Stick Electrode Tracking Attachments for Welding Technique Monitoring
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
It is challenging for less experienced welding operators to accurately judge whether their welding technique is good or bad, which can negatively impact the quality of the weld.
Innovation Solution
The use of tracking attachments with trackable markers on stick electrodes and holders, allowing monitoring systems to track and monitor the position and orientation of the stick electrode during welding operations, eliminating the need for costly customized equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If tracking attachments with trackable markers are added to stick electrodes and holders, then welding technique monitoring capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces tracking attachments as intermediary components that couple standard stick electrodes and holders to optical tracking systems. These attachments include trackable markers that enable monitoring without modifying the core welding equipment, thus improving measurement capability while minimizing complexity increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The tracking attachments create an optical copy or representation of the stick electrode position and orientation through trackable markers. This allows the monitoring system to track the electrode's spatial coordinates without physically altering the electrode itself, resolving the contradiction between monitoring precision and device complexity.
2Measurement precision
If customized/modified stick electrode holders and electrodes are used for tracking, then tracking capability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tracking system is segmented into separate components: standard stick electrodes, detachable tracking attachments with markers, and the monitoring system. This allows the tracking functionality to be added as an accessory rather than requiring costly customization of the electrode holders and electrodes themselves.
Solution Approach 2:
The tracking attachments are designed to be universally compatible with standard stick electrodes and holders, allowing the same attachment design to work across different welding setups. This universality reduces manufacturing costs by avoiding custom-made components for each specific application.
3Device complexity
If human operators manually judge welding technique, then no additional equipment is needed, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system provides objective feedback on welding technique by tracking electrode position, orientation, and movement through the trackable markers. This automated feedback mechanism replaces subjective human judgment with precise measurement data, improving accuracy while requiring minimal additional equipment.
Data Source
AI summary
Some examples of the present disclosure relate to tracking attachments that allow trackable markers to be easily attached to stick electrodes and/or stick electrode holders, thereby removing the need for costly customized/modified stick electrode holders and/or stick electrodes. In some examples, each tracking attachment includes one or more trackable markers that can be detected and/or tracked by a monitoring system. In some examples, the trackable marker(s) of the tracking attachment facilitate tracking and/or monitoring of welding technique by aiding in the tracking/monitoring of the position(s) and/or orientation(s) of the stick electrode and/or stick electrode holder during welding-type operations.