System, method and apparatus for welding tubes
AssigneeGeneral Electric Technology GmbH
InventorsRichard Jeffrey Schmidt, Junior Grant Parrish, Ronald Francis Konopacki, Russell O'Daniel Brumfield
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Abstract
A system for manufacturing boiler tubes includes a first spindle for receiving a first tube having a first weld preparation, a second spindle for receiving a second tube having a second weld preparation, the first spindle and the second spindle being rotatable synchronously, and a welding device having a first weld head. The welding device is configured to automatically weld the first tube to the second tube according to a control routine stored in memory to produce a boiler tube.
Claims13
A system for manufacturing boiler tubes, comprising:
- a first spindle for receiving a first tube having a first weld preparation;
- a second spindle for receiving a second tube having a second weld preparation, the first spindle and the second spindle being rotatable synchronously;
- a welding device having a first weld head;
- and
- a vision system configured to capture an image of a weld groove defined by the first weld preparation and the second weld preparation;
- wherein the welding device is configured to automatically weld the first tube to the second tube in dependence upon a plurality of weld and tube parameters received by a control unit of the system;
- and
- wherein the control unit is configured to compare the image of the weld groove to weld groove profiles stored in memory to determine a weld groove type from the image of the weld groove, and to select a weld routine in dependence upon the determined weld groove type, a type of material of the first tube and the second tube, and an outside diameter of the first tube and the second tube.
A system for welding tubes, comprising:
- a first spindle for receiving a first tube having a first weld preparation;
- a second spindle for receiving a second tube having a second weld preparation, the first spindle and the second spindle being rotatable synchronously, the first spindle being movable axially towards the second spindle to move the first tube into contact with the second tube to form a weld groove;
- a welding device having a first weld head;
- a vision system configured to capture an image of the weld groove defined by the first weld preparation and the second weld preparation;
- and
- a control unit configured to compare the image of the weld groove to weld groove profiles stored in memory to determine a weld groove type from the image of the weld groove, and to select a weld technique in dependence upon the determined weld groove type, a material of the first tube and the second tube and an outside diameter of the first tube and the second tube;
- wherein the control unit is further configured to control the welding device and the first weld head according to the weld technique stored in memory determined weld groove type.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.