Systems and methods supporting weld quality across a manufacturing environment

Abstract

Embodiments of systems and methods for supporting weld quality across a manufacturing environment are disclosed. One embodiment includes manufacturing cells within a manufacturing environment, where each manufacturing cell includes a cell controller and welding equipment. A communication network supports data communications between a central controller and the cell controller of each of the manufacturing cells. The central controller collects actual weld parameter data from the cell controller of each manufacturing cell, via the communication network, to form aggregated weld parameter data for a same type of workpiece being welded in each of the manufacturing cells. The central controller analyzes the aggregated weld parameter data to generate updated weld settings. The updated weld settings are communicated from the central controller to the cell controller of each of the manufacturing cells via the communication network.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system supporting weld quality across a manufacturing environment, the system comprising:
 a plurality of manufacturing cells within a manufacturing environment, wherein each manufacturing cell of the plurality of manufacturing cells includes a cell controller and welding equipment;   a central controller; and   a communication network operatively connected to the central controller and the plurality of manufacturing cells and configured to support data communications between the central controller and the cell controller of each of the plurality of manufacturing cells,   wherein the central controller is configured to:
 collect actual weld parameter data from the cell controller of each of the plurality of manufacturing cells, via the communication network, to form aggregated weld parameter data for a same type of workpiece being welded in each of the plurality of manufacturing cells, wherein the actual weld parameter data include values and ranges of actual welding parameters used by the welding equipment in each of the plurality of manufacturing cells to weld the same type of workpiece, 
 analyze the aggregated weld parameter data to generate updated weld settings for the same type of workpiece being welded in each of the plurality of manufacturing cells, and 
 communicate the updated weld settings to the cell controller of each of the plurality of manufacturing cells via the communication network. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the welding equipment of each of the plurality of manufacturing cells is configured to:
 communicate the actual weld parameter data to the cell controller,   receive the updated weld settings from the cell controller, and   use the updated weld settings for subsequent welding of the same type of workpiece.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the actual weld parameter data include values and ranges of at least one of a welding voltage, a welding current, an arc travel speed, a wire feed speed, a wire electrode stick out distance, and a welding waveform. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the updated weld settings include values and ranges of at least one of a welding voltage, a welding current, an arc travel speed, a wire feed speed, a wire electrode stick out distance, a gas flow rate, and a welding waveform. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the actual weld parameter data is stored in a memory of the welding equipment of each manufacturing cell of the plurality of manufacturing cells as operator-selected weld parameter data. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one sensor, in each manufacturing cell of the plurality of manufacturing cells, configured to sense at least one of the actual welding parameters used to weld the same type of workpiece, wherein the at least one sensor includes at least one of a voltage sensor configured to sense a welding voltage, a current sensor configured to sense a welding current, a motion sensor configured to sense an arc travel speed, a speed sensor configured to sense a wire feed speed, a visual sensor configured to sense an electrode stick out distance, or a flow sensor configured to sense a gas flow. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of manufacturing cells are robotic manufacturing cells. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of manufacturing cells are non-robotic manufacturing cells. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the communication network is configured to facilitate wired communication between the central controller and each cell controller of the plurality of manufacturing cells. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the communication network is configured to facilitate wireless communication between the central controller and each cell controller of the plurality of manufacturing cells. 
     
     
         11 . A manufacturing cell supporting welding of a sequence of welds to manufacture a workpiece, the manufacturing cell comprising:
 robotic welding equipment configured to make robotic welds as at least a portion of manufacturing a workpiece;   non-robotic welding equipment configured to allow a human operator to make non-robotic welds as at least a portion of manufacturing the workpiece; and   a weld sequence controller configured to control timing associated with making the robotic welds and the non-robotic welds as a sequence of welds to manufacture the workpiece.   
     
     
         12 . The manufacturing cell of  claim 11 , wherein the timing and the sequence of welds is predetermined and fixed before welding begins. 
     
     
         13 . The manufacturing cell of  claim 11 , wherein locations of the non-robotic welds to be made to manufacture the workpiece cannot be reached by the robotic welding equipment. 
     
     
         14 . The manufacturing cell of  claim 11 , wherein the weld sequence controller is configured to adapt at least one of a position and timing of a subsequent weld to be made in the sequence of welds, while manufacturing the workpiece, based on a condition of a previous weld of the sequence of welds. 
     
     
         15 . The manufacturing cell of  claim 11 , wherein the weld sequence controller is configured to adapt the sequence of welds, while manufacturing the workpiece, by adding a non-robotic weld as a next weld to be made when an immediate previous weld in the sequence of welds is a robotic weld that was missed by the robotic welding equipment, and wherein a location on the workpiece of the next weld to be made, non-robotically, is the same as a location of the immediate previous weld. 
     
     
         16 . The manufacturing cell of  claim 11 , wherein the weld sequence controller is configured to determine if an immediate previous weld made, of the sequence of welds, is defective based on at least one quality parameter of the immediate previous weld made. 
     
     
         17 . The manufacturing cell of  claim 11 , wherein the weld sequence controller is configured to adapt the sequence of welds, while manufacturing the workpiece, by adding a non-robotic weld as a next weld to be made when an immediate previous weld in the sequence of welds is a robotic weld that was determined to be defective, and wherein a location on the workpiece of the next weld to be made, non-robotically, is the same as a location of the immediate previous weld. 
     
     
         18 . The manufacturing cell of  claim 11 , further comprising at least one sensor associated with the at least one weld of the sequence of welds, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to sense at least one quality parameter associated with generating the at least one weld and report the at least one quality parameter, directly or indirectly, to the weld sequence controller. 
     
     
         19 . The manufacturing cell of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one sensor includes at least one of a visual spectrum sensor, a radiographic sensor, a laser sensor, an electromagnetic sensor, an infrared sensor, a temperature sensor, a spectrometer sensor, or an ultrasonic sensor. 
     
     
         20 . The manufacturing cell of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one quality parameter is related to at least one of a weld position on the workpiece, a weld bead size, a weld bead shape, weld penetration, weld fusion, weld porosity, weld cracking, weld inclusion, a weld discontinuity, an arc plasma type, or an arc plasma temperature.