System for characterizing manual welding operations

• US 10,068,495 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2016
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lincoln Global Incorporated (Lincoln Electric Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lincoln Global Incorporated (Lincoln Electric Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Boulware, Paul Christopher, Conrardy, Christopher C., Clark, Douglas A., Forquer, M. William
• Primary Examiner(s): Fletcher, Jerry-Daryl
• Application Number:
  US15/077,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20160203735A1
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/0956 using sensing means, e.g. optical
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/10 Other electric circuits therefor; Protective circuits; Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/24 Use of tools
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/02 with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip

Abstract

A system for characterizing manual welding exercises and providing valuable training to welders that includes components for generating, capturing, and processing data. The data generating component further includes a fixture, workpiece, at least one calibration devices each having at least two point markers integral therewith, and a welding tool. The data capturing component further includes an imaging system for capturing images of the point markers and the data processing component is operative to receive information from the data capturing component and perform various position and orientation calculations.

Claims

1. A system for characterizing a manual welding operation;

said system comprising;

a stand structure comprising a horizontal welding platform and a vertical portion;

where said horizontal welding platform comprises a plurality of point markers having a predetermined relationship, and where said horizontal welding platform is configured to hold a workpiece to be welded in a manual welding operation;

a calibration device, said calibration device used to calibrate a position and orientation of an operational path for a weld joint on said workpiece;

a welding tool, wherein said welding tool is operative to perform said manual welding operation, and where said welding tool includes a plurality of point markers mounted thereon in a predetermined pattern, where said predetermined pattern defines a rigid body;

an optical camera system comprising a plurality of optical cameras, where said optical camera system is coupled to said vertical portion of said stand structure such that said plurality of optical cameras can image said plurality of point markers on said horizontal welding platform during said calibration and said plurality of point markers on said welding tool during said manual welding operation; and

a data processing component coupled to said optical camera system to receive images from said plurality of optical cameras, where said data processing component determines each of;

the position and orientation of said operational path for said weld joint on said workpiece, where said position and orientation of said operational path is determined using images from said optical camera system regarding a positioning of said plurality of point markers on said horizontal welding platform and said calibration device, and

a position and orientation of said welding tool relative to said operational path during said manual welding operation, where said position and orientation of said welding tool is determined using images from said optical camera system regarding the-a position of said plurality of said point markers on said welding tool,

wherein said data processing component determines each of a work angle, a travel angle, a travel speed, a bead placement and a tool standoff distance, where said determinations are based on said determined position and orientation of said welding tool for said manual welding operation and said defined rigid body.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said calibration device is placed in physical contact with said workpiece for said calibration of said position and orientation of said operational path.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of point markers on said welding tool are active point markers.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of point markers on said welding tool are light emitting point markers.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said calibration device is a calibration block.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said horizontal welding platform further comprises a plurality of clamps to secure said workpiece for said manual welding operation.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said data processing component compares each of said determined work angle, travel angle, travel speed, bead placement and tool standoff distance to upper and lower thresholds for each of said work angle, travel angle, travel speed, bead placement and tool standoff distance, respectively.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein each of said upper and lower thresholds for each of said work angle, travel angle, travel speed, bead placement and tool standoff distance are pre-determined.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein a performance score is determined for said manual welding operation, and where said performance score is determined using each of said determined work angle, travel angle, travel speed, bead placement and tool standoff distance.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said data processing component compares each of said determined work angle, travel angle, travel speed, bead placement and tool standoff distance to a preferred value for each of said work angle, travel angle, travel speed, bead placement and tool standoff distance, respectively.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of optical cameras capture images of said plurality of point markers on said welding tool and said data processing component processes said captured images using a frame-by-frame point cloud analysis.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said stand structure further comprises a vertical workpiece support structure which can hold said workpiece in an orientation where said operational path is orientated horizontally or vertically.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a monitor which displays a quality of a weld created by said manual welding operation.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said data processing component determines a three-dimensional position and orientation of each of the operational path and said welding tool.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said data processing component uses said calibration device and said plurality of said point markers on said horizontal welding platform to determine global coordinates for said operational path.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein said calibration device includes at least one point marker.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of point markers on said horizontal welding platform and said plurality of point markers on said welding tool are active point markers.

18. A system for characterizing a manual welding operation;

said system comprising;

a stand structure comprising a horizontal welding platform and a vertical portion;

where said horizontal welding platform comprises a plurality of point markers having a predetermined relationship, and where said horizontal welding platform is configured to hold a workpiece to be welded in a manual welding operation;

a calibration tool having at least one point marker, said calibration tool used to calibrate a position and orientation of an operational path for a weld joint on said workpiece;

a welding tool, wherein said welding tool is operative to perform said manual welding operation, and where said welding tool includes a plurality of active point markers mounted thereon in a predetermined pattern;

an optical camera system comprising a plurality of optical cameras, where said optical camera system is coupled to said vertical portion of said stand structure such that said plurality of optical cameras can image said plurality of point markers on said horizontal welding platform and said at least one point marker on said calibration tool during said calibration, and said plurality of point markers on said welding tool during said manual welding operation; and

a data processing component coupled to said optical camera system to receive images from said plurality of optical cameras, where said data processing component determines each of;

a 3-D position and orientation of said operational path for said weld joint on said workpiece, where said 3-D position and orientation of said operational path is determined using images from said optical camera system regarding the positioning of said plurality of point markers on said horizontal welding platform and said at least one point marker on said calibration tool, and

a 3-D position and orientation of said welding tool relative to said operational path during said manual welding operation, where said 3-D position and orientation of said welding tool is determined using images from said optical camera system regarding the position of said plurality of said point markers on said welding tool,

wherein said data processing component determines at least one welding process parameter, where said welding process parameter can be any one of a welding tool work angle, welding tool travel angle, welding tool travel speed, bead placement and welding tool standoff distance, where said determination is based on said determined 3-D position and orientation of said welding tool for said manual welding operation.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said calibration tool is placed in physical contact with said workpiece for said calibration of said 3-D position and orientation of said operational path.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein said plurality of point markers on said horizontal welding platform are active point markers.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein said plurality of point markers on said welding tool are light emitting point markers.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein said horizontal welding platform further comprises a plurality of clamps to secure said workpiece for said manual welding operation.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein said data processing component compares said determined at least one welding process parameter to an upper and a lower threshold for said determined at least one welding process parameter.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein said wherein said data processing component determines each of said welding tool work angle, welding tool travel angle, welding tool travel speed, bead placement and welding tool standoff distance based on said determined 3-D position and orientation of said welding tool for said manual welding operation, and compares each of said determined welding tool work angle, welding tool travel angle, welding tool travel speed, bead placement and welding tool standoff distance to a preferred value for each of said welding tool work angle, welding tool travel angle, welding tool travel speed, bead placement and welding tool standoff distance, respectively.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein a performance score is determined for said manual welding operation, and where said performance score is determined using each of a determined work angle, travel angle, travel speed, bead placement and tool standoff distance.

26. The system of claim 18, wherein said data processing component compares each of said determined work angle, travel angle, travel speed, bead placement and tool standoff distance to a preferred value for each of said work angle, travel angle, travel speed, bead placement and tool standoff distance, respectively.

27. The system of claim 18, wherein said plurality of optical cameras capture images of said plurality of point markers on said welding tool and said data processing component processes said captured images using a frame-by-frame point cloud analysis.

28. The system of claim 18, wherein said plurality of active point markers on said welding tool define a rigid body and said data processing component uses said rigid body determine said at least one welding process parameter.

29. The system of claim 18, wherein said stand structure further comprises a vertical workpiece support structure which can hold said workpiece in an orientation where said operational path is orientated horizontally or vertically.

30. The system of claim 18, further comprising a monitor which displays a quality of a weld created by said manual welding operation.

31. The system of claim 18, wherein said data processing component uses said calibration tool and said plurality of said point markers on said horizontal welding platform to determine global coordinates for said operational path.

32. A system for characterizing a manual welding operation;

said system comprising;

a stand structure comprising a horizontal welding platform and a vertical portion, where said horizontal welding platform is configured to hold a workpiece to be welded in a manual welding operation;

a calibration tool having a plurality of point markers, said calibration tool used to calibrate a position and orientation of an operational path for a weld joint on said workpiece;

a welding tool, wherein said welding tool is operative to perform said manual welding operation, and where said welding tool includes a plurality of active point markers mounted thereon in a predetermined pattern;

an optical camera system comprising a plurality of optical cameras, where said optical camera system is coupled to said vertical portion of said stand structure such that said plurality of optical cameras can image said plurality of point markers on said calibration tool during said calibration, and said plurality of point markers on said welding tool during said manual welding operation; and

a data processing component coupled to said optical camera system to receive captured images from said plurality of optical cameras, where said data processing component determines each of;

a 3-D position and orientation of said operational path for said weld joint on said workpiece, where said 3-D position and orientation of said operational path is determined using captured images from said optical camera system having the positioning of said plurality of point markers on said calibration tool, and

a 3-D position and orientation of said welding tool relative to said operational path during said manual welding operation, where said 3-1 position and orientation of said welding tool is determined using captured images from said optical camera system having the position of said plurality of said active point markers on said welding tool,

wherein said data processing component determines each one of a welding tool work angle, welding tool travel angle, welding tool travel speed, bead placement and welding tool standoff distance, where said determinations are based on said determined 3-D position and orientation of said welding tool for said manual welding operation, said determined 3-D position and orientation of said operational path, and a defined rigid body for said plurality of active pointy markers on said welding tool.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein said horizontal welding platform comprises a plurality of point markers having a predetermined relationship, and said data processing component uses images of said plurality of point markers on said horizontal welding platform to determine said 3-D position and orientation of said operational path.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein said calibration tool is placed in physical contact with said workpiece during said calibration.