Welding teaching system, welding program generation method, and welding program generation program

Abstract

A welding system according to the present invention comprises: a teaching device that receives a teaching operation; and a terminal device. The welding system acquires teaching points including teaching positions for teaching the position of a welding torch and teaching postures for teaching the posture of the welding torch, calculates a reference coordinate system related to the posture of the welding torch at the teaching positions on the basis of the teaching positions of the plurality of acquired teaching points and information related to a workpiece, corrects the teaching postures to preset setting postures on the basis of the teaching postures with respect to the reference coordinate system, and generates and outputs a welding teaching program for a welding robot on the basis of the teaching positions and the teaching postures of the plurality of teaching points.

Description

Welding teaching system, welding program generation method, and welding program generation program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a welding teaching system, a welding program generation method, and a welding program generation program.

[0002] Patent Literature 1 discloses a method for simulating robot operation for offline teaching of a robot that performs required work on a workpiece. The robot operation simulation method involves setting a model of the robot, workpiece, and peripheral equipment on a robot simulator equipped with a graphic display that displays the model, creating a program for operating the robot, and then verifying the robot's operation according to the created program through simulation on the robot simulator. In this verification, the robot operation simulation method assigns a range of allowable positional deviation for each teaching point set on the model that is allowable for the actual workpiece and each teaching point on the robot. When the robot is then operated using the teaching points, it is verified whether the allowable positional deviation range is included in the robot's range of motion and whether other components interfere with the allowable positional deviation range.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-328632

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a welding teaching system, a welding program generation method, and a welding program generation program that correct a taught posture to a posture more suitable for actual welding.

[0005] The present disclosure provides a welding teaching system including a teaching device that is operated by a worker and receives teaching operations that teach the operation of a welding torch equipped to a welding robot, and a terminal device that can communicate with the teaching device, wherein the teaching device acquires teaching points including teaching positions that teach the position of the welding torch that performs welding and teaching postures that teach the posture of the welding torch through teaching operations by the worker, and transmits the teaching points to the terminal device, and the terminal device calculates a reference coordinate system for the posture of the welding torch at the teaching positions based on the acquired teaching positions of the plurality of teaching points and information related to the workpiece to be welded, and when it is determined that correction of the teaching posture is necessary based on the teaching posture relative to the reference coordinate system, corrects the teaching posture to a preset set posture, and generates and outputs a welding teaching program for the welding robot that welds the workpiece based on the teaching positions and teaching postures of the plurality of teaching points.

[0006] The present disclosure also provides a welding program generation method performed by a system including a teaching device that is operated by a worker and receives teaching operations that teach the operation of a welding torch equipped in a welding robot, and a terminal device that can communicate with the teaching device, the welding program generation method comprising: acquiring teaching points including teaching positions that teach the position of the welding torch that performs welding and teaching postures that teach the posture of the welding torch through the teaching operations by the worker; calculating a reference coordinate system for the posture of the welding torch at the teaching positions based on the teaching positions of the acquired multiple teaching points and information on the workpiece to be welded; correcting the teaching posture to a preset posture when it is determined that correction of the teaching posture is necessary based on the teaching posture relative to the reference coordinate system; and generating and outputting a welding teaching program for the welding robot that welds the workpiece based on the teaching positions and teaching postures of the multiple teaching points.

[0007] The present disclosure also provides a welding program generation program that causes a computer that is operated by an operator and can communicate with an instruction device that accepts instruction operations that teach the operation of a welding torch provided in a welding robot to perform the following steps: acquire, through the instruction operations by the operator, instruction points that include instruction positions that teach the position of the welding torch that performs welding and instruction postures that teach the posture of the welding torch; calculate a reference coordinate system for the posture of the welding torch at the instruction positions based on the acquired instruction positions of the multiple instruction points and information on the workpiece that is the target of welding; correct the instruction posture to a preset set posture when it is determined that correction of the instruction posture is necessary based on the instruction posture relative to the reference coordinate system; and generate and output a welding instruction program for the welding robot that welds the workpiece based on the instruction positions and the teaching postures of the multiple instruction points.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, the taught posture can be corrected to a posture more suitable for actual welding.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a welding teaching system according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a teaching screen; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of welding teaching for a linear welding line; FIG. 4 is a diagram explaining an example of correcting the tilt angle; FIG. 5 is a diagram explaining an example of correcting the forward / rearward advance angle; FIG. 6 is a diagram explaining an example of correcting the twist angle;

[0010] (Background to the present disclosure) In recent years, there has been a teaching method for teaching welding movements using virtual reality (VR) equipment. Compared to using a general offline teaching system such as a teach pendant, this method allows an operator to directly teach teaching points, thereby shortening the time required to teach teaching points. However, because this welding movement teaching method requires manual operation by the operator, the welding torch posture may differ for each of the multiple teaching points taught to weld a single weld line. Therefore, the operator must use an offline teaching system or the like to correct the welding torch posture in a welding teaching program generated based on the teaching points, which is very time-consuming.

[0011] Therefore, in the following embodiments, a welding teaching system, a welding program generating method, and a welding program generating program that correct a taught posture to a posture more suitable for welding will be described.

[0012] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings as appropriate, detailed descriptions of embodiments specifically disclosing a welding teaching system, a welding program generation method, and a welding program generation program according to the present disclosure will be provided. However, unnecessary detailed descriptions may be omitted. For example, detailed descriptions of well-known matters or redundant descriptions of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid unnecessary redundancy in the following description and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. Note that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the subject matter recited in the claims.

[0013] <Overview of Welding System> First, a welding system 100 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of welding system 100 according to an embodiment. Note that the configurations of welding system 100, welding teaching system 200, and welding robot system 300 shown in Fig. 1 are merely examples and are not limited to these.

[0014] Welding system 100 includes a welding teaching system 200 for teaching welding robot 1 a welding operation, and a welding robot system 300 for causing welding robot 1 to perform the welding operation.

[0015] Welding teaching system 200 generates a welding teaching program for causing welding robot 1 to perform a welding operation based on teaching points taught by an operator who teaches the welding operation, and transmits the program to welding robot system 300. Welding teaching system 200 includes at least one base station BS, a controller CTR, a head-mounted display HMD, and a terminal device P1.

[0016] The base station BS is connected to the controller CTR and the terminal device P1 so that data communication can be performed between them. The base station BS irradiates infrared light toward the controller CTR so that position information and attitude information of the controller CTR at the operating position of the controller CTR can be detected.

[0017] The controller CTR is connected to the head-mounted display HMD, the base station BS, and the terminal device P1 so as to be able to communicate data with each other. The controller CTR has at least one operation button (not shown) that can accept an operation by a worker, and accepts a teaching operation (input operation) of a teaching point based on a pressing operation of the operation button (not shown). While viewing a teaching screen described below, the worker holds and operates the controller CTR as if it were a welding torch 2, thereby teaching a teaching point for an actual workpiece Wk. The controller CTR may have a tip having the same shape as the welding torch 2 so that the worker can use the controller CTR to intuitively teach a teaching point through which the welding torch 2 of the welding robot 1 will pass.

[0018] The controller CTR also includes at least one light receiving unit (not shown) capable of receiving infrared light emitted from the base station BS. The controller CTR calculates position information of the tip of the controller CTR and attitude information of the controller CTR at the timing when the operation button is pressed, i.e., at the teaching timing of the teaching point, based on information such as the arrival time or angle of the infrared light received by the light receiving unit (not shown). The controller CTR transmits the calculated position information of the tip of the controller CTR and attitude information of the controller CTR to the terminal device P1.

[0019] The position information of the tip of the controller CTR here corresponds to information on the teaching position for welding. Furthermore, the posture information of the controller CTR corresponds to information on the posture of the welding torch 2 at the teaching position for welding, and includes information on the tilt angle, forward / backward lead angle, and twist angle of the welding torch 2 relative to the XYZ coordinate system set for the workpiece Wk. The tilt angle, forward / backward lead angle, and twist angle will be described later.

[0020] The process of calculating the position information of the tip of the controller CTR or the attitude information of the controller CTR may be executed by the head mounted display HMD or the terminal device P1.

[0021] The head-mounted display HMD is connected to the controller CTR and the terminal device P1 so that data can be communicated between them, and functions as a device for relaying the communicated data. Note that the head-mounted display HMD is not essential and may be omitted, in which case data communication is performed directly between the controller CTR and the terminal device P1. Note that the head-mounted display HMD does not have to be wearable on the worker's head, and may be installed in any location that allows data communication between the controller CTR and the terminal device P1.

[0022] The terminal device P1 is connected to the base station BS, the controller CTR, the head-mounted display HMD, and the robot control device 3 so as to be able to communicate data with each other. The terminal device P1 generates a welding teaching program for causing the welding robot 1 to perform welding, based on the position information and posture information of the teaching point taught by the controller CTR. The terminal device P1 includes a communication unit 10, a processor 11, a memory 12, an input unit 13, and a display unit 14.

[0023] The communication unit 10 is connected to the base station BS, the controller CTR, the head mounted display HMD, and the robot control device 3 so as to be able to communicate wirelessly or via wires, and transmits and receives data. The communication unit 10 outputs various data transmitted from the base station BS, the controller CTR, the head mounted display HMD, and the robot control device 3 to the processor 11. The communication unit 10 transmits various data output from the processor 11 to the corresponding device (the base station BS, the controller CTR, the head mounted display HMD, or the robot control device 3). The wireless communication referred to here is communication via a wireless local area network (LAN) such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0024] Processor 11 is configured using, for example, a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), and performs various processes and controls in cooperation with memory 12. Specifically, processor 11 references the programs and data stored in memory 12 and executes the programs to realize various functions for generating a welding teaching program.

[0025] The memory 12 includes, for example, a random access memory (hereinafter referred to as "RAM") serving as a work memory used when executing each process of the processor 11, and a read only memory (hereinafter referred to as "ROM") for storing programs and data that define the respective operations of the processor 11. The RAM temporarily stores data or information generated or acquired by the processor 11. The ROM has written thereto programs that define the operations of the processor 11. The memory 12 may record various programs or data necessary for generating a welding teaching program. For example, the memory 12 records information about the workpiece Wk to be welded, information about production equipment for the workpiece Wk such as the welding robot 1, the welding torch 2, or a jig, correction information related to posture information, etc.

[0026] The correction information referred to here is information for correcting the tilt angle, forward / rearward advance angle, or twist angle of the controller CTR acquired as attitude information to a preset optimal attitude (angle), and is set in advance by an operator. The correction information includes information on an allowable range, which is a condition for determining whether or not to correct the tilt angle, forward / rear advance angle, or twist angle of the controller CTR, and information on the optimal attitude (optimal angle) of the tilt angle, forward / rear advance angle, or twist angle of the controller CTR after the correction. The correction information may be set for any one of the tilt angle, forward / rear advance angle, and twist angle, or may be set for all of them.

[0027] The input unit 13 is a user interface that can accept input operations by an operator, and is realized by, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, etc. The operator who operates the input unit 13 does not have to be the same person as the operator who operates the controller CTR. The input unit 13 converts the content of the accepted input operation into an electrical signal and transmits it to the processor 11. When the input unit 13 is realized by a touch panel, the input unit 13 may be configured integrally with the display unit 14.

[0028] The display unit 14 is configured using, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic electroluminescence (EL). The display unit 14 displays image data output from the processor 11. The image data here refers to, for example, a teaching image generated based on the teaching results of the operator. The teaching image will be described later.

[0029] Welding robot system 300 is configured to be able to drive welding robot 1 capable of performing welding, and drives welding robot 1 based on a welding teaching program transmitted from terminal device P1. Welding robot system 300 includes welding robot 1, robot control device 3, and teach pendant TP. Note that teach pendant TP is not an essential component and may be omitted.

[0030] Welding robot 1 is connected to robot control device 3 so as to be able to communicate data with it. Welding robot 1 has an articulated robot arm, and a welding torch 2 as an end effector at the tip of the robot arm. Under the control of the corresponding robot control device 3, welding robot 1 drives welding torch 2 to perform welding operations based on a welding teaching program.

[0031] The robot controller 3 is connected to the welding robot 1, the teach pendant TP, and the terminal device P1 so that data communication can be performed between them. The robot controller 3 controls the welding robot 1 to perform welding operations based on a welding teaching program transmitted from the terminal device P1. The robot controller 3 may read and transmit the welding operation program based on a control command from the teach pendant TP requesting the reading of the welding operation program. The robot controller 3 may also obtain and record a modified or changed welding operation program from the teach pendant TP.

[0032] The teach pendant TP is connected to the robot controller 3 so as to be able to send and receive data therebetween. The teach pendant TP corrects or changes the welding teaching program recorded in the robot controller 3 and transmits the corrected or changed program to the robot controller 3.

[0033] <Teaching Example of a Straight Weld Line> Next, a teaching screen displayed when teaching a teaching point and a teaching example of a straight weld line will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the teaching screen. Figure 3 is a diagram showing a welding teaching example of a straight weld line WL1.

[0034] The teaching screens shown in the following Figures 2 to 7 are images generated by processor 11 and displayed on display unit 14 when generating a welding teaching program. The teaching images may be displayed on a head-mounted display (HMD) or the like in addition to display unit 14. The worker operates controller CTR while viewing the teaching images to perform teaching work on welding robot 1. The teaching screens shown in the following Figures 2 to 7 are merely examples and are not limiting. For example, the teaching screens may include production equipment such as a jig, a positioner or fixing table for workpiece Wk, and welding robot 1 in addition to workpiece Wk and welding torch 2.

[0035] 2, for ease of understanding, the two taught points are referred to as a welding start point Pt1 and a welding end point Pt2, respectively, so that it is clear whether each taught point indicates the start position or the end position of welding. However, in actual operation, each taught point may be processed simply as information indicating the position information and posture information to be taught, without including information indicating whether the taught point is the start position or the end position of welding.

[0036] The teaching screen is generated to include the workpiece Wk to be welded and the welding torch 2. The welding torch 2 on the teaching screen is displayed in a position and posture that reflects the position and posture of the controller CTR held and operated by the worker. Note that, while the welding line WL corresponding to the workpiece Wk is shown in FIG. 2 for ease of understanding, it goes without saying that this display may be omitted on the teaching screen.

[0037] The worker operates the controller CTR to teach a teaching point (hereinafter referred to as the "welding start point") indicating the start position of welding on the actual workpiece Wk, and a teaching point (hereinafter referred to as the "welding end point") indicating the end position of welding on the workpiece Wk.

[0038] The worker presses an operation button (not shown) while placing the tip of the controller CTR in contact with the position of the welding start point Pt1 of the weld line WL1 on the actual workpiece Wk. The controller CTR calculates position information of the tip of the controller CTR at the timing of pressing the operation button (not shown) as position information of the controller CTR at the welding start point Pt1, and calculates posture information of the controller CTR at the timing of pressing the operation button (not shown) as posture information of the welding torch 2 at the welding start point Pt1. The controller CTR associates the calculated position information of the controller CTR with the posture information of the controller CTR, and transmits them to the terminal device P1.

[0039] Furthermore, the worker presses an operation button (not shown) while placing the tip of the controller CTR in contact with the position of the welding end point Pt2 of the weld line WL1 on the actual workpiece Wk. The controller CTR calculates position information of the tip of the controller CTR at the timing of pressing the operation button (not shown) as position information of the controller CTR at the welding end point Pt2, and calculates posture information of the controller CTR at the timing of pressing the operation button (not shown) as posture information of the welding torch 2 at the welding end point Pt2. The controller CTR associates the calculated position information of the controller CTR with the posture information of the controller CTR, and transmits them to the terminal device P1.

[0040] The processor 11 of the terminal device P1 calculates a reference coordinate system (XYZ coordinate system) that is the basis for the posture information (tilt angle, forward / rearward advance angle, and twist angle) of each teaching point used to generate the welding operation program, based on the position information and posture information of the welding start point Pt1 and the welding end point Pt2 transmitted from the controller CTR. Here, a method for calculating the reference coordinate system when the linear weld line WL1 is linear will be described.

[0041] <Reference Coordinate System Calculation Method 1> First, the X-axis in the reference coordinate system is calculated to be along the line segment (i.e., the welding line WL1) connecting the positions of the welding start point Pt1 and the welding end point Pt2. The X-direction is equal to the direction passing through each teaching point in the teaching order, that is, the direction from the welding start point Pt1 to the welding end point Pt2.

[0042] The Z axis in the reference coordinate system is an axis perpendicular to the X direction and is calculated along the surface of the workpiece Wk1 that constitutes the workpiece Wk manufactured by welding based on the production data of the workpiece Wk. The Z direction is set along the direction away from the weld line WL1 on the Z axis.

[0043] The Y axis in the reference coordinate system is an axis that is perpendicular to the X axis and the Z axis, and is obtained as the cross product of the X axis and the Z axis.

[0044] Processor 11 executes a process of correcting the posture information of each of welding start point Pt1 and welding end point Pt2 based on the calculated reference coordinate system. Processor 11 registers the position information of each of welding start point Pt1 and welding end point Pt2 and the corrected posture information, generates a welding teaching program for welding weld line WL1, and transmits it to robot control device 3.

[0045] Hereinafter, the correction process for each of the attitude information, ie, the tilt angle, the forward / rearward advance angle, and the twist angle, will be described.

[0046] <Tilt Angle Correction Process> The tilt angle θt and an example of the process for correcting the tilt angle θt will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of tilt angle correction. Note that the tilt angle θt, the allowable range Δθt1, and the optimal posture θt0 shown in Fig. 4 are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these.

[0047] The tilt angle θt is the angle between the center line R passing through the electrode center of the welding torch 2 and the surface of the workpiece Wk1, centered on the X-axis, in the YZ plane. Note that the tilt angle θt shown in Figure 4 is set with the surface of the workpiece Wk1 along the Z-axis as the reference angle of tilt angle θt = 0 (zero) degrees.

[0048] When the worker desires to correct the tilt angle θt, the worker sets in advance an allowable range Δθt1 of the tilt angle, which is a condition for correcting the tilt angle θt, and an optimal posture θt0, which is the tilt angle after correction. The terminal device P1 associates the allowable range Δθt1 with the optimal posture θt0 and stores (registers) them in the memory 12.

[0049] The processor 11 calculates the inclination angle θt of the taught teaching point based on the attitude information of the controller CTR at the taught point transmitted from the controller CTR and the calculated reference coordinate system. When an allowable range Δθt1 of the inclination angle θt and an optimal attitude θt0 are set in advance by an operator, the processor 11 determines whether the calculated inclination angle θt is within the allowable range Δθt1.

[0050] When the processor 11 determines that the calculated tilt angle θt is within the allowable range Δθt1, it executes a correction process to correct the tilt angle θt to the optimal posture θt0. On the other hand, when the processor 11 determines that the calculated tilt angle θt is not within the allowable range Δθt1, it omits the correction process for the tilt angle θt.

[0051] For example, if the allowable range for the tilt angle is set to 5° and the optimal attitude is set to 45°, the processor 11 determines whether the acquired tilt angle of the teaching point is within the allowable range (40° to 50°) for the optimal attitude (45°). If the tilt angle of the teaching point is 42°, the processor 11 determines that the tilt angle of the teaching point is within the allowable range and performs a correction to set the tilt angle of the teaching point (42°) to the previously set optimal attitude (45°). On the other hand, if the tilt angle of the teaching point is 38.5°, the processor 11 determines that the tilt angle of the teaching point is not within the allowable range and omits correction of the tilt angle of the teaching point.

[0052] In this disclosure, an example is shown in which the optimal tilt angle is specified by an angle, but it may also be set as a ratio of the angle between the workpieces Wk1 and Wk2 at which the weld line WL1 is set (here, the interior angle between the workpieces Wk1 and Wk2). The optimal tilt angle is set to, for example, 50%. In such a case, the optimal tilt angle is set to 45° when the angle between the workpieces Wk1 and Wk2 is 90°, and to 30° when the angle between the workpieces Wk1 and Wk2 is 60°.

[0053] <Process for Correcting Front and Rear Advance Angle> An example of the process for correcting the front and rear advance angle θa will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining an example of the correction of the front and rear advance angle θa. Note that the front and rear advance angle θa, the allowable range Δθa1, and the optimal attitude θa0 shown in Fig. 5 are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these.

[0054] The forward / backward advance angle θa is the angle in the XY plane between the center line R of the welding torch 2 and a direction perpendicular to the welding direction and along the surface of the workpiece Wk2 (here, the direction opposite to the Y direction). Note that the forward / backward advance angle θa shown in Figure 5 is set such that the direction along the surface of the workpiece Wk2 is set as a reference angle of forward / backward advance angle θa = 0 (zero) degrees.

[0055] When an operator desires to correct the front / rear advance angle θa, the operator sets in advance an allowable range Δθa1 of the front / rear advance angle, which is a condition for correcting the front / rear advance angle θa, and an optimal attitude θa0, which is the front / rear advance angle after correction. The terminal device P1 associates the allowable range Δθa1 with the optimal attitude θa0 and stores (registers) them in the memory 12.

[0056] The processor 11 calculates the forward / rearward advance angle θa of the taught teaching point based on the attitude information of the controller CTR at the taught point transmitted from the controller CTR and the calculated reference coordinate system. When an allowable range Δθa1 of the forward / rearward advance angle θa and an optimal attitude θa0 have been set in advance by an operator, the processor 11 determines whether the calculated forward / rearward advance angle θa is within the allowable range Δθa1.

[0057] When the processor 11 determines that the calculated forward / rearward advance angle θa is within the permissible range Δθa1, the processor 11 executes a correction process to correct the forward / rearward advance angle θa to the optimal attitude θa0. On the other hand, when the processor 11 determines that the calculated forward / rearward advance angle θa is not within the permissible range Δθa1, the processor 11 omits the correction process for the forward / rearward advance angle θa.

[0058] For example, if the allowable range for the forward / rearward advance angle is set to 7.5° and the optimal attitude is set to 55°, the processor 11 determines whether the forward / rearward advance angle of the acquired teaching point is included in the allowable range (47.5° to 62.5°) for the optimal attitude (55°). If the forward / rearward advance angle of the teaching point is 58°, the processor 11 determines that the forward / rearward advance angle of the teaching point is included in the allowable range and performs a correction to set the forward / rearward advance angle (58°) of the teaching point to the previously set optimal attitude (55°). On the other hand, if the forward / rearward advance angle of the teaching point is 45°, the processor 11 determines that the forward / rearward advance angle of the teaching point is not included in the allowable range and omits the correction of the forward / rearward advance angle of the teaching point.

[0059] <Twist Angle Correction Process> The twist angle θw and an example of the correction process for the twist angle θw will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining an example of the correction of the twist angle θw. Note that the twist angle θw, the allowable range Δθw1, and the optimal posture θw0 shown in Fig. 6 are merely examples, and are not limited to these.

[0060] The twist angle θw is an angle around the center line R of the welding torch 2. Note that the reference angle (=0°) of the twist angle θw shown in FIG. 6 is an example and is not limited to this.

[0061] When the operator desires to correct the twist angle θw, the operator sets in advance an allowable range Δθw1 of the twist angle, which is a condition for correcting the twist angle θw, and an optimal posture θw0, which is the twist angle after correction. The terminal device P1 associates the allowable range Δθw1 with the optimal posture θw0 and stores (registers) them in the memory 12.

[0062] The processor 11 calculates the twist angle θw of the taught teaching point based on the attitude information of the controller CTR at the taught point transmitted from the controller CTR and the calculated reference coordinate system. When an allowable range Δθw1 of the twist angle θw and an optimal attitude θw0 are set in advance by an operator, the processor 11 determines whether the calculated twist angle θw is within the allowable range Δθw1.

[0063] When the processor 11 determines that the calculated twist angle θw is within the allowable range Δθw1, it executes a correction process to correct the twist angle θw to the optimal posture θw0. On the other hand, when the processor 11 determines that the calculated twist angle θw is not within the allowable range Δθw1, it omits the correction process of the twist angle θw.

[0064] For example, if the twist angle tolerance is set to 10° and the optimal posture is set to 30°, processor 11 determines whether the acquired twist angle of the teaching point is within the tolerance range (20° to 40°) for the optimal posture (30°). If the twist angle of the teaching point is 58°, processor 11 determines that the twist angle of the teaching point is within the tolerance range and performs a correction to set the twist angle of the teaching point (25°) to the previously set optimal posture (30°). On the other hand, if the twist angle of the teaching point is 15°, processor 11 determines that the twist angle of the teaching point is not within the tolerance range and omits the correction of the twist angle of the teaching point.

[0065] <Teaching Example of a Curved Weld Line> Next, a teaching example for welding a curved weld line will be described with reference to FIG. 7 . FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a welding teaching example for a curved weld line WL2. Note that in FIG. 7 , the workpiece is not shown in order to make it easier to see the positions of the teaching points and the curve connecting the teaching points (i.e., the weld line WL2). Also, in FIG. 7 , in order to make the explanation of the reference coordinate system easier to understand, only the reference coordinate system corresponding to the path point Pt4 is shown, and the reference coordinate systems corresponding to the welding start point Pt3 and the welding end point Pt5 are not shown.

[0066] 7, for ease of understanding, the three taught points are referred to as the welding start point Pt3, the path point Pt4, and the welding end point Pt5, respectively, so that it is clear whether each taught point indicates the start position, the path point, or the end position of welding. However, in actual operation, each taught point may be processed simply as information indicating the position information and the posture information to be taught, without including information indicating whether the taught point is the start position, the intermediate position, or the end position of welding.

[0067] The operator operates the controller CTR to instruct the welding start point Pt3 for the actual workpiece (not shown), the path point Pt4 indicating the position of the welding path between the welding start point Pt3 and the welding end point Pt5, and the welding end point Pt5.

[0068] The worker presses an operation button (not shown) while placing the tip of the controller CTR in contact with the position of the welding start point Pt3 of the weld line WL2 on the actual workpiece Wk. The controller CTR calculates position information of the tip of the controller CTR at the timing of pressing the operation button (not shown) as position information of the controller CTR at the welding start point Pt3 and attitude information of the controller CTR at the timing of pressing the operation button (not shown) as attitude information of the welding torch 2 at the welding start point Pt3, and transmits these to the terminal device P1.

[0069] The worker presses an operation button (not shown) with the tip of the controller CTR in contact with the position of path point Pt4 of the weld line WL2 on the actual workpiece Wk. The controller CTR calculates position information of the tip of the controller CTR at the timing of pressing the operation button (not shown) as position information of the controller CTR at path point Pt4 and attitude information of the controller CTR at the timing of pressing the operation button (not shown) as attitude information of the welding torch 2 at path point Pt4, and transmits these to the terminal device P1.

[0070] The worker presses an operation button (not shown) with the tip of the controller CTR in contact with the position of the welding end point Pt5 of the weld line WL2 on the actual workpiece Wk. The controller CTR calculates position information of the tip of the controller CTR at the timing of pressing the operation button (not shown) as position information of the controller CTR at the welding end point Pt5 and attitude information of the controller CTR at the timing of pressing the operation button (not shown) as attitude information of the welding torch 2 at the welding end point Pt5, and transmits these to the terminal device P1.

[0071] The processor 11 of the terminal device P1 calculates a reference coordinate system (XYZ coordinate system) that is the basis for the posture information (tilt angle, forward / rearward advance angle, and twist angle) of each teaching point used to generate the welding operation program, based on the position information and posture information of the welding start point Pt3, path point Pt4, and welding end point Pt5 transmitted from the controller CTR. Here, a method for calculating the reference coordinate system at each teaching point when the welding line WL2 is curved will be described.

[0072] <Reference Coordinate System Calculation Method 2> First, in calculating the reference coordinate system, the processor 11 calculates an arc (weld line WL2) that passes through each of the welding start point Pt3, the path point Pt4, and the welding end point Pt5. Based on this arc (weld line WL2) and the position information and posture information of each teaching point (each of the welding start point Pt3, the path point Pt4, and the welding end point Pt5), the processor 11 calculates a reference coordinate system that is the basis for the posture information of each teaching point.

[0073] The X-axis in the reference coordinate system is a tangent to a teaching point (welding start point Pt3, path point Pt4, or welding end point Pt5) on the arc (welding line WL2). The X-direction indicates the direction passing through each teaching point in the teaching order, i.e., the welding direction of the weld line WL2.

[0074] The Z axis in the reference coordinate system is an axis perpendicular to the X direction and is calculated along the surface of a workpiece (not shown) that constitutes a workpiece (not shown) to be manufactured by welding based on production data of the workpiece (not shown). The Z direction is set along the direction away from the arc (weld line WL2) on the Z axis.

[0075] The Y axis in the reference coordinate system is an axis that is perpendicular to the X axis and the Z axis, and is obtained as the cross product of the X axis and the Z axis.

[0076] Processor 11 corrects the posture information of welding start point Pt3 based on the reference coordinate system corresponding to the calculated welding start point Pt3, corrects the posture information of path point Pt4 based on the reference coordinate system corresponding to the calculated path point Pt4, and corrects the posture information of welding end point Pt5 based on the reference coordinate system corresponding to the calculated welding end point Pt5. Processor 11 registers the position information and corrected posture information of each teaching point (welding start point Pt3, path point Pt4, and welding end point Pt5), generates a welding teaching program for welding weld line WL2, and transmits it to robot control device 3.

[0077] Next, an example of an operation procedure of the terminal device P1 in the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8 to Fig. 10. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation procedure of the terminal device P1 in the embodiment, Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for correcting a teaching point of the terminal device P1 in the embodiment, and Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for correcting a teaching point of the terminal device P1 in the embodiment.

[0078] The processor 11 acquires and reads the position information and posture information of the teaching point transmitted from the controller CTR, and operates the welding robot 1 (welding torch 2 in Figures 2 to 7) constructed in the virtual space shown on the teaching screen based on the position information and posture information of the teaching point (St11).

[0079] The processor 11 receives an operation by the operator as to whether or not to register the teaching point acquired by the operator, and determines whether or not registration of the teaching point is instructed based on the received operation (St12).

[0080] When the processor 11 determines in step St12 that registration of a teaching point has been instructed (YES in St12), the processor 11 executes a correction process for the teaching point (St13).

[0081] On the other hand, if the processor 11 determines in step St12 that the registration of the teaching point has not been instructed (St12, NO), the processor 11 returns to the processing of step St11.

[0082] The processor 11 determines whether the number of currently registered teaching points is two or more (St131).

[0083] If the processor 11 determines in the processing of step St131 that the number of currently registered teaching points is two or more (St131, YES), it further determines whether the number of currently registered teaching points is three or more (St132).

[0084] On the other hand, if the processor 11 determines in the processing of step St131 that the number of currently registered teaching points is not two or more (St131, NO), it terminates the correction processing for this teaching point (step St13) and proceeds to step St14.

[0085] If the processor 11 determines in the processing of step St132 that the number of currently registered teaching points is three or more (St132, YES), it accepts the operator's input (selection) operation of the welding operation type into the input unit 13 and determines whether the welding operation type taught by the current instruction is "arc" (St133).

[0086] The welding motion type here specifies whether a welding teaching program is to be generated for welding an arc-shaped weld line or a straight weld line when processor 11 generates the welding teaching program. If the specified welding motion type is "arc," processor 11 generates a welding teaching program for welding an arc-shaped weld line, and if the specified welding motion type is "straight," processor 11 generates a welding teaching program for welding a straight weld line.

[0087] If the processor 11 determines in the processing of step St133 that the specified welding operation type is "arc" (St133, YES), it reads out the teaching point registered one point before and the teaching point registered two points before, and performs correction processing on each of these two teaching points (St15A).

[0088] On the other hand, if the processor 11 determines in the processing of step St133 that the specified welding operation type is not "arc" (St133, NO), it reads out the previously registered teaching point and performs correction processing (St15B).

[0089] On the other hand, if the processor 11 determines in the processing of step St132 that the number of currently registered teaching points is not three or more (St132, NO), it accepts the operator's input (selection) operation of the welding operation type into the input unit 13 and determines whether the welding operation type taught by the current instruction is "straight line" (St134).

[0090] If the processor 11 determines in the processing of step St134 that the specified welding operation type is "straight line" (St134, YES), it reads out the previously registered teaching point and performs correction processing (St15B).

[0091] On the other hand, if the processor 11 determines in the processing of step St134 that the specified welding operation type is not "straight line" (St134, NO), it terminates the correction processing for this teaching point (step St13) and proceeds to step St14.

[0092] The processor 11 determines whether or not the correction process for the teaching point has been executed in the process of step St13 (St14).

[0093] In step St14, if the processor 11 determines that the correction process for the teaching points has been performed in the processing of step St13 (St14, YES), the processor 11 performs the correction process for the teaching points registered as part of the generation of the welding teaching program (St15).

[0094] The processor 11 determines whether the teaching point registered in the processing of step St12 has been corrected (St151).

[0095] When the processor 11 determines in the processing of step St151 that the teaching point has been corrected (YES in St151), it stores (registers) the position information and attitude information of the corrected teaching point in the memory 12 (St152).

[0096] On the other hand, if the processor 11 determines in the processing of step St151 that the teaching point has not been corrected (St151, NO), it determines whether or not to calculate a reference coordinate system for the attitude information of the teaching point (i.e., the tilt angle, forward / rearward advance angle, and twist angle) (St153, St153A, St153B).

[0097] Specifically, when the processor 11 decides to execute the correction process in the processing of step St14 (St14, YES), it determines that the number of registered teaching points is 0 (zero) and therefore determines not to calculate the reference coordinate system (St153, NO), and stores (registers) the position information and attitude information of the current teaching point in the memory 12 (St152).

[0098] Furthermore, if the processor 11 determines in step St133 that the motion type is "arc" and determines to execute the correction process (St133, YES), it determines to calculate a reference coordinate system (St153A, YES) and calculates a reference coordinate system for the attitude information (i.e., tilt angle, forward / rearward advance angle, and twist angle) at each teaching point based on the position information of the latest teaching point and the position information of each of the two registered teaching points. The processor 11 executes corrected setting to correct each of the three teaching points (St154).

[0099] Furthermore, if the processor 11 determines in step St133 that the motion type is not "arc" or that the motion type is "straight line" in step St134 and decides to execute a correction process (St133 or St134, YES), it determines to calculate a reference coordinate system (St153, YES) and calculates a reference coordinate system for the attitude information (i.e., tilt angle, forward / rearward advance angle, and twist angle) at these teaching points based on the position information of the latest teaching point and the position information of the previous teaching point that has been registered. The processor 11 executes a corrected setting that corrects each of the two teaching points (St154).

[0100] The processor 11 determines whether the attitude information of each teaching point is within an allowable range of the attitude information set in advance by the operator (St155). Note that the processing of step St155 is executed only for parameters (inclination angle, forward / rearward advance angle, or twist angle) for which an allowable range is set in advance, and is omitted for parameters (inclination angle, forward / rearward advance angle, or twist angle) for which an allowable range is not set in advance.

[0101] In processing step St155, if the processor 11 determines that the parameter indicated by the posture information of the teaching point is within the tolerance range for a parameter for which a tolerance range has been set in advance (St155, YES), it corrects the posture information of the teaching point to the optimal posture of the posture information set in advance by the operator (St156).

[0102] On the other hand, if, in the processing of step St155, the processor 11 determines that the parameter indicated by the attitude information of the teaching point is not within the allowable range for a parameter for which an allowable range has been set in advance (St155, NO), the processor 11 omits the correction of the attitude information of the teaching point.

[0103] After determining whether or not correction is required for the tilt angle, forward / rearward advance angle, and twist angle of each teaching point (step St155) and completing the correction process (step St156) for parameters for which tolerance ranges have been set in advance, the processor 11 stores (registers) the position information and attitude information of each teaching point in the memory 12 (St152).

[0104] On the other hand, if the processor 11 determines in step St14 that the correction process for the teaching point has not been performed in the processing of step St13 (St14, NO), it sets the teaching point to be corrected (St16) and registers the position information and attitude information of this teaching point (St17).

[0105] When processor 11 determines that the teaching of teaching points used in generating a welding teaching program has been completed through the above-described operation procedure, it generates a welding teaching program based on the position information and posture information of each of the two or three taught teaching points. Processor 11 may also determine the completion of teaching of teaching points based on an operator's operation via input unit 13 of terminal device P1. Processor 11 may also determine the completion of teaching of teaching points based on whether the motion type set in advance or designated or selected in step St13 is "arc" or "straight line" and the number of registered teaching points.

[0106] As described above, the terminal device P1 in the embodiment corrects the posture information of the controller CTR at the teaching point based on the setting of the tolerance range for posture information and the optimal posture, thereby obtaining posture information of the welding torch 2 suitable for the welding operation performed by the welding robot 1. As a result, the terminal device P1 can more efficiently generate a welding operation program by using the position information of the teaching point and the corrected posture information of the teaching point. Therefore, the terminal device P1 can generate a welding operation program in which the posture information of the teaching point is corrected to a posture suitable for the welding operation (optimal posture). This can eliminate or more effectively reduce the effort required for the worker to modify the welding teaching program, thereby supporting the worker's work of generating a welding teaching program.

[0107] (Additional Notes) The above description of each embodiment discloses the following techniques.

[0108] (Technology 1) A welding teaching system 200 includes a teaching device (controller CTR) that is operated by an operator and receives a teaching operation that teaches the operation of a welding torch 2 provided to a welding robot 1, and a terminal device P1 that can communicate with the teaching device (controller CTR), wherein the teaching device (controller CTR) acquires teaching points, including teaching positions that teach the position of the welding torch 2 that performs welding and teaching attitudes that teach the attitude of the welding torch 2 (i.e., tilt angle θt, forward / rearward advance angle θa, and twist angle θw), through the teaching operation by the operator, and transmits the teaching points to the terminal device P1, and the terminal device P1 calculates a reference coordinate system for the attitude of the welding torch 2 at the teaching positions based on the teaching positions of the acquired teaching points and information related to the workpiece Wk that is the object of welding, a welding teaching system that, when it is determined that the taught posture needs to be corrected based on the taught posture relative to the reference coordinate system, corrects the taught posture to a preset set posture (optimal posture); and generates and outputs a welding teaching program for the welding robot 1 that welds the workpiece Wk based on the taught positions and taught postures of the multiple taught points. With this configuration, when it is determined that the taught posture is not suitable for the actual welding operation performed by the welding robot 1, the welding teaching system corrects the taught posture to the preset optimal posture, thereby more efficiently generating a welding operation program taught in a posture suitable for the actual welding operation. Thus, the welding teaching system 200 can eliminate or more effectively reduce the effort required by the operator to correct the posture of each taught point after teaching or to correct the welding teaching program, thereby supporting the operator's work of generating a welding teaching program.

[0109] (Technology 2) The welding teaching system according to (Technology 1), wherein the terminal device P1 corrects the taught posture (i.e., the tilt angle θt, the forward / backward advance angle θa, and the twist angle θw) to the set posture (optimal posture) when it determines that the taught posture is within a predetermined range (allowable range) of the set posture (optimal posture). With this configuration, the welding teaching system 200 corrects the taught posture to the pre-set optimal posture when it determines that the taught posture is not suitable for the actual welding operation performed by the welding robot 1 and is within the allowable ranges Δθa1, Δθt1, and Δθw1 for correcting the taught posture, thereby enabling more efficient generation of a welding operation program taught in a posture suitable for the actual welding operation.

[0110] (Technology 3) The welding teaching system according to (Technology 1) or (Technology 2), wherein the terminal device P1 acquires information indicating whether a motion trajectory of the welding torch 2 during the welding is a straight line or an arc, and if the motion trajectory of the welding torch 2 during the welding is a straight line, calculates the reference coordinate system based on the taught positions of the two taught points and information about the workpiece Wk, and determines whether or not correction of the taught posture of each of the taught points is necessary based on the calculated reference coordinate system. With this configuration, when a weld line to be welded by a welding operation program generated by teaching is straight, the welding teaching system 200 can more efficiently generate a welding operation program by acquiring at least two taught points necessary for generating the welding operation program.

[0111] (Technology 4) The welding teaching system according to (Technology 1) or (Technology 2), wherein the terminal device P1: acquires information indicating whether a motion trajectory of the welding torch 2 during the welding is a straight line or an arc; if the motion trajectory of the welding torch 2 during the welding is an arc, acquires three teaching points; and, based on information about the three teaching points and the workpiece Wk, calculates the reference coordinate system at the teaching position and determines whether or not correction of the teaching attitude of the teaching point corresponding to the calculated reference coordinate system is necessary for each teaching point. With this configuration, when a welding line to be welded by a welding operation program generated by teaching is arc-shaped, the welding teaching system 200 can more efficiently generate a welding operation program by acquiring at least three teaching points necessary for generating the welding operation program.

[0112] (Technology 5) The welding teaching system according to any one of (Technology 1) to (Technology 4), wherein the taught posture includes a tilt angle θt, a forward / backward advance angle θa, and a twist angle θw of the welding torch 2. With this configuration, the welding teaching system 200 can determine whether each of the taught postures (tilt angle θt, forward / backward advance angle θa, and twist angle θw) is suitable for an actual welding operation performed by the welding robot 1, thereby more efficiently generating a welding operation program taught with postures suitable for actual welding operations. As a result, the welding teaching system 200 can eliminate or more effectively reduce the time and effort required by the operator to correct the posture of each teaching point after teaching or to correct the welding teaching program, thereby supporting the operator's work of generating a welding teaching program.

[0113] (Technology 6) The welding teaching system according to (Technology 5), wherein the set posture (optimum posture) is set to at least one of the tilt angle, the forward / backward advance angle, or the twist angle of the welding torch 2. With this configuration, when only an angle (i.e., tilt angle θt, forward / backward advance angle θa, or twist angle θw) among the postures (tilt angle θt, forward / backward advance angle θa, and twist angle θw) that is suitable for the actual welding operation performed by the welding robot 1 needs to be corrected, welding teaching system 200 can more efficiently generate a welding operation program taught in a posture suitable for the actual welding operation by correcting only the angle for which the optimal posture is set in advance. This allows welding teaching system 200 to eliminate or more effectively reduce the time and effort required by the operator to correct the posture of each teaching point after teaching or to correct the welding teaching program, thereby supporting the operator's work of generating a welding teaching program.

[0114] (Technology 7) A welding program generation method performed by a system (welding teaching system 200) including a teaching device (controller CTR) operated by an operator and receiving a teaching operation that teaches the operation of a welding torch 2 equipped to a welding robot 1, and a terminal device P1 that can communicate with the teaching device (controller CTR), wherein teaching points including teaching positions that teach the position of the welding torch 2 where welding is performed and teaching attitudes that teach the attitude of the welding torch 2 (i.e., tilt angle θt, forward / rearward advance angle θa, and twist angle θw) are acquired by the teaching operation by the operator, calculating a reference coordinate system for the attitude of the welding torch 2 at the teaching positions based on the teaching positions of the acquired multiple teaching points and information related to the workpiece Wk that is the welding target, and when it is determined that correction of the teaching attitude is necessary based on the teaching attitude relative to the reference coordinate system, correcting the teaching attitude to a preset set attitude (optimal attitude), and generating and outputting a welding teaching program for the welding robot 1 that welds the workpiece Wk based on the teaching positions and teaching postures of the plurality of teaching points. With this configuration, if the welding teaching system 200 determines that the taught posture is not suitable for the actual welding operation performed by the welding robot 1, the system corrects the taught posture to a predetermined optimal posture, thereby more efficiently generating a welding operation program taught with postures suitable for the actual welding operation. This allows the welding teaching system 200 to eliminate or more effectively reduce the time and effort required by the operator to correct the posture of each teaching point after teaching or to correct the welding teaching program, thereby supporting the operator in generating a welding teaching program.

[0115] (Technology 8) A computer (terminal device P1) that is operable by an operator and can communicate with a teaching device (controller CTR) that receives a teaching operation to teach the operation of welding torch 2 provided to welding robot 1 includes the steps of: acquiring teaching points including teaching positions that teach the position of welding torch 2 that performs welding and teaching attitudes that teach the attitude of welding torch 2 (i.e., tilt angle θt, forward / rearward advance angle θa, and twist angle θw) through teaching operations by the operator; calculating a reference coordinate system for the attitude of welding torch 2 at the teaching positions based on the teaching positions of the acquired teaching points and information on workpiece Wk that is the welding target; and correcting the teaching attitude to a preset attitude (optimal attitude) when it is determined that correction of the teaching attitude is necessary based on the teaching attitude relative to the reference coordinate system. and generating and outputting a welding teaching program for the welding robot 1 that welds the workpiece Wk based on the teaching positions and teaching postures of the plurality of teaching points. With this configuration, if the terminal device P1 determines that the taught posture is not suitable for the actual welding operation performed by the welding robot 1, the terminal device P1 corrects the taught posture to a predetermined optimal posture, thereby more efficiently generating a welding operation program taught with postures suitable for the actual welding operation. As a result, the terminal device P1 can eliminate or more effectively reduce the effort required by the operator to correct the posture of each teaching point after teaching or to correct the welding teaching program, thereby supporting the operator in generating the welding teaching program.

[0116] The welding system, welding robot control program creation device, welding robot control program creation method, and welding robot control program creation program according to the present disclosure have been described above with reference to the drawings. However, it goes without saying that the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications, alterations, substitutions, additions, deletions, and equivalents within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the components of the various embodiments described above may be combined in any manner without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0117] This application is based on a Japanese patent application (Patent Application No. 2023-194667) filed on November 15, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0118] The present disclosure is useful as a welding teaching system, a welding program generation method, and a welding program generation program that correct a taught posture to a posture more suitable for actual welding.

[0119] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Welding robot 2 Welding torch 3 Robot control device 10 Communication unit 11 Processor 12 Memory 13 Input unit 14 Display unit 100 Welding system 200 Welding teaching system 300 Welding robot system BS Base station CTR Controller HMD Head-mounted display P1 Terminal device TP Teach pendant Wk Workpiece WL, WL1, WL2 Weld line Δθa1, Δθt1, Δθw1 Allowable range θa Forward / backward advance angle θa0, θt0, θw0 Optimum posture θt Inclination angle θw Twist angle

Claims

1. A welding teaching system comprising: a teaching device operated by an operator and receiving a teaching operation that teaches the operation of a welding torch equipped to a welding robot; and a terminal device capable of communicating with the teaching device, wherein the teaching device acquires teaching points including a teaching position that teaches the position of the welding torch for welding and a teaching posture that teaches the posture of the welding torch through the teaching operation by the operator, and transmits the acquired teaching points to the terminal device, the terminal device calculates a reference coordinate system for the posture of the welding torch at the teaching position based on the acquired teaching positions of the multiple teaching points and information related to the workpiece to be welded, and when it is determined that correction of the teaching posture is necessary based on the teaching posture relative to the reference coordinate system, corrects the teaching posture to a preset set posture, and generates and outputs a welding teaching program for the welding robot that welds the workpiece based on the teaching positions and teaching postures of the multiple teaching points.

2. The welding teaching system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal device corrects the posture to the set posture when it determines that the taught posture is within a predetermined range of the set posture.

3. The welding teaching system of claim 1, wherein the terminal device acquires information indicating whether a motion trajectory of the welding torch during the welding is a straight line or an arc, and if the motion trajectory of the welding torch during the welding is a straight line, calculates the reference coordinate system based on the teaching positions of the two teaching points and information about the workpiece, and determines whether or not correction is required for the teaching posture of each of the teaching points based on the calculated reference coordinate system.

4. The welding teaching system of claim 1, wherein the terminal device acquires information indicating whether a motion trajectory of the welding torch during the welding is a straight line or a circular arc, acquires three teaching points if the motion trajectory of the welding torch during the welding is a circular arc, and, based on the three teaching points and information about the workpiece, calculates the reference coordinate system at the teaching position and determines whether or not correction is required for the teaching posture of the teaching point corresponding to the calculated reference coordinate system, for each teaching point.

5. The welding teaching system according to claim 1, wherein the teaching posture includes a tilt angle, a forward / rearward advance angle, and a twist angle of the welding torch.

6. The welding teaching system according to claim 5, wherein the set attitude is set to at least one of the inclination angle, the forward / rearward advance angle, or the twist angle of the welding torch.

7. A welding program generation method performed by a system including a teaching device operated by an operator and receiving a teaching operation for teaching the operation of a welding torch equipped to a welding robot, and a terminal device capable of communicating with the teaching device, the system acquiring teaching points including a teaching position for teaching a position of the welding torch for welding and a teaching posture for teaching the posture of the welding torch through the teaching operation by the operator, calculating a reference coordinate system for the posture of the welding torch at the teaching position based on the teaching positions of the acquired multiple teaching points and information on a workpiece to be welded, correcting the teaching posture to a preset posture when it is determined that correction of the teaching posture is necessary based on the teaching posture relative to the reference coordinate system, and generating and outputting a welding teaching program for the welding robot that welds the workpiece based on the teaching positions and teaching postures of the multiple teaching points.

8. A welding program generation program that causes a computer that is operated by an operator and can communicate with a teaching device that accepts teaching operations to teach the operation of a welding torch equipped to a welding robot to execute the following steps: acquiring teaching points including teaching positions that teach the position of the welding torch where welding is performed and teaching postures that teach the posture of the welding torch through teaching operations by the operator; calculating a reference coordinate system for the posture of the welding torch at the teaching positions based on the acquired teaching positions of the multiple teaching points and information related to the workpiece to be welded; correcting the teaching posture to a preset posture when it is determined that correction of the teaching posture is necessary based on the teaching posture relative to the reference coordinate system; and generating and outputting a welding teaching program for the welding robot that welds the workpiece based on the teaching positions and teaching postures of the multiple teaching points.

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