Optical Weld Seam Sensing With Self-Alignment for Plastic Pipe Joints
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual optical inspection of weld seams in plastic butt welds is time-consuming and inconsistent due to human error, and existing automated methods require precise sensor alignment, limiting flexibility and efficiency in quality control.
Innovation Solution
A method and device using an optical sensor with automatic positioning along a sensor axis, allowing rough manual placement and autonomous alignment to determine the optimum measurement position for accurate weld seam geometry analysis, reducing human error and enabling flexible inspection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If manual optical inspection is used to check weld seam geometry, then the inspection can be performed with simple equipment, but the inspection is time-consuming and inconsistent due to human error
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-alignment through the automatic positioning device that uses sensors to detect the weld seam location and autonomously adjusts the optical sensor position, eliminating the need for manual precise alignment by operators while maintaining inspection accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical positioning with an automated positioning system that uses electronic sensors and motorized actuators to locate and align with the weld seam, thereby increasing inspection speed while maintaining simplicity of use
2Ease of manufacture
If manual optical inspection is used to check weld seam geometry, then the equipment required is simple, but the inspection consistency deteriorates due to human error
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-alignment through the automatic positioning device that uses sensors to detect the weld seam location and autonomously adjusts the optical sensor position, eliminating the need for manual precise alignment by operators while maintaining inspection accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses sensors to detect the actual weld seam position and provides feedback to the positioning control system, which then adjusts the sensor position accordingly, ensuring consistent and accurate measurements regardless of initial positioning variations
3Measurement precision
If precise alignment of the weld seam in relation to the sensor is required, then measurement accuracy is improved, but the device complexity and configuration time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-alignment through the automatic positioning device that uses sensors to detect the weld seam location and autonomously adjusts the optical sensor position, eliminating the need for manual precise alignment by operators while maintaining inspection accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary rough positioning manually or through simple fixtures, then the automatic positioning device takes over to achieve precise alignment, separating the coarse and fine positioning tasks to reduce overall system complexity
4Measurement precision
If precise alignment of the weld seam in relation to the sensor is required, then measurement accuracy is improved, but the configuration time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-alignment through the automatic positioning device that uses sensors to detect the weld seam location and autonomously adjusts the optical sensor position, eliminating the need for manual precise alignment by operators while maintaining inspection accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary rough positioning manually or through simple fixtures, then the automatic positioning device takes over to achieve precise alignment, separating the coarse and fine positioning tasks to reduce overall system complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables rapid and consistent optical inspection of weld seams, reducing inspection time to a few seconds and improving accuracy by minimizing parallax and image distortion, allowing for both immediate and subsequent quality control checks.
Implementation Method 1
acquiring the visible weld seam geometry and/or the data by means of the sensor
Data Source
AI summary
A technique for sensing a weld seam geometry of a plastic butt weld seam, preferably plastic pipes, including:manual positioning of an optical sensor in relation to a butt weld seam between pipeline components, preferably plastic pipes, wherein the sensor is aligned approximately perpendicularly to the pipe centre axis,automatic approaching of the sensor of measurement positions along or around a sensor axis,acquiring the visible weld seam geometry and/or the data by means of the sensor in each approached measurement position,determining the optimum measurement position by way of the acquired data, preferably by means of an algorithm,automatic approaching of the sensor of the optimum measurement position along or around the sensor axis,acquiring the weld seam geometry to determine the quality of the weld seam,analyzing and judging the measurement of the acquired weld seam geometry at the optimized measurement position.