Back to results
US 10,427,238 B2Granted
Automated welding apparatus and computer-implemented method for filing a volume
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorAndrew R. Collis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automated welding apparatus and computer-implemented method are described which generally perform the steps of: scanning a joint interface of a workpiece using a three-dimensional scanner (S4); determining a volume to be filled by a welding process (S6); determining a specification for the welding process based on the volume to be filled using an algorithm (S8, S10); and controlling a welding device so as to execute the specification by moving the welding device relative to the workpiece (S12).
Claims14
An automated welding apparatus comprising:
- a welding device configured to move relative to a workpiece in order to perform a welding process;
- a three-dimensional scanner configured to scan a joint interface of the workpiece and to determine a volume to be filled by the welding process;
- and
- a controller connected to the three-dimensional scanner and the welding device, the controller configured to determine a number of passes required to fill the volume, a position of each of the number of passes and an order of each of the number of passes based on the volume determined by the three-dimensional scanner, the controller being configured to control the welding device so as to execute each of the number of passes by moving the welding device relative to the workpiece, wherein
- the three-dimensional scanner is further configured to scan the joint interface of the workpiece after each of the number of passes to determine a remaining volume,
- the controller is further configured to determine weld parameters of the current number of passes based on the remaining volume, and
- after a completion of a final pass of the number of passes, the three-dimensional scanner is further configured to re-scan the joint interface of the workpiece, and in response to a determination that the weld is not complete, the controller and the three-dimensional scanner are configured to:
- determine a new number of passes required to fill a new volume, a position of each of the new number of passes and an order of each of the new number of passes based on the volume determined by the three-dimensional scanner, the controller being configured to control the welding device so as to execute each of the new number of passes by moving the welding device relative to the workpiece,
- scan the joint interface of the workpiece after each of the new number of passes to determine a remaining volume, and
- determine weld parameters of the current new number of passes based on the remaining volume.
7 more elements
A computer-implemented automated welding method comprising:
- scanning a joint interface of a workpiece using a three-dimensional scanner;
- determining a volume to be filled by a welding process;
- determining a number of passes required to fill the volume, a position of each of the number of passes and an order of each of the number of passes for the welding process based on the volume to be filled;
- and
- controlling a welding device so as to execute each of the number of passes by moving the welding device relative to the workpiece;
- scanning the joint interface of the workpiece after each of the number of passes to determine a remaining volume;
- determining weld parameters of the current number of passes based on the remaining volume;
- after a completion of a final pass of the number of passes, re-scanning the joint interface of the workpiece;
- and
- in response to a determination that the weld is not complete, determining a new number of passes required to fill a new volume, a position of each of the new number of passes and an order of each of the new number of passes based on the volume determined by the three-dimensional scanner, and controlling the welding device so as to execute each of the new number of passes by moving the welding device relative to the workpiece.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.