Systems and methods for configuring a cutting or welding delivery device

• US 9,643,273 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2013
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hypertherm Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hypertherm Incorporated
• Inventors: Adams, Richard, Bertken, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): KASENGE, CHARLES R
• Application Number:
  US14/053,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20150105898A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 10/00 Welding or cutting by means of a plasma
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 10/006 Control circuits therefor circuits for plasma torches H05H1/36
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/04 Steel or steel alloys
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/02 Positioning or observing the workpiece, e.g. with respect to the point of impact; Aligning, aiming or focusing the laser beam
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0876 in at least two axial directions
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/38 by boring or cutting
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 37/0235 the guide member forming part of a portal
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 37/0408 for planar work
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 37/0461 Welding tables
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/013 Arc cutting, gouging, scarfing or desurfacing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/42135 Fuzzy model reference learning controller, synthesis, tune rule base automatically
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45135 Welding
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49304 Tool identification, code
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/50255 Tool selection sets speed machining, kind of cooling, other parameter

Abstract

A system is provided for configuring a delivery device of a cutting or welding apparatus. The system includes a determination module and a mobile computing device. The determination module is configured to determine at least one desired component of the delivery device or a value for at least one operating parameter of the cutting or welding apparatus. The mobile computing device includes a receiver, a reader and a processor. The receiver is configured to receive information from the determination module including at least one of i) identification of the desired component or ii) the value of the operating parameter. The reader is configured to read an element associated with a selected component, where the element provides indicia of at least one characteristic of the selected component. The processor is configure to approve the selected component for assembly into the delivery device.

Claims

1. A system for configuring a delivery device of a cutting or welding apparatus, the system comprising:

a determination module for determining at least one desired component of the delivery device or a value for at least one operating parameter of the cutting or welding apparatus;

a mobile computing device comprising;

a receiver for receiving information from the determination module including at least one of i) identification of the desired component or ii) the value of the operating parameter and (iii) a desired operation of the cutting or welding apparatus;

a reader for reading an element associated with a selected component, wherein the element provides indicia of at least one characteristic of the selected component; and

a processor for approving the selected component for assembly into the delivery device if the indicia matches the identification of the desired component or satisfies the value for the at least one operating parameter,

wherein the mobile device is configured to present a percentage usage remaining for the selected component normalized with respect to the desired operation.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the reader comprises at least one of a scanner or a camera.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the tag comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag, a barcode, a laser-readable marking or a visual characteristic.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected component comprises one of an electrode, a nozzle, a shield, a swirl ring, a retaining cap or a replaceable torch body of a plasma arc system.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected component comprises a consumable component for a laser or waterjet cutting system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the indicia comprises at least one of an identification, a type, or a life expectancy of the selected component.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein

the reader is configured to read a plurality of elements associated with a plurality of selected components, and

the processor is configured to approve the plurality of selected components for assembly into the delivery device by determining if the plurality of selected components satisfy i) identification of a plurality of desired components corresponding to a cutting routine or ii) one or more operation requirements corresponding to the cutting routine.

8. A computer-implemented method for configuring a cutting or welding system, the method comprising:

receiving, by a portable device, at least one of i) identification of at least one desired component for a delivery device of the cutting or welding system or ii) at least one operation requirement of the cutting or welding system, and (iii) a desired operation of the cutting or welding system;

reading, by the portable device, a tag associated with a selected component, wherein the tag provides indicia of at least one characteristic of the selected component;

verifying, by the portable device, the suitability of the selected component for assembly into the delivery device by determining if the indicia matches the identification of the desired component or meets the operation requirement; and

presenting, by the portable device, a percentage usage remaining for the selected component normalized with respect to the desired operation.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving, by a determination module, instruction code for operating the delivery device;

identifying, by the determination module, the operation requirement and the desired component to implement the instruction code; and

transmitting, by the determination module, to the portable device at least one of the identification of the desired component or the operation requirement.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the determination module resides on the portable device.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the determination module is remote from the portable device.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the instruction code includes data for the shape of at least one part to be cut from a workpiece by the delivery device.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the tag comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag, a bar code, a laser-readable marking, or a visual characteristic.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the tag is readable, or writable, or a combination thereof.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the indicia comprises at least one of an identification, a type, or a life expectancy of the selected component.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the delivery device comprises a plasma arc torch, a waterjet nozzle, a waterjet orifice, a laser nozzle, or a cutting head.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the selected component comprises a consumable component.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the consumable component comprises one of an electrode, a nozzle, a shield, a swirl ring, a retaining cap or a replaceable torch body for a plasma arc system.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the consumable component is associated with a laser or waterjet cutting system.

20. The computer implemented method of claim 8, further comprising recommending, by the portable device, a plurality of selected components for assembly into the delivery device corresponding to at least one of i) a plurality of identifications of desired components for the delivery device or ii) a plurality of operation requirements of the cutting or welding system.

21. The computer implemented method of claim 8, wherein the portable device comprises a mobile computing device.

22. A computer readable product, tangibly embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium or a machine-readable storage device and operable on a digital signal processor for a system to configure a delivery device of a cutting or welding apparatus, the computer readable product including instructions operable to cause the digital signal processor to:

receive, by the non-transitory computer readable medium or the machine-readable storage device, at least one of i) identification of at least one desired component for assembly into the delivery device or ii) at least one operation requirement of the cutting or welding apparatus, and (iii) a desired operation of the cutting or welding system;

scan, by the non-transitory computer readable medium or the machine-readable storage device, a tag associated with a selected component, wherein the tag provides indicia of at least one characteristic of the selected component;

verify, by the non-transitory computer readable medium or the machine-readable storage device, the suitability of the selected component for assembly into the delivery device based on comparing the indicia with at least one of the identification of the desired component or the operation requirement; and

present, by the non-transitory computer readable medium or machine-readable storage device, a percentage usage remaining for the selected component normalized with respect to the desired operation.

23. The computer readable product of claim 22, wherein identification of the desired component or the operation requirement is determined by a determination module based on a cutting routine supplied by a user, the determination module being in electrical communication with the non-transitory computer readable medium or the machine-readable storage device.

24. The computer readable product of claim 22, further comprising verify, by the non-transitory computer readable medium or the machine-readable storage device, the suitability of a plurality of selected components for assembly into the delivery device corresponding to at least one of i) a plurality of identifications of desired components for the delivery device or ii) a plurality of operation requirements of the cutting or welding apparatus.

25. A computer-implemented method for configuring a cutting or welding device, the method comprising:

providing a component for the cutting or welding device, the component having a tag attached thereto that is readable and writable;

scanning, by a portable device, the tag to read data stored on the tag;

determining, based on the data stored on the tag, life expectancy information of the component;

confirming, based on the life expectancy information, that the component has sufficient usable life remaining to complete a desired operation of the cutting or welding device; and

presenting, by the portable device, a percentage usage remaining for the component, wherein the percentage usage is normalized with respect to the desired operation.

26. The computer-implemented method of claim 25, further comprising recommending the component for assembly into the cutting or welding device to perform the desired operation if the component is confirmed to have sufficient usable life remaining.

27. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, further comprising writing data to the tag of the component to update the data stored on the tag after the component is used to perform the desired operation.

28. The computer-implemented method of claim 25, wherein the data stored on the tag records at least one of the number of starts performed by the component, the current amperage corresponding to each start, and the cut time corresponding to each start.

29. The computer-implemented method of claim 25, further comprising presenting the life expectancy information of the component via a graphical user interface of the portable device.