METHOD FOR DYNAMIC FEED PRESSURE ADJUSTMENT

• US 20140027429A1
• Filed: 10/01/2013
• Published: 01/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lincoln Global Incorporated (Lincoln Electric Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lincoln Global Incorporated (Lincoln Electric Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chantry, Bruce John
• Application Number:
  US14/043,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20140027429A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/137.7
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/0956 using sensing means, e.g. optical
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/124 Circuits or methods for feeding welding wire
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/1336 Driving means
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/173 and of a consumable electrode

Abstract

The invention relates to devices, systems, and methods for automatic feed adjustment during welding operations using a pressure measuring device and a welding wire knowledge database to adjust tension between at least one pair of wire feed rolls, at least one of which is a drive roll.

Claims

1. A process for controlling tension between wire feed rollers on a welding wire comprising the steps of:

feeding a wire through at least one pair of rollers, at least one of said pair of rollers being a drive roller, said at least one pair of rollers having a tension therebetween;

measuring an observed speed of the wire after it exits from between the pair of rollers;

comparing a driven speed of the wire, said driven speed calculated based upon a motor speed and a roller diameter of at least one of the rollers, with the observed speed of the wire as measured by a wire speed sensor as the wire passes the wire speed sensor; and

at least periodically measuring said tension between said at least one pair of rollers using a pressure measuring means;

communicating said driven speed, said observed speed and said tension to a knowledge database of specific wire parameters to determine whether a mismatch between said driven speed and said observed speed is attributable to tension between said at least one pair of rollers or to other factors; and

automatically adjusting the tension between the pair of rollers if said step of communicating with said knowledge database determines that said tension needs to be increased or decreased.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein

said pressure measuring means is selected from the group consisting of force summing devices, mechanical pressure gauges, electromechanical pressure sensors, strain gauge transducers, bonded and unbounded strain gauges, sputtered strain gauges, semiconductor strain gauges, bonded discrete silicon strain gauges, diffused diaphragm sensors, sculptured diaphragm sensors, variable capacitance transducers, piezoelectric transducers, piezoresistive sensors, load cells and pressure transducers.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

calculating the driven speed of the wire by taking into account the rotational speed and the diameter of at least one of the pair of rollers.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

increasing the tension between the pair of rollers when the driven speed of the wire is greater than the fed speed of the wire and the tension between said at least one pair of rollers is less than the maximum tension allowable from the knowledge database.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

entering wire data via a user interface and communication of the same with the knowledge database, wherein the wire data comprises a wire diameter; and

determining an initial tension between the at least one pair of rollers, and a maximum tension between the at least one pair of rollers, and a maximum tension between said at least one pair of rollers in view of the wire data.

6. An automatic wire feed adjuster, comprising:

a feeding mechanism comprising at least one pair of rollers that feeds a wire therebetween;

a tension controller that adjusts a tension between the at least one pair of rollers;

a pressure measuring means between the at least one pair of rollers;

a knowledge database of welding wire parametric characteristics, including maximum and minimum parametric values for a defined set of characteristics;

a control circuit that decides whether to instruct the tension controller to adjust the tension between the pair of rollers based upon a comparison of a first speed of the wire and a second speed of the wire and a tension value from said pressure measuring means, the first speed being calculated based upon the motor speed and the roller diameter of at least one of the rollers, the second speed of the wire being directly measured by a wire speed sensor as the wire passes the wire speed sensor, said control circuit automatically communicating with said tension controller when said first and second speeds are not essentially equivalent, and said tension value for said specific welding wire has not been exceeded.

10. The automatic wire feed adjuster recited in claim 6, further comprising

a user interface for accepting wire data, wherein:

the wire data comprises a wire diameter; and

the control circuit determines an initial tension between the pair of rollers, and a maximum tension between the pair of rollers, in view of the wire data.

7. The automatic wire feed adjuster wherein

said pressure measuring means is selected from the group consisting of force summing devices, mechanical pressure gauges, electromechanical pressure sensors, strain gauge transducers, bonded and unbounded strain gauges, sputtered strain gauges, semiconductor strain gauges, bonded discrete silicon strain gauges, diffused diaphragm sensors, sculptured diaphragm sensors, variable capacitance transducers, piezoelectric transducers, piezoresistive sensors, load cells and pressure transducers.

8. The automatic wire feed adjuster recited in claim 7, wherein

the driven speed of the wire is calculated by taking into account the rotational speed and the diameter of at least one of the at least one pair of rollers.

9. The automatic wire feed adjuster recited in claim 8, wherein

the control circuit increases the tension between the pair of rollers when the driven speed of the wire is greater than the fed speed of the wire.

11. A process for controlling tension between wire feed rollers on a welding wire comprising the steps of:

means for feeding a welding wire from a welding wire source to a welding gun, said means comprising at least one pair of rollers, at least one of said pair of rollers being a drive roller, said at least one pair of rollers having a tension therebetween;

means for measuring an observed speed of the wire after it exits from between the pair of rollers;

means for comparing a driven speed of the wire, said driven speed calculated based upon a motor speed and a roller diameter of at least one of the rollers, with the observed speed of the wire as measured by a wire speed sensor as the wire passes the wire speed sensor; and

means for at least periodically measuring said tension between said at least one pair of rollers;

communicating said driven speed, said observed speed and said tension to a knowledge database of specific wire parameters to determine whether a mismatch between said driven speed and said observed speed is attributable to tension between said at least one pair of rollers or to other factors;

means for inputting specific welding wire information into a welding system comprising an input aspect and a knowledge database aspect; and

automatically adjusting the tension between the pair of rollers if said step of communicating with said knowledge database determines that said tension needs to be increased or decreased.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein

said means for at least periodically measuring said tension is selected from the group consisting of force summing devices, mechanical pressure gauges, electromechanical pressure sensors, strain gauge transducers, bonded and unbounded strain gauges, sputtered strain gauges, semiconductor strain gauges, bonded discrete silicon strain gauges, diffused diaphragm sensors, sculptured diaphragm sensors, variable capacitance transducers, piezoelectric transducers, piezoresistive sensors, load cells and pressure transducers.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

calculating the driven speed of the wire by taking into account the rotational speed and the diameter of at least one of the pair of rollers.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

increasing the tension between the pair of rollers when the driven speed of the wire is greater than the fed speed of the wire and the tension between said at least one pair of rollers is less than the maximum tension allowable from the knowledge database.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

entering wire data via a user interface and communication of the same with the knowledge database, wherein the wire data comprises a wire diameter; and

determining an initial tension between the at least one pair of rollers, and a maximum tension between the at least one pair of rollers, and a maximum tension between said at least one pair of rollers in view of the wire data.

16. An automatic wire feed adjuster, comprising:

a feeding mechanism comprising at least one pair of rollers that feeds a wire therebetween;

a tension controller that adjusts a tension between the at least one pair of rollers;

a pressure detection means between the at least one pair of rollers;

a knowledge database of welding wire parametric characteristics, including maximum and minimum parametric values for a defined set of characteristics;

a means for entry of specific welding wire information by an operator for interfacing with said knowledge database; and

a control circuit that decides whether to instruct the tension controller to adjust the tension between the pair of rollers based upon a comparison of a first speed of the wire and a second speed of the wire and a tension value from said pressure detection means, the first speed being calculated based upon the motor speed and the roller diameter of at least one of the rollers, the second speed of the wire being directly measured by a wire speed sensor as the wire passes the wire speed sensor, said control circuit automatically communicating with said tension controller when said first and second speeds are not essentially equivalent, and said tension value for said specific welding wire has not been exceeded.

17. The automatic wire feed adjuster recited in claim 16, wherein

said pressure detection means is selected from the group consisting of force summing devices, mechanical pressure gauges, electromechanical pressure sensors, strain gauge transducers, bonded and unbounded strain gauges, sputtered strain gauges, semiconductor strain gauges, bonded discrete silicon strain gauges, diffused diaphragm sensors, sculptured diaphragm sensors, variable capacitance transducers, piezoelectric transducers, piezoresistive sensors, load cells and pressure transducers.

18. The automatic wire feed adjuster recited in claim 17, wherein

the driven speed of the wire is calculated by taking into account the rotational speed and the diameter of at least one of the at least one pair of rollers.

19. The automatic wire feed adjuster recited in claim 18, wherein

the control circuit increases the tension between the pair of rollers when the driven speed of the wire is greater than the fed speed of the wire.

20. The automatic wire feed adjuster recited in claim 16, further comprising

a user interface for accepting wire data, wherein:

the wire data comprises a wire diameter; and

the control circuit determines an initial tension between the pair of rollers, and a maximum tension between the pair of rollers, in view of the wire data.