Wire aiming position control method and position control apparatus

• US 20060208029A1
• Filed: 03/09/2006
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Kawasaki Heavy Industries Limited), Central Motor Wheel Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Kawasaki Heavy Industries Limited), Central Motor Wheel Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Iizuka, Takahisa, Suzuki, Yukimitsu, Arita, Ichiro, Yamasumi, Satoru
• Application Number:
  US11/371,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20060208029A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 228/8
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/126 Controlling the spatial relationship between the work and the gas torch between wire tip and piece B23K9/073
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/1274 Using non-contact, optical means, e.g. laser means

Abstract

To provide a wire aiming position control method and position control apparatus capable of accurately feeding a welding wire to an aiming position of a welded member regardless of a change in an amount of twisting the wire and to provide a wire aiming position control method and position control apparatus capable of accurately ensuring an aiming position of a torch and capable of ensuring stable welding quality even in thin plate welding, an intersection K1 of a linear line L1 connecting a center of a tip 10 and a wire front end and an extension plane L2 including an imaginary aiming position K disposed at a predetermined position is calculated. A wire displacement C constituting a distance between the intersection K1 and the imaginary aiming position K is calculated. At least either one of a welding wire W and a welded member 14 is corrected along the extension plane L2 by an amount of the wire displacement C. The imaginary aiming position K is determined at a front end position of a calibrating needle mounted to a torch 9.

Claims

1. A wire aiming position control method comprising the steps of calculating an intersection (K1) of a linear line (L1) connecting a front end center of a tip (10) and a wire front end and an extension plane (L2) including an imaginary aiming position (K) disposed at a predetermined position, calculating a wire displacement (C) constituting a distance between the intersection (K1) and the imaginary aiming position (K), and correcting at least either one of the welding wire (W) and a welded member (14) by an amount of the wire displacement (C) along the extension plane (L2).

2. The wire aiming position control method according to claim 1, wherein the extension plane (L2) is orthogonal to a center line (L) of the tip (10).

3. The wire aiming position control method according to claim 1, wherein the imaginary aiming position (K) is determined as a front end position of a calibrating needle mounted to a torch (9).

4. The wire aiming position control method according to claim 1, wherein the wire front end is made to constitute a wire center position (18) at an upper end position of a melted oxidized ball (17).

5. The wire aiming position control method according to claim 1, wherein the front end center of the tip (10) is made to constitute a wire center position (20) at a lower end position (19) of the tip (10).

6. The wire aiming position control method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of storing a reference position of a torch (9) when the torch (9) is instructed to be disposed at a specific position under a state in which the torch (9) is accurately attached to a predetermined position of an arm of a welding robot (16), measuring a current position of the torch (9) when the torch (9) is instructed to be disposed at the position similarly, calculating a torch position displacement (D) based on the reference position and a measured position, correcting a torch position by an amount of the torch position displacement (D) and thereafter calculating the wire displacement (C).

7. The wire aiming position control method according to claim 6, wherein the reference position and the measured position of the torch (9) are determined as positions on a torch center line at a lower end position of a nozzle (8).

8. A wire aiming position control apparatus comprising:

first operating means (11) for operating an imaginary aiming position (K) constituting a predetermined position;

second operating means (12) for calculating an intersection (K1) of a linear line (L1) connecting a front end center of a tip (10) and a wire front end and an extension plane (L2) including the imaginary aiming position (K) and calculating a wire displacement (C) constituting a distance between the intersection (K1) and the imaginary aiming position (K); and

correcting means (15) for correcting a feeding position of a welding wire (W) by moving at least one of the welding wire (W) and a welded member (14) by a calculated amount of the wire displacement (C) along the extension plane (L2).

9. The wire aiming position control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the extension plane (L2) is orthogonal to a center line (L) of the tip (10).

10. The wire aiming position control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the wire front end is made to constitute a wire center position (18) at an upper end position of a melted oxidized ball (17).

11. The wire aiming position control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a front end center of the tip (10) is made to constitute a wire center position (20) at a lower end position (19) of the tip (10).

12. The wire aiming position control apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

storing means (25) for storing a reference position of a torch (9) when the torch (9) is instructed to be disposed at a specific position under a state in which the torch (9) is accurately attached to a predetermined position of an arm of a welding robot (16);

measuring means (26) for measuring a current position of the torch (9) when the torch (9) is instructed to be disposed at the position similarly; and

operating means (27) for calculating a torch position displacement (D) based on the reference position stored by the storing means (25) and a measured position measured by the measuring means (26).

13. The wire aiming position control apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the reference position and the measured position of the torch (9) are determined as positions on a torch center line at a lower end position of the nozzle (8).