Welding Wire Light Ring for Shadow-Free Tip Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automated welding systems often lack sufficient lighting for human maintenance crews to accurately and efficiently calibrate and align welding components, leading to increased downtime due to shadows cast by handheld lights and the need for precise adjustments.
Innovation Solution
A dedicated welding wire light device that can be affixed to the welding wand, featuring a circular disk with multiple LEDs positioned equidistantly around its circumference, housed within a removable outer housing, providing even illumination without casting shadows and allowing for better alignment of the welding tip, wire, and workpieces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a handheld light is used to illuminate the welding area, then the maintenance crew can see the components, but shadows are cast on the machine elements causing mis-alignment
Solution Approach 1:
A mirror is introduced as an intermediary element to redirect light onto the welding components. The mirror reflects light from an external source onto the work area, providing illumination without the light source needing to be physically present in the area, thus avoiding shadow casting on the components being aligned
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting solution moves from a direct linear approach (handheld light shining directly on components) to a multi-dimensional approach using mirror reflection. Light travels from the external source, reflects off the mirror at an angle, and reaches the components, utilizing spatial dimensions to achieve illumination without obstruction
2Productivity
If automated welding systems are used, then productivity increases, but lighting is reduced making manual calibration difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting function is extracted from the automated welding system itself and provided as a separate, dedicated component. The mirror and external light source are added specifically for the calibration function, allowing the automated welding system to maintain its productivity while the separate lighting system addresses the calibration visibility issue
Solution Approach 2:
The mirror assembly serves multiple functions: it provides illumination during calibration, can be adjusted to illuminate different areas, and does not interfere with the automated welding process. This multi-functional design allows a single addition to address multiple needs
3Illumination intensity
If handheld lights are used in darkened areas, then illumination is provided, but shadows cause the alignment to be incorrect requiring repetition
Solution Approach 1:
The mirror acts as an intermediary that provides illumination without the light source obstructing the view or casting shadows. By reflecting light onto the components from an external position, the mirror enables correct alignment on the first attempt, eliminating the need for repeated adjustments and saving time
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The welding wire light enables more accurate and efficient alignment and calibration of welding components, reducing downtime and improving manufacturing efficiency by providing consistent, shadow-free illumination for maintenance tasks.
Implementation Method 1
featuring a circular disk with multiple LEDs positioned equidistantly around its circumference
Data Source
AI summary
A welding wire light is shown and described. The welding wire light can be used to align the welding tip and the wire in automated welding processes. This welding wire light can allow more accurate and precise alignment of these elements resulting in better welded results. Several embodiments are disclosed for illuminating these elements which are especially helpful on automated welding process lines when components need to be replaced or adjusted quickly and accurately.