Spot Welding Program Creation With Semitransparent 3D Workpieces
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Solution Overview
Problem
The inefficiency in creating welding programs for spot welding on stacked sheet-like workpieces due to the inability to visually check the back side of welding portions, which requires rotating the product model and can impede the setting process, especially when holes or notches are present.
Innovation Solution
A program creation device that generates and displays a product model's three-dimensional image, allowing the selected surface to be made semitransparent, enabling the setting of welding portions without rotating the model, thus avoiding the need to confirm the presence of holes or notches on the back side.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the product model is rotated to check the back side of welding portions, then the visibility of holes or notches is improved, but the operation efficiency deteriorates due to repeated rotation operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies transparency changes to the workpiece model instead of color changes. The display control unit makes the workpiece semitransparent when a welding portion is selected, allowing the operator to see through the workpiece to the back side features (holes, notches) without rotating the model. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining full visibility of back side features while eliminating the time-consuming rotation operations.
2Manufacturing precision
If the product model is rotated frequently to check welding portions, then the completeness of welding portion setting is improved, but the time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent prepares the workpiece model in advance by enabling transparency control based on welding portion selection. When an operator selects a welding portion, the system automatically makes the workpiece semitransparent, showing all back side features immediately without requiring preliminary rotation actions. This allows complete welding portion setting accuracy to be achieved while minimizing program creation time.
3Ease of operation
If the workpiece is made semitransparent, then the ease of setting welding portions is improved by avoiding rotation, but the device complexity increases due to display control requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the display control unit continuously monitors which welding portion is selected and automatically adjusts the transparency of the workpiece accordingly. When a welding portion is selected, the system provides visual feedback by making the workpiece semitransparent, allowing the operator to see back side features. This automated feedback-based transparency control simplifies the operation while managing device complexity through software-based control rather than hardware modifications.
Data Source
AI summary
A welding program is created for performing spot welding by a program creation device. The program creation device includes a display unit configured to display an image, and an image generation unit configured to generate image data of a product model before being subjected to spot welding in accordance with shape data on a product and display the product model on the display unit, a display control unit configured to make a workpiece having a selected surface in the product model to be semitransparent, a welding portion setting unit configured to set welding portions to be allotted for the selected surface in the product model, and a program creation unit configured to create the welding program including related data for a welding robot with regard to the set welding portions.