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WO1994009939A1 - A method for automatic program compensation of electrode wear - Google Patents

A method for automatic program compensation of electrode wear Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO1994009939A1
WO1994009939A1 PCT/SE1992/000764 SE9200764W WO9409939A1 WO 1994009939 A1 WO1994009939 A1 WO 1994009939A1 SE 9200764 W SE9200764 W SE 9200764W WO 9409939 A1 WO9409939 A1 WO 9409939A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
gun
welding
automatic
sheet
robot
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/SE1992/000764
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Joachim Aronsson
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to PCT/SE1992/000764 priority Critical patent/WO1994009939A1/en
Priority to AU30989/92A priority patent/AU3098992A/en
Publication of WO1994009939A1 publication Critical patent/WO1994009939A1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
    • G05B—CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS
    • G05B19/00—Programme-control systems
    • G05B19/02—Programme-control systems electric
    • G05B19/18—Numerical control [NC], i.e. automatically operating machines, in particular machine tools, e.g. in a manufacturing environment, so as to execute positioning, movement or co-ordinated operations by means of programme data in numerical form
    • G05B19/404—Numerical control [NC], i.e. automatically operating machines, in particular machine tools, e.g. in a manufacturing environment, so as to execute positioning, movement or co-ordinated operations by means of programme data in numerical form characterised by control arrangements for compensation, e.g. for backlash, overshoot, tool offset, tool wear, temperature, machine construction errors, load, inertia
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B23K—SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
    • B23K11/00—Resistance welding; Severing by resistance heating
    • B23K11/30—Features relating to electrodes
    • B23K11/3063—Electrode maintenance, e.g. cleaning, grinding
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
    • G05B—CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS
    • G05B2219/00—Program-control systems
    • G05B2219/30—Nc systems
    • G05B2219/45—Nc applications
    • G05B2219/45135—Welding
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
    • G05B—CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS
    • G05B2219/00—Program-control systems
    • G05B2219/30—Nc systems
    • G05B2219/50—Machine tool, machine tool null till machine tool work handling
    • G05B2219/50202—During movement of tool towards workpiece, shut down rotation, welding gun
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
    • G05B—CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS
    • G05B2219/00—Program-control systems
    • G05B2219/30—Nc systems
    • G05B2219/50—Machine tool, machine tool null till machine tool work handling
    • G05B2219/50315—Selfcorrecting by measurement during machining

Definitions

  • This innovation relates to a method to adjust a program for a spotwelding robot to compensate for tolerance and wear of the electrode tip.
  • This innovation even relates to a method to decrease the weight of the welding gun and by that the demand upon the robot.
  • This innovation even relates to a method to decrease the size and weight of the welding transformer and by that the demand upon the robot as well as electric supply.
  • This innovation even relates to a method to decrease the size of the welding gun and by that the demand upon the access in the welding area.
  • the robot keeps the gun in programmed position independent of the wear of the tips. If the gun is stiff mounted toward the robot the wear of the electrodes will move the sheet to be welded to a wrong position or the force will be used to move the robot to the welding position.
  • the gun has been mounted in a way it mecanicly can compensate for the wear.
  • the methods have been different such as the gun can rotate around an axe only when the gun is closed, a cylinder moves the gun in a linear movement until one tip reach the sheet etc.
  • Such mecanical units increase by itself the weight and the size of the gun but also the current feed has the same influence because of the need of extra flexible current feed caused by the mecanical equalizing.
  • This innovation uses the system developed for arcwelding to be used for compensating for the wear of the electrode tip.
  • the method uses a situation where the robot has a suitable position for measuring the tips.
  • One such position can be just after tipdressing. Because of the wear the electrode needs tipdress with some interval. After this it is very suitable to adjust the programed positions.
  • the measurement can be done in different ways. One such is to let the gun close over a surface which can move in a direction perpendicular to the surface and with a unit to measure the position of the surface after the gun has closed.
  • the measure sends information to the robot of where the surface are and this information is used to adjust the programmed positions to fit the actual electrode wear.
  • Fig 1 show how a measuring plate can be arranged. This is mounted upon an often used unit for automatic tipdressing (1).
  • the measure surface (2) is mounted with the tipdresser upon ⁇ slide so it can move perpendicular to the shown plane. In the slide (3) the measure unit is mounted.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Automation & Control Theory (AREA)
  • Manipulator (AREA)

Abstract

This innovation relates to a method to decrease the weight and size of the welding gun as well as the transformer for the current supply by substituting the mechanical system for compensating the electrode wear (or manufacturing tolerances) by a system for measuring the electrode tip and using this measure for adjusting the position of the gun at welding. It even includes a software function to move the fixed tip of the gun towards the sheet at the same time as the gun close to avoid interference between the gun and the sheet when the gun moves between the positions.

Description

A method for automatic program compensation of electrode wear.
Technical field
This innovation relates to a method to adjust a program for a spotwelding robot to compensate for tolerance and wear of the electrode tip.
This innovation even relates to a method to decrease the weight of the welding gun and by that the demand upon the robot.
This innovation even relates to a method to decrease the size and weight of the welding transformer and by that the the demand upon the robot as well as electric supply.
This innovation even relates to a method to decrease the size of the welding gun and by that the demand upon the access in the welding area.
Background art. During the last 20 years production of εpotwelds, mainly in car industries, has been performed by industrial programmable robots. Such a robot keeps a welding gun in a proσrammed position, the gun close with a force of 200-300 kN, and a current of about 10 kA is sent over the tips of the gun. By the time the tips of the guns are wearned down, up to 8 mm before they are exchanged.
The robot keeps the gun in programmed position independent of the wear of the tips. If the gun is stiff mounted toward the robot the wear of the electrodes will move the sheet to be welded to a wrong position or the force will be used to move the robot to the welding position.
Beside the wear, the manufacturing tolerances of new tips gives the same problem.
To avoid this problem, the gun has been mounted in a way it mecanicly can compensate for the wear. This has had different name, equalizing is one common used. The methods have been different such as the gun can rotate around an axe only when the gun is closed, a cylinder moves the gun in a linear movement until one tip reach the sheet etc. Such mecanical units increase by itself the weight and the size of the gun but also the current feed has the same influence because of the need of extra flexible current feed caused by the mecanical equalizing.
By this innovation the gun weight and sizecan be decreased as well as the current losses caused by the extra flexible current feed. The current saving also decrease the weight of the
SUBSTITUTE SHEET transformer, normally carried by the robot, thus decreasing the demand upon the robot.
Simultaneously the software in the robots has been developed. Nowadays many robots offer a function for adjusting all programmed position along a line defined by two points in the space according to some input. This is a function developed for arcwelding robots where the distance to the sheet can be adjusted depending of the current in the arc.
Disclosure of the innovation.
This innovation uses the system developed for arcwelding to be used for compensating for the wear of the electrode tip.
The method uses a situation where the robot has a suitable position for measuring the tips. One such position can be just after tipdressing. Because of the wear the electrode needs tipdress with some interval. After this it is very suitable to adjust the programed positions.
The measurement can be done in different ways. One such is to let the gun close over a surface which can move in a direction perpendicular to the surface and with a unit to measure the position of the surface after the gun has closed. The measure sends information to the robot of where the surface are and this information is used to adjust the programmed positions to fit the actual electrode wear.
Only the adjustment of the positions is not enough for getting a good function. The robot move between the spot positions in a way it should touch the sheet because of the mechanical hysteria in the system. Of that reason the robot controller must have an added function where the electrode, that is not moving at gun close, can be programmed e.g. 5 mm from the surface. The robot shall each time it send a signal for gun closing even move the gun this 5 mm toward the surface. Such function is not known to exist for the moment but is possible to add to the functions of a modern controller.
Brief description of the drawing.
Fig 1 show how a measuring plate can be arranged. This is mounted upon an often used unit for automatic tipdressing (1). The measure surface (2) is mounted with the tipdresser upon ε slide so it can move perpendicular to the shown plane. In the slide (3) the measure unit is mounted.

Claims

Claims
1. A method for automatic program compensating of electrode wear at automatic spotwelding characterized by a unit to with the gun is moved with some interval upon which is a device for measuring the position of the tip and by sending this information to the automatic unit adjusting the welding positions to this measurement.
2. A software program in an automatic spotwelding device controller according to claim 1 characterized by a move of the fixed electrode tip toward the sheet at the same time as the controller send the signal to the welding gun to close.
PCT/SE1992/000764 1992-11-05 1992-11-05 A method for automatic program compensation of electrode wear Ceased WO1994009939A1 (en)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/SE1992/000764 WO1994009939A1 (en) 1992-11-05 1992-11-05 A method for automatic program compensation of electrode wear
AU30989/92A AU3098992A (en) 1992-11-05 1992-11-05 A method for automatic program compensation of electrode wear

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/SE1992/000764 WO1994009939A1 (en) 1992-11-05 1992-11-05 A method for automatic program compensation of electrode wear

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1994009939A1 true WO1994009939A1 (en) 1994-05-11

Family

ID=20385601

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/SE1992/000764 Ceased WO1994009939A1 (en) 1992-11-05 1992-11-05 A method for automatic program compensation of electrode wear

Country Status (2)

Country Link
AU (1) AU3098992A (en)
WO (1) WO1994009939A1 (en)

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1998051989A1 (en) 1997-05-16 1998-11-19 Reagent Chemical And Research, Inc. Environmentally safe projectable targets
US6184487B1 (en) * 1999-01-26 2001-02-06 Paul R. Visscher Electrode inspection system
EP1426134A1 (en) * 2002-12-04 2004-06-09 Anselmo Sells Juarez System for measuring and correcting electrode wear in resistance welding guns
CN103212775A (en) * 2013-04-09 2013-07-24 武汉理工大学 Automatic compensation system for electrode tip of welding manipulator
ES2549174A1 (en) * 2015-04-30 2015-10-23 Seat, S.A. Electrode replacement procedure and control device of an electric clamp for welding vehicle sheet metal (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)
CN109454319A (en) * 2017-09-06 2019-03-12 上海交通大学 Unilateral hand-held bootstrap loading electrode dressing device

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4694135A (en) * 1986-07-09 1987-09-15 General Motors Corporation Method and apparatus for monitoring and controlling resistance spot welding
US4999475A (en) * 1989-04-07 1991-03-12 Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Detecting system of electrode tips for a spot welder

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4694135A (en) * 1986-07-09 1987-09-15 General Motors Corporation Method and apparatus for monitoring and controlling resistance spot welding
US4999475A (en) * 1989-04-07 1991-03-12 Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Detecting system of electrode tips for a spot welder

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
INTERNATIONAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ROBOTICS: APPLICATIONS AND AUTOMATION, RICHARD C. DORF, 1988, "Tool/Media Wear Compensation", page 528; & STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION OF A ROBOTIC SPOT WELDER, page 1971-1974. *

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1998051989A1 (en) 1997-05-16 1998-11-19 Reagent Chemical And Research, Inc. Environmentally safe projectable targets
US6184487B1 (en) * 1999-01-26 2001-02-06 Paul R. Visscher Electrode inspection system
EP1426134A1 (en) * 2002-12-04 2004-06-09 Anselmo Sells Juarez System for measuring and correcting electrode wear in resistance welding guns
CN103212775A (en) * 2013-04-09 2013-07-24 武汉理工大学 Automatic compensation system for electrode tip of welding manipulator
CN103212775B (en) * 2013-04-09 2015-05-27 武汉理工大学 Automatic compensation system for electrode tip of welding manipulator
ES2549174A1 (en) * 2015-04-30 2015-10-23 Seat, S.A. Electrode replacement procedure and control device of an electric clamp for welding vehicle sheet metal (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)
CN109454319A (en) * 2017-09-06 2019-03-12 上海交通大学 Unilateral hand-held bootstrap loading electrode dressing device

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU3098992A (en) 1994-05-24

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