System and method for performing remote welding operations on an apparatus

• US 9,505,130 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2012
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (GE Vernova, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Hunt, Mark Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): Ross, Dana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen, Kuangyue
• Application Number:
  US13/548,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20140014637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,600 Days
• Field of Search: 219/124.22, 219/130.1, 219/130.21, 219/147, 348/187, 348/143, 348/90, 700/245, 700/110, 2/82
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1689 Teleoperation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39387 Reflex control, follow movement, track face, work, hand, visual servoing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40169 Display of actual situation at the remote site
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40195 Tele-operation, computer assisted manual operation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45104 Lasrobot, welding robot

Abstract

A system for performing remote welding operations on an apparatus is disclosed. The system may generally include a welding chamber configured to house the apparatus and a robotic welder positioned within the welding chamber. The robotic welder may be configured to perform an actual welding operation on the apparatus. In addition, the system may include a welding simulation device positioned outside the welding chamber and a controller communicatively coupled to the robotic welder and the welding simulation device. The welding simulation device may be configured to perform a simulated welding operation corresponding to the actual welding operation. The controller may be configured to track the movement of the welding simulation device and control the operation of the robotic welder based on the movements of the welding simulation device.

Claims

1. A system for performing remote welding operations on an apparatus, the system comprising:

a welding chamber configured to house the apparatus;

a robotic welder positioned within the welding chamber, the robotic welder being configured to perform an actual welding operation on the apparatus;

a welding simulation device positioned outside the welding chamber, the welding simulation device being configured to be physically moved on as to perform a simulated welding operation corresponding to the actual welding operation;

a model apparatus positioned outside the welding chamber, the welding simulation device configured to be physically moved relative to the model apparatus to perform the simulated welding operation;

a fixture positioned within the welding chamber, the apparatus being mounted to the fixture;

a model fixture positioned outside the welding chamber, the model apparatus being mounted to the model fixture; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the robotic welder and the welding simulation device, the controller being configured to track the physical movements of the welding simulation device and control movements of the robotic welder based on the physical movements of the welding simulation device such that the movements of the robotic welder emulate the physical movements of the welding simulation device as tracked by the controller;

wherein;

an orientation of both the fixture and the model fixture is adjustable; and

when the orientation of the model fixture is adjusted, the controller is configured to adjust the orientation of the fixture to match the orientation of the model fixture.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an imaging system configured to capture images of the actual welding operation as it is being performed and a display device communicatively coupled to the imaging system, the display device being configured to display images transmitted from the imaging system.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the imaging system is coupled to a robotic arm positioned within the welding chamber.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the display device is configured as a head-mounted display device, the controller being configured to track the movements of the head-mounted display device and control the operation of the robotic arm based on the movements of the head-mounted display.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the head-mounted display device is configured as a welder'"'"'s hood.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the robotic welder comprises a robotic arm and a welding torch coupled to the robotic arm.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor mounted to or within the welding simulation device, the sensor being configured to monitor at least one of a position or an orientation of the welding simulation device.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a microphone configured to record sounds emitted within the welding chamber and a speaker positioned outside the welding chamber, the speaker being configured to generate the sounds recorded by the microphone.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the welding simulation device is configured as a welding torch.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the physical movements of the welding simulation device are configured to be manually controlled.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the welding chamber defines an enclosed, sealed volume.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to the sensor, the controller being configured to track the physical movements of the welding simulation device based on input signals received from the sensor.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to convert the input signals received from the sensor into at least one of three dimensional coordinates or vectors representing at least one of a current position or a current orientation of the welding simulation device, the controller being configured to control the movements of the robotic welder based on changes in the at least one of the current position or the current orientation of the welding simulation device.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a position sensor, a proximity sensor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, an electromagnetic sensor or an inertia sensor.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to calibrate at least one of a position or an orientation of the welding simulation device such that the controller correlates the at least one of the position or the orientation of the welding simulation device to at least one of a position or an orientation of a portion of the robotic welder within the welding chamber.