A welding training system includes one or more welding operator device which provides positional feedback relevant to a quality weld. The positional feedback is analyzed and, when the positional feedback is outside of a predetermined range, a signal is provided to the welding operator. In one embodiment, tactile feedback is provided in a welding gun.

Welding training system

A real-time virtual reality welding system including a programmable processor- based subsystem, a spatial tracker operatively connected to the programmable processor- based subsystem, at least one mock welding tool capable of being spatially tracked by the spatial tracker, and at least one display device operatively connected to the programmable processor-based subsystem. The system is capable of simulating, in virtual reality space, a weld puddle having real-time molten metal fluidity and heat dissipation characteristics. The system is further capable of displaying the simulated weld puddle on the display device in real-time.

System and method providing arc welding training in a real-time simulated virtual reality environment using real-time weld puddle feedback

Infrared sensing techniques for penetration depth control of the submerged arc welding process

A system and a method for tracking and analyzing welding activity. Dynamic spatial properties of a welding tool are sensed during a welding process producing a weld. The sensed dynamic spatial properties are tracked over time and the tracked dynamic spatial properties are captured as tracked data during the welding process. The tracked data is analyzed to determine performance characteristics of a welder performing the welding process and quality characteristics of a weld produced by the welding process. The performance characteristics and the quality characteristics may be subsequently reviewed.

System for tracking and analyzing welding activity

A simulator facilitates virtual welding activity of pipe and open root weld joints. The simulator may include a logic processor based system operable to execute coded instructions for generating an interactive welding environment that emulates welding activity on a section of virtual pipe having at least one virtual weld joint. It also includes a display connected to the logic processor based system for visually depicting the interactive welding environment, wherein the display depicts the section of virtual pipe. A mock welding tool is provided for performing virtual welding activity on the at least one weld joint in real time where one or more sensors are adapted to track movement of the input device in real time for communicating data about the movement of the input device to the logic processor based system.

Virtual reality pipe welding simulator

The technique and arrangement of distributed, real time, intelligent control of welding including IR detection and measurement of process conditions, and controlling process parameters in view of a knowledge base including a predetermined rule set for interpreting the results of IR detection. The arrangement includes a multilevel communication scheme internally and between hardware nodes of the arrangement, and the data-driven scheduling of inference processes under direction of a semantic network.

Using infrared imaging to monitor and control welding

The ability to monitor manufacturing processes in an adaptive control mode and perform an inspection in real time is of interest to fabricators in the pressure vessel, aerospace, automotive, nuclear and shipbuilding industries. Results of a series of experiments using infrared thermography as the principal sensing mode are presented to show how artificial intelligence contained in infrared isotherm, contains vast critical process variables. Image processing computer software development has demonstrated in a spot welding application how the process can be monitored and controlled in real time. The IR vision sensor program is now under way. Research thus far has focused on fusion welding, resistance spot welding and metal removal.

Infrared Signature Analysis: Real Time Monitoring Of Manufacturing Processes

This paper describes the development of an adaptive control scheme for automated laser fusion welding applications, based on a software module capable of quickly recognizing weld cavity features indicated by sensor data without need for computation. Sensor data arrives to system in a high bandwidth stream, necessitating a quick recognition method in order to attain real time control. The method achieves speed through rigorous offline work within the actual system development. An iterative training procedure is exeuted in order to produce a software module capable of reliably recognizing prescribed weld puddle conditions within complex sensor data. The system is trained to mimic the classifications made by a metallurgical engineer between infrared sensor status and defect presence. Research will thereby attempt to automate existing metallurgical engineering knowledge relating causal relationships between particular states of sensor parameters and a limited set of defect types. The ability of these relationships to support a viable industrial control scheme will be assessed. Also, the required performance (speed, reliability) of the controllers primary component (the neural network) will be assessed. Research leaves the development of a computed reaction to such assessed condition to other research (some of which has been performed earlier at IITRI)

Edmund R. Bangs

Papers

Using infrared imaging to monitor and control welding

Infrared Signature Analysis: Real Time Monitoring Of Manufacturing Processes

Development of a Neural Network Based Real Time Control for Laser Welding