Weld defect detection systems and methods for laser hybrid welding

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9498852-B2
Application number	US-201514807235-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2015
Priority date	Jun 11, 2009
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

Laser hybrid welding systems adapted to identify and/or fix a weld defect occurring during a laser hybrid welding process are provided. Embodiments of the laser hybrid welding system may include one or more devices that provide feedback to a controller regarding one or more weld parameters. One embodiment of the laser hybrid welding system includes sensors that are adapted to measure the weld voltage and/or amperage during the welding process and transmit the acquired data to the controller for processing. Another embodiment of the laser hybrid welding system includes a lead camera and a lag camera that film an area directly in front of the weld location and directly behind the weld location.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A laser hybrid welding system, comprising:
a welder configured to perform a laser hybrid welding operation in which a workpiece is heated by a laser and filler metal is added by an arc welding process;
a sensor configured to acquire data regarding a parameter of the laser hybrid welding operation; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor, wherein the controller is configured to control at least one of a laser parameter and a weld parameter of the laser hybrid welding operation, to receive the acquired data from the sensor, and to determine whether the acquired data is indicative of a welding defect.

2. The laser hybrid welding system of claim 1 , wherein if the controller determines that the acquired data is indicative of the welding defect, the controller is configured to log the welding defect.

3. The laser hybrid welding system of claim 1 , wherein if the controller determines that the acquired data is indicative of the welding defect, the controller is configured to notify an operator that an error has occurred via an operator interface.

4. The laser hybrid welding system of claim 1 , wherein if the controller determines that the acquired data is indicative of the welding defect, the controller is configured to output a control signal indicative of the welding defect.

5. The laser hybrid welding system of claim 1 , wherein if the controller determines that the acquired data is indicative of the welding defect, the controller is configured to record a welding defect event as an error, and to time and/or location stamp the recorded welding defect event.

6. The laser hybrid welding system of claim 1 , wherein if the controller determines that the acquired data is indicative of the welding defect, the controller is configured to utilize a clock signal to compute a location of the welding defect with respect to a reference location.

7. The laser hybrid welding system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to output one or more control signals that guide operation of components of the laser hybrid welding system to fix the welding defect.

8. The laser hybrid welding system of claim 1 , wherein if the welding defect is a burn-through with a size exceeding a preset threshold, the controller is configured to output a control signal that directs the laser to turn off and the arc welding process to remain on to fix the burn-through.

9. The laser hybrid welding system of claim 8 , wherein the control signal is configured to alternate between control of the laser parameter and control of the weld parameter to fix the burn-through.

10. The laser hybrid welding system of claim 1 , wherein if the welding defect exceeds a preset length, the controller is configured to output a control signal that directs the laser the an arc welding process to turn off, a control signal that directs a torch positioner to a starting location of the welding defect, a control signal that directs the laser and the arc welding process to turn on, and a control signal that directs the torch positioner to run another pass over a location of the welding defect.

11. The laser hybrid welding system of claim 1 , wherein the welding defect comprises at least one of a burn-through, a suck-back, an excess weld reinforcement, an inadequate weld reinforcement, improper alignment, a crack, an incomplete penetration, an incomplete fusion, and an undercut.

12. The laser hybrid welding system of claim 1 , comprising at least one of an encoder and a wireless signal configured to encode a welding defect location.

13. The laser hybrid welding system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a voltage sensor.

14. The laser hybrid welding system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a current sensor.

15. The laser hybrid welding system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises an audio sensor.

16. The laser hybrid welding system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a leading camera.

17. The laser hybrid welding system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a following camera.

18. The laser hybrid welding system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises an imaging sensor.

19. The laser hybrid welding system of claim 18 , wherein the imaging sensor comprises a leading camera configured to record a first image of a pre-weld area and a following camera configured to record a second image of a post-weld area.

20. The laser hybrid welding system of claim 19 , wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the acquired data is indicative of a welding defect by comparing the first image and the second image.

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Albrecht Bruce Patrick

Classifications

• B23K26/1429

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B23K9/0953

  using computing means · CPC title

• B23K28/02

  Combined welding or cutting procedures or apparatus · CPC title

• B23K31/125 Primary

  Weld quality monitoring · CPC title

• B23K37/00

  Auxiliary devices or processes, not specially adapted for a procedure covered by only one of the other main groups of this subclass · CPC title