Weld system, process system, and measurement system

Abstract

To improve the efficiency of various works carried out in a site of large item small scale production.SOLUTION: A weld system 1 includes a control unit which generates an indication parameter indicating an operation of a robot 34, and a robot controller 33 which applies the indication parameter generated by the control unit to a pre-stored basic action program to control the robot 34 to perform welding.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to welding systems, processing systems, and measurement systems. [Background technology]

[0002] At welding work sites, automatic welding systems using robots and other devices are sometimes introduced to reduce labor and improve work efficiency. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a welding control device applied to welding using a robot. The welding control device includes a robot controller and an interference check device. The interference check device uses workpiece shape data and robot shape data that reflect groove shape data (groove shape provided before welding to obtain the required penetration) measured by a shape sensor, performs a welding simulation according to an operation program, determines whether interference will occur between each part of the robot and the workpiece, and also detects the welding position. If the interference check device determines that interference will occur, the welding control device is configured to stop processing as it considers that some kind of abnormality has occurred. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-268098 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, welding robots such as those disclosed in Patent Document 1 generally operate according to a program created based on information such as CAD.

[0005] However, depending on the welding site, there are cases where multiple workpieces of different shapes and sizes must be welded in sequence. For example, the parts that make up a ship vary in shape and size depending on the part of the ship, and it is safe to say that there are almost no parts that are exactly the same; most parts are of different shapes and sizes. Moreover, because the number of parts that make up a ship is enormous, there is a demand for the automation of welding work by using robots.

[0006] When welding multiple workpieces of different shapes and sizes in sequence, the robot's program must be changed accordingly, which means that programs are changed frequently in high-mix, low-volume production sites.Since robots require time for their operation to stabilize after a program change, frequent program changes can lead to a decrease in the efficiency of welding work.

[0007] In addition to welding, similar problems arise in the work of removing slag after welding using a removal machine and in the measurement work of measuring a workpiece using a measuring instrument.

[0008] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above points, and its purpose is to improve the efficiency of various tasks performed at a site where a wide variety of small-lot production is carried out. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To achieve the above object, one aspect of the present disclosure can be based on a welding system for automatically welding a workpiece using a welding torch, the welding system including a control unit that generates instruction parameters for instructing the operation of a robot or a multi-axis dedicated mechanism, and a controller that applies the instruction parameters generated by the control unit to a pre-stored basic operation program to control the robot or the multi-axis dedicated mechanism and perform welding.

[0010] With this configuration, the robot or multi-axis dedicated mechanism performs welding work by applying command parameters to the basic operation program, so if the workpiece is changed to one with a different shape or size, the command parameters can be changed on the control unit side without changing the basic operation program itself. Therefore, there is no need to verify the operation of the basic operation program after the workpiece is changed; it is enough to verify the operation when the command parameters are applied, thereby improving the efficiency of welding work.

[0011] The basic operation program may include a plurality of commands. In this case, the instruction parameters may include a plurality of instruction parameters applied to each of the commands. For example, if the basic operation program includes, as movement-related commands, a first command for moving the welding torch to a welding point and a second command for performing a welding operation with the welding torch, the instruction parameters may include a first instruction parameter applied to the first command and a second instruction parameter applied to the second command. This allows different instruction parameters to be applied to each command.

[0012] The welding system includes a measurement sensor that acquires the position and shape of the workpiece placed on a stand, and the control unit calculates a welding line based on the position and shape of the workpiece acquired by the measurement sensor, and generates the instruction parameters based on the calculated welding line.

[0013] The control unit may also generate the instruction parameters including a start point coordinate of the welding torch, an end point coordinate of the welding torch, an intermediate point coordinate between the start point and the end point of the welding torch, and a posture of the welding torch.

[0014] The basic operation program may include, as welding-related commands, a linear welding command for performing a linear welding operation and an arc welding command for performing an arc welding operation. In this case, the instruction parameters may include a linear welding instruction parameter to be applied to the linear welding command and an arc welding instruction parameter to be applied to the arc welding command. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] As described above, since the robot or multi-axis dedicated mechanism is controlled by applying command parameters to a pre-stored basic operation program, when welding work is performed using a robot or multi-axis dedicated mechanism at a site where a wide variety of products are produced in small quantities, verification of the basic operation program is not required, thereby improving the efficiency of the welding work. Furthermore, teaching the robot is also not required. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a welding system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a welding system. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram of the welding system up to the generation of three-dimensional point cloud data. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a user interface screen. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of three-dimensional point cloud data acquired by rough measurement. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing the process from rough measurement of the welding system to generation of detailed measurement teaching information. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of an extracted image of a workpiece. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the case where a rib is converted into a geometric figure. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the procedure of the interference check process. [Figure 10A]FIG. 10A is a diagram showing an example of an error display screen. [Figure 10B] FIG. 10B is a diagram showing another example of the error display screen. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the setting screen. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen that displays a region for detailed measurement. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram showing the process up to generation of welding teaching information for the welding system. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a sequence diagram from the completion of detailed measurement of the welding system to the completion of welding. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displaying a welding site. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a schematic view of a welding site when an escape space is taken into consideration. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a table showing examples of commands included in the basic operation program. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a side view showing an example of the movement of the welding torch when welding two straight lines. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a plan view showing an example of the movement of the welding torch when welding two straight lines. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a table showing examples of commands and instruction parameters when welding two straight lines. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of a user interface screen displayed when slag removal is performed. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of a user interface screen that is displayed when a problem location is presented. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description of the preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present invention, its applications, or its uses.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a welding system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The welding system 1 is a system for automatically welding workpieces W1 and W2 placed on a pedestal A using a welding torch 32 held by a welding robot 34. The pedestal A is made of a highly rigid material such as steel. The top surface of the pedestal A is a flat surface extending substantially horizontally, and the workpieces W1 and W2 are placed on the top surface of the pedestal A. The left-right direction in FIG. 1 is the width direction of the top surface of the pedestal A. In this embodiment, the width direction of the top surface of the pedestal A is defined as the X direction, and the depth direction of the top surface of the pedestal A is defined as the Y direction. The X direction and the Y direction are orthogonal to each other. The direction perpendicular to the top surface of the pedestal A is defined as the Z direction (height direction). Note that this definition of directions is for convenience of explanation and does not limit the present invention. For example, the X direction and the Y direction may be reversed.

[0019] The number of workpieces placed on the top surface of the pedestal A is not limited to two, but may be one, or three or more. The workpieces W1 and W2 may be any parts or components, but in this embodiment, they are parts and components that constitute the hull of a ship. The parts that constitute a ship vary in shape and size depending on where they are used on the ship. Therefore, workpieces W1 and W2 of different shapes and sizes are placed on the pedestal A, and the welding system 1 is a system that sequentially welds the workpieces W1 and W2 of different shapes and sizes.

[0020] The structure of the workpieces W1 and W2 is not particularly limited, but may be configured as follows: The workpiece W1 is configured by combining a first steel plate W1a and a second steel plate (rib) W1b. The first steel plate W1a is placed on the upper surface of the stand A in a position extending along the stand A. The second steel plate W1b is fixed to the upper surface of the first steel plate W1a in a position perpendicular to the first steel plate W1a. The second steel plate W1b may be inclined with respect to the first steel plate W1a.

[0021] The welding system 1 welds the upper surface of a first steel plate W1a to the lower edge of a second steel plate W1b. Prior to welding by the welding system 1, the upper surface of the first steel plate W1a and the lower edge of the second steel plate W1b are pre-welded. Similarly to the workpiece W1, the workpiece W2 is also formed by combining a first steel plate W2a and a second steel plate (rib) W2b. Since the workpieces W1 and W2 are different from each other, as shown in the figure, the extension direction of the second steel plate W2b of the workpiece W2 is different from the extension direction of the second steel plate W1b of the workpiece W1. The number of members constituting each workpiece W1 and W2 is not limited to two, but may be three or more.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, welding system 1 is broadly divided into a control unit 10, a measuring device 20, and a welding device 30. A stand A shown in FIG. 1 may or may not be included in welding system 1. Control unit 10 includes a personal computer (hereinafter simply referred to as PC) 11 and an external control device (hereinafter simply referred to as PLC) 12. PC 11 is a general-purpose personal computer installed with a program for realizing the functions, operations, and processes described below, and may be a desktop or notebook type. PC 11 corresponds to a control unit. The control unit may be composed of PC 11 and PLC 12.

[0023] In this embodiment, a desktop PC 11 is used, which includes a main body 11a, a display 11b, a keyboard 11c, and a mouse 11d as shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the main body 11a includes a processor 11e including a central processing unit, a memory 11f, and a storage device 11g. The memory 11f includes, for example, a ROM and a RAM. The storage device 11g is configured, for example, with a solid-state drive or a hard disk drive, and stores various programs for operating the processor 11e, image processing software, setting information, image data, and the like. The processor 11e may also constitute a control unit.

[0024] The display 11b is configured with a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, and is controlled by a control signal output from the main body 11a to display various user interfaces, images, etc. The keyboard 11c and mouse 11d are operation units for operating the PC 11, and allow the user to input various information, perform selection operations, etc. The operation states of the keyboard 11c and mouse 11d are detected by the main body 11a. In addition to or instead of the keyboard 11c and mouse 11d, the PC 11 may have a touch-operable operation device, a pointing device, etc.

[0025] PLC 12 is an abbreviation for Programmable Logic Controller. The PLC 12 and PC 11 can be installed in locations separate from each other. The PLC 12 and PC 11 are connected to each other via a communication line so that they can communicate with each other. Setting information, command signals, control signals, etc. from the PC 11 are transmitted to the PLC 12. Note that the setting information and command signals may also be transmitted from the PLC 12 to the PC 11.

[0026] When setting information is transmitted from the PC 11, settings based on the setting information are reflected in the PLC 12. When a command signal, a control signal, or the like is transmitted from the PC 11, the PLC 12 executes an operation in accordance with each signal. The operating status of the PLC 12 is transmitted to the PC 11 so that it can be grasped on the PC 11. Such a relationship between the PC 11 and the PLC 12 is well known, and therefore further detailed description will be omitted.

[0027] A touch panel 12a is connected to the PLC 12. The touch panel 12a is a typical example of a display unit, and is a device that combines a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display with a touch-operable operation device. The touch panel 12a is configured to display various screens for the user (operator). The various screens for the user include an operation screen, a confirmation screen, an operating status display screen, an abnormality display screen, etc.

[0028] A plurality of buttons are displayed on the touch panel 12a so as to be operable by touch, and each button is linked to a device in the PLC 12. By operating the touch panel 12a, the user can perform various setting operations, selection operations, change operations, etc., and these operations are reflected in the devices in the PLC 12.

[0029] The display 11b of the PC 11 can also display a user interface for various setting operations, selection operations, change operations, etc., and can accept user operations using the keyboard 11c, mouse 11d, etc. The user operations are reflected in the devices of the PLC 12.

[0030] The measuring device 20 includes a rough measurement sensor 21, a detailed measurement sensor 22, a measurement robot controller 23, and a measurement robot 24. The rough measurement sensor 21 and the detailed measurement sensor 22 are measurement sensors that acquire the position and shape of the workpieces W1, W2 placed on the pedestal A. The rough measurement sensor 21 is a first measurement sensor that acquires the rough position and rough shape of the workpieces W1, W2 placed on the pedestal A. The detailed measurement sensor 22 is a second measurement sensor that measures the shape of the workpieces W1, W2 placed on the pedestal A in more detail than the rough measurement sensor 21. In other words, the measurement sensors of this embodiment include the rough measurement sensor 21 and the detailed measurement sensor 22.

[0031] The rough measurement sensor 21 and the detailed measurement sensor 22 are connected to the PC 11 via a dedicated cable. The dedicated cable is configured to enable communication according to the Ethernet standard, for example, and is also configured to enable power supply from the PC 11 to the rough measurement sensor 21 and the detailed measurement sensor 22. When the PC 11 transmits a measurement start trigger signal to each of the rough measurement sensor 21 and the detailed measurement sensor 22 via the dedicated cable, the rough measurement sensor 21 and the detailed measurement sensor 22 start measurement in response to receiving the trigger signal. When the rough measurement sensor 21 and the detailed measurement sensor 22 acquire measurement results, they transmit them to the PC 11 via the dedicated cable. The PC 11 receives the measurement results transmitted from the rough measurement sensor 21 and the detailed measurement sensor 22 and stores them in a storage device 11g or the like.

[0032] In this embodiment, the rough measurement sensor 21 and the detailed measurement sensor 22 are configured as laser sensors. Laser sensors are well known and are also called profile sensors. The laser sensor is configured to include, for example, an emission unit that irradiates a measurement area with measurement laser light, a light receiving unit that receives the light reflected from the measurement area, and the three-dimensional shape data of the measurement area as a measurement result based on the reflected light received by the light receiving unit.

[0033] The measuring robot 24 is a typical example of a moving device for moving the rough measurement sensor 21 and the detailed measurement sensor 22 in the X, Y, and Z directions. The measuring robot 24 is equipped with a measuring manipulator 24a and a measuring transport device 24b. The measuring transport device 24b is composed of a gantry that moves the transported object in the X, Y, and Z directions. The gantry that constitutes the measuring transport device 24b is conventionally well known and is supported on a base B of the welding system 1. The base B is integrated with the base A and is composed of steel or the like extending in the width direction of the base A on both sides of the base A in the depth direction.

[0034] The measurement transport device 24b has a mounting portion 24c to which the rough measurement sensor 21 and the measurement manipulator 24a as transport objects are attached. The measurement transport device 24b is configured to be movable in the X direction along the base B, and the mounting portion 24c is configured to be movable in the Y and Z directions. The X-direction drive unit, Y-direction drive unit, and Z-direction drive unit of the measurement transport device 24b are each provided independently and are controlled by the measurement robot controller 23. By controlling the X-direction drive unit, Y-direction drive unit, and Z-direction drive unit with the measurement robot controller 23, the rough measurement sensor 21 and the measurement manipulator 24a can be freely moved in the X-direction, Y-direction, and Z-direction.

[0035] The measuring manipulator 24a is configured, for example, by a robot arm capable of six-axis control. The base end of the measuring manipulator 24a is attached to a mounting portion 24c. The detailed measurement sensor 22 is attached to the tip end of the measuring manipulator 24a. Therefore, the detailed measurement sensor 22 can be moved in the X, Y, and Z directions by the measuring transport device 24b, and can also be moved, rotated, and tilted by the measuring manipulator 24a. In other words, since the rough measurement sensor 21 is directly attached to the measuring transport device 24b, which is a gantry, it can be moved only by the measuring transport device 24b. On the other hand, since the detailed measurement sensor 22 is attached to the measuring transport device 24b via the measuring manipulator 24a, more precise movements are possible using the measuring transport device 24b and the measuring manipulator 24a.

[0036] The measuring robot controller 23 is connected to the PLC 12 via a dedicated network line. When the PLC 12 sends a trigger signal to start measurement to the measuring robot controller 23, the measuring robot controller 23 controls the measuring transport device 24b and the measuring manipulator 24a in response to receiving the trigger signal. During rough measurement, only the rough measurement sensor 21 is used, so only the measuring transport device 24b is operated, and the measuring manipulator 24a is not operated. On the other hand, during detailed measurement, the detailed measurement sensor 22 is used, so both the measuring transport device 24b and the measuring manipulator 24a are operated.

[0037] Welding device 30 includes a welding power source 31, a welding torch 32, a welding robot controller 33, and a welding robot 34. Welding power source 31 supplies the electric current (welding current) required for welding. Welding power source 31 is connected to welding robot controller 33, which starts and stops the supply of the welding current, controls the current value, and so on. Welding torch 32 supplies a welding wire (not shown) to the welding portion of workpieces W1, W2, and also supplies the welding current output from welding power source 31 to the welding wire.

[0038] The welding robot 34 is a typical example of a moving device for moving the welding torch 32 in the X, Y, and Z directions. The welding robot 34 and the measuring robot 24 are configured with the same functions and structures, but may be configured with different structures. The welding robot 34 is equipped with a welding manipulator 34a and a welding transport device 34b. The welding transport device 34b is configured with a gantry that moves the transported object in the X, Y, and Z directions, and is similar to the measuring transport device 24b. The welding transport device 34b is also supported by the base B.

[0039] Welding transport device 34b has mounting portion 34c to which welding torch 32, as the object to be transported, is attached via welding manipulator 34a. Welding transport device 34b is configured to be movable in the X direction along base B, and mounting portion 34c is configured to be movable in the Y and Z directions. The X-direction drive unit, Y-direction drive unit, and Z-direction drive unit of welding transport device 34b are each provided independently and are controlled by welding robot controller 33. By controlling the X-direction drive unit, Y-direction drive unit, and Z-direction drive unit with welding robot controller 33, mounting portion 34c can be freely moved in the X, Y, and Z directions.

[0040] The welding manipulator 34a is configured, for example, by a robot arm capable of six-axis control. The base end of the welding manipulator 34a is attached to a mounting portion 34c. A welding torch 32 is attached to the tip end of the welding manipulator 34a. Therefore, the welding torch 32 can be moved in the X, Y, and Z directions by the welding transport device 34b, and can also be moved, rotated, and tilted in the X, Y, and Z directions by the welding manipulator 34a. This allows the welding torch 32 to be moved precisely.

[0041] Welding robot controller 33 is connected to PLC 12 via a dedicated network line. When PLC 12 transmits a trigger signal to start welding to welding robot controller 33, welding robot controller 33 controls welding transport device 34b and welding manipulator 34a in response to the trigger signal. Welding robot controller 33 also controls welding power source 31 in response to the trigger signal.

[0042] (Welding system operation) Next, the operation of the welding system 1 configured as described above will be described. Fig. 3 is a sequence diagram of the welding system 1 from when the user performs an ON operation to when three-dimensional point cloud data is generated. This sequence diagram shows the relationship and processing flow between the touch panel 12a capable of displaying various information, the PLC 12, the measuring robot 24, the welding robot 34, the PC 11, the rough measurement sensor 21, and the detailed measurement sensor 22.

[0043] First, although not shown, the user turns on the power to each part of the welding system 1. When the power is turned on, each device, including the PC 11 and PLC 12, becomes ready. Next, the workpieces W1 and W2 are placed on the stand A. When placing the workpieces W1 and W2 on the stand A, they can be placed anywhere on the top surface of the stand A, and the positions are not fixed. Therefore, there is no need to align the workpieces W1 and W2 with the stand A, making the work easier.

[0044] When each device is ready, an operation button (not shown) for performing an ON operation is displayed on the touch panel 12a. The user operates the operation button displayed on the touch panel 12a to perform an ON operation (step S1).

[0045] 4 is a diagram showing an example of a user interface screen 100 displayed on the display 11b of the PC 11. The processor 11e of the PC 11 generates the user interface screen 100 and displays it on the display 11b. The user interface screen 100 has a status information display area 101, a time display area 102, a state display area 103, a workpiece display area 104, a teaching point information display area 105, and a measurement data display area 106.

[0046] The status of the welding system 1 is displayed in the status information display area 101. Specifically, whether the welding system 1 is normal or abnormal is displayed in the status information display area 101. When an abnormality occurs, the background color is changed to red, for example, so that even an unfamiliar user can be sure to be informed of the abnormal state.

[0047] The time display area 102 displays the estimated time required for measuring and welding the workpieces W1 and W2 and the elapsed time. The information displayed in the time display area 102 is also displayed on the touch panel 12a of the PLC 12 so that the user can check it. By displaying the estimated time required for measurement and welding, it becomes possible to predict the time required to complete welding.

[0048] The status display area 103 displays history information of commands and responses with the PLC 12, as well as information about errors occurring in the PC 11, etc.

[0049] Information about works W1 and W2 is displayed in the work display area 104. This allows for both viewing the entire works W1 and W2 and viewing the details of works W1 and W2, and allows switching between the entire display and the detailed display.

[0050] Information on welding teaching points is displayed in the order of welding in the teaching point information display area 105. By changing the background of the information on workpieces for which welding has been completed, it is possible to check how many welding teaching points remain.

[0051] When the rough measurement sensor 21 and the detailed measurement sensor 22 output measurement data during rough measurement and detailed measurement, the measurement data display area 106 displays the measurement data of each sensor 21 and 22 as a waveform. This allows you to understand what shape the rough measurement sensor 21 and the detailed measurement sensor 22 are capturing.

[0052] As shown in Fig. 3, the PLC 12 detects that an ON operation has been performed on the touch panel 12a, and in step S2, executes a rough measurement start process to acquire the rough positions and rough shapes of the workpieces W1 and W2 placed on the stand A. In the rough measurement start process, the PLC 12 transmits a rough measurement start command to the PC 11. Upon receiving the rough measurement start command, the PC 11 executes a rough measurement preparation process in step S3. Information regarding such a command-response history is displayed in the status display area 103 shown in Fig. 4.

[0053] In the rough measurement preparation process, the PC 11 transmits a parameter set for rough measurement to the rough measurement sensor 21. The parameter set for rough measurement defines various parameters related to the measurement of the rough measurement sensor 21. In step S4, the rough measurement sensor 21 that has received the parameter set for rough measurement executes a measurement function preparation process.

[0054] In step S3, the PC 11 transmits a measurement enable signal to the PLC 12, indicating that rough measurement is possible. The PLC 12, having received the measurement enable signal, executes rough measurement start processing, and in step S6 transmits a measurement robot movement start signal to the measurement robot 24. Strictly speaking, it is the measurement robot controller 23 that receives the various signals, but for the sake of convenience in explaining the sequence diagram of this embodiment, it will be expressed as "transmitting a signal to the measurement robot 24." The same applies hereinafter.

[0055] Upon receiving the measurement robot movement start signal, the measuring robot 24 moves to a start position where it will begin rough measurement in step S7. Since the start position is predetermined, the measurement robot controller 23 controls the measuring robot 24 to move to the start position. Once the measuring robot 24 has moved to the start position, the PLC 12 sends a rough measurement start instruction signal to the measuring robot 24 in step S8. Upon receiving the rough measurement start instruction signal, the measuring robot 24 is controlled by the measurement robot controller 23 to begin operation (movement) for rough measurement (step S9). A program for moving the measuring robot 24 for rough measurement is preset. Specifically, the rough measurement sensor 21 is set at a predetermined height from the base A, and the measuring robot 24 is operated so that it can scan (measure) substantially the entire top surface of the base A by moving the rough measurement sensor 21 in the X and Y directions while avoiding interference with the workpieces W1 and W2. The measurement range of the rough measurement sensor 21 can be set arbitrarily.

[0056] Simultaneously with step S9, in step S10, the PC 11 executes a rough measurement start process and sends a measurement start signal to the rough measurement sensor 21, and upon receiving the measurement start signal, the rough measurement sensor 21 starts rough measurement. In step S11, the rough measurement sensor 21 irradiates the upper surface of the pedestal A with a measurement laser light while moving with the measurement robot 24, and acquires measurement data of the workpieces W1 and W2 placed on the upper surface of the pedestal A.

[0057] The rough measurement sensor 21 transmits measurement data (rough measurement data) to the PC 11. The rough measurement data is displayed as a waveform in the measurement data display area 106 shown in FIG. 4, allowing the user to confirm the data. In step S12 shown in FIG. 3, the PC 11 accumulates the rough measurement data transmitted from the rough measurement sensor 21. In step S13, the PC 11 generates three-dimensional point cloud data based on the accumulated rough measurement data. For example, the PC 11 can generate three-dimensional point cloud data of the upper surface of the pedestal A from the measurement data including height information transmitted from the rough measurement sensor 21 and information indicating the X, Y, and Z coordinates of the measuring robot 24. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of three-dimensional point cloud data. The example shown in FIG. 5 shows a case where three workpieces W1, W2, and W3 are placed on the pedestal A. Note that the configuration of the rough measurement sensor 21 is not limited to the above-described configuration, as long as it is possible to collect the X and Y coordinates of the measurement object and height information of the points.

[0058] 6, when the measuring robot 24 completes its movement for performing the rough measurement, it transmits a movement completion signal to the PLC 12. Upon receiving the movement completion signal, the PLC 12 executes a rough measurement completion process, and accordingly, the PC 11 also executes a rough measurement completion process. In step S17, the rough measurement sensor 21 ends the measurement.

[0059] In step S18, the processor 11e of the PC 11 generates interference check and detailed measurement instruction information. Interference refers to contact between the detailed measurement sensor 22 and the workpieces W1, W2, and W3. In the interference check, the processor 11e of the PC 11 acquires information regarding interference determination between the detailed measurement sensor 22 and the workpieces W1, W2, and W3, and determines whether interference will occur between the workpieces W1, W2, and W3 placed on the platform A and the detailed measurement sensor 22 based on the positions and shapes of the workpieces W1, W2, and W3 and the information regarding interference determination. When performing this interference check, the processor 11e of the PC 11 references the three-dimensional point cloud data generated in step S13 and executes an extraction process for the workpieces W1, W2, and W3. For example, the processor 11e of the PC 11 identifies the top surface of the platform A based on the three-dimensional point cloud data, and extracts the parts having height information higher than the top surface of the platform A as the workpieces W1, W2, and W3. 7 shows an extracted image of workpieces W1, W2, and W3, in which the background is black and the workpieces W1, W2, and W3 are displayed in white. This extracted image may be displayed in the workpiece display area 104 shown in FIG.

[0060] When the works W1, W2, and W3 are extracted, the processor 11e of the PC 11 assigns numbers to the works W1, W2, and W3, for example, "1," "2," and "3." The numbers assigned here are numbers used when the user operates the works. Note that the works do not have to be assigned numbers, and any identification information that can identify the works may be assigned.

[0061] The upper diagram in Figure 8 shows ribs W1b, W2b, and W3b, which are parts of the workpieces W1, W2, and W3, in white. Because each rib is composed of a plate extending in the height direction, the processor 11e of the PC 11 can identify it based on the measurement data acquired by the rough measurement sensor 21. The processor 11e of the PC 11 converts the ribs W1b, W2b, and W3b of the workpieces W1, W2, and W3 into geometric figures that can be handled by a program. A typical example of a geometric figure is a polygon. An example of a geometric figure after conversion by the processor 11e of the PC 11 is shown in the lower diagram in Figure 8. During conversion by the processor 11e of the PC 11, information in the height direction (information regarding the Z coordinate) relative to the coordinate points identified by the X and Y coordinates is also stored in association with the geometric figure. This makes it possible to identify not only the position and orientation of the geometric figure but also the height of the rib.

[0062] A specific example of the processor 11e of the PC 11 performing an interference check will be described with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 shows ribs W1b, W2b, and W3b of the workpieces W1, W2, and W3 after they have been converted into geometric shapes. During the interference check, the minimum separation distance between the multiple workpieces W1, W2, and W3 placed on the stand A is used as information for interference determination. The minimum separation distance is the smallest distance at which the detailed measurement sensor 22 does not come into contact with the workpiece W1 or W2 when, for example, inserting the detailed measurement sensor 22 between the workpieces W1 and W2 to weld the welded portion of the workpiece W1, and depends on the size and shape of the detailed measurement sensor 22, etc. The minimum separation distance is information input in advance by the user and held by the welding system 1, and the processor 11e of the PC 11 reads the minimum separation distance during the interference check. During measurement work, the orientation and posture of the detailed measurement sensor 22 may change in various ways, so a minimum distance is set so that no part of the detailed measurement sensor 22 comes into contact with the workpieces W1, W2, and W3, regardless of how the orientation or posture of the detailed measurement sensor 22 changes.

[0063] The dimension indicated by the dimension line 200 in Figure 9 is the separation distance between the workpieces W1 and W2 acquired by the rough measurement sensor 21. This separation distance is calculated by the processor 11e of the PC 11 based on the positional relationship of the above-mentioned geometric figures. The processor 11e of the PC 11 compares the separation distance indicated by the dimension line 200 with the minimum separation distance, and if the separation distance is less than the minimum separation distance, determines that interference will occur between the workpieces W1 and W2 placed on the stand A and the detailed measurement sensor 22. This determination is performed for each portion of the workpieces W1 and W2, and for each portion of the workpieces W2 and W3.

[0064] Furthermore, because the rough measurement sensor 21 is a three-dimensional measurement sensor, it can measure the height of each of the workpieces W1, W2, and W3 placed on the stand A. The processor 11e of the PC 11 can determine (height determination) whether the maximum height of the workpieces W1, W2, and W3 acquired by the rough measurement sensor 21 is equal to or greater than an upper limit height. The upper limit height is the maximum height that can be welded by the welding system 1, and is stored in advance in the welding system 1 as upper limit height information. If the height of the workpieces W1, W2, and W3 is equal to or greater than the upper limit height, the processor 11e of the PC 11 determines that there is a work error.

[0065] 6, after the interference check in step S18, if interference occurs between the workpieces W1, W2, and W3 and the detailed measurement sensor 22, the PLC 12 displays the interference on the touch panel 12a and the display 11b (step S19). For example, the PC 11 generates a screen to be displayed on the display 11b and displays it on the display 11b, and the screen data is sent from the PC 11 to the touch panel 12a, so that a screen similar to that on the display 11b can also be displayed on the touch panel 12a. The user can check the interference display on either the touch panel 12a or the display 11b. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 10A and Fig. 10B as examples, the PLC 12 generates an error display screen 210 showing information about interference and displays it on the touch panel 12a. On the error display screen 210 shown in Fig. 10A, the workpieces W1 and W2 interfering with the detailed measurement sensor 22 are displayed in a color, such as yellow, that is different from the background color and different from the other workpieces. In this way, the workpieces W1 and W2 interfering with the detailed measurement sensor 22 can be displayed on the error display screen 210 as information about interference. The information about interference may be, for example, characters, symbols, icons, etc. indicating interference.

[0066] In addition, the example shown in FIG. 10B shows workpieces W1 and W2 different from those shown in FIG. 10A, but the workpiece W2 that will interfere with the detailed measurement sensor 22 is displayed in black, for example. To reliably notify the user that interference will occur, the background (gray portion) is displayed in a conspicuous color, for example, red. This also allows the user to easily understand which workpiece will interfere with the detailed measurement sensor 22 on the error display screen 210. In this way, when the PC 11 determines that interference will occur between the workpieces W1, W2, and W3 and the detailed measurement sensor 22, the touch panel 12a displays information about the interference, so the touch panel 12a corresponds to the display unit. Information about the interference can also be displayed on the display 11b. In this case, the display 11b is the component that corresponds to the display unit.

[0067] Furthermore, on the error display screen 210, the workpiece W2 (shown in black) determined to be equal to or greater than the upper limit height is displayed in a color different from the background color and different from other workpieces. Thus, when the PC 11 determines that the height of the workpiece is equal to or greater than the upper limit height, the touch panel 12a displays the workpiece equal to or greater than the upper limit height in a different form than when the workpiece is below the upper limit height. This different form may be achieved by, for example, adding hatching or a pattern, in addition to changing the color. By displaying the workpiece in a different form, it becomes easier to distinguish the workpiece equal to or greater than the upper limit height from the workpiece below the upper limit height, allowing the user to easily understand. If a workpiece equal to or greater than the upper limit height is placed on the platform A, the welding system 1 cannot perform any further operations. Therefore, the PLC 12 is notified that a workpiece abnormality has occurred, and the welding system 1 is prevented from continuing the operation. In this case, the user must remove the workpiece equal to or greater than the upper limit height before the welding system 1 can continue the operation.

[0068] In the case of a work error or when the user is set to check the rough measurement results before making detailed settings, the PLC 12 generates a detailed settings screen 220 as shown in Fig. 11 and displays it on the touch panel 12a. This detailed settings screen 220 can also be displayed on the display 11b of the PC 11.

[0069] The detailed setting screen 220 displays multiple workpieces W1, W2, and W3. At the top of the detailed setting screen 220, numbers assigned by the PC 11 are displayed as information identifying the workpieces W1, W2, and W3. The user can set whether or not to perform detailed measurement by selecting a number on the detailed setting screen 220. For example, if only "1" is selected, detailed measurement is performed only on workpiece W1, and detailed measurement is not performed on workpieces W2 and W3. The selection to perform detailed measurement is not available for workpieces determined to interfere and workpieces that exceed the upper limit height.

[0070] Furthermore, if the user wishes to skip welding a workpiece, the user can exclude that workpiece from welding by not selecting its number. Detailed measurement teaching point information is managed for each workpiece number, so this can be achieved simply by changing the measurement / non-measurement flag in the management table. Selection by number is permitted for ease of display, and other selection methods are also acceptable. In other words, the processor 11e of the PC 11 is configured to accept the user's selection of any of the multiple workpieces W1, W2, and W3 displayed on the touch panel 12a or display 11b, and the workpiece selected by the user can be designated as the workpiece to be welded. In this way, when multiple workpieces W1, W2, and W3 are identified based on the measurement results of the rough measurement sensor 21, the processor 11e of the PC 11 can weld only any of the identified multiple workpieces W1, W2, and W3 as the workpiece to be welded, while not welding the other workpieces. Furthermore, after detailed measurement, welding can be prevented for only some of the workpieces.

[0071] The processor 11e of the PC 11 generates detailed measurement instruction information as follows. That is, the processor 11e of the PC 11 generates three-dimensional point cloud data, extracts the workpiece, converts it into a geometric figure, and performs an interference check, and then creates information (line segment information) about the portion to be measured in detail. The portion to be measured in detail is a portion to be welded in a subsequent process (welding portion), and therefore, from the perspective of improving welding quality, accurate shape data is obtained by measuring it in detail using the detailed measurement sensor 22. When creating this line segment information for the detailed measurement, the processor 11e of the PC 11 executes a line segment setting process that sets a point a certain distance away from the position to be measured (position of the geometric figure) as the line segment for the detailed measurement.

[0072] The processor 11e of the PC 11 performs an interference check during detailed measurement and creates detailed measurement instruction information that can actually be measured. The interference check during detailed measurement can be performed in the same manner as the interference check with the welding torch 32. When the detailed measurement sensor 22 attached to the measuring robot 24 moves along the detailed measurement line obtained in the line setting process, for example, the detailed measurement sensor 22 may interfere with a rib on the same workpiece. For example, if I-shaped ribs are arranged parallel to each other and the distance between the ribs is narrow, the rib not being measured may interfere with the detailed measurement sensor 22 during measurement. In this case, the surface determined to be interfering is not subjected to detailed measurement, and only the other surfaces are set to be subjected to detailed measurement. In this way, the system operates to weld as many weldable areas as possible.

[0073] 12 shows a measurement site display screen 230 that displays the site where detailed measurement will be performed. The PC 11 generates the measurement site display screen 230 and displays it on the touch panel 12a. This measurement site display screen 230 can also be displayed on the display 11b of the PC 11.

[0074] The measurement site display screen 230 displays the site to be measured in detail using a line L based on the interference check information during the detailed measurement. The line L can be drawn based on the position information of the measuring robot 24 when performing the detailed measurement and information regarding the orientation of the detailed measurement sensor 22. During the detailed measurement, the PC 11 controls the detailed measurement sensor 22 so that the detailed measurement sensor 22 measures the welded site estimated as described above.

[0075] Furthermore, there are areas where overhead welding is performed during actual welding. Since the measurement area display screen 230 is a two-dimensional display, the representation of overhead welding becomes an issue, but in this embodiment, the color of the measurement point P for overhead welding is changed so that the measurement points for overhead welding are displayed within the two-dimensional representation, thereby representing the detailed measurement of fillet welding and the detailed measurement of overhead welding separately. These are included in the detailed measurement instruction information. The direction of the arrow indicates the measurement direction during detailed measurement, and in this embodiment, the user can also understand the measurement direction. The arrow and its direction are also included in the detailed measurement instruction information.

[0076] 6, if there are no interfering workpieces and no workpieces with a height equal to or greater than the upper limit, the process proceeds to step S20. In step S20, the PLC 12 acquires the detailed measurement teaching information generated in step S18. In step S21, the detailed measurement teaching information is transferred to the PLC 12. In addition, in step S22, the detailed measurement sensor 22 that has received the detailed measurement teaching information executes a measurement function preparation process.

[0077] 13, the PLC 12 transmits detailed measurement teaching information to the measuring robot 24. The measuring robot 24 receives the detailed measurement teaching information. In step S24, the PLC 12 executes detailed measurement start processing and transmits a start signal to the measuring robot 24. The measuring robot 24 prepares to execute a measurement operation based on the detailed measurement teaching information.

[0078] In step S26, the PLC 12 transmits a detailed measurement start instruction signal to the measuring robot 24. Upon receiving the detailed measurement start instruction signal, the measuring robot 24 is controlled by the measuring robot controller 23 to start an operation (movement) for detailed measurement (step S27). Specifically, the measuring robot 24 is controlled so that the detailed measurement sensor 22 moves in accordance with the detailed measurement instruction information.

[0079] Simultaneously with step S27, in step S28, the PC 11 executes detailed measurement start processing and transmits a measurement start signal to the detailed measurement sensor 22. In step S29, the detailed measurement sensor 22, having received the measurement start signal, starts detailed measurement. Specifically, the detailed measurement sensor 22 moves using the measuring robot 24 while irradiating the measurement laser light toward the measurement portion of the workpiece specified in the detailed measurement instruction information, and acquires measurement data of the measurement portion of the workpiece.

[0080] The detail measurement sensor 22 transmits measurement data (detailed measurement data) to the PC 11. The detailed measurement data is displayed as a waveform in the measurement data display area 106 shown in FIG. 4, allowing the user to confirm the data. In step S30 shown in FIG. 13, the PC 11 accumulates the detailed measurement data transmitted from the detail measurement sensor 22. In step S31, the processor 11e of the PC 11 calculates welding information based on the accumulated detailed measurement data and generates welding instruction information. The processor 11e of the PC 11 can estimate the welded portion based on the approximate position and approximate shape of the workpiece acquired by the rough measurement sensor 21. For example, detailed data of the measurement portion, i.e., the position (position of the weld line) and length (length of the weld line) of the fillet weld of each rib, the position and length of the upward weld, etc., is generated based on the detailed measurement data and information indicating the X and Y coordinates of the measuring robot 24. The position and length of the weld line are included in the weld line information. In addition, since the 3D point cloud data can be used to detect the position of the scallops and the presence or absence of skin plates, the welding line information is generated taking these into consideration. For example, scallops on the same line are set to arc-off (non-welding) as teaching information. The operation of the welding torch 32 and the drawing of the welding line are performed based on this arc-off information.

[0081] The processor 11e of the PC 11 checks the generated welding line for interference between the welding torch 32 and the rib, and between the welding manipulator 34a and the rib. This interference check can be performed in the same way as an interference check. If interference is found as a result of the interference check, the line is excluded from the welding target. This process classifies the line into those that will actually be welded and those that will not be welded. For example, when the welding torch 32 and the rib interfere with each other, the welding of the interfering part is skipped and the welding operation continues. At this time, it is possible to select whether to skip welding of one workpiece or to skip only the interfering welding part, so that welding can be continued without human intervention as much as possible.

[0082] To enable identification of the welding area based on the classified information, the processor 11e of the PC 11 generates a display screen as shown in Fig. 15 and displays it on the display 11b or the touch panel 12a. In the screen shown in Fig. 15, the welding area is indicated by a line corresponding to the rib W1b. In other words, the display 11b and the touch panel 12a are members that display the welding area estimated by the processor 11e of the PC 11. By looking at the screen displayed on the display 11b or the touch panel 12a, the user can easily understand which part of the workpiece has been set as the welding area.

[0083] 14, PLC 12 executes detailed measurement completion processing. For example, if interference is confirmed in step S31, the process proceeds to step S33, where PLC 12 displays an abnormality on touch panel 12a. On the other hand, if interference is not confirmed in step S31, PLC 12 acquires welding teaching information in step S36.

[0084] In step S37, PLC 12 transfers the welding teaching information to welding robot 34. Then, in step S38, PLC 12 executes a welding start process and issues a welding start instruction to welding robot 34. In step S39, welding robot 34 starts a welding operation, and in step S40, PC 11 receives a signal from PLC 12 and enters a welding in progress state.

[0085] In step S41, welding robot 34 starts moving and performs welding work with welding torch 32. When welding robot 34 completes welding at all locations in step S42, PLC 12 performs welding completion processing in step S43. As a result of the welding completion processing of PLC 12, PC 11 receives a signal from PLC 12 and also performs welding completion processing (step S44). In step S45, PLC 12 enters a welding completion state, and touch panel 12a switches to an operation standby state (step S46). Thereafter, the workpiece can be replaced with another workpiece (a workpiece with a different shape or size) and the next welding work can be performed in the same manner.

[0086] (Welding robot control) In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 16 , a welding site is schematically illustrated, and an escape space 500 is taken into consideration when controlling the welding robot 34. Specifically, at the welding site, a welding space 600 is set with a predetermined size in which the welding torch 32 welds the workpiece W1. One or more workpieces W1 are placed in the welding space 600, and the welding torch 32 moves within the welding space 600 for welding. An escape space 500 is set above and adjacent to the welding space 600. The vertical dimension of the escape space 500 is set shorter than the vertical dimension of the welding space 600. The X-direction dimension of the escape space 500 is set to be the same as the X-direction dimension of the welding space 600, and the Y-direction dimension of the escape space 500 is set to be the same as the Y-direction dimension of the welding space 600. The escape space 500 is a space in which the welding torch 32 can move without interfering with the workpiece W1. In other words, the escape space 500 is a space above a space in which the workpiece W1 may be present.

[0087] When moving welding torch 32 to the welding point, it is first moved in the X and Y directions so that it is positioned horizontally away from the rib by the interference margin distance within escape space 500. Then, welding torch 32 is moved downward along the Z axis to position it at the welding start point. This eliminates the need to check for interference with workpiece W1 when moving in the X and Y directions, and allows for quick operation.

[0088] Furthermore, the control unit 10 of this embodiment generates instruction parameters that instruct the operation of the welding robot 34. Furthermore, the welding robot controller 33 applies the instruction parameters generated by the control unit 10 to a basic operation program stored in advance to control the welding robot 34 and cause it to perform welding.

[0089] The basic operation program includes a plurality of commands. For example, as shown in FIG. 17 , the basic operation program includes, as commands related to the movement of welding torch 32, an approach command for moving welding torch 32 from the origin to the approach position, an escape command for moving welding torch 32 from the approach position to the origin, an escape movement command for moving welding torch 32 within escape space 500, a movement A command (first command) for moving welding torch 32 from the approach position to the welding point, and a movement B command for moving welding torch 32 from the welding point to the approach position. Furthermore, the basic operation program includes, as commands related to welding, a linear welding command for performing a linear welding operation and an arc welding command for performing an arc welding operation. The linear welding command and the arc welding command are examples of second commands for performing a welding operation with welding torch 32. The commands included in the basic operation program are not limited to those described above and may include other commands. The basic operation program also includes a nozzle cleaning command for cleaning the nozzle of welding torch 32 and performing wire cutting.

[0090] Each command is assigned an identification number. In this example, eight commands are included in the basic operation program, and therefore identification numbers #1 to #8 are assigned to the approach command, escape command, escape movement command, Move A command, Move B command, linear welding command, circular welding command, and nozzle cleaning command, respectively. The approach command, escape command, escape movement command, Move A command, Move B command, linear welding command, and circular welding command use the following command parameters: start point coordinates (X coordinate, Y coordinate, Z coordinate) as the tool (welding torch) point coordinates; intermediate point coordinates (X coordinate, Y coordinate, Z coordinate) as the tool (welding torch) point coordinates; end point coordinates (X coordinate, Y coordinate, Z coordinate) as the tool (welding torch) point coordinates; robot posture; and movement speed. The linear welding command and arc welding command also use the arc flag as a command parameter. The robot posture is a parameter that specifies the posture of the welding torch 32. The movement speed is a parameter that specifies the movement speed of the welding torch 32.

[0091] In the nozzle cleaning command, the instruction parameters of the start point coordinates, intermediate point coordinates, and end point coordinates are not applied, and the robot posture and movement speed are applied as instruction parameters. In the nozzle cleaning command, the instruction parameter of the arc flag is not applied. Instruction parameters that are not applied in the nozzle cleaning command are parameters that are not required for that nozzle cleaning command.

[0092] The instruction parameters include a plurality of instruction parameters that are applied to each command. For example, the instruction parameters include an approach instruction parameter that is applied to an approach command, an escape instruction parameter that is applied to an escape command, an escape move instruction parameter that is applied to an escape move command, a move A instruction parameter (first instruction parameter) that is applied to a move A command, a move B instruction parameter that is applied to a move B command, a linear welding instruction parameter that is applied to a linear welding command, and an arc welding instruction parameter that is applied to an arc welding command. The linear welding instruction parameter and the arc welding instruction parameter are examples of second instruction parameters. The instruction parameters are not limited to those described above, and may include other instruction parameters.

[0093] The processor 11e of the control unit 10 calculates the weld line based on the position and shape of the workpiece W1 acquired by the rough measurement sensor 21 or the detailed measurement sensor 22, and generates instruction parameters based on the calculated weld line. As described above, the processor 11e can generate detailed data, such as the position and length of the weld line and the position and length of the upward welding, as weld line information. By generating the position and length of the weld line, it is possible to identify the coordinates of the welding start point (start point of the welding torch 32) and the welding end point (end point of the welding torch 32), as well as the coordinates of the midpoint between the start point and end point of the welding torch 32. Furthermore, the posture of the welding torch 32, i.e., the posture of the welding robot 34, can be identified depending on whether upward welding is being performed. The welding speed may be determined based on a setting value input by the user or may be determined depending on whether upward welding is being performed. The processor 11e also sets the arc flag to ON or OFF. The processor 11e also generates the command execution order.

[0094] Information regarding the instruction parameters and the execution order of the commands is transmitted from PC 11 to PLC 12. PLC 12 transfers the information regarding the instruction parameters and the execution order of the commands to welding robot controller 33. The timing of the transfer is not particularly limited as long as it is before the welding operation is performed, but it can be, for example, the timing when step S35 shown in Fig. 14 is performed. If there are a large number of instruction parameters, the transfer process is performed multiple times.

[0095] Next, a case where two straight lines are welded by welding system 1 will be described with reference to Figures 18 to 20. Figures 18 and 19 are diagrams explaining the movement of welding torch 32, and Figure 20 shows examples of commands and instruction parameters of a basic operation program. In this example, commands are executed in the following order: approach command (#1), move A command (#4), straight line welding command (#6), move B command (#5), escape move command (#3), move A command (#4), straight line welding command (#6), move B command (#5), and escape command (#2).

[0096] (Checking the welding condition) The present invention can be applied not only to the welding system 1, but also to a processing system in which workpieces W1 and W2 placed on a pedestal A are processed by a processing machine held by a robot, and a measurement system in which a measuring device that acquires the position and shape of workpieces W1 and W2 placed on a pedestal A is held by a robot and made movable. The only difference from the above-mentioned example is whether the thing held by the robot is a processing machine or a measuring device, but the processing, control content, and program creation are the same as those in the above-mentioned example.

[0097] FIG. 21 shows a user interface screen 100 displaying a slag removal screen for removing slag adhering during welding and weld line information. To remove the slag, the control unit 10 instructs a slag removal robot (not shown) to perform a slag removal operation according to the welding position information. At this time, the processor 11e checks for interference between the ribs W1b, W2b, and W3b and the slag removal machine (processing machine) based on the welding coordinate information and the shape of the slag removal machine. If the ribs W1b, W2b, and W3b interfere with the slag removal machine, the corresponding line segment is excluded from the slag removal target. This slag removal is a type of workpiece processing, and this embodiment also includes a processing system.

[0098] After the slag removal, the coordinate information of the welding and slag removal is displayed, and the areas where slag removal was not performed can be visually confirmed. For areas where slag removal was not performed, the worker may enter the work area and manually remove the slag.

[0099] The welded portion from which the slag has been removed is remeasured using a measuring device (detailed measurement sensor 22) to check the condition of the weld. Measurements are made by measuring the welded portion based on the measurement line obtained in the above process. At this time, by using the detailed measurement sensor 22 used in the detailed measurement, it is possible to check for the presence or absence of cracks, gaps, or holes in the bead. By changing the measuring device, more detailed inspection can be performed. Note that when inspection is performed using a different measuring device (sensor), an interference check is performed again because the shape of the measuring device is different. For example, by inputting shape information of the measuring device, the results of the interference check can be displayed in the same way as in the case of the above-mentioned interference check. This embodiment also includes a measurement system that can perform measurements.

[0100] For example, as shown by the arrows in Figure 22, the locations of cracks, gaps, and holes can be displayed based on information from measuring instruments, and can be used as information for workers to check and correct.

[0101] (Effects of the embodiment) As described above, in this embodiment, the control unit 10 calculates the welding line based on the position and shape of the workpiece W1 acquired by the rough measurement sensor 21 or the detailed measurement sensor 22, and can generate instruction parameters based on the calculated welding line.

[0102] A basic operation program for executing various basic operations is pre-stored in the welding robot controller 33, and the welding robot 34 performs welding work by applying instruction parameters generated by the control unit 10 to this basic operation program. Therefore, if the workpiece W1 is changed to one with a different shape or size, the basic operation program itself does not need to be changed, and the instruction parameters only need to be changed on the control unit 10 side. Therefore, there is no need to verify the operation of the basic operation program after the workpiece is changed; it is only necessary to verify the operation when the instruction parameters are applied, thereby improving the efficiency of the welding work. The same basic operation program is used in the measurement robot controller 23.

[0103] The above-described embodiment is merely illustrative in all respects and should not be construed as limiting. Furthermore, all modifications and variations within the scope of the claims are within the scope of the present invention. While the above embodiment describes the application of the present invention to a robot, the present invention is not limited to this application and can also be applied to a multi-axis dedicated mechanism. In this case, the robot controller 33 becomes a controller that controls the multi-axis dedicated mechanism. Machining and measurement can also be performed using a multi-axis dedicated mechanism. [Industrial Applicability]

[0104] As described above, the welding system according to the present invention can be used, for example, in welding sites where various parts are welded in succession. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] 1. Welding System 10. Control Unit 21 Approximate measurement sensor 22 Detailed measurement sensor 32 Welding torch 33 Robot Controller 34 Welding robot W1, W2 work

Claims

1. A welding system that automatically welds a workpiece using a welding torch, a control unit that generates instruction parameters that instruct the operation of a robot or a multi-axis dedicated mechanism; a controller that applies the instruction parameters generated by the control unit to a pre-stored basic operation program to control the robot or multi-axis dedicated mechanism and perform welding.

2. 10. The welding system of claim 1, the basic operation program includes a plurality of commands, A welding system, wherein the instruction parameters include a plurality of instruction parameters that are applied to each of the commands.

3. 3. The welding system of claim 2, the basic operation program includes a first command for moving the welding torch to a welding point and a second command for causing the welding torch to perform a welding operation; The instruction parameters include a first instruction parameter to be applied to the first command and a second instruction parameter to be applied to the second command.

4. 10. The welding system of claim 1, Further, a measurement sensor is provided to acquire the position and shape of the workpiece placed on the stand. The control unit calculates a welding line based on the position and shape of the workpiece acquired by the measurement sensor, and generates the instruction parameters based on the calculated welding line.

5. 10. The welding system of claim 1, The control unit generates the instruction parameters including a start point coordinate of the welding torch, an end point coordinate of the welding torch, an intermediate point coordinate between the start point and the end point of the welding torch, and a posture of the welding torch.

6. 3. The welding system of claim 2, the basic operation program includes a linear welding command for executing a linear welding operation and an arc welding command for executing an arc welding operation, The instruction parameters include a linear welding instruction parameter to be applied to the linear welding command and an arc welding instruction parameter to be applied to the arc welding command.

7. A processing system for processing a workpiece using a processing machine, a control unit that generates instruction parameters that instruct the operation of a robot or a multi-axis dedicated mechanism; a controller that applies the instruction parameters generated by the control unit to a pre-stored basic operation program to control the robot or multi-axis dedicated mechanism and perform machining.

8. A measurement system for measuring a workpiece using a measuring device, a control unit that generates instruction parameters that instruct the operation of a robot or a multi-axis dedicated mechanism; a controller that applies the instruction parameters generated by the control unit to a pre-stored basic operation program to control the robot or multi-axis dedicated mechanism and perform measurements.

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