SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO DESIGN PART WELD PROCESSES

• US 20200130089A1
• Filed: 10/30/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2018
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Ivkovich, Stephen, Falde, Leland, Romano, Vincent, Pliska, Adam, McEllis, Todd, Buhr, Benjamin
• Granted Patent: US 11,883,909 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 31/125 Weld quality monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/0953 using computing means
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/0956 using sensing means, e.g. optical
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/1062 with computing means
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/32 Accessories earthing connections H01R

Abstract

Systems and methods to design part weld processes are disclosed. An example system for monitoring welding of components of a workpiece with multiple arc welds in a fixture includes: one or more weld sensors configured to collect data associated with the multiple arc welds; and a computing device configured to: access a weld program; provide weld instructions defined in the weld program and associated with a sequence of welds for the workpiece, the weld instructions comprising a visual slide including an image of the workpiece and a visual indication of a first location of a first weld; based on the weld program, display the visual slide at a first zoom level; based on the weld program, display the visual slide at a second zoom level; and monitor first weld data from the one or more sensors during a first weld to determine a status of the first weld.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring welding of components of a workpiece with multiple arc welds in a fixture, the system comprising:

one or more weld sensors configured to collect data associated with the multiple arc welds; and

a computing device configured to;

access a weld program;

provide weld instructions defined in the weld program and associated with a sequence of welds for the workpiece, the weld instructions comprising a visual slide including an image of the workpiece and a visual indication of a first location of a first weld on the workpiece;

based on the weld program, display the visual slide at a first zoom level;

based on the weld program, display the visual slide at a second zoom level different than the first zoom level; and

monitor first weld data from the one or more sensors during a first weld to determine a status of the first weld.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the second zoom level is more zoomed in than the first zoom level and is based on the visual indication of the first location of the first weld within the visual slide.

3. The system as defined in claim 2, wherein the weld instructions further comprise a visual indication of a second location of a second weld on the workpiece, and the computing device is further configured to:

based on the weld program, display the visual slide at a third zoom level based on the visual indication of the second location of the second weld within the visual slide.

4. The system as defined in claim 3, wherein the computing device is configured to, based on the weld program, zoom out from the second zoom level to the first zoom level prior to zooming from the first zoom level to the third zoom level.

5. The system as defined in claim 3, wherein the first, second, and third zoom levels are predefined or dynamically determined based on the weld instructions.

6. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the second zoom level is more zoomed in than the first zoom level and is defined in the weld program as a portion of the visual slide.

7. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the second zoom level is based on a boundary of the visual slide.

8. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the second zoom level is based on locations of a specified set of elements within the visual slide, such that the second zoom level includes all of the specified set of elements.

9. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured to determine whether a first one of the weld instructions includes a zoom instruction.

10. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the weld instructions are associated with the first zoom level and the second zoom level via metadata or properties associated with the weld instructions.

11. A non-transitory machine readable medium comprising machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a processor to:

access a weld program;

provide weld instructions defined in the weld program and associated with a sequence of welds for a workpiece, the weld instructions comprising a visual slide including an image of the workpiece and a visual indication of a first location of a first weld on the workpiece;

based on the weld program, display the visual slide at a first zoom level via a display;

based on the weld program, display the visual slide at a second zoom level different than the first zoom level via the display; and

monitor weld data from the one or more sensors during a first weld to determine a status of the first weld.

12. The non-transitory machine readable medium as defined in claim 11, wherein the second zoom level is more zoomed in than the first zoom level and is based on the visual indication of the first location of the first weld within the visual slide.

13. The non-transitory machine readable medium as defined in claim 12, wherein the weld instructions further comprise a visual indication of a second location of a second weld on the workpiece, and the machine readable instructions are configured to cause the processor to, based on the weld program, display the visual slide at a third zoom level based on the visual indication of the second location of the second weld within the visual slide.

14. The non-transitory machine readable medium as defined in claim 13, wherein the machine readable instructions are configured to cause the processor to, based on the weld program, zoom out from the second zoom level to the first zoom level prior to zooming from the first zoom level to the third zoom level.

15. The non-transitory machine readable medium as defined in claim 13, wherein the first, second, and third zoom levels are predefined or dynamically determined based on the weld instructions.

16. The non-transitory machine readable medium as defined in claim 11, wherein the second zoom level is more zoomed in than the first zoom level and is defined in the weld program as a portion of the visual slide.

17. The non-transitory machine readable medium as defined in claim 11, wherein the second zoom level is based on a boundary of the visual slide.

18. The non-transitory machine readable medium as defined in claim 11, wherein the second zoom level is based on locations of a specified set of elements within the visual slide, such that the second zoom level includes all of the specified set of elements.

19. The non-transitory machine readable medium as defined in claim 11, wherein the machine readable instructions are configured to cause the processor to determine whether a first one of the weld instructions includes a zoom instruction.

20. The non-transitory machine readable medium as defined in claim 11, wherein the weld instructions are associated with the first zoom level and the second zoom level via metadata or properties associated with the weld instructions.