Adaptive welding apparatus having fill control correction for curvilinear weld grooves

Claim 1

A welding apparatus for guiding a welding torch along a weld groove, scanning a sensor along a preselected pathway extending across said weld groove at a preselected distance from said welding torch, and adaptively controlling at least one of a weld voltage, wire feed speed, and welding torch travel speed in response to the scanned weld groove cross sectional area, comprising: first means for delivering first signals in response to the position and configuration of the weld groove cross section; second means for receiving said first signals, calculating the weld groove cross sectional area, and delivering a second signal in response to the magnitude of said calculated area; means for calculating a series of guidance points along said weld groove; third means for receiving said second signal, calculating the magnitude of a first angle formed by the intersection of a preselected reference line and a first line extending through a current guidance point and a previous guidance point, calculating the magnitude of a second angle formed by the intersection of said preselected reference line and a second line extending through the current guidance point and the current welding torch location, calculating a general angular deviation from the difference between said first and second angles, altering said second signal in response to the magnitude of said angular deviation, and delivering a resulting third signal; and fourth means for receiving said third signal and controlling the volume of weld material deposited in said weld groove in response to said third signal.

Claim 5

A method for adaptively controlling the wire feed rate, torch velocity, and weld voltage of a welding apparatus to control the deposition of material within a weld groove, comprising: detecting the cross sectional area of said weld groove; calculating a tentative torch speed in response to both the magnitude of the cross sectional area and a preselected maximum wire feed rate; comparing said tentative torch speed to a preselected maximum and minimum allowable torch speed; altering said tentative torch speed to a value within the range of said minimum and maximum torch speed in response to said tentative torch speed being outside the range of said maximum and minimum allowable torch speeds; delivering a torch speed signal having a magnitude responsive to the magnitude of said tentative torch speed; calculating a wire feed rate responsive to both the cross sectional area and the tentative torch speed; comparing said wire feed rate to a preselected maximum and minimum allowable wire feed rate; altering said wire feed rate to a value within the range of said minimum and maximum wire feed rates in response to said calculated wire feed rate being outside the range of said maximum and minimum allowable wire feed rates; delivering a wire feed rate signal having a magnitude responsive to the magnitude of said wire feed rate; calculating the weld voltage in response to the magnitude of said wire feed rate; delivering a weld voltage signal having a magnitude responsive to the magnitude of said calculated weld voltage; controlling the speed of said welding torch in response to the magnitude of said desired torch speed signal; controlling the wire feed rate in response to the magnitude of said wire feed rate signal; and controlling the weld voltage in response to the magnitude of said weld voltage signal.

Claim 6

A method for adaptively controlling the wire feed rate, torch velocity, and weld voltage of a welding apparatus to control the deposition of material within a weld groove, comprising: detecting the cross sectional area of said weld groove; calculating a tentative torch speed in response to both the magnitude of the cross sectional area and a preselected maximum wire feed rate; comparing said tentative torch speed to a preselected maximum and minimum allowable torch speed; altering said tentative torch speed to a value within the range of said minimum and maximum torch speed in response to said tentative torch speed being outside the range of said maximum and minimum allowable torch speeds; delivering a torch speed signal having a magnitude responsive to the magnitude of said tentative torch speed; calculating a wire feed rate responsive to both the cross sectional area and the tentative torch speed; comparing said wire feed rate to a preselected maximum and minimum allowable wire feed rate; altering said wire feed rate to a value within the range of said minimum and maximum wire feed rates in response to said calculated wire feed rate being outside the range of said maximum and minimum allowable wire feed rates; delivering a wire feed rate signal having a magnitude responsive to the magnitude of said wire feed rate; calculating the weld voltage in response to the magnitude of said wire feed rate; delivering a weld voltage signal having a magnitude responsive to the magnitude of said calculated weld voltage; controlling the speed of said welding torch in response to the magnitude of said desired torch speed signal; controlling the wire feed rate in response to the magnitude of said wire feed rate signal; and controlling the weld voltage in response to the magnitude of said weld voltage signal.