Patent Publication Number: US-2019184482-A1

Title: Welding system for determining a quality of a welding operation

Description:
This application is a Non provisional patent application of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/822,035 entitled “WELDING SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING A QUALITY OF A WELDING OPERATION”, filed May 10, 2013, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The invention relates generally to welding systems and, more particularly, to a welding system for determining a quality of a welding operation. 
     Welding is a process that has increasingly become utilized in various industries and applications. Such processes may be automated in certain contexts, although a large number of applications continue to exist for manual welding operations. In both cases, such welding operations rely on a variety of types of equipment to ensure the supply of welding consumables (e.g., wire feed, shielding gas, etc.) is provided to the weld in appropriate amounts at the desired time. 
     Welding operations are performed on a variety of different materials (e.g., metallic materials). For example, a workpiece may be formed from a carbon steel or a corrosion resistant alloy, such as stainless steel. A time duration of heat that the workpiece is exposed to may be managed for obtaining certain metallurgical characteristics. For example, certain preheat temperatures, interpass temperatures, heat input of welding, and/or other welding parameters may be managed. Accordingly, a quality of a welding operation on a workpiece may depend on a time history of temperatures that the workpiece is exposed to during the welding operation. Unfortunately, it may be difficult to detect the temperature of a workpiece near a joint while a welding operation is occurring on the joint in conjunction with timing data corresponding to the welding operation. Thus, it may be difficult to determine a time history of temperatures that a workpiece is exposed to during the welding operation. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION 
     In one embodiment, a welding system includes a movable temperature sensor configured to detect temperatures corresponding to a workpiece and to provide temperature data corresponding to the detected temperatures. The welding system also includes a power supply configured to receive the temperature data from the temperature sensor. The power supply is configured to modify control of an output of the power supply based on the detected temperature. 
     In another embodiment, there is a method for determining a quality of a welding operation. The method includes receiving, via a power supply, a temperature signal representative of one or more temperatures of a workpiece detected by a temperature sensor during an operation for the workpiece. The method further includes processing the temperature signal to derive a processed temperature data, and receiving operations data corresponding to the operation for the workpiece. The method additionally includes determining a quality of the operation by applying the processed temperature data and the operations data. 
     In a further embodiment, there is a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions configured to receive, via a power supply, a temperature signal representative of one or more temperatures of a workpiece detected by a temperature sensor during an operation for the workpiece. The instructions are additionally configured to process the temperature signal to derive a processed temperature data and to receive operations data corresponding to the operation for the workpiece. The instructions are further configured to determine a quality of the operation by applying the processed temperature data and the operations data. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
       These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an illustration of an embodiment of a welding system including a workpiece that may be formed from a carbon steel or a corrosion resistant alloy, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is an illustration of an embodiment of a welding system that may be used to determine a quality of a welding operation, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the temperature sensor  32  in the form of a handheld device for detecting temperatures during a welding operation, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a detector for identifying a welding operation, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method for determining a quality of a welding operation, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Embodiments of the present invention may be used in any application where one or more temperatures may be detected. For example,  FIG. 1  illustrates an arc welding system  10 . As depicted, the arc welding system  10  may include a power supply  12  that generates and supplies welding power to an electrode  14  via a conduit  16 . In the arc welding system  10 , a direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC) may be used along with the consumable or non-consumable electrode  14  to deliver current to the point of welding. In such a welding system  10 , an operator  18  may control the location and operation of the electrode  14  by positioning the electrode  14  and triggering the starting and stopping of the current flow. As illustrated, a helmet assembly  20  is worn by the welding operator  18 . The helmet assembly  20  includes a helmet shell  22  and a lens assembly  24  that may be darkened to prevent or limit exposure to the light generated by a welding arc  26 . 
     When the operator  18  begins the welding operation (or other operation such as plasma cutting) by applying power from the power supply  12  to the electrode  14 , the welding arc  26  is developed between the electrode  14  and a workpiece  28 , such as the illustrated pipe. The workpiece  28  may be formed from a carbon steel or a corrosion resistant alloy, such as stainless steel, or other metals and alloys (e.g., aluminum, titanium, zirconium, niobium, tantalum, nickel alloys). Non-metal workpieces  28  may also be welded or otherwise joined, for example, by stir welding. The electrode  14  and the conduit  16  thus deliver current and voltage sufficient to create the welding arc  26  between the electrode  14  and the work piece  28 . The welding arc  26  melts the metal (the base material and any filler material added) at the point of welding between the electrode  14  and the work piece  28 , thereby providing a joint when the metal cools. The welding system  10  may be configured to form a weld joint by any suitable technique, including shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) (i.e., stick welding), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW), flux-cored arc welding (FCAW), metal inert gas welding (MIG), tungsten inert gas welding (TIG), gas welding (e.g., oxyacetylene welding), sub-arc welding (SAW), and/or resistance welding. As may be appreciated, shielding gas may be used in certain applications, such as GTAW, GMAW, and FCAW, for example. Waveforms used during welding may include regulated metal deposition (RMD) type waveforms, among others, surface tension transfer (STT), cold metal transfer (CMT). 
     Generally, the techniques described herein enable certain operations (e.g., welding, cutting, grinding, induction heating, testing) to be performed on the workpiece  28  by applying power supplied by the power supply  12 . The workpiece  28  may be disposed in an industrial facility (e.g., industrial plant, shipyard) but may also be disposed in a residential facility, such as a garage or a home. The workpiece  28  may include tubular pieces (e.g., pipe), flat sheeting (e.g., metal or plastic sheets and plates), angled workpieces  28  (e.g., angle iron) or any other piece that may be welded, cut, ground, induction heated, or tested, for example, by using power delivered via the power supply  12 . 
     As described below, heat applied to the workpiece  28  may be detected (e.g., sensed) using one or more temperature sensors. The power supply  12  may be configured to store the detected data. By using the temperature sensors, temperatures of the workpiece  28  near a welding application may be detected and/or monitored to determine a quality of a welding operation and/or to control temperature of a welding operation being performed. As may be appreciated, temperature sensors may be used in any application where temperature detection is desired, such as welding, cutting, grinding, induction heating, testing, and so forth. 
       FIG. 2  is an illustration of an embodiment of the welding system  10  that may be used to determine a quality of a welding operation. The workpiece  28  has a joint  30  where joining (e.g., welding) is to be performed. A sensor  32  is positioned adjacent to the joint  30  to detect one or more temperatures of the workpiece  28  before, during, and/or after the joint  30  is welded. Additionally or alternatively, the sensors, such as the sensor  32 , may detect rotational speed of the workpiece  28 , a deposition rate of welding of the joint  32 , a cooling rate of the workpiece  28 , a gas on or around the workpiece  28  (e.g., amount of gas such as acetylene, oxygen, argon, helium, or any other gas), and preheating of the workpiece  28  (e.g., whether the workpiece  28  was preheated and/or preheating rate). Data from the sensor(s)  32  may aid in determining a quality of operations on the workpiece  28 , as described in more detail below with respect to  FIG. 5 . 
     The sensor  32  may be positioned within one to four inches or more from the joint  30 , in certain embodiments. While one sensor  32  is illustrated, the welding system  10  may include 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more sensors. While the workpiece  28  has a circular outer surface in the illustrated embodiment, in other embodiments, the workpiece  28  may have a outer or inner surface that is triangular, square, rectangular, or any other standard or non-standard shape of outer surface. The sensor  32  may be disposed on the outer surface or on the inner surface using a variety of fastening techniques, including magnetic mounts, clamps, gravity (e.g., when a sensor  32  is placed on top of a non-moving workpiece), and the like. 
     The temperature sensor  32  may be any suitable device that can provide indications (e.g., temperature data) that correspond to temperatures. For example, the temperature sensor  32  may be a thermocouple, a bimetallic switch, a resistance temperature detector (RTD), a thermistor, a wax motor (e.g., actuator device suitable for converting thermal-to-mechanical energy via phase change behavior of waxes), and/or an infrared detector. Furthermore, the temperature sensor  32  may provide indications that correspond to temperatures being measured by using wired and/or wireless communication. As illustrated, the temperature sensor  32  is configured to communicate using wireless signals  34 . Moreover, the power supply  12  (e.g., welding power supply suitable for providing electric power for welding operations) is configured to receive wireless signals  38  from the temperature sensor  32 . In other embodiments, another device may be configured to receive the wireless signals  34  provided by the temperature sensor  32 . As may be appreciated, the indications transmitted by the sensor  32  may be representative of temperatures, but may actually be voltages, current flows, capacitive values or other signals that correspond to various temperatures. In another embodiment, the sensor  32  may transmit actual temperatures measurements alternative to or in addition to signals representative of temperatures. 
     The power supply  12  includes one or more processors  40 , storage devices  42 , and memory devices  44 . The processor(s)  40  may be used to execute software, such as data processing, welding operation quality determination, welding control, converting indications from the temperature sensor  32  to temperature data, and so forth. Moreover, the processor(s)  40  may include one or more microprocessors, such as one or more “general-purpose” microprocessors, one or more special-purpose microprocessors and/or application specific integrated circuits (ASICS), or some combination thereof. For example, the processor(s)  40  may include one or more reduced instruction set (RISC) processors, digital signal processors (DSP), microcontrollers, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), custom chips, and the like. 
     The storage device(s)  42  (e.g., nonvolatile storage) may include read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, a hard drive, or any other suitable optical, magnetic, or solid-state storage medium, or a combination thereof. The storage device(s)  42  may store data (e.g., welding data, temperature data, historical data, indications from the temperature sensor  32 , etc.), instructions (e.g., software or firmware for determining welding quality, temperature conversions, welding control, etc.), and any other suitable data. 
     The memory device(s)  44  may include a volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM), and/or a nonvolatile memory, such as ROM, including updatable ROM such as flashable ROM. The memory device(s)  44  may store a variety of information and may be used for various purposes. For example, the memory device(s)  44  may store processor-executable instructions (e.g., firmware or software) for the processor(s)  40  to execute, such as instructions for determining a quality of a welding operation. 
     The workpiece  28  includes identification data  46  (e.g., a code). The identification data  46  may be used to identify the welding operation to be performed on the joint  30 . For example, the identification data  46  may identify a job number, a work order number, and so forth. In certain embodiments, the identification data  46  may be a bar code, a quick response (QR) code, radio frequency identification (RFID), or any other suitable code that may uniquely identify a welding operation. While in the depicted embodiment the identification data  46  is shown as disposed on the workpiece  28 , in other embodiments the identification data  46  may be disposed on a job packet, a move ticket, or generally physically separate from the workpiece  28 . The identification data  46  may also be entered, for example, into a system such as the power supply  12  via a buttons or a keyboard disposed on the power supply  12  or via buttons or a keyboard disposed on a remote device, such as an infrared remote, a radio frequency (RF) remote, Bluetooth device, WiFi device, and the like. The welding system  10  includes a detector  48  configured to detect the identification data  46 . In certain embodiments, the detector  48  may be a bar code detector. The detector  48  provides wireless signals  50  that may be received by the power supply  12 . As may be appreciated, by using the temperature sensor  32 , temperatures of the workpiece  28  may be detected and/or monitored. Accordingly, a quality of a welding operation on the joint  30  may be determined and/or controlled. For example, the power supply  12  may derive that the temperature is at a level undesired for certain operations, and may notify the user via visual and/or audio notifications (e.g., lights, beeps, screen displays). The power supply  12  may also suspend operations of the temperature is found to be at an undesired level (e.g., too high or too low). 
     The power supply  12  may be informed of the type of operation to be performed (e.g., welding, plasma cutting, grinding, induction heating, testing) via on-device input (e.g., keyboard, buttons, switches) and/or remotely from an external device (e.g., Bluetooth enabled mobile device, WiFi device). Accordingly, the power supply may include a wireless module suitable for sending and receiving wireless signals from the sensor  32  and external devices. The power supply  12  may also receive further inputs based on the operation to be performed, such as operation supplies used (e.g., welding wire/electrode type), metal/alloy or plastic type of the workpiece  28  being operated on, size of the workpiece  28 , and so on. The power supply  12  may then use the input to derive a desirable temperature range, thus improving a quality of various operations as applied to various workpieces  28 . 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the temperature sensor  32  in the form of a handheld device  52  for detecting temperatures during a welding operation. As illustrated, the handheld device  52  communicates wirelessly using the wireless signals  34 . The handheld device  52  may be held by a hand  54  of an operator to direct (e.g., point) a sensing tip  56  (e.g., an end (contact or non-contact) used to detect temperatures) positioned at a proximal end of the device  52  at a desired location. With the sensing tip  56  directed at a desired location, the handheld device  52  may detect temperatures at, or near, a welding operation. The handheld device  52  may include multiple sensors disposed in the tip  56 , including one or more temperature sensors and one or more sensors suitable for reading the code  46 . For example, the sensors may include optical sensors useful in reading QR and/or barcodes, and RFID sensors useful in reading RFID tags. 
     As illustrated, the handheld device  52  may provide indications corresponding to the temperatures wirelessly to the power supply  12  for storage, processing, and/or analysis. The handheld device  52  may additionally provide the code  46 , useful in deriving the type of workpiece  28  (e.g., material type, size) and/or the operation to be performed on the workpiece  28 . In certain embodiments, the handheld device  52  may include a removable storage device, such as a memory stick, universal serial bus (USB) flash drive, etc., for storing indications corresponding to temperatures detected. The removable storage device may be configured to store a date and/or a time associated with the indications corresponding to temperatures detected. Furthermore, in certain embodiments, the handheld device  52  may have a built-in storage device. Accordingly, the handheld device  52  may be directly connected to the power supply  12 , a computer, or another device for transferring data from the storage device of the handheld device  52 . Thus, using the handheld device  52  temperatures at, or near, a welding operation may be detected. 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the detector  48  suitable for identifying a welding operation. The detector  48  includes a handle  58  that enables an operator to hold the detector  48  and to aim the detector  48  toward a desired direction. Moreover, the detector  48  includes a scanner  60 , such as a bar code scanner, for detecting the identification data  46  used to identify the weld and/or a welding operator. The detector may additionally or alternatively include an RFID receive useful in detecting RFID signals provided via RFID embodiments of the identification data  46 . As discussed above, the detector  48  may provide identification data  46  to the power supply  12  using the wireless signals  50 . In one embodiment, the identification data  46  may be used to correlate temperature data and/or welding data performed during a welding operation with a weld on the workpiece  28 . The identification data  46  may also include data related to the type of workpiece  28  (e.g., material type, size) and/or the operation to be performed on the workpiece  28 . Accordingly, the power supply  12  may use the identification data  46  to control operations, as well as to notify the user  18  of temperature data or undesired temperature conditions. 
     In certain embodiments, the detector  48  may include a removable storage device, such as a memory stick, USB flash drive, etc, for storing detected identification data  46 . The removable storage device may be configured to store a date and/or a time associated with the detected identification data. Furthermore, in certain embodiments, the detector  48  may have a built-in storage device, e.g., built-in non-removable flash memory. Accordingly, the detector  48  may be directly connected to the power supply  12 , a computer, or another device for transferring data from the detector  48  from the removable storage device or the built-in memory. As illustrated, the detector  48  includes a socket  62  that enables the handheld device  52  to be inserted therein. In one embodiment, the socket  62  may include an electrical connector providing communications and/or power to the handheld device  52 . Accordingly, the detector  48  may provide data to the handheld device  52  and/or the handheld device  52  may provide data to the detector  48 . Therefore, identification data and temperature related data may be stored and/or wirelessly transmitted together via the device  52 , the detector  58 , or combination thereof. 
       FIG. 5  is a flowchart of an embodiment of a process  64  for determining a quality of a welding operation. The process  64  may be implemented as computer-executable instructions or code stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium, such as the memory  44 , and executed by one or more processors, such as the processors  40 . The process  64  may be executed and stored by the power supply  12  and/or the cloud-based device, the welding accessory, the pendant, the wire feeder, the welding helmet, the welding torch, the module, the communication interface, and so forth. The power supply  12  (or another device, such as a cloud-based device, welding accessory, a pendant, a wire feeder, a welding helmet, a welding torch, a module suitable for retrofitting the power supply  12  with the techniques described herein, a communication interface, and so forth) receives first timing data indicating a first time before, during, or after a welding or other operation (e.g., cutting, grinding, induction heating, testing) begins (block  66 ). For example, the detector  48  may be used to detect, before the welding operation begins, the identification data  46  that corresponds to the welding operation. The detector  48  may provide the identification data  46  and/or a time (e.g., date and time) to the power supply  12 . The power supply  12  (or another device, such as the cloud-based device, the welding accessory, the pendant, the wire feeder, the welding helmet, the welding torch, the module, the communication interface, and so forth) receives temperature data representative of one or more temperatures of the workpiece  28  detected during the welding operation after receiving the first timing data (block  68 ). For example, the power supply  12  may receive the temperature data wirelessly, using a wired connection, using a memory storage device, and so forth. Furthermore, the power supply  12  stores the temperature data (or processed temperature data) together with welding data corresponding to the welding operation and the first timing data to correlate data of the welding operation (block  70 ). As used herein, the term “processed temperature data” refers to temperature data that has been modified, such as a sensed voltage converted to a temperature. 
     The power supply  12  determines a quality of the welding operation using the temperature data and the welding data (block  72 ). In certain embodiments, the power supply  12 , other device, e.g., cloud-based server, determines whether the temperature data indicates that temperatures are within a predetermined range. For example a measure of quality of the operation on the workpiece  28  may include how long the operation occurred at a desired temperature or temperature range. The measure of quality of the operation on the workpiece  28  may additionally or alternatively include rotational speed, or speed of any movement of the workpiece  28  (or welding torch  26 ) during operations. For example, certain materials may be welded, cut, tested, heated, and so on, at a desired movement speed or ranges of speed of the torch  26  and/or the workpiece  28 . The measure of quality of the operation on the workpiece  28  may additionally or alternatively include a cooling rate of the workpiece  28 . For example, after application of the torch  26 , the workpiece may be cooled for a certain time, as desired. 
     Likewise, the measure of quality of the operation on the workpiece  28  may additionally or alternatively include whether or not preheating was applied, and/or a rate of preheating. For example, certain materials and operations may have higher quality when the workpiece  28  is preheated prior to welding, cutting, and so on. The measure of quality of the operation on the workpiece  28  may additionally or alternatively include gas monitoring via the sensor(s)  32 . For example, the presence and/or amount of certain gases on or near the workpiece  28  may be indicative of quality of the operation. Power supply data may also be indicative of quality of the operation. For example, voltage levels, current levels, waveforms used, and the like, may be indicative of quality of the operation. 
     In certain embodiment, the power supply  12  may provide data, including identification data  46 , temperature data, rotational speed data, deposition rate data, cooling rate data, preheating data, gas monitoring data, and power supply  12  data (e.g., power currently being used) the to the associated device (e.g., computer server communicatively coupled to the power supply  12 ) and/or to a cloud for further analysis. The power supply  12  may also analyze the data. The analysis may include real-time analysis of the data (e.g. temperature data and operations data such as temperature and power currently used) being transmitted via the power supply  12 . For example, the associated device and/or cloud-based server may process (and store) the data to determine if an operation is proceeding as desired, and may then transmit data back to the power supply  12  based on this determination, such as a measure of quality of the operation. The power supply  12  may then inform the operator and/or provide control actions, such as stopping power if the temperature is deemed too high. 
     The power supply  12  may additionally or alternatively provide for data processing. For example, the power supply  12  may determine whether the temperature data indicates that temperatures are within an acceptable range, an unacceptable range, or some combination thereof. Likewise, rotational speed data, deposition rate data, cooling rate data, preheat data, and/or gas monitoring data may be used to determine acceptable ranges and/or a quality of the operation. For example, the quality measure may include a graded measure (e.g., from 1 to 100) where higher numbers imply higher quality based on the analysis described herein. Moreover, the power supply  12  controls the welding operation using the temperature data (block  74 ). For example, in certain embodiments, the power supply  12  may be configured to provide a signal (e.g., warning) to a welding operator while the temperature or other measure (e.g., rotational speed data, deposition rate data, cooling rate data, preheat data, and/or gas monitoring data) is outside a desired range, or while the measure is within a desired range, based at least partly on the data received from the sensor  32 . The power supply  12  receives second timing data indicating a second time after the welding operation is performed (block  76 ). For example, the second timing data may include the identification data  46  that corresponds to a second welding operation. Using the temperature sensor  32  and other devices described herein, temperatures of the workpiece  28  may be detected and/or monitored. Accordingly, a quality of a welding operation on the joint  30  may be determined and/or controlled. Specifically, temperatures that a workpiece is exposed to during the welding operation may be managed. 
     While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention.