Arc Welding Voltage Sampling for Micro-Short Circuit Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional systems fail to accurately recognize micro-short circuits during consumable electrode arc welding due to long data sampling cycles, leading to spatter formation from molten metal scattering.

Innovation Solution

A welding machine with a data acquisition unit that samples output voltage values at high frequency, coupled with first and second storage units to calculate and store the number and average of micro-short circuits, allowing for real-time detection and estimation of spatter occurrence.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a long sampling cycle is used for data acquisition, then the device complexity is reduced and storage requirements are lowered, but the ability to detect micro-short circuits occurring within 2 milliseconds is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata acquisition system complexityVSAvoidmicro-short circuit detection accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the data acquisition and processing functions into multiple components: a data acquisition unit that collects voltage data at high frequency, a storage unit that buffers the data, and a data processing unit that analyzes the buffered data to detect micro-short circuits. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high detection precision without requiring the entire system to operate at high speed continuously, thus reducing overall device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Measurement precision

If a high sampling frequency is used to detect micro-short circuits, then the detection accuracy is improved, but the data storage requirements and processing load increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemicro-short circuit detection accuracyVSAvoiddata storage volume
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential data needed for micro-short circuit detection from the high-frequency voltage data stream. The data processing unit analyzes the buffered voltage data to identify specific patterns indicating micro-short circuits, rather than storing and processing all raw data. This extraction approach maintains detection accuracy while significantly reducing the effective data storage requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements preliminary data buffering in the storage unit before analysis. The data acquisition unit continuously acquires voltage data and stores it in the buffer at high frequency, preparing the data in advance for analysis. This preliminary action allows the data processing unit to work with pre-organized data, reducing processing load and enabling efficient detection without requiring excessive storage capacity for simultaneous high-rate processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4026667B1Welding machine and welding system provided with a plurality of welding machines
Publication Date: 2025.10.29 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD
  • EP4026667B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4026667B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4026667B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Arc welding machine (1000) includes at least welding torch (300) that holds welding wire (400), and welding power supply device (100). Welding power supply device (100) includes at least current/voltage detector (20), data processor (90), first storage unit (40), and second storage unit (50). Current/voltage detector (20) sequentially acquires a plurality of output voltage values of a welding voltage at sampling frequency (fs). First storage unit (40) stores the plurality of output voltage values. Data processor (90) calculates at least one of a number of occurrences of a micro-short circuit occurring between welding wire (400) and workpiece (W) and an average value thereof, based on the plurality of output voltage values stored in first storage unit (40), and stores at least one of the calculated number of occurrences of the micro-short circuit and the average value thereof in second storage unit (50).