Welder and welding system provided with the same

Abstract

To provide a welder capable of acquiring operator identification information without imposing burden on a welding operator.SOLUTION: A welder 80 at least includes: a welding torch 60; a welding power supply 10; and a torch cable 50 connecting the welding torch 60 and the welding power supply 10. A welding operator holds the welding torch 60 with hands to perform the welding operation. An RFID tug reader 70 is fitted to the welding torch 60. The RFID tug reader 70 reads information stored in an RFID tug 90 fitted to a glove 300 used by the welding operator in the welding operation, and transmits the information to the welding power supply 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a welding machine and a welding system including the same.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) tag storing information about an article or the like has been widely attached to an article, and the information has been read by an RFID tag reader and used in article conveyance or the like. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which an RFID tag reader is attached to gloves worn by an operator, and information stored in an RFID attached to a package is read by the RFID tag reader. According to this configuration, the operator can easily read the information stored in the RFID just by holding the package in hand.

[0003] By the way, in the welding field as well, various information management methods using RFID tags have been proposed. For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a configuration in which a plurality of types of RFID tags are prepared, and these RFID tags are distributed and attached to a welding operator, a welding object, and a welding rod, and information regarding each of the welding operator, the welding object, and the welding rod is managed as data. According to this configuration, it is possible to check the confirmation of welding conditions, the storage of welding records, and whether a welding operator suitable for the corresponding welding work is performing welding. Also, it is possible to check whether an appropriate welding rod is being used for the welding object. By these means, human errors in welding work can be reduced or prevented.

[0004] In addition, Patent Document 3 discloses a configuration in which an RFID tag is attached to a member worn by a welding operator, such as a bracelet, etc., and an RFID tag reader is attached to a teaching pendant for teaching the operation and movement trajectory of a welding robot. Further, this configuration further includes an operation restriction means for restricting the functions that the welding operator can execute by the teaching pendant based on the operator information read by the RFID tag reader. According to this configuration, it is possible to identify whether or not a welding operator has the execution authority for each function based on the operator information stored in the RFID tag. Further, based on the identification result, it is possible to prevent a welding operator who does not have the authority to execute a function from executing the function by operating the teaching pendant.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] By the way, in a welding machine (also referred to as a manual welding machine) in which a welding operator holds a welding torch to perform welding, information for identifying the welding operator who is actually performing the welding operation (hereinafter, also referred to as operator identification information) is input to and managed by a management system. For example, when a plurality of welding operators share the welding of a large workpiece, the operator identification information can be used to grasp who is using which welding machine in which time zone. Further, the operator identification information can also be used simply to grasp whether or not a specific welding operator is working or to grasp the availability of the welding machine.

[0007] On the one hand, when inputting operator identification information, the welding operator needs to operate an input device such as a keyboard or a touch panel. However, at the start-up time of the welding machine or the start time of operation, for safety reasons, the welding operator is in a state of wearing special gloves, and the operation of the input device has been troublesome. Although there is also a method of incorporating an IC card reader into the welding machine and having the welding operator touch a dedicated IC card to the IC card reader to read the operator identification information, handling the IC card while wearing gloves has also been troublesome for the welding operator.

[0008] Also, as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3, it is also conceivable to input operator identification information using an RFID tag and an RFID tag reader.

[0009] However, for example, in the conventional configuration disclosed in Patent Document 2, the information related to the welding machine and the information related to the welding operator are not associated, and it is necessary to perform an association operation separately on the management system side. Also, in order to read information from the RFID tag, it is necessary to operate a handy terminal type RFID tag reader, which has been troublesome for the welding operator. Further, in the conventional configuration disclosed in Patent Document 3, the association between the operator information and the operation authority of the teaching pendant is performed, but the information related to the welding machine and the information related to the welding operator are not associated, and it is necessary to perform an association operation separately on the management system side.

[0010] The present disclosure has been made in view of such points, and an object thereof is to provide a welding machine capable of acquiring operator identification information without imposing a burden on the welding operator and a welding system including the same.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0011] To achieve the above object, a welding machine according to the present disclosure includes at least a welding torch, a welding power source, and a torch cable connecting the welding torch and the welding power source. The welding machine is a welding machine in which a welder holds the welding torch by hand to perform welding work. An RFID tag reader is attached to the welding torch. The RFID tag reader reads information stored in an RFID tag attached to gloves used by the welder in the welding work and transmits the information to the welding power source.

[0012] A welding system according to the present disclosure includes at least the welding machine and a host management unit configured to be communicable with the welding machine. The information is transmitted at least from the welding power source to the host management unit, and the host management unit is characterized by at least temporarily storing the information.

Advantages of the Invention

[0013] According to the present disclosure, operator identification information stored in an RFID tag can be acquired on the welding machine side without imposing a load on the welder.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the following description of the preferred embodiments is merely illustrative in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, its applications, or its uses.

[0016] (Embodiment) [Configuration of Welding System] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a welding system according to an embodiment. The welding system 200 includes at least a welding machine 80 and a host management unit 100. The host management unit 100 is, for example, a server. However, it is not particularly limited thereto, and the host management unit 100 may be a single PC (Personal Computer). The configuration of the host management unit 100 will be described later.

[0017] The welding machine 80 is an arc welding machine including a welding power source 10, a wire feeder 20, and a welding torch 60. Further, shielding gas, for example, CO 2 gas is supplied to the welding torch 60 from a gas cylinder 40 via a gas hose 53. Note that the pressure and flow rate of the shielding gas are adjusted by a flow regulator (not shown) so as to be a predetermined value, and the shielding gas is supplied. Note that the shielding gas supplied from the gas cylinder 40 may be supplied to the welding torch 60 via the wire feeder 20. As shown in FIG. 1, the gas hose 53 is housed inside the torch cable 50, and the power cable 51 and the control cable 52, which will be described later, are also housed inside the torch cable 50 in the same manner. That is, the torch cable 50 is a composite cable in which a plurality of cables and the gas hose 53 are integrally bundled.

[0018] One output terminal of the welding power source 10 is connected to a power cable 51, and the other is connected to a work cable (not shown). Welding power is supplied from the power cable 52 to the welding torch 60. The work cable is connected to a work (not shown) that is an object to be welded. The internal functional block configuration of the welding power source 10 will be described later.

[0019] The wire feeder 20 includes a wire reel 21 around which a welding wire 30 is wound, a wire feeding mechanism 22, and a motor (not shown) that drives the wire feeding mechanism 22. In response to a control signal from the welding power source 10, the welding wire 30 is fed toward the work at a predetermined speed.

[0020] The control cable 52 is connected to the welding power source 10 and the wire feeder 20. As described above, it sends a control signal for controlling the wire feeding speed of the welding wire 30 and is configured as a transmission path for signals transmitted from the RFID tag reader 70 attached to the welding torch 60 to the welding power source 10. Also, the driving power of the RFID tag reader 70 attached to the welding torch 60 is supplied via the control cable 52. Further, the control cable 52 is configured to send an operation signal of the torch switch 62 that determines the start / stop of welding to the welding power source 10.

[0021] The welding torch 60 has a torch holder 61, a torch switch 62, and a head 63. The welding torch 60 holds the welding wire 30 inside, and the welding wire 30 is fed from the tip of the head 63 toward the workpiece. The welding operator wears gloves 300 and holds the torch holder 61 in hand to perform the welding operation. Also, welding power is supplied from the power cable 51 to the welding torch 60 via a welding tip (not shown) housed inside the torch holder 61. Further, by operating the torch switch 62, the welding start state, that is, the ON state in which the wire feeder 20 operates and a welding current flows through the welding wire 30, and the welding stop state, that is, the OFF state in which the supply of the welding current stops and the wire feeder 20 also stops, can be switched.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, the RFID tag reader 70 is attached to the second surface 61b of the torch holder 61. In the present specification, the surface of the torch holder 61 where the torch switch 62 is provided is referred to as the first surface 61a, and the second surface 61b is located on the opposite side of the first surface 61a with the torch holder 61 interposed therebetween.

[0023] The RFID tag reader 70 reads the information stored in the RFID tag 90 attached to the gloves 300 worn by the welding operator during welding and transmits the information to the welding power source 10 via the control cable 52.

[0024] The RFID tag 90 is attached to the base of the thumb of the glove 300 and stores information about the welder wearing the glove 300. The functions of the RFID tag reader 70 and the RFID tag 90 and the internal functional block configurations thereof will be described later.

[0025] [Functional Block Configuration and Internal Information Communication of Welding System] Figure 2 is a functional block diagram of the welding system. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the data structure of welding process information and extracted information. In Figure 2, the welding power source 10, the RFID tag reader 70, the RFID tag 90, and the upper management unit 100 each have other functional blocks not shown in the figure.

[0026] As shown in Figure 2, the RFID tag 90 has at least a coil (signal transceiver) 91 and a storage unit 92 as functional blocks. The coil 91 receives the power supply signal from the RFID tag reader 70 and transmits the information stored in the storage unit 92 to the RFID tag reader 70 as a transmission signal. The storage unit 92 is composed of a non-volatile semiconductor memory such as an EEPROM. The storage unit 92 stores the operator identification information for identifying the welder who uses the glove 300 to which the RFID tag 90 is attached. The operator identification information includes the name of the welder, or a separately assigned identification number, or both. Note that the storage unit 92 may store other information related to the welder associated with the operator identification information, for example, information related to the welder's acquired qualification information or welding skill level. When these information exist, they are transmitted to the RFID tag reader 70 via the coil 91 together with the operator identification information. In addition, the storage unit 92 also stores the operation control program of the RFID tag 90.

[0027] Although not shown in the figure, the RFID tag 90 has a power supply unit, a control unit, and a modulation / demodulation unit as functional blocks. The power supply unit generates DC operating power from the power supply signal from the RFID tag reader 70 received by the coil 91. The control unit controls the entire functional blocks of the RFID tag 90, such as signal transmission and reception with the RFID tag reader 70. The modulation / demodulation unit modulates and demodulates the transmission and reception signals. The RFID tag 90 is an IC or LSI in which these functional blocks are integrated into one chip. However, the storage unit 92 may be a separate chip, and the RFID tag 90 may be composed of two chips.

[0028] The RFID tag reader 70 has at least a coil (signal transmission / reception unit) 71, a signal processing unit 72, a communication unit 73, and a power supply unit 74 as functional blocks. The coil 71 transmits the power supply signal to the RFID tag 90 and receives the signal including the operator identification information transmitted from the RFID tag 90. The signal processing unit 72 modulates and demodulates the transmission and reception signals with the RFID tag 90. Also, the signal processing unit 72 processes the transmission signal to the welding power source 10, for example, noise removal, etc. The communication unit 73 transmits the signal transmitted from the RFID tag 90 and signal-processed by the signal processing unit 72 to the welding power source 10 via the control cable 52. The power supply unit 74 converts the power supplied from the welding power source 10 via the control cable 52 into the driving power for the RFID tag reader 70.

[0029] Although not shown in the figure, the RFID tag reader 70 has a control unit and an oscillator as functional blocks. The power supply generates welding power via the control cable 52. The control unit controls the entire functional blocks of the RFID tag reader 70, such as signal transmission and reception with the RFID tag 90 and control of the power supply unit 74. The oscillator generates the carrier wave of the transmission and reception signals with the RFID tag 90. The frequency of the carrier wave is, for example, 13.56 MHz. However, it is not particularly limited to this, and it may be a lower frequency, for example, about 135 kHz.

[0030] Note that the signal processing unit 72 and the communication unit 73 are composed of one or more ICs or LSIs. Also, the communication distance between the RFID tag 90 and the RFID tag reader 70 is set to be 30 cm or less, preferably 10 cm or more and 20 cm or less.

[0031] The welding power source 10 has at least a welding output unit 11, a control unit 12, a display / input unit 13, and a communication unit 14 as functional blocks. The welding output unit 11 generates welding power supplied to the welding torch 60 via the power cable 51. Although not shown, the welding power source 10 may have a storage unit. This storage unit stores the information input to the welding power source 10 constantly or temporarily. Also, instead of the storage unit, a port for receiving a storage medium such as a USB memory may be provided in the welding power source 10. In this case, the information input to the welding power source 10 is stored in the storage medium via the port.

[0032] The control unit 12 controls the welding power supplied from the welding output unit 11. Specifically, the control unit 12 controls the welding current flowing through the welding wire 30 based on the set current corresponding to the desired arc welding. Here, the set current corresponds to the moving average value of the welding current during the welding period. Note that the control unit 12 may control the welding voltage between the welding wire 30 and the workpiece based on the set voltage corresponding to the desired arc welding. Here, the set voltage corresponds to the moving average value of the welding voltage during the welding period. Also, the control unit 12 controls the entire functional block of the welding power source 10.

[0033] The display / input unit 13 is composed of a display device (not shown) such as a liquid crystal display or a 7SEG LED and an input device (not shown) such as a keyboard or a jog dial. When the display device is a touch panel, the input device may be omitted. The display / input unit 13 is used to input welding conditions corresponding to the desired arc welding and to display information such as the welding conditions and operator identification information. When the welding parameters during actual welding, for example, the welding current and the welding voltage, are monitored by a detector (not shown), the display / input unit 13 may display the monitoring results.

[0034] The communication unit 14 transmits the information transmitted from the RFID tag reader to the upper management unit 100 via the control cable 52. In addition to the said information, the communication unit 14 also transmits to the management unit 100 other information stored in the welding power source 10, such as the number assigned to the welding machine 80, the welding start time and end time, etc. The former is called welding machine information, and the latter is called processing time information. The welding information may include information such as the model of the welding machine 80. Also, if necessary, the communication unit 14 also transmits the processing condition information and the actual processing information to the upper management unit 100 together. The processing condition information includes the program number used in the welding machine 80, the aforementioned set current and set voltage input to the welding power source 10, etc. The actual processing information includes the monitoring results of the welding parameters during actual welding. Note that information other than those described above may be transmitted from the communication unit 14 to the upper management unit 100 together with the operator identification information. The various types of information described above transmitted from the communication unit 14 to the upper management unit 100 are collectively called welding process information.

[0035] Also, when performing a desired arc welding and a corresponding welding program is stored in the upper management unit 100, the communication unit 14 receives the welding program transmitted from the upper management unit 100 and stores it in the storage unit. The stored welding program is read out by the control unit 12. Note that the welding program may be directly sent from the communication unit 14 to the control unit 12.

[0036] Note that the control unit 12 and the communication unit 14 are composed of one or more ICs or LSIs. Also, the communication between the welding power source 10 and the upper management unit 100 may be a wired method or a wireless method.

[0037] The upper management unit 100 has at least a communication unit 101, an information processing unit 102, and a storage unit 103 as functional blocks. The communication unit 101 receives the welding process information transmitted from the welding power source 10. The storage unit 103 is composed of a semiconductor memory such as a ROM, a RAM, a flash memory, or an SSD, or an HDD. The storage unit 103 stores the welding process information received by the communication unit 101. The information processing unit 102 reads out the welding process information stored in the storage unit 103 and processes it into an appropriate format in response to a request from the outside. The processed welding process information is called extraction information. Note that the storage unit 103 may store the welding process information permanently or temporarily. That is, the storage unit 103 stores the welding process information at least temporarily.

[0038] In the example shown in FIG. 2, extraction information is called from the upper management unit 100 using a PC 110 configured to be communicable with the upper management unit 100. As described above, the welding process information includes various types of information other than the operator identification information. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the welding process information includes operator identification information, welding machine information, processing time information, processing condition information, and actual processing information.

[0039] When necessary information is specified from the welding process information using the keyboard (input unit) 111 of the PC 110, the extraction information is transmitted from the upper management unit 100 to the PC 110 via the communication unit 101. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the operator identification information, the welding machine information, and the processing time information are transmitted to the PC 110 as extraction information, and the content of the extraction information is displayed on the display (display unit) 112 as needed.

[0040] Note that instead of the PC 110, a mobile terminal such as a tablet or a smartphone may be used to call the extraction information from the upper management unit 100.

[0041] [Effects, etc.] As described above, the welding machine 80 according to the present embodiment includes at least a welding torch 60, a welding power source 10, and a torch cable 50 that connects the welding torch 60 and the welding power source 10. When arc-welding a workpiece using the welding machine 80, the welder holds the welding torch 60 by hand and performs the welding operation.

[0042] An RFID tag reader 70 is attached to the welding torch 60. The RFID tag reader 70 reads the information stored in the RFID tag 90 attached to the glove 300 used by the welder in the welding operation and transmits it to the welding power source 10. The information includes operator identification information for identifying the welder.

[0043] According to the present embodiment, the welding machine 80 side can acquire the operator identification information without imposing any load on the welder. As a result, the operator identification information can be transmitted from the welding power source 10 of the welding machine 80 to the upper management unit 100 without imposing any load on the welder.

[0044] Further, for example, by associating the welding machine information, the processing time information, and the operator identification information to obtain welding process information, it becomes easy for the upper management unit 100 to manage the usage history of the welding machine 80. Alternatively, it becomes easy for the upper management unit 100 to grasp the working state of a specific welder, that is, whether the welder is in the middle of a welding operation or not.

[0045] In addition, when the operator identification information includes information related to the acquired qualifications of the welding operator or the welding skill level, it is possible to check whether the welding operator is appropriate for undertaking the welding work of the workpiece to be welded. If it can be checked in advance that the welding operator does not have the skills suitable for welding the workpiece, the occurrence of welding defects and the deterioration of welding quality can be prevented. Alternatively, it is also possible to review the determination of the skill level of the welding operator in light of the welding result of the workpiece. Further, by including the processing condition information and the actual processing information in the welding process information, it becomes easier to estimate the causes of welding defects and the deterioration of welding quality in light of the welding result of the workpiece. Also, various analyses described above can be performed based only on the information acquired by the welding machine 80. That is, according to the present embodiment, the welding process information including the operator identification information can be effectively utilized to manage the welding machine 80 and the welding work. When attaching the RFID tag 90 to the glove 300, various methods can be adopted. For example, the RFID tag 90 may be adhered to the glove 300. Also, a bag in which the RFID tag 90 is housed and the mouth of which is closed may be sewn to the glove 300. Alternatively, a dedicated pocket may be provided in the glove 300 and the RFID tag 90 may be housed in this pocket.

[0046] Also, in the conventional configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, an RFID tag reader is attached to the glove of an operator who performs article conveyance or the like. However, according to this configuration, the operator has to hold a power source such as a battery that supplies driving power to the RFID tag reader, which may interfere with the work and become troublesome.

[0047] On the other hand, in the welding machine 80 of the present embodiment, an RFID tag reader 70 is attached to the welding torch 60. Also, an RFID tag 90 is attached to the glove 300 worn by the welding operator. Further, driving power is supplied to the RFID tag reader 70 from a control cable 52 housed in the torch cable 50. By doing so, the annoyance of the welding operator holding a battery or the like is eliminated, and it does not interfere with the welding work.

[0048] In addition, in the conventional configuration disclosed in Patent Document 2, a plurality of types of RFID tags are prepared, and these RFID tags are distributed and attached to welders, welding objects, and welding rods, and information regarding each of the welder, welding object, and welding rod is managed as data.

[0049] However, in this configuration, the acquired information is not managed as data in an associated state, and there is a risk that the information cannot be utilized appropriately. For example, Patent Document 2 discloses that information regarding a welding rod and information regarding a welding machine are associated and managed as data. However, in actual welding work, it is quite possible to use multiple types of welding rods with the same welding machine. In this case, when investigating the usage history of welding using a specific type of welding rod with a specific model welding machine, it is necessary to separately associate the usage history of the specific type of welding rod and the usage history of the specific model welding machine, which is troublesome for the welder.

[0050] In addition, information regarding a welding machine and information regarding a welder are not associated. For example, when it is necessary to compare the usage history of welding performed with a specific model welding machine and the work history of a specific welder, it is necessary for the management system side to separately perform an association operation. In addition, in order to read information from the RFID tag, it is necessary to operate a handy terminal type RFID tag reader, which is troublesome for the welder.

[0051] On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, welding process information including worker identification information can be acquired on the welding machine 80 side without performing any special input work or association work. In addition, the welding process information can be transmitted from the welding machine 80 to the upper management unit 100 without imposing any load on the welder.

[0052] As a result, it is possible to simply and surely perform the association between the usage history of welding performed with the specific model welding machine described above and the work history of a specific welder.

[0053] In addition, in the conventional configuration disclosed in Patent Document 3, an RFID tag is attached to a wristband worn by a welding operator, and an RFID tag reader is attached to a teaching pendant. According to this configuration, based on the operator information stored in the RFID tag, it is determined whether the welding operator has the right to execute each function that can be executed by the teaching pendant. Also, for functions that the welding operator does not have the right to, they cannot be executed from the teaching pendant.

[0054] However, originally, Patent Document 3 does not mention anything about a so-called manual welding machine such as the welding machine 80 shown in the present embodiment. Also, the operator information stored in the RFID tag is only associated with the execution rights of each function that can be executed by the teaching pendant, and as described above, the information related to the welding machine and the information related to the welding operator are not associated. For this reason, it was necessary to perform an association operation separately on the management system side. Therefore, in the conventional configuration disclosed in Patent Document 3, it was troublesome to obtain information such as the association result between the usage history of welding performed with a specific serial number welding machine and the work history of a specific welding operator.

[0055] On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, such an association result can be obtained simply and surely based on the welding process information.

[0056] The welding torch 60 is at least provided with a torch holder 61 and a torch switch 62. The welding operator grips the torch holder 61 through the glove 300 and performs a welding operation.

[0057] The torch switch 62 is provided on the first surface 61a of the torch holder 61. By operating the torch switch 62, the start and stop of the supply of the welding current are determined.

[0058] The RFID tag reader 70 is attached to the second surface 61b which is the surface of the torch holder 61 opposite to the torch switch 62.

[0059] When the RFID tag reader 70 is attached to the side surface of the torch holder 61, that is, the continuous surface between the first surface 61a and the second surface 61b, depending on the dominant hand of the welding operator, the RFID tag reader 70 may interfere with the operation of the welding torch 60. On the other hand, by attaching the RFID tag reader 70 to the second surface 61b, which is the surface opposite to the torch switch 62, when the welding operator operates the welding torch 60, regardless of the dominant hand of the welding operator, the RFID tag reader 70 will not interfere with the operation.

[0060] The communication distance between the RFID tag 90 and the RFID tag reader 70 is preferably set to be 30 cm or less, and more preferably set to be 10 cm or more and 20 cm or less.

[0061] When the workpiece is a large structure, multiple welding operators may each carry a welding machine 80 and share the welding work. In such a case, the welding operators may perform the welding work side by side, and the adjacent welding operators may be within a range of 1 m.

[0062] In this case, if the communication distance between the RFID tag 90 and the RFID tag reader 70 is, for example, 70 cm or more, there is a risk of erroneously reading the information of the RFID tag 90 attached to the glove 300 of the adjacent welding operator. To prevent such a reading error, it is preferable that the communication distance between the RFID tag 90 and the RFID tag reader 70 is short. In particular, in this embodiment, the welding torch 60 to which the RFID tag reader 70 is attached is held by the welding operator via the glove 300 to which the RFID tag 90 is attached. Therefore, even if the communication distance is set to 30 cm or less, the information stored in the RFID tag 90 can be surely read by the RFID tag reader 70.

[0063] In addition, when the communication distance between the RFID tag 90 and the RFID tag reader 70 is set to 30 cm or less, it is preferable to transmit and receive signals between the two by means of electromagnetic induction. In this case, the signal frequency is set, for example, to 13.56 MHz (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the HF band). In addition, when it is desired to set the communication distance to about 10 cm, the signal frequency may be set, for example, to 135 kHz or less (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the LF band). However, when transmitting and receiving signals in the LF band, it may be difficult to make the RFID tag reader 70 thinner and smaller than when transmitting and receiving signals in the HF band. In addition, since the communication distance is short, the power of the signal can be reduced.

[0064] The RFID tag 90 is preferably attached to the base of the thumb of the glove 300. In other words, the RFID tag reader 70 preferably reads the information stored in the RFID tag 90 attached to the base of the thumb of the glove 300 and transmits it to the welding power source 10.

[0065] By doing so, when the welding operator grips the torch holder 61, the RFID tag 90 is hidden by the finger of the welding operator, and there is no risk of affecting the signal transmission and reception. Also, the movement of the finger when the welding operator operates the torch switch 62 is less likely to affect the signal transmission and reception. Furthermore, by attaching the RFID tag 90 to the base of the thumb of the glove 300, the information stored in the RFID tag 90 can be easily read by the RFID tag reader 70 regardless of whether the welding operator's dominant hand is the right hand or the left hand. That is, the influence of the welding operator's dominant hand can be suppressed when reading the information stored in the RFID tag 90 by the RFID tag reader 70. In addition, by attaching the RFID tag 90 to the base of the thumb of the glove 300, it is possible to prevent the RFID tag 90 from being bent during welding work, and the replacement frequency of the RFID tag 90 can be reduced.

[0066] The welding system 200 according to this embodiment includes at least a welding machine 80 and a host management unit 100 configured to be communicable with the welding machine 80.

[0067] At least the information stored in the RFID tag 90 is transmitted from the welding power source 10 to the upper management unit 100. The upper management unit 100 stores the information at least temporarily.

[0068] By configuring the welding system 200 in this way, without imposing any burden on the welder, the welding process information including the operator identification information can be transmitted from the welding power source 10 to the upper management unit 100, and the welding process information can be utilized for the management of the welding machine 80 and the management of the welding work.

[0069] The upper management unit 100 is configured to be able to transmit the extracted information including the operator identification information to a predetermined device.

[0070] By configuring in this way, the necessary information among the welding process information can be extracted as the extracted information, and the extracted information can be confirmed by the device at the operator's hand. Also, based on the confirmation result, the management of the welding machine 80 and the management of the welding work can be performed.

[0071] When the upper management unit 100 is a single PC, the operator can also directly operate the upper management unit 100 to confirm and obtain the extracted information.

[0072] (Other Embodiments) In the embodiment, the welding machine 80 that performs so-called consumable electrode type arc welding using the welding wire 30 has been described as an example. However, the welding machine 80 may perform non-consumable electrode type arc welding such as TIG welding. Also, the welding machine 80 may be of a type that performs so-called stick welding using a welding rod. In this case, the welding rod holder that holds the welding rod corresponds to the welding torch 60 shown in FIG. 1, and an RFID tag reader 70 is attached to the welding rod holder. Also, when shield gas or assist gas is not required for performing arc welding, the gas cylinder 40 and the gas hose 53 are omitted.

Industrial Applicability

[0073] The welding machine of the present disclosure can acquire the operator identification information stored in the RFID tag on the welding machine side without imposing a load on the welder, which is useful for the management of the welding machine itself and the welding work.

Explanation of Signs

[0074] 10 Welding power source 11 Welding output section 12 Control section 13 Display / Input section 14 Communication section 20 Wire feeding device 21 Wire reel 22 Wire feeding mechanism 30 Welding wire 40 Gas cylinder 50 Torch cable 51 Power cable 52 Control cable 53 Gas hose 60 Welding torch 61 Torch holder 61a First surface 61b Second surface 62 Torch switch 63 Head 70 RFID tag reader 71 Coil (signal transmission / reception section) 72 Signal processing section 73 Communication section 74 Power supply section 80 Welding machine 90 RFID tag 91 Coil (signal transmission / reception section) 92 Memory section 100 Upper management section 101 Communication section 102 Information processing section 103 Memory section 110 PC 111 Keyboard (input section) 112 Display (display section) 200 Welding system 300 Gloves

Claims

1. A welding machine including at least a welding torch, a welding power source, and a torch cable connecting the welding torch and the welding power source, the welding torch being held by a welding operator while the welding operator performs welding work, The welding torch is equipped with an RFID tag reader; The welding machine is characterized in that the RFID tag reader reads information stored in an RFID tag attached to a glove used by the welding worker during the welding work and transmits the information to the welding power source.

2. 2. The welding machine according to claim 1, The welding torch is provided with at least a torch holder and a torch switch, The welding operator holds the torch holder through the glove, The torch switch is provided on a first surface of the torch holder, and the start and stop of supply of a welding current are determined by operating the torch switch; The welding machine is characterized in that the RFID tag reader is attached to a second surface of the torch holder opposite the torch switch.

3. 2. The welding machine according to claim 1, A welding machine characterized in that the communication distance between the RFID tag and the RFID tag reader is set to 30 cm or less.

4. 4. The welding machine according to claim 3, A welding machine characterized in that the communication distance between the RFID tag and the RFID tag reader is set to be 10 cm or more and 20 cm or less.

5. 2. The welding machine according to claim 1, A welding machine characterized in that the RFID tag reader reads information stored in the RFID tag attached to the base of the thumb of the glove and transmits the information to the welding power source.

6. 2. The welding machine according to claim 1, The welding machine according to claim 1, wherein the information includes operator identification information for identifying the welding operator.

7. A welding machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The welding machine includes at least an upper management unit configured to be able to communicate with the welding machine, The information is at least transmitted from the welding power source to the upper management unit, A welding system characterized in that the upper management unit stores the information at least temporarily.

8. 8. The welding system of claim 7, The welding system is characterized in that the upper management unit is configured to be able to transmit extracted information including the information to a predetermined device.

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