Automatic groove copy welder and welding method
First Claim
1. An automatic groove-tracing welding system comprising:
- a welding torch guide device;
an imaging device; and
an image processor;
wherein the imaging device produces an image signal representing an image of a weld zone including the tip of a welding wire, the image processor receives the image signal from the imaging device, and a torch tip position information about the position of the tip of the welding torch from the welding torch guide device, determines the position of a groove from the image of the weld zone, calculates the positional relation between the groove and the welding torch on the basis of the torch tip position information, and sends a position correction signal for correcting the position of the tip of the welding torch so that the welding path of the tip of the welding torch may coincide with a weld line coinciding with a predetermined middle part of the groove to the welding torch guide device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An automatic groove-tracing welding system is capable of carrying out a welding operation, particularly, a welding operation involving weaving, without requiring monitoring even if conditions of a groove is different from design conditions of the groove. An image processor 3 receives an image signal representing an image of a weld zone 52 including the tip of a welding wire from a camera head 2 provided with a CCD camera, processes the image of the weld zone 52 to determine the position of a groove, calculates the positional relation of the groove with a welding torch 1, and sends a position correction for correcting the position of the welding torch 1 so that the welding path of the tip of the welding torch 1 may coincide with a predetermined middle part in the groove to a robot controller 43 for controlling a welding robot. When the automatic groove-tracing welding system performs a welding operation involving weaving, the image processor 3 receives a weaving phase signal representing phases of weaving from the robot controller 43, calculates the positional relation between the groove and the welding torch on the basis of the phase of weaving, and sends a weaving width correction signal to the robot controller 43.
128 Citations
14 Claims
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1. An automatic groove-tracing welding system comprising:
- a welding torch guide device;
an imaging device; and
an image processor;
wherein the imaging device produces an image signal representing an image of a weld zone including the tip of a welding wire, the image processor receives the image signal from the imaging device, and a torch tip position information about the position of the tip of the welding torch from the welding torch guide device, determines the position of a groove from the image of the weld zone, calculates the positional relation between the groove and the welding torch on the basis of the torch tip position information, and sends a position correction signal for correcting the position of the tip of the welding torch so that the welding path of the tip of the welding torch may coincide with a weld line coinciding with a predetermined middle part of the groove to the welding torch guide device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14)
- a welding torch guide device;
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12. An automatic groove-tracing welding method using a remote-controlled welding torch guide device, said automatic groove-tracing welding method comprising:
- generating an image signal by taking an image of a weld zone including the tip of a welding wire;
determining the position of a groove from the image signal representing the image of the weld zone;
obtaining welding torch tip position information about the position of the tip of a welding torch from the welding torch guide device;
calculating the positional relation between the groove and the tip of the welding wire on the basis of the welding torch tip position information; and
achieving welding position control by sending a position correction signal to the welding torch guide device to adjust the welding path of the tip of the welding torch so that the welding path of the tip of the welding torch may coincide with a predetermined middle position in the groove.
- generating an image signal by taking an image of a weld zone including the tip of a welding wire;
Specification