Weld point count management device

Abstract

One purpose is to reduce the effort required by a worker to confirm the number of weld spots on a workpiece. A weld spot count management device 10 according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a receiving unit 15 that receives welding information from a plurality of welding robots. This information includes welding information generated for each weld spot with respect to components to be welded by a plurality of welding robots 30, component numbers that individually identify each component, program information showing the programs used in welding the components, and time and date information.a storage unit 14 that adds robot information to the welding information, identifying the respective welding robots, and stores the welding information; an aggregation unit 18 that aggregates a total number of welding points of each of the components based on the welding information; and a display unit 13 that displays a list of the total numbers of the aggregated welding points.

Description

Technical area

[0001] An embodiment described herein generally relates to a welding spot number management device. Background technology

[0002] In recent years, the use of a welding robot equipped with a spot welding gun for welding a vehicle body or the like has increased. In the welding process with a spot welding gun, two workpieces to be welded are placed between a movable electrode tip and a fixed electrode tip, and electricity is passed through the two workpieces in a state where a predetermined pressing force is applied thereto, thereby enabling the two workpieces to be welded. To prevent deterioration of the welding process quality by a welding robot, it is important to detect a welding defect, a weld spot omission, and the like. As a technique for detecting a welding defect, for example, a technique for determining an abnormality of a weld based on data obtained from an external sensor is known (e.g., Patent Literature 1).A worker can detect the welding defect using a welding defect detection technique like this. On the other hand, for example, when missing weld spots, the welding data of each weld spot on a workpiece detected by the welding robot is displayed on a display device according to a time series, and the worker counts the number of weld data, thereby confirming the number of weld spots on the workpiece. List of citationsPatent literature

[0003] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2021-10925 Summary of the inventionProblem to be solved by the invention

[0004] However, the work of counting the number of welding data to confirm the number of weld spots on the workpiece imposes a great burden on the worker, and omitted weld spots may be missed due to counting errors, etc. Therefore, a technique to reduce the burden of the work of confirming the number of weld spots on the workpiece by a worker is needed. Problem solving

[0005] A welding spot number management device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a receiving unit that receives, from a plurality of welding robots, welding information generated for each welding spot with respect to components to be welded by a plurality of welding robots, and component numbers that individually identify each of the components, program information that shows the programs used in welding the components, and time and date information; a storage unit that adds robot information that identifies the respective welding robots to the welding information and stores the welding information; an aggregation unit that aggregates a total number of welding spots of each of the components based on the welding information; and a display unit that displays a list of the total number of aggregated welding spots. Advantageous effects of the invention

[0006] According to the present aspect, it is possible to reduce the labor required for a worker to confirm the number of welding points on the workpiece. Brief description of the views of the drawing Fig. 1 is a view showing a welding system including a welding point number management device according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram of the welding spot number management device in the Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a welding spot number management page displayed by the welding spot number management device in the Fig. 1 is provided. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing another example of a welding spot number management device page provided by the welding spot number management device in the Fig. 1 is provided. Detailed description of the invention

[0007] A welding point number management device according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals denote components with substantially identical functions and structures, and repeated descriptions are made only when necessary.

[0008] As in the Fig. As shown in FIG. 1, a welding spot number management device 10 according to the present embodiment is connected to a plurality of welding robots 30 (30a, 30b) via a network 70, such as a LAN. The welding robots 30 (30a, 30b) are constituted by welding robot bodies 40 (40a, 40b) and welding robot controllers 50 (50a, 50b) that control the welding robot bodies 40 (40a, 40b). The welding robot body 40 is provided by an articulated arm mechanism equipped with a spot welding gun. In the present embodiment, the welding robot controller 50 is provided as a single device having a function of controlling the articulated arm mechanism and a function of controlling the spot welding gun.However, the welding robot control device 50 may have a configuration in which a robot control device that controls the articulated arm mechanism and the welding gun control device that controls the spot welding gun are each provided individually, and these devices are connected to be able to communicate with each other.

[0009] The welding robot control device 50 includes a processor composed of a CPU, a GPU, and the like, a RAM functioning as a main memory, a work area and the like of the processor, and a storage device in which various programs, various types of setting information, and the like are stored.

[0010] A welding program is stored in the storage device, which causes the welding robot 30 to perform a predetermined welding operation. The welding program is prepared for each type of workpiece (component) to be welded. For example, the welding program is provided in text format, and an operating instruction is described in each line. The operating instruction includes a movement instruction to a welding point, a welding instruction, a waiting instruction, and the like. The welding instruction includes a pressing force command, a welding current command, and the like.

[0011] As a result of the execution of the welding program by the processor, the welding robot control device 50 functions as a control unit 51, an input unit 52, a display unit 53, a storage unit 54, a communication unit 55, a current detection unit 56, a welding time measurement unit 57, a welding result determination unit 58, and a welding information generation unit 59.

[0012] The control unit 51 controls the welding robot according to the welding program.

[0013] The input unit 52 inputs a user operation to the welding robot control device 50 via an input device such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a teaching panel. Specifically, setting information required for the welding robot to perform a predetermined welding operation is input to the welding robot control device 50 through the user operation. The setting information includes program information indicating a welding program used for welding and welding gun information indicating a spot welding gun to be used.Of course, a configuration may be adopted in which an information processing terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet, or a PC is connected to the welding robot control device 50, and the above-described setting information is input to the welding robot control device 50 by the user's operation via the information processing terminal.

[0014] The display unit 53 displays a screen that receives an input of the setting information required to cause the welding robot 30 to perform a predetermined welding operation.

[0015] The current detection unit 56 detects a current value (hereinafter referred to as the gun shaft current value) that flows when electricity flows between a fixed electrode tip and a movable electrode tip of the spot welding gun. An existing method can be used to detect the gun shaft current value, for example, a current sensor or the like. Data on the gun shaft current value detected by the current detection unit 56 is sent to the welding information generation unit 59.

[0016] The welding time measuring unit 57 measures the time during which electricity flows between the fixed electrode tip and the movable electrode tip of the spot welding gun as the welding time. Data on the welding time measured by the welding time measuring unit 57 is sent to the welding information generating unit 59.

[0017] The welding result determination unit 58 determines whether the welding result is successful or not. For example, the welding result determination unit 58 determines whether the welding result for each welding point is "success," "failure," "pseudo-welding," "re-welding," or "invalid welding." Data on the determination result by the welding result determination unit 58 is sent to the welding information generation unit 59.

[0018] The welding information generation unit 59 generates welding information for each welding spot. Specifically, the welding information generation unit 59 organizes information related to the welding of a welding spot as a data body and generates welding information in which subsidiary information is linked to the data body. The welding-related information includes data related to a gun shaft current value, data related to a welding time, and data related to a welding result. The subsidiary information includes time and date information, robot information, welding gun information, component information, welding spot information, and program information. The time and date information includes the welding time and date of a welding spot (welding start time and date). The robot information includes a robot name for identifying the welding robot 30 in use.The welding gun information includes a gun number for identifying the welding gun being used. The component information includes a component number for individually identifying each component to be welded. The component information may include a component type identifier (ID) for individually identifying the type of component to be welded. The weld spot information includes a weld spot identifier (ID) for individually identifying each weld spot to be welded. The program information includes a program name for identifying a welding program being used.

[0019] Among the secondary information, the robot name, gun number, component type identifier (ID), and program name are input by user operation via the input unit 52. The component number is assigned as a serial number to each component to be welded after a series of welding operations has been initiated. The welding spot identifier (ID) corresponds to a welding spot sequence determined by the welding program.

[0020] The storage unit 54 stores welding information of each welding point generated by the welding information generating unit 59.

[0021] The communication unit 55 controls the transmission and reception of various types of information to and from the welding spot number management device 10. Through the processing of the communication unit 55, the welding robot control device 50 transmits welding information corresponding to a welding spot to the welding spot number management device 10 each time welding for a welding spot is completed. Of course, the welding robot control device 50 may transmit the welding information corresponding to all the welding spots together to the welding spot number management device 10 at the time when welding of all the welding spots on the component to be welded is completed.

[0022] The weld point number management device 10 includes hardware similar to that of a conventional PC, such as a processor, a ROM, a RAM, a storage device, and an input / output interface. The weld point number management program is stored in the storage device. As a result of the processor executing the weld point number management program, the weld point number management device 10 functions as a control unit 11, an input unit 12, a display unit 13, a storage unit 14, a communication unit 15, an aggregation condition setting unit 16, a display condition setting unit 17, a weld point number aggregation unit 18, a table creation unit 19, and a weld point number management page creation unit 20.

[0023] The control unit 11 generally controls corresponding units that configure the welding spot number management device 10.

[0024] The input unit 12 inputs a user operation to the welding point number management device 10 via an input device such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a teaching panel. Specifically, according to the user operation, display conditions are input to the welding point number management device 10.

[0025] The storage unit 14 stores the welding information received via the communication unit 15. Furthermore, the storage unit 14 stores initial setting data of the aggregation conditions.

[0026] The communication unit 15 transmits and receives various types of information to and from the welding robot control device 50. Through the processing of the communication unit 15, the welding point number management device 10 sequentially receives the welding information from the welding robot control device 50.

[0027] The aggregation condition setting unit 16 sets the aggregation conditions. The aggregation condition is a condition for aggregating the number of weld points. Initially, a component number, a robot name, and a program name are set as aggregation conditions.

[0028] The display condition setting unit 17 sets a display condition according to a user operation via the input unit 12. The display condition is a condition for determining a display object of an aggregation result of the number of weld spots, and the setting items include a component number, a component type, the time and date, a robot name, a program name, and the like. For example, when the welding information generated at the same time and on the same date is to be confirmed, the time and date can be set. When the number of weld spots of the component welded by a specific robot at the same time and on the same date is to be confirmed, the robot name with the time and date can be set. When the total number of weld spots for a plurality of components of the same type is to be confirmed, the component type identifier (ID) can be set.

[0029] The welding spot count aggregation unit 18 aggregates the total number of welding spots and the number of successful welding spots according to the aggregation conditions set by the aggregation condition setting unit 16. The total number of welding spots corresponds to a total number of welding spots welded by each component to be welded. Accordingly, the total number of welding spots is a number that includes not only the number of successfully welded welding spots, but also the number of welding spots that failed during welding, etc. The number of successful welding spots corresponds to the number of welding spots for which the welding results are "successful" among the welding spots welded for each component to be welded.For example, the welding point number aggregation unit 18 extracts welding information from the welding information stored by the welding information management unit in the storage unit 14, in which component numbers, robot names, and program names correspond to each other, as the aggregation conditions set by the aggregation condition setting unit 16. Then, the welding point number aggregation unit 18 aggregates the number of extracted welding information as the total number of welding points, and aggregates the number of welding information for which the welding results included in the welding information are "successful" among the extracted welding information as the number of successful welding points.

[0030] The table creation unit 19 creates an aggregation table in which an aggregation result of the number of weld spots of each component is collected according to the display condition set by the display condition setting unit 17. One record of the aggregation table includes a plurality of items. The plurality of items include a start time and date, an end time and date, a component number, a robot name, a program name, a gun number, a number of successful weld spots, and a total weld spot number. The start time and date correspond to the welding time and date of a first weld spot of a component. The end time and date correspond to the welding time and date of a last weld spot of the component. Of course, the start time and date and the end time and date in the aggregation table can be the start time and date and the end time and date of a program.Among the plurality of items, start time and date, end time and date, component number, robot name, program name, and gun number are data included in the welding information. The number of successful welding spots and the total number of welding spots are data provided by the welding spot number aggregation unit 18.

[0031] The table creation unit 19 creates a list listing welding information from the aggregation source, including the number of weld spots for each aggregated component. A record of the list includes a plurality of items. The plurality of items includes a welding time and date, a component number, a robot name, a program name, a program line number, a weld ID, a welding result, and a welding time. The program line number indicates a line number describing a command for welding a weld spot in the program described in a text format. The weld ID is an identifier for specifying the weld spot in the component and corresponds, for example, to a welding sequence.

[0032] The number of weld spots management page creation unit 20 generates data of the number of weld spots management page, including the list regarding the number of weld spots of each component created by the table creation unit 19. The number of weld spots management page created by the number of weld spots management page creation unit 20 is displayed on the display unit 13.

[0033] Hereinafter, the welding point number management page created by the welding point number management page creation unit 20 is described with reference to the Fig. 3 and the Fig. 4. As described in the Fig. As shown in Figure 3, the welding spot number management page includes a plurality of input fields in which a user can enter the display conditions, a display button for setting the display conditions, and a first display area that displays a list of the number of welding spots of each component. As shown in the Fig. 3, the plurality of input fields includes an input field for entering a robot name, an input field for entering a program name, and input fields for entering the welding start time and date, and the welding end time and date. Here, through a user operation, the robot name "ROBOT1", the program name "TEST1", the welding start time and date "2022 / 01 / 01 00:00:00", and the welding end time and date "2022 / 01 / 01 23:59:59" are input as display conditions. When the user clicks the display button, the display conditions entered by the user are set by the display condition setting unit 19, the aggregation table of the number of welding spots of each component is created by the table creation unit 19 according to the set display conditions, and the created aggregation table is displayed in the first display area.

[0034] As in the Fig. As shown in Figure 4, when a record in the aggregation table of the number of weld spots of each component displayed in the first display area is selected by the user operation, a second display area is provided below the first display area. In the second display area, a list is displayed in which the welding information of the aggregation source with the number of weld spots of each aggregated component is listed. Here, a record of component number "74" is selected by the user operation in the list of the number of weld spots of each component displayed in the first display area, and the second display area displays the list created by the table creation unit 19 based on the welding information, which is an aggregation source for aggregating the total number of weld spots of component number "74".

[0035] According to the number of welding points management device 10 of the present embodiment, the following effects are exhibited. That is, the number of welding points management device 10 can automatically aggregate the total number of welding points for a component to be welded for each component to be welded, each welding robot 30 used, and each welding program used based on welding information received from each of a plurality of welding robots 30, and can display the aggregation results.

[0036] For example, in the Fig. 3, the welding point number management device 10 can inform the user of the total number of welding points and the number of successful welding points of each of the components via the aggregation table displayed on the welding point number management page. Fig. 3, the total number of weld points of component numbers '71', '73' and '74' is '6', while the total number of weld points of component number '72' is '5'. This means that a weld point has been omitted in one of the groups. The user searches the Fig. The aggregation table shown in Figure 3 confirms the total number of weld spots for each component, making it easy to identify the missed weld spot. In this way, aggregating the total number of weld spots for each component and displaying them contributes to improving the welding quality of the component being welded. Note that on the weld spot number management page, information about the total number of weld spots to be welded can be displayed based on the welding program. This makes it easy to understand which group the missed weld spot occurs in when there are two groups that differ in the total number of weld spots.

[0037] Furthermore, in the Fig. 3, the total number of welds for component number “74” is “6,” and the number of successful welds is “5.” This means that welding has failed at one of the six welds on the component. The user browses the Fig. The aggregation table shown in Figure 3 confirms the total number of weld spots and the number of successful weld spots for the same component, making it easy to determine whether the welding of all weld spots was successful or not. In this way, aggregating the total number of weld spots and the number of successful weld spots for the same component and displaying them also contributes to improving the welding quality of the component being welded.

[0038] As continued in the Fig.As shown in Figure 4, by selecting a record with a failed weld spot in the aggregation table and confirming the welding information from the aggregation source, it is possible to determine which weld spot failed. Furthermore, by selecting the record suspected of a weld spot omission in the aggregation table and confirming the welding information from the aggregation source, it is possible to immediately determine the weld spot where the weld spot omission occurred. This also contributes to improving welding quality.

[0039] In the present embodiment, the component number, robot name, and program name are initially set as the aggregation conditions of the number of weld spots. This allows the component to be identified by the robot name and program name even if there are duplicate component numbers, and the number of weld spots of each of the components can be aggregated. However, the initially set aggregation conditions are not limited to this. Assuming no duplicate component numbers, only the component numbers can be initially set as the aggregation condition. Of course, various types of aggregation conditions can be prepared as initial conditions and selected by the user. In addition, the aggregation conditions can be set according to user operation.For example, candidate elements for setting aggregation conditions include the time and date, a component number, a component type identifier (ID), a robot name, a gun number, a program name, and a program line number. For example, by setting a range of program line numbers along with the component number, robot name, and program name as aggregation conditions, the total number of weld spots for each component can be divided into multiple numbers and displayed.For example, by setting the line numbers of the program as "1 to 20", "21 to 40", and "41 to 60", a partial number of weld spots corresponding to line numbers 1 to 20 of the program, a partial number of weld spots corresponding to line numbers 21 to 40 of the program, and a partial number of weld spots corresponding to line numbers 41 to 60 of the program can be aggregated for each component, respectively. Accordingly, when a weld spot omission is detected, it is possible to easily identify which area of ​​the program includes a process that causes the weld spot omission. This also contributes to improving welding quality.

[0040] Although in the present embodiment, the subsidiary information included in the welding information was described as being attached in the welding robot control device 50, at least part of the subsidiary information may be attached in an information processing device other than the welding robot control device 50, for example, in a higher-level device of a system. In this case, the data body generated by the welding robot control device 50 is sent to the information processing device, and welding information in which the subsidiary information is added to the data body is generated in the information processing device and sent from the information processing device to the welding point number management device 10. Furthermore, at least part of the subsidiary information may be added in the welding point number management device 10.For example, when receiving the welding information, the welding point number management device 10 may identify the transmission source of the welding information and add the robot information to the welding information.

[0041] In the present embodiment, the welding robot 30 is equipped with a spot welding gun and can perform spot welding, but the welding method is not limited to this. For example, the welding robot 30 can be one capable of arc welding.

[0042] Although specific embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented only as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel methods and systems described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms; further, various omissions, substitutions, and changes may be made in the form of the methods and systems described herein without departing from the spirit of the inventions. The appended claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as fall within the scope and spirit of the inventions. List of reference symbols

[0043] 10.. Welding spot count management device, 30 (30a, 30b).. Welding robot, 40 (40a, 40b).. Welding robot body, 50 (50a, 50b).. Welding robot control device, 11, 51.. Control unit, 12, 52.. Input unit, 13, 53.. Display unit, 14, 54.. Storage unit, 15, 55.. Communication unit, 16.. Aggregation condition setting unit, 17.. Display condition setting unit, 18.. Welding spot count aggregation unit, 19.. Table creation unit, 20.. Welding spot count management page creation unit, 56.. Current acquisition unit, 57.. Welding time measurement unit, 58.. Welding result determination unit, 59.. Welding information generation unit. QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] 2021-10925

[0003]

Claims

[1] A welding point number management device connected to a plurality of welding robots, comprising: a receiving unit that receives, from the plurality of welding robots, welding information generated for each welding point with respect to components to be welded by the plurality of welding robots, and robot information individually identifying each of the welding robots, component numbers individually identifying each of the components, program information showing programs used in welding the components, and time and date information; an aggregation unit that aggregates a total number of welding spots of each of the components based on the welding information; and a display unit that shows a list of the total number of aggregated weld spots. [2] The welding point number management device according to claim 1, wherein the aggregation unit aggregates the number of welding information in which the component number, the program information and the robot information correspond to each other as the total number of welding points. [3] The welding point number management device according to claim 1, wherein the welding information includes success and at least one of the following elements as a welding result: failure, pseudo-welding, welding repetition and welding invalid, the aggregation unit aggregates the total number of weld spots of each of the components and a number of successful weld spots where the welding result of each of the components is success, and the display unit shows the total number of welds and the number of successful welds. Translation of the originally filed PCT claims [4] The welding point number management device according to claim 1, wherein the display unit displays a list of the welding information of each welding point of the component selected according to a user operation.

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