to claim 7, characterized in that, After the gripping device is controlled to grip the water tank base and move it to the positioning station, the method further includes: The control clamping device fixes the water tank base, and the control clamp with fixed inner diameter holds the water pipe opening; The flaring tool is used to flare the water pipe opening so that when the second pipe opening is connected to the water pipe opening, the water pipe opening is fitted over the second pipe opening.

9. The pipe welding method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The welding device is a high-frequency welding torch, which is used for high-frequency brazing.

10. The pipe welding method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The grasping device includes an image acquisition device, a grasping component, and a control device, wherein the control device is connected to the image acquisition device and the grasping component respectively; The control device is used to perform visual recognition based on the images acquired by the image acquisition device, and to control the grasping component to perform grasping tasks based on the visual recognition results.

11. A pipe welding apparatus, characterized in that, include: A first control device is used to control the gripping device to grip the first welding ring until the first welding ring is placed over the mandrel. The second control device is used to control the gripping device to grip the pipe to be welded until the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is put over the mandrel. The third control device is used to control the pusher plate to push the first welding ring until the first welding ring is placed on the first welding position of the outer wall of the pipe to be welded. The fourth control device is used to control the gripping device to grip the pipe to be welded with the first welding ring already attached, until the first pipe opening of the pipe to be welded is connected to the pipe joint; the first welding position is located at the first connection position between the first pipe opening and the pipe joint. The fifth control device is used to control the welding device to perform welding at the first connection position; Wherein, the diameter of the first welding ring is larger than the outer diameter of the pipe to be welded, and the diameter of the mandrel is smaller than the inner diameter of the pipe to be welded.

12. A pipe welding device, characterized in that, include: Controller, gripping device, mandrel, pusher plate and welding device; The controller performs the pipe welding method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

13. An electronic device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that, When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the pipe welding method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the pipe welding method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

15. A computer program product, comprising a computer program, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the pipe welding method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

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