System for control of weld arc development

• US 4,975,558 A
• Filed: 09/20/1989
• Issued: 12/04/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Zanis, Charles A., Lukens, William E., DeNale, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw, Clifford C.
• Application Number:
  US07/411,171
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• Field of Search: 219/130.21, 219/124.34, 219/123
• US Class Current: 219/124.34
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/08 Arrangements or circuits for magnetic control of the arc stabilising of the arc position by magnetic means B23K9/0737

Abstract

A method of welding metals wherein the size and shape of a weld pool as w as the traversing of the arc from one metal to the other is commanded magnetically by predetermined data, which data is updated by observing and characterizing isotherms in the weld pool, comparing the observed isotherms with a predetermined set of desired isotherms and then updating the command data for optimum performance.

Claims

1. A system for welding, comprising:

means for electromagnetically deflecting a weld arc in a predetermined two dimensional geometrical path;

means for sensing and identifying actual isotherms in a weld pool produced by said arc;

means for sampling at least one isotherm and identifying a multiplicity of coordinate locations defining said at least one isotherm;

means for computing orthogonal error signals corresponding to the location difference between each said coordinate location of said at least one isotherm and a predetermined corresponding coordinate location of a desired isotherm;

means for superimposing magnetic energy on said weld arc in response to said error signals in a manner tending to minimize the difference between said actual isotherm coordinate locations and said desired isotherm coordinate locations.

2. A system for welding as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

means for modifying the intensity of the weld arc in response to differences between desired isotherm coordinates and actual isotherm coordinates.

3. A system for welding as claimed in claim 1 further comprising means for storing said orthogonal error signals to establish a time history of the differences between coordinate locations of said actual isotherm and said desired isotherm.

4. A method for welding, comprising:

electromagnetically deflecting a weld arc arc in a predetermined two dimensional geometrical path;

sensing and identifying actual isotherms in a weld pool produced by said arc;

sampling at least one said actual isotherm and identifying a multiplicity of coordinate locations of said actual isotherm;

computing orthogonal error signals corresponding to the location difference between each said coordinate location of said actual isotherm and a predetermined corresponding coordinate location of a desired isotherm; and

,

superimposing magnetic energy on the weld arc in response to said error signals in a manner tending to minimize the difference between said actual isotherm coordinate locations of said desired isotherm coordinate locations.

5. A method for welding as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

modifying the intensity of the weld arc in response to differences between desired isotherm coordinates and actual isotherm coordinates.

6. A method for welding as claimed in claim 4, further comprising storing a data set containing a time history of the differences between coordinate locations of said actual isotherm and said desired isotherm.