Automatic process and/or set up of welding type system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12202082-B2
Application number	US-202117165561-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 2, 2021
Priority date	Nov 16, 2017
Publication date	Jan 21, 2025
Grant date	Jan 21, 2025

Abstract

An example welding type system includes: a welding power circuit having a control input and a welding type power output; a feedback circuit configured to provide feedback regarding the welding type power output or a weld produced using the welding type power output; and a controller connected to the feedback circuit, wherein the controller includes a parameter setting module and a process selection module, the process selection module configured to automatically select a welding process from a plurality of welding processes based on the feedback from the feedback circuit or one or more welding parameters set by the parameter setting module.

First claim

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A welding type system, comprising:
a welding power circuit having a control input and a welding type power output;
a feedback circuit configured to provide feedback based on at least one of the welding type power output or a weld produced using the welding type power output; and
a controller connected to the feedback circuit, wherein the controller includes a parameter setting module and a process selection module, the process selection module configured to automatically select a welding process from a plurality of welding processes based on the feedback from the feedback circuit or one or more welding parameters set by the parameter setting module.

2. The system of claim 1 , the controller further comprising heat sensing module or a weld history module, wherein the heat sensing module is configured to provide a heat signal to the process selection module based on the feedback from the feedback circuit, the heat signal being indicative of a heat of the weld, and the weld history module being configured to provide a history signal to the process selection module based on a stored welding history, the process selection module being further configured to automatically select the welding process from the plurality of welding processes based on the heat signal or the history signal.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the feedback circuit includes a weld image sensor configured to capture an image of the weld.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the weld image sensor includes a smart phone.

5. The welding type system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one user input connected to the parameter setting module.

6. The welding type system of claim 5 , wherein the at least one user input includes a plurality inputs, the plurality of inputs including two or more of a user set wire feed speed, a user set output voltage, a user set current, a user set power, a user set heat, a user set travel rate, a user set deposition rate, a user set material type, a user set joint type, a user set wire type, a user set wire size, a user set manual/automation selection, a user set gas type, a user set weld duration, or a user set travel length.

7. The welding type system of claim 6 , further comprising at least one robot set input connected to the parameter setting module.

8. The welding type system of claim 1 , wherein the feedback circuit provides a feedback signal representative of the welding type power output, a recommendation from a welding advisor, or a sensor output of an external sensor that senses sound, light or spatter, and wherein the process selection module is configured to automatically select the welding process from the plurality of welding processes based on the feedback signal.

9. The welding type system of claim 5 , wherein the controller includes a window module responsive to at least one of the feedback circuit and the parameter setting module, and wherein the window module is further responsive to the at least one user input, and wherein the window module provides an operating window as a window input to the process selection module.

10. The welding type system of claim 1 , wherein the process selection module includes at least two of a short circuit transfer module, a controlled short circuit module, a MIG module, a pulsed MIG module, a retractable wire feed module, a spray module, a regulated metal deposition module, or a versa pulse module.

11. The welding type system of claim 1 , wherein the process selection module includes at least one of a process recommendation module, or a process purchase recommendation module, and wherein the at least one of a process recommendation module and a process purchase recommendation module is responsive to at least one of the feedback circuit and the parameter setting module.

12. The welding type power supply of claim 1 , wherein the controller further includes a tuning module active at the start of a weld.

13. The welding type power supply of claim 1 , wherein the process selection module is located in at least one of a housing that includes the welding power circuit, a weld cell that includes the welding power circuit, outside of the weld cell that includes the welding power circuit, or outside of a facility in which the welding power circuit is located.

14. A welding type power supply, comprising:
a welding power circuit having a welding type power output;
a feedback circuit configured to provide feedback based on at least one of the welding type power output or a weld produced using the welding type power output; and
a controller connected to the feedback circuit, wherein the controller includes a parameter setting module and a process selection module, the process selection module configured to automatically select a welding process from a plurality of welding processes based on the feedback from the feedback circuit or one or more welding parameters set by the parameter setting module.

15. A method of supplying welding type power, comprising:
converting, via a welding power circuit, input power to welding type power, wherein the welding type power is suitable for a selected at least one process of a plurality of processes;
providing, via a feedback circuit, a feedback signal indicative of the welding type power;
setting, via a controller, at least one parameter of the welding type power;
controlling, via the controller, the converting in response to the feedback signal and the at least one parameter; and
automatically choosing, via the controller, the selected at least one process from the plurality of processes in response to at least one of setting the at least one parameter and the feedback signal.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein providing a feedback signal comprises at least one of sensing a heat of the weld and sensing an image of the weld, sensing the welding type power output, receiving a signal from a welding advisor, receiving a signal from an external sensor that senses sound, light or spatter, and providing a feedback signal from prior welds.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein choosing the selected at least one process choosing at least one of short circuit transfer process, a controlled short circuit process, a MIG process, a pulsed MIG process, a retractable wire feed process, a spray process, a regulated metal deposition process and a versa pulse process.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising commanding a plurality of outputs at the start of a weld, wherein the plurality of outputs are selected to determine what process is appropriate for a desired weld, and wherein choosing the selected at least one process is performed in response to the feedback signal from the commanded plurality of outputs.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising at least one of recommending the purchase of an additional process and recommending a process in response to at least one of setting the at least one parameter and the feedback signal.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein setting at least one parameter includes receiving at least one of a robot set input and a user input, wherein the user input is indicative of at least one of a user set wire feed speed, a user set output voltage, a user set current, a user set power, a user set heat, a user set travel rate, a user set deposition rate, a user set material type, a user set joint type, a user set wire type, a user set wire size, a user set manual/automation selection, a user set gas type, a user

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Albrecht Bruce P
• Davidson Robert R

Classifications

• B23K9/12

  Automatic feeding or moving of electrodes or work for spot or seam welding or cutting · CPC title

• B23K9/1006

  Power supply · CPC title

• B23K9/09

  Arrangements or circuits for arc welding with pulsed current or voltage · CPC title

• B23K9/20

  Stud welding · CPC title

• B23K9/23

  taking account of the properties of the materials to be welded · CPC title