Weld Path Generation Using Multi-Point Seam Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing welding methods along a seam fail to accommodate part-to-part variations in dimensions, leading to misalignment and increased welding quality issues, with misaligned welds often going undetected and resulting in higher failure rates.
Innovation Solution
A method using a computer with a control unit and storage medium to align a crosshair at multiple points along the seam, calculate the seam's width and height, and generate a customized weld path, with practice runs to ensure alignment, allowing for adjustments to achieve precise alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a predetermined weld path is stored in the welding machine using nominal dimensions, then the welding process can be automated and performed efficiently, but the weld path becomes misaligned when part dimensions vary, leading to welding quality issues
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs a practice run before actual welding to detect misalignment between the predetermined weld path and the actual seam position. This preliminary action allows the system to identify dimension variations and adjust the weld path accordingly, preventing welding quality issues before they occur
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses vision technology to detect the actual seam position during the practice run and provides feedback to adjust the weld path. This feedback mechanism enables real-time correction of misalignment caused by part dimension variations, maintaining welding precision while preserving automation efficiency
2Ease of manufacture
If the weld path is generated based on nominal dimensions without accommodation for part variations, then the welding setup is simple and quick, but welding failures increase due to misalignment that goes undetected
Solution Approach 1:
A practice run is executed before production welding to detect misalignment between the predetermined weld path and actual seam positions. This preliminary detection step identifies potential welding failures due to dimension variations without complicating the overall manufacturing process
Solution Approach 2:
The vision system detects seam position deviations during the practice run and provides feedback to adjust the weld path, ensuring reliable welding results while maintaining ease of manufacture through automated detection and correction
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple points are aligned along the seam to calculate precise dimensions, then the weld path alignment accuracy improves, but the time required for setup and practice runs increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system aligns the crosshair at multiple points along the seam (excessive action) to capture dimension variations, but only performs this detailed alignment during the practice run phase. The actual production welding then uses the pre-calculated adjusted weld path, minimizing time loss while achieving high precision
Solution Approach 2:
The multiple-point alignment and weld path calculation are performed in advance during setup and practice runs. This preliminary action captures all necessary dimensional information, allowing fast automated welding during production without repeated measurements
Data Source
AI summary
A method for generating a weld path aligned along a seam between two parts uses a computer having a control unit and a storage medium. The method includes aligning a crosshair line at a plurality of points along the seam and storing a position value for each of the plurality of points in the storage medium; calculating a width and a height of the seam based on the stored position values of each of the plurality of points; and generating the weld path based on the height and the width of the seam.