Determination method and determination device for laser processing state

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023384282-A1
Application number	US-202318233954-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 15, 2023
Priority date	Feb 26, 2021
Publication date	Nov 30, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A determination method for determining a processing state includes detecting, using an optical sensor, at least one of heat radiation light, visible light, and reflected light generated at a welded portion formed at a surface of a workpiece by emission of a laser beam on the workpiece, obtaining, from the optical sensor, a signal indicating a change in one of heat radiation, visible light, and reflected light in a time section corresponding to a welding time of each workpiece, determining, as the processing state, the position and number of molten shape abnormality in a welded region having a molten length and a molten width by inputting a feature quantity to a determination model that determines the processing state, the feature quantity including signal intensity of the signal, the molten shape abnormality occurring when a foreign substance exists at an overlapping surface of the workpiece, and outputting a determination result.

First claim

1 . A determination method for determining a processing state in laser processing for lap welding, the determination method comprising:
detecting, using an optical sensor, at least one of heat radiation light, visible light, and reflected light generated at a welded portion formed at a surface of a workpiece by emission of a laser beam on the workpiece; obtaining, from the optical sensor, a signal indicating a change in the at least one of heat radiation light, visible light, and reflected light in a time section corresponding to a welding time of the workpiece; determining, as the processing state, a position and a number of molten shape abnormality in a welded region having a molten length and a molten width by inputting a feature quantity to a determination model that determines the processing state, the feature quantity including signal intensity of the signal based on the signal, the molten shape abnormality occurring when a foreign substance exists at an overlapping surface of the workpiece; and outputting, as a determination result, the position and the number of the molten shape abnormality that are determined, wherein the determination model is constructed based on training data including the feature quantity calculated under a condition where the molten shape abnormality occurs and the processing state in the condition where the molten shape abnormality occurs.

2 . The determination method according to claim 1 , wherein
the determining includes detecting a peak in the signal and determining a size of the molten shape abnormality as the processing state, the outputting includes outputting, as the determination result, the size of the molten shape abnormality that is determined, and the feature quantity includes an intensity value based on the signal intensity of the signal at the peak.

3 . The determination method according to claim 2 , wherein the intensity value is an integrated value obtained by integrating a difference value for a time in which the peak occurs, the difference value being obtained by subtracting an average of the signal intensity of the signal not including the peak from signal intensity of the peak.

4 . The determination method according to claim 1 , wherein the determination model includes a learned model generated by machine learning using training data, the training data including (i) a feature quantity calculated from a signal based on the at least one of heat radiation light, visible light, and reflected light detected during the laser processing under each condition of a plurality of conditions where the processing state changes and (ii) the processing state that is determined by appearance measurement of the welded region, the feature quantity and the processing state being associated with each other. A determination device for determining a processing state in laser processing for lap welding, the determination device comprising:
an arithmetic circuit; and a communication circuit that receives a signal generated by detecting, by an optical sensor, at least one of heat radiation light, visible light, and reflected light generated at a welded portion formed at a surface of a workpiece by emission of a laser beam on the workpiece, wherein the signal indicates a change in the at least one of heat radiation light, visible light, and reflected light in a time section corresponding to a welding time of the workpiece, the arithmetic circuit
obtains the signal by the communication circuit,
determines, as the processing state, a position and a number of molten shape abnormality in a welded region having a molten length and a molten width by inputting a feature quantity to a determination model that determines the processing state, the feature quantity including signal intensity of the signal based on the signal, the molten shape abnormality occurring when a foreign substance exists at an overlapping surface of the workpiece, and
outputs by the communication circuit, as a determination result, the position and the number of the molten shape abnormality that are determined, and
the determination model is constructed based on training data including the feature quantity calculated under a condition where the molten shape abnormality occurs and the processing state in the condition where the molten shape abnormality occurs.

6 . The determination device according to claim 5 , wherein
the arithmetic circuit
detects a peak in the signal and determines a size of the molten shape abnormality as the processing state, and
outputs by the communication circuit, as the determination result, the size of the molten shape abnormality that is determined, and
the feature quantity includes an intensity value based on the signal intensity of the signal at the peak.

7 . The determination device according to claim 6 , wherein the intensity value is an integrated value obtained by integrating a difference value for a time in which the peak occurs, the difference value being obtained by subtracting an average of the signal intensity of the signal not including the peak from signal intensity of the peak.

8 . The determination device according to claim 5 , wherein the determination model includes a learned model generated by machine learning using training data, the training data including (i) a feature quantity calculated from a signal based on the at least one of heat radiation light, visible light, and reflected light detected during the laser processing under each condition of a plurality of conditions where the processing state changes and (ii) the processing state that is determined by appearance measurement of the welded region, the feature quantity and the processing state being associated with each other.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Fujiwara Kazuki
• Funami Koji
• Nakai Izuru

Classifications

• G01N33/207 Primary

  Welded or soldered joints; Solderability · CPC title

• G01N21/95

  characterised by the material or shape of the object to be examined (G01N21/89 - G01N21/91, G01N21/94 take precedence) · CPC title

• B23K26/21

  by welding · CPC title

• B23K26/00

  Working by laser beam, e.g. welding, cutting or boring · CPC title