Weld bead wetting angle detection and control
US4920249A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 8, 1989 |
| Grant date | Apr 24, 1990 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 8, 2009 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB23K9/0956
- WIPO fieldMachine tools
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
The wetting angle of a bead, such as a welding bead, is detected and controlled by a feedback operation. In particular, one or more optical profiler heads are used to detect the wetting angle along the edge of a bead. If the wetting angles differ from a preferred value, a feedback control system adjusts one or more weld parameters in order to bring the wetting angles to a desired value. If the wetting angle obtains a value which makes the weld joint completely unacceptable, an alarm condition may be activated. The detection of the bead wetting angles may be provided by two optical profiler heads, each head tracking a corresponding one of the edges or sides of the bead so as to provide information from which a corresponding wetting angle may be obtained.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.