Welding Wire Conveyance Pressure Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for determining the setpoint value of contact pressure for conveying rollers in welding devices are labor-intensive, prone to misadjustments, and do not effectively consider the configuration of the welding device, leading to suboptimal welding quality.

Innovation Solution

A method where defined parameters and configuration parameters are stored in a database to calculate the setpoint value of contact pressure, allowing for automatic or manual adjustment, with real-time consideration of actual values, reducing misadjustments and improving adaptability to different configurations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the contact pressure is increased to prevent wire slippage, then the wire conveyance reliability improves, but the wire may deform and conveyance problems occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewire conveyance reliabilityVSAvoidwire deformation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by adjusting the contact pressure parameters of the conveying rollers based on the specific wire material and diameter. The system stores optimal contact pressure values in a database and automatically selects and applies the appropriate parameters for different wire types, ensuring reliable conveyance without deformation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs self-service by automatically determining and adjusting the contact pressure settings based on the wire parameters. The control unit automatically retrieves the appropriate contact pressure values from the database and adjusts the conveying rollers accordingly, eliminating manual intervention and ensuring optimal settings are always applied.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Device complexity

If manual adjustment of contact pressure is used, then the system complexity is reduced, but misadjustments occur and welding quality deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem complexityVSAvoidwelding quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback by having the control unit automatically retrieve wire parameters (material and diameter), determine the appropriate contact pressure values from the database, and adjust the conveying rollers accordingly. This closed-loop system ensures accurate and consistent contact pressure settings, eliminating manual misadjustments while maintaining reasonable system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces manual mechanical adjustment with an automated control system. The control unit electronically determines and adjusts the contact pressure based on stored parameters, substituting human operation with an automated system that provides higher precision and consistency while adding minimal complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Ease of operation

If empirical tables with setpoint values are used, then the determination process is simplified, but they do not consider welding device configuration and adaptability is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetermination process simplicityVSAvoidconfiguration adaptability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies universality by creating a database that stores contact pressure setpoint values for multiple wire materials and diameters, along with different welding device configurations. The system can universally handle various wire types and device configurations by retrieving the appropriate parameters from the database, maintaining simplicity while enhancing adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies dynamics by making the contact pressure determination adaptive rather than static. The control unit dynamically selects the appropriate contact pressure values from the database based on the actual wire parameters and device configuration, allowing the system to adapt to different conditions while maintaining ease of operation through automated parameter selection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS9229436B2Method for determining the setpoint contact pressure value for conveying a welding wire of a welding device and corresponding welding device

Publication Date: 2016.01.05 FRONIUS INT GMBH

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for determining a setpoint value (pset) for the contact pressure of conveying rollers (29, 30) of at least one device (8) for conveying a welding wire (9) of a welding device (1), and a corresponding welding device (1). In order to improve the determination of the setpoint value (pset) for the contact pressure of each conveying device (8), data of the defined parameters (Pi) together with data from additional parameters (Pz) relating to the configuration of the welding device (1) are stored in a database (26) together with the setpoint values (pset), determined in each case empirically, of the contact pressure or a calculation rule for calculating the respective setpoint values (pset) of the contact pressure, and the setpoint value (pset) of the contact pressure of each conveying device (8) is determined empirically or by calculation depending on this defined parameters (Pi) and additional configuration parameters (Pz) from the database (26) and is indicated on at least one display (28).