Method and system for assessing quality of spot welds
US7132617B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 20, 2003 |
| Grant date | Nov 7, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 19, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2291/2672
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A system and method for assessing the quality of spot weld joints between pieces of metal includes an ultrasound transducer probing a spot weld joint. The ultrasound transducer transmits ultrasonic radiation into the spot weld joint, receives corresponding echoes, and transforms the echoes into electrical signals. An image reconstructor connected to the ultrasound transducer transforms the electrical signals into numerical data representing an ultrasound image. A neural network connected to the image reconstructor analyzes the numerical data and an output system presents information representing the quality of the spot weld joint. The system is trained to assess the quality of spot weld joints by scanning a spot weld joint with an ultrasound transducer to produce the data set representing the joint; then physically deconstructing the joint to assess the joint quality.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.