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Title: Method for enhanced control of welding processes

Abstract

Method and system for producing high quality welds in welding processes, in general, and gas tungsten arc (GTA) welding, in particular by controlling weld penetration. Light emitted from a weld pool is collected from the backside of a workpiece by optical means during welding and transmitted to a digital video camera for further processing, after the emitted light is first passed through a short wavelength pass filter to remove infrared radiation. By filtering out the infrared component of the light emitted from the backside weld pool image, the present invention provides for the accurate determination of the weld pool boundary. Data from the digital camera is fed to an imaging board which focuses on a 100.times.100 pixel portion of the image. The board performs a thresholding operation and provides this information to a digital signal processor to compute the backside weld pool dimensions and area. This information is used by a control system, in a dynamic feedback mode, to automatically adjust appropriate parameters of a welding system, such as the welding current, to control weld penetration and thus, create a uniform weld bead and high quality weld.

Inventors:
 [1];  [2];  [1];  [3]
  1. Livermore, CA
  2. Tracy, CA
  3. Pleasanton, CA
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
873073
Patent Number(s):
US 6084205
Assignee:
Sandia Corporation (Livermore, CA)
DOE Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
method; enhanced; control; welding; processes; producing; quality; welds; gas; tungsten; gta; particular; controlling; weld; penetration; light; emitted; pool; collected; backside; workpiece; optical; means; transmitted; digital; video; camera; processing; passed; wavelength; pass; filter; remove; infrared; radiation; filtering; component; image; provides; accurate; determination; boundary; data; fed; imaging; board; focuses; 100; times; pixel; portion; performs; thresholding; operation; information; signal; processor; compute; dimensions; dynamic; feedback; mode; automatically; adjust; appropriate; parameters; current; create; uniform; bead; weld bead; welding process; digital signal; video camera; signal processor; infrared radiation; light emitted; emitted light; pass filter; weld pool; optical means; welding processes; weld penetration; accurate determination; gas tungsten; signal process; /219/

Citation Formats

Sheaffer, Donald A, Renzi, Ronald F, Tung, David M, and Schroder, Kevin. Method for enhanced control of welding processes. United States: N. p., 2000. Web.
Sheaffer, Donald A, Renzi, Ronald F, Tung, David M, & Schroder, Kevin. Method for enhanced control of welding processes. United States.
Sheaffer, Donald A, Renzi, Ronald F, Tung, David M, and Schroder, Kevin. 2000. "Method for enhanced control of welding processes". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/873073.
@article{osti_873073,
title = {Method for enhanced control of welding processes},
author = {Sheaffer, Donald A and Renzi, Ronald F and Tung, David M and Schroder, Kevin},
abstractNote = {Method and system for producing high quality welds in welding processes, in general, and gas tungsten arc (GTA) welding, in particular by controlling weld penetration. Light emitted from a weld pool is collected from the backside of a workpiece by optical means during welding and transmitted to a digital video camera for further processing, after the emitted light is first passed through a short wavelength pass filter to remove infrared radiation. By filtering out the infrared component of the light emitted from the backside weld pool image, the present invention provides for the accurate determination of the weld pool boundary. Data from the digital camera is fed to an imaging board which focuses on a 100.times.100 pixel portion of the image. The board performs a thresholding operation and provides this information to a digital signal processor to compute the backside weld pool dimensions and area. This information is used by a control system, in a dynamic feedback mode, to automatically adjust appropriate parameters of a welding system, such as the welding current, to control weld penetration and thus, create a uniform weld bead and high quality weld.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/873073}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2000},
month = {Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2000}
}