WELDING MACHINE AND METHOD FOR PRODUCE A BUT WELD JOINT

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for producing a butt weld joint between pipe segments of a pipe made of a weldable plastic material using a welding machine, and to a welding machine, wherein two pipe segments are each received by a clamping device of a welding fixture of the welding machine, wherein welding contact surfaces of pipe end cross-sections of the pipe segments are melted by means of a heating device of the welding fixture, and subsequently the welding contact surfaces are pressed against each other with a joining pressure by a handling device of the welding fixture to form a butt weld seam connecting the pipe segments in a joining plane, wherein the welding fixture is controlled by a control device of the welding machine.

[0002] Such processes and welding machines are well known and are used for butt welding plastic pipes. Specifically, two pipe segments of a pipe formed by a butt weld are joined together. The pipe end cross-sections of the pipe segments regularly have the same diameter and are held in a clamping device with clamping tools, fixed, and aligned relative to each other. Subsequently, the pipe end cross-sections of the pipe segments are heated and plasticized by a heating element in a heating device. Finally, the plasticized pipe end cross-sections are pressed together with a joining pressure by a handling device until the resulting butt weld has hardened. The clamping device is then released, and the pipe can be separated from the welding machine.

[0003] The described process can, in principle, be carried out entirely manually using the welding machine. However, a semi-automated or fully automated version is also possible, in which the welding machine includes a control device that at least partially controls the corresponding manufacturing steps for producing the butt weld. Such a welding machine is known from EP 3 804 965 A1.

[0004] Particularly when manufacturing high-quality piping systems, for example in semiconductor manufacturing and the production of food and pharmaceuticals, the problem arises that, regardless of a high-quality welding machine and the materials used, operators of the welding machine can create faulty or substandard butt welds. Since piping systems for these aforementioned production facilities are typically very complex, operators might, for example, inadvertently use the wrong pipe segments. Furthermore, improper operation of the welding machine can also lead to faulty butt welds.

[0005] From EP 0 535 454 A2, a method for producing a butt weld joint between pipe segments with the features of the preamble of claim 1 is known. Within the scope of the method, it is provided that at least one welding parameter is determined for a butt weld joint, these actual data are compared with target data, and an error report is generated in the event of deviations.

[0006] The present invention is therefore based on the objective of proposing a method and a welding machine for producing a butt weld joint, which enables the simple production of a high-quality piping system.

[0007] This problem is solved by a method having the features of claim 1 and a welding machine having the features of claim 14.

[0008] In the inventive method for producing a butt weld joint between pipe segments of a pipe made of a weldable plastic material using a welding machine, two pipe segments are each held by a clamping device of a welding fixture of the welding machine, wherein welding contact surfaces of pipe end cross-sections of the pipe segments are melted by means of a heating device of the welding fixture and subsequently the welding contact surfaces are pressed against each other with a joining pressure by a handling device of the welding fixture to form a butt weld seam connecting the pipe segments in a joining plane, wherein the welding fixture is controlled by a control device of the welding machine, wherein a data model of a piping system with at least one pipe and a plurality of butt weld joints is stored in the control device of the welding fixture.wherein the data model comprises at least one object data set representing the respective butt weld joint, each with attributes, wherein the control device for the respective butt weld joint determines at least one welding parameter of the welding device as a further attribute and adds this to the object data set.

[0009] A piping system is understood to be at least one pipe formed from a plurality of butt welded joints or a corresponding number of pipe segments. The piping system can also comprise a plurality of pipes as well as pipe connections or branches that connect valves, containers, reactors, machines, or the like. A data model of the piping system is understood to be a digital representation of the piping system that can be created and further processed by means of data processing, such as a computer. Since, within the framework of the method according to the invention, the data model of the piping system is stored in the control device, the control device is also designed for processing digital data and can therefore, for example, be a computer.The data model of the piping system comprises object data records, each representing a butt weld joint to be formed by the welding machine. Storing the piping system data model in the control device ensures that essential data describing a butt weld joint is already available within the control device. The respective object data records, in turn, contain attributes with the essential information about the butt weld joint to be produced, such as details about the type of pipe segments. This eliminates potential operator errors when transferring data from piping system design documents to a welding machine or control device, as the information and data required for forming the butt weld joint are already stored within the welding machine.

[0010] According to the invention, the control device for the butt welds in question determines at least one welding parameter, such as temperature. This determination of the welding parameter can be carried out by sensors of the welding device and / or by a calculation performed by the control device using an algorithm. The welding parameter in question is added to the corresponding object data record as an additional attribute of the butt weld. The control device can add the determined attribute to the respective object data record and store it within the data model. This allows for the creation of traceable documentation of the manufacturing of the piping system. This also enables a traceable verification of compliance with manufacturing specifications.

[0011] The data model can be stored in a storage device of the control unit before the butt weld is formed. The control unit therefore includes this storage device. In principle, the storage device can be any type of data carrier suitable for storing data or files. Multiple data models of piping systems can also be stored in the storage device. The storage device can also be a data carrier that can be adapted to the welding machine.

[0012] The control device can determine at least one welding parameter of the welding device as an additional attribute before, during, and / or after the formation of the respective butt weld. These welding parameters can include a joining pressure, a heating element temperature, a device temperature, an ambient temperature, a manufacturing point, a welding time, and / or a cooling time. The control device can use the attributes contained in the object data set to calculate the additional attribute even before the butt weld is formed, for example, the wall thickness of the pipe segments to determine the required heating element temperature. The welding device can also have one or more sensors that allow the control device to acquire measured values ​​as the additional attribute during the butt weld formation, for example, an ambient temperature.Furthermore, after the butt weld has been formed, the control device can process the attributes and / or measured values ​​contained in the object data set to determine additional attributes, such as the wall thickness of the pipe segments in conjunction with the ambient temperature to determine the required cooling time. This makes it possible, on the one hand, to pre-calculate the required welding parameters based on the attributes contained in the object data set, and on the other hand, to measure and verify these welding parameters during and after the butt weld has been formed.

[0013] The control device can control the welding fixture based on the attributes of the object data record. These attributes can include a pipe segment diameter, pipe wall thickness, plastic material, manufacturing date, manufacturer's name, article number, and / or serial number. Specific functions of the welding fixture can be linked to these attributes, such as a heating element temperature depending on the plastic material used. It is also possible to deduce the plastic material from an article number and manufacturer's name if the plastic material is not explicitly included as an attribute in the object data record. Fundamentally, these attributes also make it possible to trace the manufacturing process of the butt weld back to the production of the pipe segments used.

[0014] The control device's display unit can output operating instructions for the welding machine and the data model to the operator. The display unit can consist of one or more indicators. The operating instructions can be signaled acoustically and / or visually, for example, by light signals, a graphic display, and / or text instructions. The operating instructions might, for example, instruct the operator to load the welding machine with pipe segments of a specific type or to initiate certain functions of the welding machine, such as the welding process itself. In principle, it is also conceivable that the welding machine performs some or all functions semi-automatically or fully automatically. Furthermore, the welding machine can be configured to output the data model.This output can be achieved by displaying a list of object data records or by providing a graphical representation of the piping system to be created using the display device.

[0015] The display unit can be configured with one or more screens. A first display area shows the operating instructions, while a second displays the data model with the object data records and their respective attributes. These screens can be touch-sensitive, allowing operators to interact with the control device, for example, by acknowledging an operating instruction. The second display area for the data model eliminates the need for operators to compare the data model with the piping system's design documents. The data model can then include design documents stored within the control device.When operating the welding machine, the operator first selects a butt weld to be produced from the data model, which can be displayed as a graphical, two- or three-dimensional representation of the piping system in the second display area. The attributes contained in the object data records can then be used by the control device to display operating instructions in the first display area, such as information about the pipe segments to be inserted into the clamping device. After the butt weld has been formed, at least one further attribute can be added to the object data record in the data model. For example, the butt weld in question can then be displayed as fully welded in the second display area. This reliably prevents the butt weld from being produced multiple times accidentally.

[0016] A printing device, which may be connected to or incorporated into the control device, can be used to print an adhesive label after the butt weld has been formed. This label must contain the respective object data record of the butt weld and / or a code representing this object data record. The printing device can be an adhesive label printer integrated into the welding machine or connected to the welding machine via an interface. At least one adhesive label can then be printed for each butt weld, containing at least one object data record relating to the butt weld. This object data record can also include further attributes, such as the manufacturing date of the butt weld.An operator can then apply the adhesive label to one of the pipe segments, making essential information about the butt weld immediately visible. The object data can be displayed on the label in text or character form. Alternatively or additionally, the label can contain a code that allows information about the butt weld to be retrieved. This could be, for example, a barcode or a QR code that can be scanned with a mobile device.

[0017] A data model can be used with graphic image data and / or vector data of the piping system, which may be supplemented with object data sets. The graphic image data or vector data can be in two-dimensional or three-dimensional form. Advantageously, CAD data or other common graphic data formats can contain the object data sets or be linked to them. The graphical representation of the piping system eliminates the need for paper-based planning documents when manufacturing butt weld connections.

[0018] A data model can be used with the pipe segment and / or the butt weld joint as an object with an associated object data record. Each pipe segment and / or butt weld joint can therefore be defined as an object in the data model. Each of these objects can be assigned an object data record. All components of the piping system and their butt weld joints can then be uniquely recorded in the data model.

[0019] The data model can be used with a bill of materials (BOM) for the piping system. The data model can be stored in the control device as a BOM and displayed to the operator. The pipe segments to be welded, along with all necessary information and attributes for the butt weld joint to be produced, can then be extracted from the BOM. In addition to the BOM display, a graphical representation of the piping system's data model can also be provided.

[0020] The procedure can be advantageously carried out in a sequence of the following steps: a) Generating the data model of the piping system with at least one pipe and a plurality of butt welds; b) Transferring and storing the data model in the control device; c) Selecting the butt weld to be welded; d) Calculating the welding parameters of the welding device by the control device based on the attributes of the respective object data record; e) Outputting a sequence of operating instructions for the welding machine directed at an operator; f) Controlling the welding device by the control device to execute manufacturing steps; g) Determining the further attribute by the control device and storing it in the respective object data record; h) Outputting and / or transferring the respective object data record or the data model by the control device.

[0021] To form weld contact surfaces, the cross-sections of the pipe segments can be machined using a tool attachment of the welding fixture. This tool attachment can be stationary for machining the weld contact surfaces. Alternatively, the tool attachment can perform a parting cut to form the pipe segments, with this cut simultaneously serving to create the weld contact surfaces. Consequently, the pipe segments are then formed from a semi-finished product by the tool attachment. The tool attachment can also machine the pipe segments after they have been clamped in the clamping device, ensuring that the weld contact surfaces meet without gaps in the joining plane.

[0022] Furthermore, the data model can be transferred from the control device to an external data network. This transfer can be bidirectional, for example, from a computer to the control device and, after modifications to the data model through the addition of further attributes in the control device, by saving the updated model to the computer. The external data network can include at least one computer and a connection between the control device and that computer. This connection can be established wirelessly via a data line or a known radio standard. Optionally, the data model can also be stored only partially in the control device and only fully present on a computer within the external data network. In this case, continuous data exchange between the control device and the computer or server is possible.In particular, it will then also be possible to provide information about the progress of the manufacturing process and any changes to the planning of the piping system to the people involved in the manufacturing and planning in real time.

[0023] The welding machine according to the invention serves to produce a butt weld joint between pipe segments of a pipe made of a weldable plastic material, wherein the welding machine has a welding device with a clamping device for receiving two pipe segments each, with a heating device for melting welding contact surfaces of pipe end cross-sections of the pipe segments, and with a handling device for subsequently forming a butt weld seam connecting the pipe segments to each other in a joining plane by pressing the welding contact surfaces against each other with a joining pressure, wherein the welding device is controllable by a control device of the welding machine, wherein a data model of a piping system with at least one pipe and a plurality of butt weld joints is stored in the control device of the welding device.wherein the data model comprises at least one object data set representing the respective butt weld joint, each with attributes, wherein at least one welding parameter of the welding device can be determined as a further attribute by means of the control device for the respective butt weld joint and this can be added to the object data set. For the advantages of the welding machine according to the invention, reference is made to the description of advantages of the method according to the invention.

[0024] Further advantageous embodiments of a welding machine result from the feature descriptions of the dependent claims relating back to method claim 1.

[0025] A preferred embodiment of the method is explained in more detail below, with a representation of a preferred embodiment of a welding machine for carrying out the method based on the drawings.

[0026] They show: Fig. 1 a perspective view of a welding machine; Fig. 2 A flowchart for a process for producing a butt weld joint.

[0027] The Fig. 1 Figure 1 shows a welding machine 10 for producing a butt weld between two pipe segments (not shown in detail) of a pipe. A welding fixture 21 of the welding machine 10 comprises a clamping device 11 with four clamping fixtures 12, which in turn are formed from clamping jaws 13, 14, and 15. Two of the clamping fixtures 12 are arranged on slides 16 and 17 of a handling device 18 of the welding fixture 21. The slides 16 and 17 are movable relative to each other along a longitudinal axis 19 of a pipe to be produced by means of the handling device 18. For this purpose, the slides 16 and 17 are arranged on a frame 20 of the welding machine 10, which forms a guide for the slides 16 and 17 (not shown in detail). A drive for the handling device 18 is also arranged within the frame 20. The welding fixture 21 further comprises a heating plate 22.On the frame 20 is arranged an operating unit 23 of the welding machine 10 which has two screens 24, which in turn form a first display area 25 and a second display area 26.

[0028] In a welding process, an operator first clamps pipe segments to two clamping fixtures 12 on the respective slides 16 and 17 using the clamping jaws 13, 14, and 15. Then, if necessary, the pipe segments are aligned relative to each other with respect to the longitudinal axis 19. For this purpose, a transverse guide 27 is provided on the slide 16. After any machining of the welding contact surfaces of the pipe segments, the heating plate 22 is positioned between the welding contact surfaces so that the pipe end cross-sections of the pipe segments are melted by the heating plate. Subsequently, the heating plate is removed, and the pipe segments are pressed together with a joining pressure by means of the slides 16 and 17, forming a butt weld. Finally, the resulting pipe can be removed from the clamping fixture 12.The welding machine 10 is operated by an operator, among other things, by means of the screens 24 and operating elements 28 on the control unit 23. A control device of the welding machine 10, not shown here, controls in particular a sequence of the welding process and the associated functions of the welding machine 10.

[0029] The Fig. 2 shows a flowchart for carrying out the procedure using the example of the one in the Fig. 1The welding machine 10 is shown. In a first step 30, a data model of a piping system to be manufactured with the welding machine 10 is created. The data model can, for example, be designed on a computer and stored on the computer in the form of graphic image data or vector data. The data model is then created independently of the welding machine 10. In a second step 32, the data model is transferred to the welding machine 10 and stored in the control device. This transfer can be carried out using a data carrier, via a data line, or via a radio standard for data transmission. In a third step 33, the data model is displayed by the control device in the second display area 26 in the form of a graphic representation or a list.An operator can now select a butt weld joint to be welded for the production of the piping system on the second display area 26. On the welding machine 10 shown here, this selection can be made by the operator touching the representation of the butt weld joint in the second display area 26.

[0030] In a fourth step 34, the control device calculates the welding parameters of the welding fixture 21 required to form the butt weld joint. For this purpose, the control device uses object data records contained in the data model, each assigned to the butt weld joint to be formed, and each with its own attributes. These attributes can include, for example, information about the pipe wall thickness and the plastic material. Based on these attributes, the control device can now calculate welding parameters of the welding fixture 21, such as a joining pressure and a cooling time. In a fifth step 35, a sequence of operating instructions for the welding machine 10 is displayed in the first display area 25. These instructions could, for example, include information about the pipe segments to be inserted into the clamping device 11.It may be provided that the operator acknowledges the operating instructions by touching the first display area 25 at the appropriate point, for example, after inserting and clamping the pipe segments. In a sixth step 36, the control device controls the welding device 21 so that, as described previously, the butt weld joint is formed. In a seventh step 37, the control device determines a further attribute before or during the production of the butt weld joint; for example, this further attribute can be a welding parameter calculated by the control device or a value measured by a sensor, such as an ambient temperature. This further attribute is stored by the control device in the object data record assigned to the butt weld joint.In the simplest embodiment, the additional attribute can only contain the information that the butt weld joint is complete.

[0031] After the butt weld joint has been formed, the operator can remove the formed pipe from the clamping fixture 12. Operating instructions can be displayed in the first display area 25. In an eighth step 38, the control device outputs or transmits the respective object data record or data model. As in step 32, the data model, supplemented with attributes, can then be transmitted to a computer and stored there.

Claims

1. A method for producing a butt welded joint between tube segments of a tube made of a weldable plastic material using a welding machine (10), two tube segments each being held by a clamping apparatus (11) of a welding device (21) of the welding machine, welding contact surfaces of tube end cross sections of the tube segments being fused by means of a heating apparatus (22) of the welding device and the welding contact surfaces subsequently being pressed against each other by a handling apparatus (18) of the welding device using a joining pressure to form a butt welded seam connecting the tube segments to each other in a joining plane, the welding device being controlled by a control device of the welding machine, characterized in that a data model of a tube system having at least one tube and a plurality of butt welded joints are stored in the control device of the welding device, the data model comprising at least one object dataset representing the corresponding butt welded joint and each having attributes, the control device detecting at least one weld parameter of the welding device as another attribute for the corresponding butt welded joint and adding this weld parameter to the object dataset.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the data model is stored in a storage apparatus of the control device before producing the butt welded joint.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the control device detects the at least one weld parameter of the welding device (21) as the other attribute before, while and / or after producing the corresponding butt welded joint, the weld parameter being a joining pressure, a heating-element temperature, a device temperature, an ambient temperature, at point of production time, a weld time and / or a cooling time.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control device controls the welding device (21) as a function of the attributes of the object dataset, the attributes being a tube segment diameter, a tube wall thickness, a plastic material, a point of fabrication time, a producer's designation, an article number and / or a serial number.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that instructions for the welding machine (10) addressed to a user and the data model are output by means of a display apparatus of the control device.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that the display apparatus is formed by one or more screens (24), the instructions being displayed in a first display area (25) and the data model having the object datasets and the corresponding attributes being displayed in a second display area (26).

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an adhesive label having a rendering of the corresponding object dataset of the butt welded joint and / or having a rendering of a code representing this object dataset is output by means of printer, which is connected to the control device or has the control device, after the butt welded joint has been produced.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a data model is used having graphic image data and / or vector data of the tube system which are supplemented by the object dataset.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a data model having the tube segment and / or the butt welded joint is used as an object having an associated object dataset.

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a data model is used having a parts list of the tube system.

11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the method is executed in a sequence of the following steps: a. generating the data model of the tube system having at least one tube and a plurality of butt welded joints. b. transferring and storing the data model in the control device. c. selecting the butt welded joint to be welded. d. computing the weld parameter of the welding device (21) via the control device based on the attributes of the corresponding object dataset. e. outputting a sequence of instructions for the welding machine (10) addressed to a user. f. controlling the welding device (21) via the control device for executing the production steps. g. detecting the other attributes via the control device and storing them in the corresponding object dataset. h. outputting and / or transferring the corresponding object dataset or the data model via the control device.

12. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that tube end cross sections of the tube segments are machined using a tool of the welding device (21) to form welding contact surfaces.

13. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the data model is transferred by means of the control device using an external data network.

14. A welding machine (10) for producing a butt welded joint between tube segments of a tube made of a weldable plastic material, the welding machine having a welding device (21), a clamping apparatus (11) for holding two tube segments in each instance, a heating element (22) for fusing welding contact surfaces of tube end cross sections of the tube segments, and a handling apparatus (18) for the subsequent production of a butt welded seam connecting the tube segments to each other in a connecting plane by pressing the welding contact surfaces against each other using a joining pressure, the welding device being controllable via a control device of the welding machine, characterized in that a data model of a tube system having at least one tube and a plurality of butt welded joints is stored in the control device of the welding device, the data model comprising at least one object dataset representing the corresponding butt welded joint and each having attributes, the control device detecting at least one weld parameter of the welding device as another attribute for the corresponding butt welded joint and adding this weld parameter to the object dataset.