Welding Electrode Pin Sensing for Fastener Orientation Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional welding assemblies face issues with detecting the proper orientation of weld fasteners, leading to destruction of electrodes, fasteners, and tooling, resulting in production delays and rejections due to mis-orientation or incorrect fasteners.
Innovation Solution
A position sensing system for a welding electrode that includes a housing, a linearly movable pin, and various sensors (limit switch, voltage detector, visual indicator, electrical angle sensor, mechanical angle sensor, optical angle sensor, and pneumatic angle sensor) to monitor the orientation and presence of the weld part, immune to electromagnetic fields, and easily adaptable to existing weld assemblies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional welding assemblies are used without position sensing, then the device complexity is low, but the reliability is poor due to inability to detect fastener orientation and presence
Solution Approach 1:
The welding electrode is divided into functional segments: a housing containing the sensor mechanism, a location pin for physical detection, and a sensor component for signal generation. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while maintaining overall system reliability for detecting fastener orientation and presence.
2Reliability
If multiple sensors and monitoring components are incorporated to detect fastener orientation, then the reliability improves, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor mechanism within the housing performs multiple functions: detecting the presence of the fastener, determining its orientation (correct or incorrect), and providing positional information. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate sensors for each detection task, thereby improving reliability while managing manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The location pin acts as an intermediary mechanical element that translates fastener position and orientation into detectable sensor signals. This intermediary mechanism simplifies the sensing process by providing a clear, reliable physical reference that the sensor can detect, improving accuracy without requiring complex sensor arrays.
3Reliability
If a position sensing system with multiple components is added to existing weld assemblies, then the reliability and detection capability improve, but the adaptability to existing systems decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor mechanism is nested within the existing electrode housing structure, with the location pin and sensor components integrated into the housing cavity. This nested design allows the sensing system to be incorporated into existing welding assemblies without requiring complete system redesign, maintaining adaptability while adding detection capability.
4Productivity
If conventional electrodes without position sensing are used, then the ease of operation is high, but the productivity decreases due to production delays from mis-welding and rework
Solution Approach 1:
The position sensing system performs detection of fastener presence and orientation before the welding operation commences. This preliminary detection prevents mis-welding by identifying incorrect configurations in advance, eliminating the need for rework and associated production delays, thereby improving productivity while maintaining ease of operation through automated detection.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus includes a housing, a pin, a mechanism and a sensor. The housing is configured to receive a weld head. The pin is configured to move linearly relative to said housing. The mechanism is configured to convert a position of said pin into a displacement. The sensor is configured to generate a value representative of said position of said pin based on said displacement.