System for tracking and analyzing welding activity

Abstract

A system and a method for tracking and analyzing welding activity. Dynamic spatial properties of a welding tool are sensed during a welding process producing a weld. The sensed dynamic spatial properties are tracked over time and the tracked dynamic spatial properties are captured as tracked data during the welding process. The tracked data is analyzed to determine performance characteristics of a welder performing the welding process and quality characteristics of a weld produced by the welding process. The performance characteristics and the quality characteristics may be subsequently reviewed.

Description

160 165 of FIG. 2). In other embodiments, sensors and/or sensor elements may be affixed to a portion of the article being welded (see sensor array 165 160 of FIG. 2). Still any manner of positioning and connecting the sensor elements may be chosen as is appropriate for tracking welding activity.

As an example of sensing and tracking a welding tool 230, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a magnetic sensing capability may be provided. For example, the receiver sensor array 165 may be a magnetic sensor that is mounted on the welding tool 230, and the emitter sensor array 160 may take the form of a magnetic source. The magnetic source 160 may be mounted in a predefined fixed position and orientation with respect to the weldment 15. The magnetic source 160 creates a magnetic field around itself, including the space encompassing the welding tool 230 during use and establishes a 3D spatial frame of reference. The magnetic sensor 165 is provided which is capable of sensing the magnetic field produced by the magnetic source. The magnetic sensor 165 is attached to the welding tool 230 and is operatively connected to the processor based computing device 110 via, for example, a cable, or wirelessly. The magnetic sensor 165 includes an array of three induction coils orthogonally aligned along three spatial directions. The induction coils of the magnetic sensor 165 each measure the strength of the magnetic field in each of the three directions and provide that information to the real time tracking module 121 of the processor based computing device 110. As a result, the system 100 is able to know where the welding tool 230 is in space with respect to the 3D spatial frame of reference established by the magnetic field produced by the magnetic source 160. In accordance with other embodiments of the present invention, two or more magnetic sensors may be mounted on or within the welding tool 230 to provide a more accurate representation of the position and orientation of the welding tool 230, for example. Care is to be taken in establishing the magnetic 3D spatial frame of reference such that the weldment 15, the tool 230, and any other portions of the welding environment do not substantially distort the magnetic field created by the magnetic source 160. As an alternative, such distortions may be corrected for or calibrated out as part of a welding environment set up procedure. Other non-magnetic technologies (e.g., acoustic, optical, electromagnetic, inertial, etc.) may be used, as previously discussed herein, to avoid such distortions, as are well known in the art.

With reference to all of the figures, operation of the system 100 will now be described in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The end user 10 activates the system 100 and enters his or her user name via the user interface 135. Once authorized access has been gained, the end user 10 traverses the menu system as prompted by the computer program product 120 via the GUI 135. The system 100 instructs the end user 10 to initiate set up of the welding article 15, which includes entering information about the weldment materials and/or welding process being used. Entering such information may include, for example, selecting a language, entering a user name, selecting a weld coupon type, selecting a welding process and associated axial spray, pulse, or short arc methods, selecting a gas type and flow rate, selecting a type of stick electrode, and selecting a type of flux cored wire.

In one embodiment, the end user enters the starting and ending points of the weld joint 16. This allows the system 100, via the real time tracking module 121, to determine when to start and stop recording the tracked information. Intermediate points are subsequently entered for interpolating the weld joint trajectory as calculated by the system 100. Additionally, sensor emitters and/or receivers 160, 165 are placed proximate to the weld joint at locations suitable for gathering data in a manner consistent with that described herein. After set up is completed, system tracking is initiated and the end user 10 is prompted to begin the welding procedure. As the end user 10 completes the weld, the system 100 gathers performance data including the speed, position and orientation of the weld torch 230 for analysis by the system 100 in determining welder performance characteristics and weld quality characteristics as previously described herein.

In summary, a system and a method for tracking and analyzing welding activity is disclosed. Dynamic spatial properties of a welding tool are sensed during a welding process producing a weld. The sensed dynamic spatial properties are tracked over time and the tracked dynamic spatial properties are captured as tracked data during the welding process. The tracked data is analyzed to determine performance characteristics of a welder performing the welding process and quality characteristics of a weld produced by the welding process. The performance characteristics and the quality characteristics may be subsequently reviewed.

While the claimed subject matter of the present application has been described with reference to certain embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the claimed subject matter. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the claimed subject matter without departing from its scope. Therefore, it is intended that the claimed subject matter not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but that the claimed subject matter will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A system for tracking and analyzing welding activity, said system comprising:

means for automatically sensing dynamic spatial properties of a welding tool during a welding process producing a weld;

means for automatically tracking said sensed dynamic spatial properties over time during said welding process;

means for automatically capturing said tracked dynamic spatial properties as tracked data during said welding process; and

means for automatically analyzing said tracked data to determine at least one of performance characteristics of a welder performing said welding process and quality characteristics of a weld produced by said welding process.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for reviewing said performance characteristics of a welder performing said welding process.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for reviewing said quality characteristics of a weld produced by said welding process.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for a user to locally interact with said system.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for a user to remotely interact with said system.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for automatically authorizing access to a user of said system.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said performance characteristics of a welder include at least one of a weld joint trajectory, a travel speed of said welding tool, welding tool pitch and roll angles, an electrode distance to a center weld joint, an electrode trajectory, and a weld time.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said quality characteristics of a weld produced by said welding process include at least one of discontinuities and flaws within regions of a weld produced by said welding process.

9. A system for tracking and analyzing welding activity, said system comprising:

at least one sensor array configured to sense dynamic spatial properties of a welding tool during a welding process producing a weld;

a processor based computing device operatively interfacing to said at least one sensor array and configured to track and analyze said dynamic spatial properties of a welding tool over time during a welding process producing a weld; and

at least one user interface operatively interfacing to said processor based computing device.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said at least one user interface includes a graphical user interface.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein said at least one user interface includes a display device.

12. The system of claim 9 further comprising a network interface configured to interface said processor based computing device to an external communication network.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein said at least one sensor array includes at least one of acoustical sensor elements, optical sensor elements, magnetic sensor elements, and electromagnetic sensor elements.

14. A method for tracking and analyzing welding activity, said method comprising:

sensing dynamic spatial properties of a welding tool during a welding process producing a weld using at least one sensor;

tracking said sensed dynamic spatial properties over time during said welding process using a real time tracking module;

capturing said tracked dynamic spatial properties as tracked data during said welding process using a computer based memory device; and

analyzing said tracked data to determine at least one of performance characteristics of a welder performing said welding process and quality characteristics of a weld produced by said welding process using a computer based analysis engine.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising outputting said performance characteristics of a welder performing said welding process to at least one of a display device, a visualization module, and a testing module for review.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising outputting said quality characteristics of a weld produced by said welding process to at least one of a display device, a visualization module, and a testing module for review.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising selecting welding set up parameters for said welding process via a user interface.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising remotely reviewing at least one of said performance characteristics of a welder performing said welding process and said quality characteristics of a weld produced by said welding process, via a communication network.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein said performance characteristics of a welder include at least one of a weld joint trajectory, a travel speed of said welding tool, welding tool pitch and roll angles, an electrode distance to a center weld joint, an electrode trajectory, and a weld time.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein said quality characteristics of a weld produced by said welding process include at least one of discontinuities and flaws within regions of a weld produced by said welding process.

21. A system for tracking welding activity, said system comprising:

an optical tracking system comprising an optical sensor and configured to track at least one of a position, a movement, and an orientation of a welding tool during a manual welding process producing a real world weld;

a processor based computing system operatively connected to said optical tracking system and configured to analyze data related to said welding process and determine an area along the real world weld that is defective or potentially defective based on said at least one of a position, a movement, and an orientation of said welding tool, said processor based computing system identifying said area for subsequent review by a user; and

a graphical display to display information related to weld quality,

wherein said processor based computing system is configured to record information related to a welder's identity and performance, and

wherein said processor based computing system is configured to record information corresponding to said at least one of a position, a movement, and an orientation of said welding tool in an analysis record.

22. A system for tracking welding activity, said system comprising:

at least one optical sensor array configured to sense spatial properties of a welding tool during a manual welding process producing a real world weld;

a computer operatively connected to said at least one sensor array to determine at least one parameter of said welding tool, said computer configured to analyze data related to said welding process and determine an area along the real world weld that is defective based on said sensed spatial properties, said computer identifying said area for subsequent review by a user; and

a user interface to display information related to weld quality,

wherein said computer is configured to record information related to a welder's identity and performance, and

wherein said computer is configured to record information corresponding to said at least one parameter in an analysis record.

23. A system for tracking welding activity, said system comprising:

an optical tracking system comprising an optical sensor and configured to track at least one of a position, a movement, and an orientation of a welding tool during a manual welding process producing a real world weld;

a computer operatively connected to said optical tracking system, said computer configured to determine at least one parameter of said welding tool; and

a graphical display to display a graph having information related to weld quality,

wherein said computer is configured to record information related to a welder's performance based on at least said at least one parameter, said computer configured to analyze data related to said welding process and determine an area along the real world weld that is potentially defective based on said at least one of a position, a movement, and an orientation of said welding tool, said computer identifying said area for subsequent review by a user,

wherein said computer records information related to at least one of weldment materials, electrode materials, user name, and project ID number, and

wherein said computer records information corresponding to said at least one parameter in an analysis record.

24. A system for tracking and analyzing welding activity, said system comprising:

a welding tool configured to create a real world weld during a manual welding operation;

an optical sensor array comprising at least one optical sensor, said optical sensor array configured to sense spatial properties of said welding tool during said welding operation;

a processor based computing device operatively connected to said sensor array and configured to receive information from said sensor array related to said sensed spatial properties, said processor based computing device configured to analyze data related to said welding process, said analyzing including determining a plurality of performance parameters for said welding operation, and where said processor based computing device determines at least one location of said real world weld which contains a defect based on said sensed spatial properties, said processor based computing device identifying said at least one location for subsequent review by a user; and

a user interface operatively connected to said processor based computing device, said user interface configured to graphically display said plurality of performance parameters and display information relating to said at least one location.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said determination of said defect is based on heuristic methods.

26. The system of claim 24 wherein said plurality of performance parameters includes at least one of a weld speed, welding tool pitch angle, welding tool roll angle, and an electrode distance to a center weld joint.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein said spatial properties comprise at least one of a position, an orientation, and a movement of said welding tool.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein said welding tool comprises a portion of said optical sensor array.

29. The system of claim 24, wherein said processor based computing device is configured to record information related to a welder's performance.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein said information includes information corresponding to said welder's identity.

31. The system of claim 24, wherein said analyzing further includes comparing at least one of said plurality of performance parameters to known good parameters for a particular weld joint configuration.

32. The system of claim 24, wherein said determining of said defect is performed by an expert system.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein said expert system is a rule-based system.