Method and apparatus for manipulator welding apparatus with improved weld path definition
First Claim
1. Control apparatus for manipulator welding apparatus having a manipulator arm controllable in one or more axes and arranged to perform a predetermined weld program on a workpiece at a workpiece station, the weld program being of the type that includes predetermined weld points or weld paths defined by a plurality of points, the control apparatus comprising:
- means for projecting a predetermined energy pattern on a workpiece at the workpiece station;
means for storing reference data representing the weld program and a coordinate reference frame defined by the workpiece in accordance with said projected energy pattern from which coordinate reference frame the weld program can be defined with respect to a workpiece at a predetermined reference position at the work station;
means for sensing said coordinate reference frame with respect to a subsequent workpiece in accordance with said projected energy pattern and for determining modified coordinate reference frame data; and
means responsive to said modified coordinate reference frame data for moving said manipulator arm to perform the motion of the weld program.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Control apparatus for manipulator welding apparatus is provided that includes a vision correction system for workpiece sensing. During an initial teach mode, the manipulator is taught the desired welding path on a workpiece and data is recorded representing the welding path relative to a frame of reference defined by the workpiece. In addition to the data representing the taught welding path and the frame of reference, data representing one or more reference images or templates are also recorded in the teach mode. As successive workpieces are presented to the manipulator for performing the desired welding path, the control apparatus in a repeat work cycle mode is first controlled to measure and define the new location and orientation of the frame of reference in accordance with the workpiece. The new frame of reference data is utilized to modify the path data. In a preferred arrangement, a first repeat pass is performed by controlling the manipulator to move over the weld path in accordance with modified weld path data as determined from the new frame of reference data. The vision system utilizing an image processor detects the deviation between the first repeat pass welding path and the actual welding path of the workpiece. The control apparatus in response to the deviation data provided by the image processor in the first repeat pass modifies the first repeat pass weld path data to provide corrected welding path data for the welding of the actual workpiece during a second repeat pass with the weld being initiated at a predetermined point relative to the frame of reference.
56 Citations
16 Claims
-
1. Control apparatus for manipulator welding apparatus having a manipulator arm controllable in one or more axes and arranged to perform a predetermined weld program on a workpiece at a workpiece station, the weld program being of the type that includes predetermined weld points or weld paths defined by a plurality of points, the control apparatus comprising:
-
means for projecting a predetermined energy pattern on a workpiece at the workpiece station; means for storing reference data representing the weld program and a coordinate reference frame defined by the workpiece in accordance with said projected energy pattern from which coordinate reference frame the weld program can be defined with respect to a workpiece at a predetermined reference position at the work station; means for sensing said coordinate reference frame with respect to a subsequent workpiece in accordance with said projected energy pattern and for determining modified coordinate reference frame data; and means responsive to said modified coordinate reference frame data for moving said manipulator arm to perform the motion of the weld program. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A method for controlling manipulator apparatus to perform a predetermined work cycle relative to a workpiece defined relative to the position and orientation of the workpiece comprising the steps of:
-
projecting a predetermined energy pattern on a reference workpiece at a workpiece station; defining the predetermined work cycle relative to a frame of reference defined by said reference workpiece; storing reference image data representing the predetermined work cycle and said frame of reference defined by said reference workpiece; sensing a subsequent workpiece in accordance with the projected energy pattern to determined the frame of reference thereof corresponding to said frame of reference defined by said reference workpiece; determining the change in orientation and position between said frame of reference of said sensed subsequent workpiece and said frame of reference defined by said reference workpiece; modifying said stored reference image data in accordance with said determined change in orientation and position of said frame of reference; and moving said manipulator arm with respect to said subsequent workpiece in accordance with said modified data.
-
Specification