SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR NETWORKING, CONFIGURATION, CALIBRATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF WELDING EQUIPMENT

• US 20140263247A1
• Filed: 03/13/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lincoln Global Incorporated (Lincoln Electric Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lincoln Global Incorporated (Lincoln Electric Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hillen, Edward, Volzer, Michael, Trinnes, Nick
• Granted Patent: US 9,687,930 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/137.R
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/095 Monitoring or automatic control of welding parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/0953 using computing means
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/1087 Arc welding using remote control
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/173 and of a consumable electrode
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/32 Accessories earthing connections H01R
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/70 specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/42 Welding

Abstract

Methods and systems for using near field communication (NFC) protocol and logic to calibrate welding operations and systems are described. Further, methods and systems for using NFC logic and tags are described for networking, calibrating and linking components that comprise welding systems.

Claims

1. A welding system comprising:

a welder;

a wire feeder;

a welding torch;

a first NFC tag attached to the welder that generates a first signal indicative of calibration data for the welder;

a second NFC tag attached to the wire feeder that generates a second signal indicative of calibration data for the wire feeder; and

a third NFC tag attached to the welding torch that generates a third signal indicative of calibration data for the welding torch.

2. The welding system of claim 1 wherein the first NFC tag is passive.

3. The welding system of claim 1 wherein the first NFC tag is active.

4. The welding system of claim 1 further comprising a motor for pushing or pulling welding wire to the welding torch.

5. The welding system of claim 4 wherein a fourth NFC tag that is passive is attached to the motor and generates a fourth signal indicative of calibration data for the motor.

6. The welding system of claim 1 wherein said calibration data for the welder is written into said NFC tag with a portable computing device.

7. The welding system of claim 1 further comprising a shielding gas source.

8. The welding system of claim 7 wherein a fourth NFC tag is attached to the shielding gas source and generates a fourth signal indicative of calibration data for the shielding gas source.

9. A method of calibrating the components of a welding system comprising:

attaching to each component of the welding system an NFC tag that is capable of generating a signal indicative of calibration data for the component to which the NFC tag is attached;

scanning the NFC tag attached to each component;

confirming the calibration data for each component resulting from the scanning step;

selectively modifying the calibration data for at least one component; and

writing modified calibration data into the NFC tag of the at least one component by placing a portable computing device in the proximity of the NFC tag attached to the at least one component.

10. The method of claim 9 further including the step of encrypting the modified calibration data.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the at least one component is a welding torch.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the at least one component is a motor.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the at least one component is a wire feeder.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the at least one component is a welder.

15. The method of claim 9 further including the step of accessing the calibration data of a component of the welding system by scanning the NFC tag attached to the component by placing a portable computing device in the proximity of the attached NFC tag.

16. A method of assigning welding devices addresses on a network comprising:

identifying a set of welding devices to be linked to the network;

attaching a separate NFC tag to each welding device;

scanning the NFC tag attached to each welding device to obtain identification data for each welding device;

assigning a unique network address to each welding device; and

writing the unique address data for a welding device into the NFC tag attached to said welding device.

17. The method of claim 16 including the step of linking a first welding device to a second welding device.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the first welding device is a robot and the second welding device is a robot controller.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the identification data of the robot includes information identifying said robot controller.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said information identifying said robot controller includes the physical location of said robot controller.