Method and apparatus for monitoring weld quality

• US 6,184,491 B1
• Filed: 11/03/1999
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Kilty, Alan L., Crane, Bryan L., Jones, Brett A., Ludewig, Howard W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw, Clifford C.
• Application Number:
  US09/433,181
• Time in Patent Office: 461 Days
• Field of Search: 219/130.01, 219/137.PS, 219/130.21, 219/124.34
• US Class Current: 219/130.01
• 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus for monitoring quality of a weld bead during a welding process utilizing an electronic controller is disclosed. The method and apparatus includes determining an average power spectral density value for a first welding parameter signal between a first predetermined frequency and a second predetermined frequency, determining an average power spectral density value for a second welding parameter signal between a first predetermined frequency and a second predetermined frequency, and comparing the average power spectral density value for the second welding parameter signal with the average power spectral density value for the first welding parameter signal and terminating the welding process if the average power spectral density value for the first welding parameter signal exceeds the average power spectral density value for the second welding parameter signal.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring quality of a weld bead during a welding process utilizing an electronic controller, comprising the steps of:

determining an average power spectral density value for a first welding parameter signal between a first predetermined frequency and a second predetermined frequency;

determining an average power spectral density value for a second welding parameter signal between a first predetermined frequency and a second predetermined frequency; and

comparing said average power spectral density value for said second welding parameter signal with said average power spectral density value for said first welding parameter signal and terminating said welding process if said average power spectral density value for said first welding parameter signal exceeds said average power spectral density value for said second welding parameter signal.

2. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first welding parameter signal is selected from the group consisting of current, voltage and wire feed speed and said second welding parameter signal is selected from group consisting of current, voltage and wire feed speed.

3. A method for monitoring quality of a weld bead during a welding process utilizing an electronic controller, comprising the steps of:

determining an average area under a first welding parameter signal between a first predetermined frequency and a second predetermined frequency;

determining a combination average area limit value for both a second welding parameter signal and a third welding parameter signal; and

comparing said combination average area limit value for both said second welding parameter signal and said third welding parameter signal with said average area under said first welding parameter signal and terminating said welding process if said average area under said first welding parameter signal exceeds said combination average area limit value for both said second welding parameter and said third welding parameter signal.

4. The method, as set forth in claim 3, wherein said step of determining said average area under said first welding parameter signal utilizes a Fourier transform calculation.

5. The method, as set forth in claim 3, wherein said step of determining said average area under said first welding parameter signal utilizes a power spectral density calculation.

6. The method, as set forth in claim 3, wherein said first welding parameter signal is selected from the group consisting of current, voltage and wire feed speed and said second welding parameter signal is selected from group consisting of current, voltage and wire feed speed and said third welding parameter signal is selected from group consisting of current, voltage and wire feed speed.

7. The method, as set forth in claim 3, wherein said step of determining a combination average area limit value for both said second welding parameter signal and said third welding parameter signal further includes the steps of:

determining an average value for the second welding parameter and an average value for the third welding parameter; and

comparing said average value for the second welding parameter and said average value for the third welding parameter with preestablished average area limit values and determining a combination average area limit value.

8. The method, as set forth in claim 7, wherein said step of determining a combination average area limit value further includes utilizing bilinear interpolation on said preestablished average area limit values.

9. The method, as set forth in claim 7, wherein said step of determining a combination average area limit value further includes utilizing nonlinear regression on said preestablished average area limit values.

10. The method, as set forth in claim 7, wherein said preestablished average area limit values are located in an array.

11. The method, as set forth in claim 7, wherein said preestablished average area limit values are developed from empirical data.

12. A method for monitoring quality of a weld bead during a welding process utilizing an electronic controller, comprising the steps of:

determining an average area under a first welding parameter signal between a first predetermined frequency and a second predetermined frequency during a first predetermined time interval that is updated every second predetermined time interval;

determining a combination average area limit value for both a second welding parameter signal and a third welding parameter signal during a third predetermined time interval that is updated every fourth predetermined time interval; and

comparing said combination average area limit value for both said second welding parameter signal and said third welding parameter signal with said average area under said first welding parameter signal and terminating said welding process if said average area under said first welding parameter signal exceeds said combination average area limit value for both said second welding parameter signal and said third welding parameter signal for a fifth predetermined time interval that is updated every sixth predetermined time interval.

13. The method, as set forth in claim 12, wherein said first welding parameter signal is current and said second welding parameter signal is voltage and said third welding parameter signal is wire feed speed.

14. A method for monitoring quality of a weld bead during a welding process utilizing an electronic controller, comprising the steps of:

determining an average power spectral density value for a current signal between a first predetermined frequency and a second predetermined frequency during a first predetermined time interval that is updated every second predetermined time interval and determining an average value for a voltage signal and an average value for a wire feed speed signal during a third predetermined time interval that is updated every fourth predetermined time interval;

determining an average area limit value by comparing said average value for a voltage signal and said average value for a wire feed speed signal with average area limit values located in a preestablished array by utilizing bilinear interpolation; and

comparing said average power spectral density value for said first welding parameter signal with said average area limit value and terminating said welding process if said average power spectral density value of said current signal exceeds said average area limit value for a fifth predetermined time interval that is updated every sixth predetermined time interval.

15. A method for monitoring quality of a weld bead during a welding process utilizing an electronic controller, comprising the steps of:

determining an average power spectral density value for a current signal between a first predetermined frequency and a second predetermined frequency during a first predetermined time interval that is updated every second predetermined time interval and determining an average value for a voltage signal and an average value for a wire feed speed signal during a third predetermined time interval that is updated every fourth predetermined time interval;

determining an average area limit value by comparing said average value for a voltage signal and said average value for a wire feed speed signal with average area limit values located in a preestablished array by utilizing nonlinear regression; and

comparing said average power spectral density value for said first welding parameter signal with said average area limit value and terminating said welding process if said average power spectral density value of said current signal exceeds said average area limit value for a fifth predetermined time interval that is updated every sixth predetermined time interval.

16. A method for monitoring quality of a weld bead during a welding process utilizing an electronic controller, comprising the steps of:

determining an average power spectral density value for a current signal between a first predetermined frequency and a second predetermined frequency during a first predetermined time interval that is updated every second predetermined time interval and determining an average value for a voltage signal and an average value for a wire feed speed signal during a third predetermined time interval that is updated every fourth predetermined time interval;

determining an average area limit value by comparing said average value for a voltage signal and an average value for a wire feed speed signal with average area limit values located in a preestablished array by utilizing bilinear interpolation;

comparing said average power spectral density value for said first welding parameter signal with said average area limit value and setting an indicator equal to one if said average power spectral density value of said current signal exceeds said average area limit value and setting an indicator to zero if said average limit value exceeds said average power spectral density value of said current signal for a fifth predetermined time interval that is updated every sixth predetermined time interval;

summing a value of said indicators for a seventh predetermined time interval that is updated every eighth predetermined time interval; and

terminating said welding process if said summation of said indicators exceeds a predetermined maximum value.

17. An apparatus for monitoring quality of a weld bead during a welding process comprising:

an electronic controller for receiving a first welding parameter signal and a second welding parameter signal and then determining an average power spectral density value for said first welding parameter signal between a first predetermined frequency and a second predetermined frequency and determining an average power spectral density value for said second welding parameter signal area between a first predetermined frequency and a second predetermined frequency and then comparing said average power spectral density value for said second welding parameter signal with said average power spectral density value for said first welding parameter signal and terminating said welding process if said average power spectral density value for said first welding parameter signal exceeds said average power spectral density value for said second welding parameter signal.

18. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 17, wherein said first welding parameter signal is selected from the group consisting of current, voltage and wire feed speed and said second welding parameter signal is selected from group consisting of current, voltage and wire feed speed.

19. An apparatus for monitoring quality of a weld bead during a welding process comprising:

an electronic controller for receiving a first welding parameter signal, a second welding parameter signal, and a third welding parameter signal and then determining an average area under a first welding parameter signal between a first predetermined frequency and a second predetermined frequency and determining a combination average area limit for both a second welding parameter signal and a third welding parameter signal and then comparing said combination average area limit for both said second welding parameter signal and said third welding parameter signal with said average area under said first welding parameter signal and terminating said welding process if said average area under said first welding parameter signal exceeds said combination average area limit for both said second welding parameter signal and said third welding parameter signal.

20. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 19, wherein said electronic controller utilizes a Fourier transform calculation for determining said average area under said first welding parameter signal.

21. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 19, wherein said electronic controller utilizes a power spectral density calculation for determining said average area under said first welding parameter signal.

22. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 19, wherein said first welding parameter signal is selected from the group consisting of current, voltage and wire feed speed and said second welding parameter signal is selected from group consisting of current, voltage and wire feed speed and said third welding parameter signal is selected from group consisting of current, voltage and wire feed speed.

23. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 19, wherein said electronic controller determines an average value for the second welding parameter and an average value for the third welding parameter and compares said average value for the second welding parameter and said average value for the third welding parameter with preestablished average area limit values and develops a combination average area limit value.

24. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 23, wherein said electronic controller determines said combination average area limit value by utilizing bilinear interpolation on said preestablished average area limit values.

25. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 23, wherein said electronic controller determines said combination average area limit value by utilizing nonlinear regression on said preestablished average area limit values.

26. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 23, wherein said preestablished average area limit values are located in an array.

27. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 23, wherein said preestablished average area limit values are developed from empirical data.

28. An apparatus for monitoring quality of a weld bead during a welding process comprising:

an electronic controller for receiving a first welding parameter signal, a second welding parameter signal, and a third welding parameter signal and then determining an average area under a first welding parameter signal between a first predetermined frequency and a second predetermined frequency during a first predetermined time interval that is updated every second predetermined time interval and determining a combination average area limit value for both a second welding parameter signal and a third welding parameter signal during a third predetermined time interval that is updated every fourth predetermined time interval and then comparing said combination average area limit value for both said second welding parameter signal and said third welding parameter signal with said average area under said first welding parameter signal and terminating said welding process if said average area under said first welding parameter signal exceeds said combination average area limit value for both said second welding parameter signal and said third welding parameter signal for a fifth predetermined time interval that is updated every sixth predetermined time interval.

29. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 28, wherein said wherein said first welding parameter signal is current and said second welding parameter signal is voltage and said third welding parameter signal is wire feed speed.

30. An apparatus, for monitoring quality of a weld bead during a welding process, comprising:

an electronic controller for receiving a current signal, a voltage signal and a wire feed speed signal and then determining an average power spectral density value for a current signal between a first predetermined frequency and a second predetermined frequency during a first predetermined time interval that is updated every second predetermined time interval and determining an average value for a voltage signal and an average value for a wire feed speed signal during a third predetermined time interval that is updated every fourth predetermined time interval and determining an average area limit value by comparing said average value for a voltage signal and said average value for a wire feed speed signal with average area limit values located in a preestablished array by utilizing bilinear interpolation and then comparing said average power spectral density value for said first welding parameter signal with said average area limit value and terminating said welding process if said average power spectral density value of said current signal exceeds said average area limit value for a fifth predetermined time interval that is updated every sixth predetermined time interval.

31. An apparatus, for monitoring quality of a weld bead during a welding process, comprising:

an electronic controller for receiving a current signal, a voltage signal and a wire feed speed signal and then determining an average power spectral density value for a current signal between a first predetermined frequency and a second predetermined frequency during a first predetermined time interval that is updated every second predetermined time interval and determining an average value for a voltage signal and an average value for a wire feed speed signal during a third predetermined time interval that is updated every fourth predetermined time interval and determining an average area limit value by comparing said average value for a voltage signal and said average value for a wire feed speed signal with average area limit values located in a preestablished array by utilizing nonlinear regression and then comparing said average power spectral density value for said first welding parameter signal with said average area limit value and terminating said welding process if said average power spectral density value of said current signal exceeds said average area limit value for a fifth predetermined time interval that is updated every sixth predetermined time interval.

32. An apparatus, for monitoring quality of a weld bead during a welding process, comprising:

an electronic controller for receiving a current signal, a voltage signal and a wire feed speed signal and then determining an average power spectral density value for a current signal between a first predetermined frequency and a second predetermined frequency during a first predetermined time interval that is updated every second predetermined time interval and determining an average value for a voltage signal and an average value for a wire feed speed signal during a third predetermined time interval that is updated every fourth predetermined time interval and determining an average area limit value by comparing said average value for a voltage signal and an average value for a wire feed speed signal with average area limit values located in a preestablished array by utilizing bilinear interpolation and then comparing said average power spectral density value for said first welding parameter signal with said average area limit value and setting an indicator equal to one if said average power spectral density value of said current signal exceeds said average area limit value and setting an indicator to zero if said average limit value exceeds said average power spectral density value of said current signal for a fifth predetermined time interval that is updated every sixth predetermined time interval and then summing a value of said indicators for a seventh predetermined time interval that is updated every eighth predetermined time interval and then terminating said welding process if said summation of said indicators exceeds a predetermined maximum value.