Robot-Guided Eddy Current Welding Spot Inspection for Car Bodies
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current car body welding spot inspection methods are inefficient and unreliable, relying heavily on manual and destructive techniques, or complex nondestructive methods like ultrasonic inspection, which are time-consuming and difficult to automate, especially due to challenges in accurately locating and inspecting the large number of welding spots on a car body.
Innovation Solution
An automatic inspection system comprising a robot, an eddy inspection probe, and a visual system with a camera and lighting sources, where the camera and probe form specific angles, allowing for accurate positioning and quality inspection of welding spots without the need for coupling agents, and enabling continuous, high-speed inspection on a production line.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual or offline inspection methods are used for welding spots, then inspection reliability may be maintained through subjective judgment, but inspection efficiency is extremely low and cannot keep up with production rhythm
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical inspection with an automated eddy current inspection system. The robot arm carries the inspection probe to automatically position and inspect welding spots, substituting human operators with automated equipment that combines robotic positioning and eddy current detection, thereby dramatically improving inspection efficiency while maintaining reliability through consistent automated measurement
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements self-positioning capability where the robot automatically locates welding spots using visual recognition technology. The system can independently identify welding spot positions, calculate offsets from preset positions, and adjust probe positioning without human intervention, enabling the inspection system to serve itself and achieve continuous automated operation
2Measurement precision
If ultrasonic inspection is used for nondestructive testing, then penetration power and defect detection capability are improved, but the process becomes complex due to coupling agent application and removal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the coupling agent requirement from the inspection process. By adopting eddy current inspection instead of ultrasonic inspection, the system removes the necessary step of applying and removing coupling agents, simplifying the overall inspection process while maintaining defect detection capability through electromagnetic induction principles
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes ultrasonic wave-based inspection with eddy current-based inspection. This replacement eliminates the need for mechanical coupling agents and complex application/removal processes, using electromagnetic fields instead of acoustic waves to detect welding spot defects, thereby reducing process complexity
3Productivity
If automatic inspection is implemented, then inspection speed and continuity are improved, but positioning accuracy of welding spots becomes difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary visual recognition and positioning of welding spots before the actual eddy current inspection. The robot uses visual systems to identify welding spot locations, calculate offsets from preset positions, and pre-position the probe accordingly, ensuring accurate positioning is achieved before the high-speed inspection process begins
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback control where the visual recognition system continuously monitors welding spot positions, calculates deviations from preset positions, and provides real-time correction signals to the robot positioning system. This closed-loop feedback ensures positioning accuracy is maintained even at high inspection speeds
4Measurement precision
If destructive inspection methods are used for sampling tests, then material characteristics can be detected through fracture surface analysis, but the process is time-consuming and damages the welding spot
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces destructive mechanical testing with nondestructive eddy current inspection. The system uses electromagnetic induction to detect welding spot quality and material characteristics without physically damaging the welding spot, eliminating the time-consuming destructive testing process while maintaining the ability to assess material properties
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the essential detection function from destructive testing and implements it through nondestructive eddy current measurement. By taking out only the necessary quality assessment capability and separating it from the destructive sampling process, the system achieves material characteristic detection without time loss or damage to the welding spot
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
The system significantly reduces inspection time per welding spot, improves accuracy, and simplifies the inspection process by using robot visual guidance and eddy inspection technology, allowing for precise measurement and quality assessment of welding spots, thereby enhancing the efficiency and reliability of car body welding spot inspection.
Implementation Method 1
an eddy inspection probe, wherein the robot holds a camera and a probe device
Implementation Method 2
Several lighting sources are distributed around the camera, forming a second included angle with the camera
Data Source
AI summary
This invention is directed to an automatic inspection system of welding spots in the car body and a control method thereof, the automatic inspection system comprising a controller and a robot arm, a probe device, and a visual system, wherein the robotic arm holds a camera and the probe device, the probe device targets at car body welding spot and form the first included angle with the camera. Many lighting sources are distributed around the camera, which form the second included angle with the camera. The camera is connected with Image Collecting and Processing Device to obtain position data of welding spot in the car body, the controller is connected with Image Collecting and Processing Device by network, and foresaid controller rectifies position of the probe on the robotic arm according to the position of welding spot in the car body.