US 12,517,095 B2 · Performing consumable diagnostics via spectral analysis

Abstract

A method of determining wear/degradation levels of a consumable assembly of a welding/plasma torch may utilize a controlled sound signal in order to determine an acoustic profile or full spectral audio analysis dataset of the consumable assembly that facilitate the identification of patterns that correlate to certain wear/degradation levels of the consumable assembly. The full spectral audio analysis dataset may be obtained by subjecting a given consumable assembly to a controlled sound signal between operations and as the consumable assembly degrades over time. The full spectral audio analysis may serve as a wear/degradation profile over the life of the given consumable assembly. With a full dataset known for a particular consumable assembly model, an acoustic profile of another consumable assembly of the same model may be obtained and compared to the full dataset in order to identify the wear/degradation level of the tested consumable assembly.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

an acoustical capturing device;
and
an acoustic analysis processor configured to:
compare a resonance frequency of acoustic signals captured by the acoustical capturing device to a baseline resonance frequency, wherein the acoustic signals are generated by a plasma torch consumable;
and
determine an amount of wear and/or a defect of the plasma torch consumable based on a change in the resonance frequency of acoustic signals captured by the acoustical capturing device from the baseline resonance frequency.

3 more elements

An apparatus comprising:

an acoustical output generating device configured to generate an acoustic signal and output the acoustic signal to a plasma torch consumable to cause the acoustic signal to interact with the plasma torch consumable;
an acoustical capturing device configured to receive the acoustic signal after the acoustic signal interacts with the plasma torch consumable;
and
a processor configured to:
determine an amount of wear and/or a defect of the plasma torch consumable based on the acoustic signal received by the acoustical capturing device after the acoustic signal interacts with the plasma torch consumable.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Performing consumable diagnostics via spectral analysis

Life of this patent

Performing consumable diagnostics via spectral analysis

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20