Systems and methods for tracking weld training arc parameters

• US 10,427,239 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2016
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Becker, William Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thien S
• Application Number:
  US15/073,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20160288236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• Field of Search: 21912402, 21912434, 2191301, 219132, 434234
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/0953 using computing means
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/0956 using sensing means, e.g. optical
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/24 Use of tools

Abstract

A welding system includes one or more sensors configured to detect data relating to one or more arc parameters for the welding system during a weld performed by the welding system. The welding system also includes control circuitry configured to receive the data corresponding to the one or more arc parameters from the one or more sensors, time synchronize the data corresponding to the one or more arc parameters with data relating to one or more welding parameters over a time period for the weld, present the data corresponding to the one or more arc parameters graphically over the time period via a user-viewable screen during the weld, and present the data corresponding to the one or more welding parameters graphically over the time period via the user-viewable screen during the weld.

Claims

1. A welding system comprising:

one or more sensors configured to detect data relating to one or more arc parameters for the welding system during a weld performed by the welding system; and

control circuitry configured to;

receive the data corresponding to the one or more arc parameters from the one or more sensors, wherein the one or more arc parameters comprise voltage, amperage, wire feed speed, or a combination thereof;

time synchronize the data corresponding to the one or more arc parameters with data relating to one or more welding parameters over a time period for the weld;

present the data corresponding to the one or more arc parameters graphically over the time period via a user-viewable screen during the weld; and

present the data corresponding to the one or more welding parameters graphically over the time period via the user-viewable screen during the weld;

wherein the control circuitry is configured to calculate a score for the one or more arc parameters, and to present the respective score via the user-viewable screen aligned with a respective graph of data relating to the respective parameter.

2. The welding system of claim 1, wherein the one or more welding parameters comprise work angle, travel angle, contact tip to work distance (CTWD), travel speed, aim, or a combination thereof.

3. The welding system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to calculate a score for the weld based at least in part on the one or more arc parameters, and to present the score via the user-viewable screen.

4. The welding system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine when either a voltage or an amperage of the data relating to the one or more arc parameters do not meet predetermined requirements, and to present an indication via the user-viewable screen when either the voltage or the amperage of the data relating to the one or more arc parameters do not meet the predetermined requirements.

5. The welding system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine when data relating to the one or more arc parameters is not detected by the one or more sensors during the weld, and to present an indication via the user-viewable screen when the data relating to the one or more arc parameters is not detected by the one or more sensors during the weld.

6. The welding system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to transition from a previous user-viewable screen to the user-viewable screen to present the data graphically upon activation of a trigger of a welding tool performing the weld.

7. The welding system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to compute a heat input for the weld, and to present the computed heat input graphically over the time period for the weld via the user-viewable screen during the weld.

8. The welding system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to compute a size of the weld, and to present the computed size graphically over the time period for the weld via the user-viewable screen during the weld.

9. The welding system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to store the data relating to the one or more arc parameters in a data storage device.

10. The welding system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more sensors of a welding tool performing the weld.

21. The welding system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to calculate a score for the one or more arc parameter via comparing the one or more arc parameter to a pre-defined upper limit, a pre-defined lower limit, a range relating to the pre-defined upper and lower limits, a pre-defined target value, or a combination thereof.

22. The welding system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to filter the data corresponding to the one or more arc parameters to smooth out noise.

11. A method comprising:

detecting data relating to one or more arc parameters via one or more sensors during a weld performed by a welding system, wherein the one or more arc parameters comprise voltage, amperage, wire feed speed, or a combination thereof;

time synchronizing the data relating to the one or more arc parameters with data relating to one or more welding parameters over a time period for the weld;

presenting the data relating to the one or more arc parameters graphically over the time period via a user-viewable screen during the weld;

presenting the data relating to the one or more welding parameters graphically over the time period via the user-viewable screen during the weld; and

calculating a score for each arc parameter, and presenting the respective score via the user-viewable screen aligned with a respective graph of data relating to the respective parameter.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more welding parameters comprise work angle, travel angle, contact tip to work distance (CTWD), travel speed, aim, or a combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 11, comprising calculating a score for the weld based at least in part on the one or more arc parameters, and presenting the score via the user viewable screen.

14. The method of claim 11, comprising determining when either a voltage or an amperage of the data relating to the one or more arc parameters do not meet predetermined requirements, and presenting an indication via the user-viewable screen when either the voltage or the amperage of the data relating to the one or more arc parameters do not meet the predetermined requirements.

15. The method of claim 11, comprising determining when data relating to the one or more arc parameters is not detected by the one or more sensors during the weld, and presenting an indication via the user-viewable screen when the data relating to the one or more arc parameters is not detected by the one or more sensors during the weld.

16. The method of claim 11, comprising transitioning from a previous user viewable screen to the user-viewable screen to present the data graphically upon activation of a trigger of a welding tool performing the weld.

17. The method of claim 11, comprising computing a heat input for the weld, and presenting the computed heat input graphically over the time period for the weld via the user-viewable screen during the weld.

18. The method of claim 11, comprising computing a size of the weld, and presenting the computed size graphically over the time period for the weld via the userviewable screen during the weld.

19. The method of claim 11, comprising storing the data relating to the one or more arc parameters in a data storage device.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more sensors of a welding tool performing the weld.

23. The method of claim 11, wherein calculating a score for each arc parameter comprises comparing each arc parameter to a pre-defined upper limit, a pre-defined lower limit, a range relating to the pre-defined upper and lower limits, a pre-defined target value, or a combination thereof.

24. The method of claim 11, further comprising filtering data corresponding to the one or more arc parameters to smooth out noise.