System for enabling arc welders

• US 6,858,817 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2003
• Issued: 02/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lincoln Global Incorporated (Lincoln Electric Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lincoln Global Incorporated (Lincoln Electric Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Houston, William S., Hillen, Edward D., Blankenship, George D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw, Clifford C.
• Application Number:
  US10/748,990
• Publication Number:
  US 20040140301A1
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: 219/130.5, 219/124.34, 219/125.1, 219/125.11, 219/130.01, 228/103, 901/42
• US Class Current: 219/130.5
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/0953 using computing means

Abstract

A system for enabling an electric arc welder adapted to perform various welding processes using weld parameters and a welding wire. The system comprises a first receptacle for a first memory button having a chip loaded with digital data indicative of a specific welding procedure specification constituting a set of at least weld parameters, a specific weld process, electrical characteristics, and selected welding wire features; a second receptacle for a second memory button having a chip loaded with digital data indicative of recorded features of welding wire loaded onto the welder; and, a disable circuit to disable the welder to process the specific welding procedure when the data indicative of recorded features of the welding wire fails to correspond with the data indicative of the selected welding wire features.

Claims

1. A system to enable an electric arc welder having a controller designed to perform various welding processes using weld parameters and a welding wire or electrode comprising a first receptacle for a first memory button having a chip that includes digital data indicative of at least one welding condition and a circuit to load said at least one welding condition into a controller of said welder to control at least one operation of said welder, said at least one welding condition including a condition selected from the group consisting of a set of welding parameters, a welding process information, electrical characteristics of a welding procedure, shielding gas information, welding wire features, and combinations thereof.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein said digital data of said first chip includes digital data defining selected qualifications of the operating welder and including a second receptacle for a second memory button having a chip that includes digital data indicative of actual welding qualifications of a welder;

and a disable circuit to disable said welder to process said welder operation when said actual welding qualification fails to fall within a predefined deviation of said selected qualifications.

3. The system as defined in claim 2, including a program to update said digital data indicative of at least one actual welding qualification in response to the processing of said specific welding operation.

4. The system as defined in claim 3, wherein the circuit includes a memory for storing said digital data and said first chip includes a coded data to output at least a portion of said digital data into said controller.

5. The system as defined in claim 4, wherein said digital data at least partially provided from a network and said first chip includes coded data to output at least a portion of said digital data into said controller.

6. The system as defined in claim 2, wherein the circuit includes a memory for storing said digital data and said first chip includes a coded data to output at least a portion of said digital data into said controller.

7. The system as defined in claim 2, wherein said digital data at least partially provided from a network and said first chip includes coded data to output at least a portion of said digital data into said controller.

8. The system as defined in claim 1 including a program to update said digital data indicative of at least one actual welding qualification in response to the processing of said specific welding operation.

9. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the circuit includes a memory for storing said digital data and said first chip includes a coded data to output at least a portion of said digital data into said controller.

10. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein said digital data at least partially provided from a network and said first chip includes coded data to output at least a portion of said digital data into said controller.

11. A system for controlling an electric arc welder comprising a memory device loaded at least partially with digital data indicative of a specific welding condition, a controller that includes a digital processing device having a memory to receive said digital data and controlling said welder in compliance with said digital data, and a digital reading interface to at least partially load said digital data from said memory to said section of said controller, said memory device including a memory button having an IC chip, said welding condition including a condition selected from the group consisting of a set of welding parameters, a welding process information, electrical characteristics of a welding procedure, shielding gas information, welding wire features, and combinations thereof.

12. The system as defined in claim 11, wherein said IC chip at least partially loaded with said digital data and readable by touch when contacting an interface that includes a touch contactor in a receptacle to touch said memory button when said button is placed into said receptacle.

13. A system to control at least one electric arc welder at a weld station comprising a controller for the power supply and external drives at said weld station, a data entry station, and a logic network, said controller having a digital processing device that includes a section to receive digital data and at least partially control said welder in compliance with said digital data, said digital data including a selected value for a weld condition, said data entry station enabling an operator to select a level for said weld condition, said logic network comparing said selected level and said selected value to create an action signal based upon said comparison.

14. The system as defined in claim 13, wherein said action signal includes a signal selected from the group consisting of a command signal setting said power supply or external drive to a given value for said external condition, a signal recording said condition, a signal to set said power supply at a value of external condition between a high and a low value, a signal disabling welder when selected level is not within a selected deviation from said selected value, and combinations thereof.

15. The system as defined in claim 14, wherein said weld condition includes a condition selected from the group consisting of travel speed of an external drive, wire feed speed of an external drive, arc current of said power supply, arc voltage of said power supply, and combinations thereof.

16. The system defined in claim 14, including a sensor to read said weld condition on a real time basis and a circuit to disable said welder, said controller generating a command signal for said weld condition based upon said welding operation and said action signal, said circuit disabling said welder when said sensed weld condition deviates from said command signal.

17. The system as defined in claim 14, wherein in said data entry station is separate from said weld station.

18. The system as defined in claim 14, wherein said weld station includes a robot.

19. The system as defined in claim 13, wherein said weld condition includes a condition selected from the group consisting of travel speed of an external drive, wire feed speed of an external drive, arc current of said power supply, arc voltage of said power supply, and combinations thereof.

20. The system as defined in claim 19, including a sensor to read said weld condition on a real time basis and a circuit to disable said welder, said controller generating a command signal for said weld condition based upon said welding operation and said action signal, said circuit disabling said welder when said sensed weld condition deviates from said command signal.

21. The system as defined in claim 20, wherein said data entry station is separate from said weld station.

22. The system as defined in claim 21, wherein said weld station includes a robot.

23. The system as defined in claim 13, including a sensor to read said weld condition on a real time basis and a circuit to disable said welder, said controller generating a command signal for said weld condition based upon said welding operation and said action signal, said circuit disabling said welder when said sensed weld condition deviates from said command signal.

24. The system as defined in claim 13, wherein said data entry station is separate from said weld station.

25. The system as defined in claim 13, wherein said weld station includes a robot.

26. A system control for controlling at least one electric arc welder at a weld station comprising a controller to at least partially control a power supply of said welder, a reading device to load control data containing a welding operation, said controller having a digital processing device with a memory to receive digital data and to at least partially control said welder in compliance with said digital data, said reading device adapted to load said control data into said memory, said control data including a selected level for a weld condition, said controller generating a command signal for said weld condition for a sensor to read said weld condition at least partially on a real time basis, and a comparator circuit to disable said welder, when said weld condition deviates from said selected level.

27. The system as defined in claim 26, wherein said weld condition includes a condition selected from the group consisting of travel speed of an external drive, wire feed speed of an external drive, arc current of said power supply, arc voltage of said power supply, and combinations thereof.

28. The system as defined in claim 27, wherein one of said external drives includes a wire feeder.

29. The system as defined in claim 28, wherein one of said drives includes a robot drive for travel speed during welding.

30. The system as defined in claim 27, wherein one of said drives includes a robot drive for travel speed during welding.

31. The system as defined in claim 26, wherein one of said external drives includes a wire feeder.

32. The system as defined in claim 26, wherein one of said drives includes a robot drive for travel speed during welding.

33. A method of controlling an electric arc welder having a power supply, at least one external drive, and a controller for at least partially controlling said power supply and said at least one external drive, said method comprising:

(a) loading digital data containing a welding condition, said digital data including a value for the weld condition, at least a portion of said digital data supplied by an external source selected from the group consisting of an IC chip of a memory button, a computer, a computer network, and combinations thereof;

(b) inputting a desired level for said weld condition into said controller; and

,

(c) comparing said value with said desired level to create a command signal to said power supply, said at least one drive or combinations thereof.

34. The method as defined in claim 33, including the step of sensing a real time value of said weld condition and disabling said welder when said real time value deviates from said command signal by a selected amount.

35. The method as defined in claim 34, wherein at least one weld condition includes a condition selected from the group consisting of travel speed of an external drive, wire feed speed of an external drive, arc current of said power supply, arc voltage of said power supply, and combinations thereof.

36. The method as defined in claim 33, wherein at least one weld condition includes a condition selected from the group consisting of travel speed of an external drive, wire feed speed of an external drive, arc current of said power supply, arc voltage of said power supply, and combinations thereof.