CN111066054A - Welding system parameter comparison system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of monitoring performance of a metal fabrication resource includes: obtaining data representative of arc times and wire deposits associated with metalworking operations on a plurality of metalworking resources; analyzing, via at least one computer processor, the first subset of the acquired data and the second subset of the acquired data for a plurality of metal fabrication resources; populating, via the at least one computer processor, a user-viewable page with graphical indicia representative of at least the arc on time and the amount of wire deposit, the user-viewable page facilitating visual comparison of an analysis of a first subset of the acquired data with an analysis of a second subset of the acquired data; and transmitting the user viewable page to a user viewable display.

Description

Welding system parameter comparison system and method

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The international application claims priority from U.S. patent application serial No. 15/664,298 entitled "Welding System Parameter comparison System and Method" filed on 31.7.7.2017 and U.S. patent application serial No. 15/645,096 entitled "Welding System Parameter comparison System and Method" filed on 10.7.2017. U.S. patent application serial No. 15/645,096 and U.S. application serial No. 15/664,298 are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Background

The present disclosure relates generally to metal working, including heating systems, cutting systems, welding systems, and support equipment for heating, cutting, and welding operations. In particular, the present disclosure relates to techniques for determining and presenting parameters from data acquired from such systems.

A wide variety of welding systems have been developed, along with ancillary and support equipment for various machining, maintenance, and other applications. For example, welding systems are ubiquitous throughout the industry for assembling parts, structures and substructures, frames, and many components. These systems may be manual, automated or semi-automated. Modern manufacturing and processing entities may use a large number of metal working systems, which may be grouped by location, task, job, etc. Smaller operations may use the metal working system at any time, but these metal working systems are often critical to their operation. For some entities and individuals, the metal working system may be stationary or mobile, for example, mounted on carts, trucks, and maintenance vehicles. In all of these scenarios, it is increasingly useful to set performance standards, monitor performance, analyze performance, and, where possible, report performance to operators and/or management teams and engineers. These analyses allow, among many other uses, planning resources, determining price and profitability, scheduling resources, enterprise-wide accountability.

However, systems designed to collect, store, analyze, and report welding system performance have not reached the point where they can be readily and efficiently utilized. In some entities, limited tracking of welds, weld quality, and system and operator performance may be possible. However, these generally do not allow any significant degree of analysis, tracking or comparison. These tools need to be improved. More specifically, the following improvements may be useful: allowing data to be collected, analyzed, and reports to be collected and presented at one or more locations and from one or more systems. Other improvements may include the ability to review performance and see performance compared to goals and similar systems between different groups and entities.

Drawings

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary monitoring system for collecting information, storing information, analyzing information, and presenting analysis results as applied herein to a large manufacturing and processing entity, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a system application of a single or active welding system to which the present techniques may be applied;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary cloud implementation of a system;

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary welding system of the type that may be monitored and analyzed in accordance with the present technique;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of certain functional components of the monitoring and analysis system;

FIG. 6 is an exemplary web page view for reporting the goals and performance of a welding system through the system;

FIG. 7 is another exemplary web page view illustrating an interface for setting these targets;

FIG. 8 is yet another exemplary web page view of a target settings interface;

FIG. 9 is an exemplary web page view of an interface for tracking parameters of a particular weld or system;

FIG. 10 is an exemplary web page view listing historical welds that may be analyzed and presented;

FIG. 11 is an exemplary web page view of a history trail available through the system;

FIG. 12 is an exemplary web page view of a status interface that allows systems and groups of systems to be selected for comparison;

FIG. 13 is an exemplary web page view of a comparison of systems and groups of systems selected via the interface of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is an exemplary web page view of a dashboard page of analyzed system parameters determined by the system;

FIG. 15 is an exemplary web page view of a report page of a comparison of determined analyzed system parameters and target analyzed system parameters; and

FIG. 16 is an exemplary web page view of a report page of a comparison of analyzed system parameters determined between persons on duty over a period of time.

FIG. 17 illustrates an analysis information page that can facilitate comparing metalworking operations to metalworking resources.

FIG. 18 illustrates a report page that can facilitate comparing operating costs associated with metal fabrication operations on metal fabrication resources.

Fig. 19 is a block diagram of an exemplary processing platform that may be used to implement any of the disclosed systems, methods, and/or devices.

Detailed Description

A disclosed method of monitoring performance of an exemplary metal fabrication resource includes: obtaining data representative of arc times and wire deposits associated with metalworking operations on a plurality of metalworking resources; analyzing, via at least one computer processor, the first subset of the acquired data and the second subset of the acquired data for a plurality of metal fabrication resources; populating, via the at least one computer processor, a user-viewable page with graphical indicia representative of at least the arc on time and the amount of wire deposit, the user-viewable page facilitating visual comparison of an analysis of a first subset of the acquired data with an analysis of a second subset of the acquired data; and transmitting the user viewable page to a user viewable display.

In some examples, analyzing the first subset of the acquired data includes determining first production information associated with the first subset of metal working operations, and analyzing the second subset of the acquired data includes determining second production information associated with the second subset of metal working operations. Some example methods also include determining, via the at least one computer processor, an operating cost associated with the metal working operation by applying the cost data to the first production information and the second production information. Some such example methods further include populating, via the at least one computer processor, the second user-viewable page with one or more prompts to receive at least one of cost data or a selection of a metal working operation.

In some example methods, analyzing the first subset of the acquired data further includes determining a first operating cost associated with the first subset of metal working operations by applying the cost data to the first production information, and analyzing the second subset of the acquired data further includes determining a second operating cost associated with the second subset of metal working operations by applying the cost data to the second production information. In some examples, visually comparing the analysis of the first subset of the acquired data and the analysis of the second subset of the acquired data includes visually comparing a first total cost of the first subset of the metal fabrication operations and a second total cost of the second subset of the metal fabrication operations. In some examples, visually comparing the analysis of the first subset of the acquired data and the analysis of the second subset of the acquired data includes visually comparing a first cost of arcing time associated with the first subset of metal working operations to a second cost of arcing time associated with the second subset of metal working operations.

In some examples, visually comparing the analysis of the first subset of the acquired data and the analysis of the second subset of the acquired data includes visually comparing a first cost of the wire deposit associated with the first subset of the metal working operations to a second cost of the wire deposit associated with the second subset of the metal working operations. Some example methods further include obtaining data representative of an amount of gas consumption associated with the metal working operation, the first subset of the obtained data and the second subset of the obtained data including at least a portion of the data representative of the amount of gas consumption, visually comparing the analysis of the first subset of the obtained data and the analysis of the second subset of the obtained data including visually comparing a first cost of the amount of gas consumption associated with the first subset of the metal working operation and a second cost of the amount of gas consumption associated with the second subset of the metal working operation. In some examples, the first subset of the acquired data corresponds to a first time period and the second subset of the acquired data corresponds to a second time period.

A disclosed performance monitoring system for an exemplary metal fabrication resource includes: a data collection component to obtain data representative of arc times and wire deposits associated with metal working operations on a plurality of metal working resources; an analysis component to analyze the first subset of acquired data and the second subset of acquired data for a plurality of metal fabrication resources; and a communication section to: populating a user-viewable page with graphical indicia representative of at least an arc on time and an amount of wire deposit, the user-viewable page facilitating a visual comparison of an analysis of a first subset of the acquired data with an analysis of a second subset of the acquired data; and transmitting the user viewable page to a user viewable display.

In some examples, the analysis component analyzes the first subset of the acquired data by determining first production information associated with the first subset of the metal working operations and analyzes the second subset of the acquired data by determining second production information associated with the second subset of the metal working operations. In some examples, the analysis component determines an operational cost associated with the metal working operation by applying the cost data to the first production information and the second production information. In some examples, the communications component populates a second user-viewable page with one or more prompts to receive at least one of cost data or a selection of a metal working operation.

In some example systems, the analysis component analyzes the first subset of the acquired data by applying the cost data to the first production information to determine a first operating cost associated with the first subset of the metal working operations, and analyzes the second subset of the acquired data by applying the cost data to the second production information to determine a second operating cost associated with the second subset of the metal working operations.

In some examples, visually comparing the analysis of the first subset of the acquired data and the analysis of the second subset of the acquired data includes visually comparing a first total cost of the first subset of the metal fabrication operations and a second total cost of the second subset of the metal fabrication operations. In some examples, visually comparing the analysis of the first subset of the acquired data and the analysis of the second subset of the acquired data includes visually comparing a first cost of arcing time associated with the first subset of metal working operations to a second cost of arcing time associated with the second subset of metal working operations. In some examples, visually comparing the analysis of the first subset of the acquired data and the analysis of the second subset of the acquired data includes visually comparing a first cost of the wire deposit associated with the first subset of the metal working operations to a second cost of the wire deposit associated with the second subset of the metal working operations.

In some examples, the data collection component obtains data representative of an amount of gas consumption associated with the metal working operation, the first subset of the obtained data and the second subset of the obtained data including at least a portion of the data representative of the amount of gas consumption, and visually comparing the analysis of the first subset of the obtained data and the analysis of the second subset of the obtained data includes visually comparing a first cost of the amount of gas consumption associated with the first subset of the metal working operation and a second cost of the amount of gas consumption associated with the second subset of the metal working operation.

An exemplary method of monitoring performance of a metal fabrication resource includes: obtaining data representative of a plurality of parameters sampled during a metal fabrication operation on a plurality of metal fabrication resources; analyzing, via at least one computer processor, the data to determine production information associated with metal fabrication operations on a plurality of metal fabrication resources; determining, via at least one computer processor, an operating cost associated with the metal working operation by applying the cost data to the production information; populating, via the at least one computer processor, a user-viewable dashboard page with graphical indicia representing at least one parameter of the plurality of parameters, the graphical indicia comparing the first subset of operating costs to the second subset of operating costs; and transmitting the user viewable dashboard page to the user viewable display.

As shown generally in FIG. 1, a monitoring system 10 allows for monitoring and analysis of one or more metal working systems and support equipment. In this view, multiple welding systems 12 and 14 may interact with (and possibly be) a support device 16. The welding system and supporting equipment may be grouped physically and/or analytically as indicated generally by reference numeral 18. Such grouping may allow for enhanced data collection, data analysis, comparison, and the like. As described in more detail below, highly flexible packets can be formed at any time by using the present techniques, even if the packets are not physical (i.e., the systems are not physically located near each other). In the illustrated embodiment, the devices are further grouped by department or location, as indicated by reference numeral 20. Other departments and locations may be similarly associated, as indicated by reference numeral 22. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in complex manufacturing and processing entities, different locations, facilities, factories, plants, etc. may be located in different regions of the same country or in multiple countries. The present technology allows system data to be collected from all of these systems regardless of where they are located. Furthermore, the grouping into these departments, locations, and other groups of equipment is highly flexible, regardless of where the equipment is actually located.

Generally, as shown in FIG. 1, the system includes a monitoring/analysis system 24 that communicates with and can collect information from monitoring the welding system and support equipment as needed. Many different scenarios can be envisaged to acquire and collect this information. For example, certain welding systems and support equipment may be provided with sensors, control circuitry, feedback circuitry, etc. that allow for collection of welding parameter data. Some details of these systems are described below. In the case of analyzing system parameters, such as arc time, data may be collected from various systems that reflect when an arc is established and the number of times a welding arc is maintained. The current and voltage will be sensed together and data representative of the current and voltage will be stored. For supporting equipment, such as grinders, lamps, positioners, clamps, etc., different parameters, such as current, switch closure, etc., can be monitored.

As noted, many systems will be able to collect this data and store the data within the system itself. In other cases, local networks, computer systems, servers, shared memory, etc., will be provided that are capable of concentrating the collected data, at least to some extent. For clarity, these network and support components are not shown in FIG. 1. The monitoring/analysis system 24 may then collect this information directly from the system or any supporting component that itself collects and stores the data. Typically the data will be tagged with identifying information such as system model, system type, time and date, part and weld specifications, operator and/or attendant identification (where appropriate), and the like. Many such parameters may be monitored and maintained periodically in the system. The monitoring/analysis system 24 may store this information itself or may utilize external memory.

As described more fully below, the system allows for information grouping, information analysis, and information presentation via one or more operator interfaces 26. In many cases, the operator interface may include a conventional computer workstation, a handheld device, a tablet computer, or any other suitable interface. It is presently contemplated that many different device platforms may be accommodated and that web pages containing useful interfaces, analytics, reports, etc. will be presented in a common interface, such as a browser. It is contemplated that although different device platforms may use different data transmission and display standards, the system is generally platform independent, allowing reports and summaries of monitored and analyzed data to be requested and presented on any of a variety of devices (e.g., desktop workstations, laptops, tablets, handheld devices, telephones, etc.). The system may include verification and authentication features, for example, by prompting for a username, password, and the like.

The system may be designed for a wide range of welding system types, scenarios, applications, and numbers. Although FIG. 1 illustrates a scenario that may occur in a large manufacturing or processing facility or entity, the system may apply equally well to smaller applications, even to individual welders. As shown in fig. 2, for example, even a welder that operates independently and is in an active setting may be accommodated. The application illustrated in fig. 2 is an engine-driven generator/welder 28 provided in a truck or work vehicle. In these scenarios, it is contemplated that data may be collected by one of several mechanisms. The welder itself may be capable of wirelessly transmitting data through its own communication circuitry, or may transmit data through a device connected to the welding system, such as a communication circuit in a vehicle, a smart phone, a tablet or laptop computer, or the like. The system may also connect (temp) to the data collection point when the specified location is reached. In the illustration of fig. 2, a removable storage device 30, such as a flash drive, may be provided that may collect data from the system and transfer the information to a monitoring/analysis system 32. In smaller applications of this type, the system may be specifically designed for reduced data sets, and analyses that may be more useful to the welding operator and entities involved. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the system may be scaled and adapted to any of a wide range of application scenarios.

Fig. 3 illustrates an exemplary embodiment, e.g., a cloud embodiment. This embodiment is presently contemplated for use in many scenarios where data collection, storage, and analysis is performed remotely, such as in a subscription or paid service fashion. Here, the monitored welding systems and support devices 34 communicate directly and indirectly with one or more cloud data storage and service entities 36. The entity may take any desired form and significant improvements in such services are ongoing and will continue to occur in the coming years. It is contemplated that, for example, a third party provider may sign up with a preparation or processing entity to collect information from the system, store the information offsite, and perform processing on the information that allows analysis and reporting as described below. The operator interface 26 may be similar to the operator interfaces described above, but is typically addressed as a ("click") website for cloud services. After authentication, a web page may then be provided that allows for the desired monitoring, analysis, and presentation. The cloud services may thus include components such as communication devices, storage devices, servers, data processing and analysis hardware and software, and the like.

As described above, many different types and configurations of welding systems may be accommodated by the present techniques. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that certain such systems have become standard throughout the industry. These include, for example, systems commonly referred to as Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW), shielded gas metal arc welding (SMAW), Submerged Arc Welding (SAW), laser, and stud welding systems, to name a few examples. All of these systems rely on the application of energy to the workpiece and the electrode to at least partially melt and melt the metal. The system may or may not be used with filler metal, but most systems common in the industry do use some form of filler metal that is machine fed or manually fed. Furthermore, certain systems may be used with other materials besides metals, and these systems are also intended to provide services through the present technology where appropriate.

By way of example only, FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary welding system 12, in this case a MIG welding system. The system includes a power supply that receives input power, for example, from a generator or a power grid, and converts the input power to welding power. The power conversion circuitry 38 allows for these conversions and will typically include power electronics controlled to provide Alternating Current (AC), direct current, pulsed or other waveforms defined by the welding process and procedure. The power conversion circuitry is typically controlled by control and processing circuitry 40. Such circuitry would be supported by a memory (not separately shown) that stores welding process definitions, operator set parameters, and the like. In a typical system, such parameters may be set via an operator interface 42. The system will include some type of data or network interface, as indicated at reference numeral 44. In many such systems, this circuitry will be included in the power supply, although it may be located in a separate device. The system allows for performing welding operations, collecting both control data and actual data (e.g., feedback of voltage, current, wire feed speed, etc.). Some of this data may be stored in removable memory 46, if desired. However, in many systems, the information will be stored in the same memory device that supports control and processing circuitry 40.

In the case of a MIG system, a separate wire feeder 48 may be provided. The components of the wire feeder are shown here in phantom because some systems may selectively use the wire feeder. The illustrated system is again intended to be exemplary only. Such wire feeders (where applicable) typically include a spool of wire electrode wire 50 and a drive mechanism 52, the drive mechanism 52 contacting and driving the wire under the control of a drive control circuit 54. The drive control circuitry may be arranged to provide the required wire feed speed in a conventional manner. In a typical MIG system, the gas valve 56 would allow control of the flow rate of the shield and gas. Settings may be made on the wire feeder via the operator interface 58. The wire, gas and power are provided by a welding cable (shown schematically at 60) and a return cable (sometimes referred to as a ground cable) 62. The return cable is typically coupled to the workpiece via a clamp, and power, welding wire, and gas are supplied to the welding torch 64 via the weld cable.

Here, it should also be noted that the system of fig. 4 is merely exemplary, and that the present technique allows for monitoring and analyzing the performance of these types of cutting, heating, and welding systems, as well as other systems. In fact, the same monitoring and analysis system can collect data from different types, workings, sizes, and versions of metal working systems. The data collected and analyzed may relate to different processes and welding processes on the same or different systems. Further, as described above, data may be collected from support equipment used in, around, or with the metal working system.

Fig. 5 illustrates certain functional components typically found in a monitoring/analysis system. In the notation used in fig. 5, these components would be located in the cloud service entity, although similar components may be included in any embodiment of the system. These components may include, for example, a data collection component 68 that receives data from systems and entities. The data collection component may "pull" (push) the data by prompting for data exchange with the system, or may operate in a "push" (push) mode where the data is provided to the data collection component by the system without prompting (e.g., upon startup of a welding system, network device, or management system connected to the device). Data collection may occur at any desired frequency or at non-periodic points in time. For example, data may be collected occasionally while performing a welding operation, or may be provided periodically, such as on duty personnel, on a daily basis, on a weekly basis, or simply as needed by a welding operator or facility management team. The system will also include a memory 70 that stores raw and/or processed data collected from the system. The analysis/reporting component 72 allows for processing of the raw data and associating the resulting analysis with a system, entity, group, welding operator, and the like. Examples of analysis and reporting component operations are provided in more detail below. Finally, the communication component 74 allows for the results of the analysis to be populated into report and interface pages. A variety of such pages may be provided, as indicated by reference numeral 76 in fig. 5, some of which are described in detail below. The communication component 74 may thus include various servers, modems, internet interfaces, web page definitions, and the like.

As described above, the present techniques allow for a wide variety of data to be collected from the welding system and support equipment for setup, configuration, storage, analysis, tracking, monitoring, comparison, and the like. In the presently contemplated embodiment, this information is summarized in a series of interface pages configured as web pages that can be rendered and viewed on a general-purpose browser. However, virtually any suitable interface may be used. However, the use of a general-purpose browser and similar interfaces allows data to be provided to any range of device platforms and different types of devices, including fixed workstations, enterprise systems, as well as mobile and handheld devices as described above. Fig. 6-13 illustrate exemplary interface pages that may be provided for many purposes.

Referring first to FIG. 6, a target report web page 78 is illustrated. This page allows for the display of one or more welding system and supported equipment models (designations), as well as performance analysis based on goals set for the system. In the page shown in FIG. 6, a number of welding systems and support devices are identified, as indicated by reference numeral 80. These may be associated in groups, as indicated by reference numeral 82. In fact, the data under all analyses discussed in this disclosure are associated with a single system. These can then be freely associated with each other by means of an interface tool. In the illustrated example, a location or department 84 has been created within which several groups are specified. Each of these groups may then include one or more welding systems and any other equipment, as shown in the figure. The present embodiment allows for free association of these systems so that useful analysis of individual systems, groups of systems, locations, etc. can be performed. The system and the supporting device may be in a single physical proximity, but this is not essential. The groupings may be established based on, for example, system type, work plan, production, product, and the like. In systems where the operator provides personal identification information, the information may be tracked in addition to (or instead of) the system information.

In the illustrated embodiment, status indicators are illustrated for communicating the current operational status of the monitored systems and devices. As indicated by reference numeral 86, these indicators may refer to active systems (active systems), idle systems (idle systems), disconnected systems, errors, notifications, and the like. Where the status of the system can be monitored in real time or near real time, these indicators can provide useful feedback to the manager regarding the current status of the device. The specific information illustrated in fig. 6 is obtained by selecting (e.g., clicking) the target key (goals tab)88 in the present embodiment. The presented information may be correlated over a useful time gap or duration, such as several consecutive weeks of use as represented by reference numeral 90. Any suitable time period may be employed, such as hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, on duty person designation, and the like.

The page 78 may also present the results of the analysis of each of a series of performance criteria based on the goals of the selected system setting(s). In the illustrated example, the welding system has been selected, as indicated by the checkmarks in the equipment tree on the left, and the performance based on several criteria is presented in the form of a bar graph. In this example, a number of monitoring criteria are specified, such as arc time, deposition, arcing, spatter, and grind time. As described below, a target has been set for a particular system, and the performance of the system compared to this target is represented by a bar graph for each monitored parameter. It should be noted that some parameters may be positive by convention, while other parameters may be negative. For example, for arc time, representing the portion of the operating time that the welding arc is formed and maintained, it may be beneficial or desirable to exceed a percentage of the target set criteria. For other parameters, such as spatter, exceeding the target may actually be detrimental to the quality of the work. As described below, the present embodiment allows specifying whether analysis and presentation can take these traditionally positive or traditionally negative into account. The result presentation 94 allows for easy visualization of the actual performance compared to pre-established goals.

Fig. 7 illustrates an exemplary target edit web page 96. Certain fields may be provided that allow setting of standard or common targets or specific targets for specific purposes. For example, the name of the target may be specified in the field 98. Other information related to this name may be stored for analysis of the same or different systems. The illustrated page allows setting criteria for a target, such as arc time, as indicated by reference numeral 100. Other criteria and parameters may be specified as long as data can be collected that directly or indirectly indicates the desired criteria (i.e., allows values to be established for comparison and presentation). The convention (convention) for the target may be set as shown at reference numeral 102. That is, as described above, it may be desirable or beneficial for the established target to define a maximum target value while other targets may establish a minimum target value. The target 104 may then be established, for example, on a numerical percentage basis, a target (e.g., unit) basis, a relative basis, or any other useful basis. Additional fields, such as a watch personnel field 106, may be provided. Still further, in some embodiments, it may be useful to begin a target or standard setup with exemplary welds known to have been completed and acceptable process characteristics. The target may then be set to the standard accordingly or using one or more parameters based on this weld setting (e.g., +/-20%).

FIG. 8 illustrates a target setup page 108 that can employ setup targets set through a page (e.g., the page shown in FIG. 7) and used for a particular device. In page 108 of FIG. 8, the welding system that designated "bottom welder" has been selected, as indicated by the left check mark. The system identification 110 appears on the page. A menu of targets or criteria is then displayed as indicated by reference numeral 112. In this example, selecting includes not setting targets on the device, following certain targets set for a particular location (or other logical grouping), selecting a predetermined target (e.g., a target established by a page as shown in FIG. 7), and establishing a custom target for the device.

The present technique also allows certain performance parameters of the system to be stored and analyzed in a tracking or trace view. These views can provide extremely rich information in terms of a particular weld, performance over a period of time, performance of a particular operator, performance of a particular job or part, and the like. Fig. 9 illustrates an exemplary weld trace page 114. As shown in the page, a series of devices may be selected, as shown on the left side of the page, with a particular system currently selected, as indicated by reference numeral 116. Once selected, in this embodiment, a series of data relating to this particular system is displayed, as indicated by reference numeral 118. This information may be derived from the system or from archived data of the system, e.g., within an organization, within cloud resources, etc. Some of the statistics may be aggregated and displayed as indicated by reference numeral 120.

The weld trace page also includes a graphical representation of the trace of certain monitored parameters that may be of particular interest. In this example, the weld trace interval 122 shows several parameters 124 that form a graph as a function of time along a horizontal path 126. In this particular example, the parameters include wire feed speed, current, and voltage. The weld for the case illustrated in this example has a duration of approximately 8 seconds. During this time, the monitored parameters change, and data embodying these parameters is sampled and stored. A separate trajectory 128 for each parameter is then generated and presented to the user. Additionally, in this example, the system may display particular values of one or more parameters at particular points in time, as indicated by reference numeral 130, via "mouse over" or other input.

The track page may be populated in advance or on demand by the user, as with any of the pages discussed in this disclosure. In this case, any number of the system's trajectory pages and specific welds may be stored for subsequent analysis and presentation. A history page 132 may be written as shown in fig. 10. In the illustrated history page, a list of welds performed on the selected system 116 (or combination of selected systems) is presented, as indicated by reference numeral 134. These welds may be identified by time, system, duration, welding parameters, and the like. Further, such lists may be written for a particular operator, a particular product, article of manufacture, and so forth. In the illustrated embodiment, the user has selected a particular weld, as indicated by reference numeral 136.

FIG. 11 illustrates a history track page 138 that may be displayed after a particular weld 136 is selected. In this view, a system identification is provided along with the time and date, as indicated by reference numeral 140. Again, monitoring parameters are identified, as indicated by reference numeral 124, and a time axis 126 is provided along which a track 128 is displayed. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the ability to store and compile such analyses can be very useful in evaluating system performance, operator performance, performance of particular parts, performance of departments and facilities, and the like.

Still further, the present techniques allow comparisons between devices to be made on a wide range basis. Indeed, the systems may be compared and any suitable parameters that may form the basis of these comparisons may be provided for the presentation resulting from the comparison. FIG. 12 illustrates an example compare selection page 142. As shown in this page, the plurality of systems 80 are again grouped into groups 82 for facilities or locations 84. Status indicators 86 may be provided for individual systems or groups. The status page shown in fig. 12 may then be used as a basis for selecting a system for comparison, as shown in fig. 13. Here, the same system and group may be used for selection and comparison. The comparison page 144 displays these systems and allows the user to click on or select individual systems, groups, or any sub-groups created arbitrarily. That is, while an entire group of systems may be selected, a user may select an individual system or an individual group, as indicated by reference numeral 146. A comparison section 148 is provided in which a time basis for comparison may be selected, for example, by hour, by day, by week, by month, or by any other range. Once selected, the required parameters are compared for the individual systems, where the systems are identified as indicated at reference numeral 152, and the comparison is made and in this case graphically displayed as indicated at reference numeral 154. In the illustrated example, for example, system operating time has been selected as the basis for the comparison. The data for each individual system reflecting the respective operating time of the system has been analyzed and presented in percent fashion by a horizontal bar graph. Other comparisons may be made directly between systems, for example, to indicate that one system has outperformed another based on selected parameters. More than one parameter may be selected in some embodiments, and these parameters may be based on raw, processed, or calculated values.

The monitoring/analysis system 24 processes data acquired from one or more sets 18 of the welding system 12 and the support equipment 16. As described above, the acquired data includes, but is not limited to, current, voltage, system start-up time, arcing, arc duration, wire feed speed, switch closure, and the like. The monitoring/analysis system 24 presents this acquired data to an operator via an operator interface 26. The acquired data may be compared to a target stored in memory 70. In addition to processing and presenting the acquired data and stored goals via the operator interface 26, the presently contemplated embodiment of the monitoring/analysis system 24 also analyzes the acquired data and presents analyzed system parameters, such as arc time percentage (e.g., arc), wire deposition (e.g., deposition amount, deposition rate), and/or gas consumption (e.g., gas flow rate). The analyzed system parameters generated by the monitoring/analysis system 24 are calculated values that facilitate comparisons between the welding system 12 and the group 82 of welding systems 12, between an operator and a person on duty, and/or between departments/locations 20. In some embodiments, the monitoring/analysis system 24 may automatically present the one or more analyzed system parameters on a page 76 (e.g., a launch screen or "dashboard") without a user indicating to do so, thereby enabling an operator to assess performance while viewing the page 76 without additional input to the operator interface 26. The automatic determination of the analyzed system parameters eliminates the step of the user performing the calculations separately, e.g., using a calculator, mental calculations or manual calculations. Thus, a user may evaluate performance faster than without automatically determining and presenting the analyzed system parameters.

The analyzed system parameters may include percent arcing time (e.g., arcing%), wire deposition, and gas consumption. During a period of time (e.g., day, attendant, week, month), the arc% for one or more welding systems 12 may be determined according to equation (1):

arc%_Arcing/T_{Work by}Equation (1)

Wherein T is_{Work by}Is the cumulative on-time that one or more welding systems 12 are energized (e.g., prepared to supply an arc to a welding torch) during a time period, and T_ArcingIs the cumulative time that one or more welding systems 12 have an active arc during the time period. The% arc fired value may be useful as an indicator to evaluate and compare the welding experience of a first group of one or more welding operators and a second group of one or more welding operators. For example, the% arc of an experienced welder performing a first weld using the first welding system 12 may be greater than the% arc of an inexperienced welder performing a first weld using the first welding system 12. In some embodiments, the value of% arcing may be used to assess and compare the welding proficiency of one or more welding operators using one or more welding systems 12 during a first time period with the same one or more operators using the same one or more welding systems 12 during a second time period. The value of% arcing may also be useful as an indicator to assess and compare the efficiency and/or productivity between the first and second groups, or the first group itself, between the first and second time periods. For example, a decrease in the% arcing from the first time period to the second time period may indicate to a system administrator or manager that an event occurred during the time period (e.g., an increase inComplexity of the welder, distraction, welding errors) to investigate. Monitoring/analysis system 24 may present on user viewable page 76 a comparison of the values of% arcing between the first and second sets and/or a comparison of the values of% arcing between the first set during the first time period and the first set during the second time period. In some embodiments, the value of% arcing may be useful as an indicator to evaluate multiple welding systems 12 by comparing% arcing between a first set of welding systems 12 and a second set of welding systems 12, both utilized by the same operator.

The deposition of the welding system 12 during a period of time may be determined according to equation (2):

welding (quantity) ═ WFS d T_ArcingEquation (2)

Where WFS is wire feed speed (e.g., inches per minute), d is wire density (e.g., pounds per inch), and T_ArcingIs the cumulative time (e.g., minutes) the welding system 12 has an active arc during the time period. The WFS, wire density, and/or wire diameter may be input by a user. In some embodiments, the welding system 12 determines the WFS based on welding parameters (e.g., current, voltage, material). Additionally or in the alternative, some embodiments of the welding system 12 may determine the wire diameter. WFS and d may vary based at least in part on welding characteristics (e.g., material, width, wire diameter). Monitoring/analysis system 24 may determine a deposit value as a total amount (e.g., weight) of welding wire deposited during a time period or at T_{Work by}Deposition rate per minute or hour during the deposition. The deposition rate may be determined by dividing the deposition amount from equation (2) by the cumulative on-time (T) during which the welding system 12 is energized_{Work by}) To be determined.

FIG. 14 illustrates an embodiment of a dashboard page 200, the dashboard page 200 presenting arc% and deposition as analyzed system parameters. The dashboard page 200 may be the page 76 that is presented to the user when a session is initiated using the monitoring/analysis system 24 via the operator interface 26. In some embodiments, an operator may configure the dashboard page 200 to present analyzed welding parameters of one or more welding systems 80 utilized by one or more operators (e.g., a duty worker). For example, the dashboard page 200 of fig. 14 presents the system parameters resulting from the analysis of the arc time percentages and deposition of two selected welding systems 80 utilized by several operators during a time period 210. The operator may configure the dashboard page 200 to present the analyzed system parameters in various graphics, tables, lists, etc. disposed in a plurality of custom locations on the dashboard page 200. The analyzed system parameters may be presented for comparison and evaluation of one or more welding systems 80 during one or more time periods 210. A more complete description of this setting of system parameters resulting from the analysis of dashboard page 200 is provided, for example, in U.S. patent application No.2009/0313549 entitled "configurable welding interface for automatic welding application" filed 6, 16, casser, et al, 2008.

The arc percentage graph 202 and/or the arc percentage table 204 present the arc% of the first welding system 206 and the second welding system 208 for a plurality of operators on duty during a time period 210 (which may be a particular day, week, month, etc.). The deposit graph 212 and/or the deposit table 214 present the deposits of the first welding system 206 and the second welding system 208 for a plurality of operators on duty during the time period 210. In some embodiments, the dashboard page 200 may present various combinations of representations of the arc on percentage graph 202, the arc on percentage table 204, the deposition graph 212, the deposition table 214, and other analyzed system parameters. The operator may configure the layout and composition of the dashboard page 200 via the configuration tab 216.

The arc on percentage graph 202 presents a graphical representation 218 of the arc on% of each selected operator (e.g., operator a, operator B, operator C) utilizing the first welding system 206 and the second welding system 208 during a time period 210 or time range. The arc on percentage graph 202 may also present a value for the total arc on% during the time period 210 for the selected attendant. The percent arcing graph 202 enables a viewer of the dashboard page 200 to easily compare the arc% values for each respective attendant and respective machine to identify problems for further review. The arc on percentage table 204 presents numerical values 220 for the percentage of arc on time of the attendant utilizing at least each of the selections of the first and second welding systems 206, 208 during the time period 210. In some embodiments, the arc on percentage table 204 presents the acquired data 222 that is used to generate the analyzed system parameters 220. The co-presented arcing time percentage 220 and the acquired data 222 may provide a user viewing the dashboard page 200 with a more complete review of the status of the first and second welding systems 206, 208 during the time period 210 than either the arcing time percentage 220 alone or the acquired data 222 alone. For example, the dashboard page 200 illustrates an embodiment in which the value of% arc on duty personnel a utilizing the first welding system 206 is less than the value of% arc on duty personnel B and C. Upon noticing the difference, the viewer can investigate the cause by examining the acquired data 222, one or more reports (e.g., via report tab 224), and/or a list of events (e.g., via event page 226).

The deposit profile 212 may present the amount of welding wire deposited and/or the rate of deposition of the first and second welding machines 206, 208 selected during the time period 210. The deposition profiles 212 of the deposition rates of the first and second welding systems 206, 208 may have similar shapes. For example, the deposit profile 212 may have substantially the same shape as the arc% profile 202, with the wire diameter and density per unit wire length of each welding machine scaling the deposit profile 212 relative to the arc% profile 202. As shown in the deposit table 214, the first welding system 206 may deposit a greater amount (e.g., approximately 50%) of the welding wire during the time period 210 than the second welding system 208, although the first and second welding systems 206, 208 have substantially the same value of% arcing during the time period 210. The proportional difference in the deposit profile 212 may be based at least in part on a difference in wire diameter and density per unit length of wire (e.g., the wire diameter of the first welding system 206 is greater than the wire diameter of the second welding system 208) and/or a difference in WFS between welding systems (e.g., the WFS of the first welding system 206 is greater than the WFS of the second welding system 208). The deposit table 214 presents a deposit amount 228 (e.g., lb) and a deposit rate 230 (e.g., lbs/hr) for each operator of the first and second welding systems 206, 208 during the time period 210. The deposition table 214 may present the total deposition 228 from the operators on duty over the time period 210 and/or may present the average deposition rate for each welding system over the time period 210.

FIG. 15 illustrates a report page 240 that can facilitate comparing the goals of the analyzed system parameters stored in memory for one or more selected systems with the determined analyzed system parameters for one or more selected systems over one or more time periods. Various individual systems or groups 146 of welding systems 242 may be used for selection and comparison. The report page 240 displays these systems and allows the user to click on or select individual systems, groups, or any sub-groups created arbitrarily. That is, while the entire group 146 of systems may be selected, the user may select individual systems or individual groups, as indicated by reference numeral 244. A reporting section 246 is provided in which a range of time periods 210 for comparison may be selected, for example, hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, or any other range. Once the system 242 and time period 210 are selected, the determined analyzed system parameters (e.g., arc on%, deposition) are compared to stored targets of the selected individual system or individual set 244 of analyzed system parameters.

In the illustrated example, the% arcing has been selected as the basis for comparison. The data for the determined arc% for the selected system 244 for each time period is presented on a percentage basis by a vertical bar 248 that is adjacent to the value of the target arc% presented by the vertical bar 250. It will be appreciated that the value of the target arc% for each time period may be different. In some embodiments, the value of target% arc may be presented as a line through the reporting section 246, and the line may illustrate the values of target% arc for multiple time periods. In the report page 240 shown in FIG. 15, the values of% arc on determined for dates 07/30-08/1/2013 and 08/03/2013 (e.g., tuesday, wednesday, thursday, and saturday) reached or exceeded the value of the target% arc on, and the values of% arc on determined for dates 07/29/2013 and 08/02/2013 (e.g., monday and friday) did not reach the value of the target% arc on. Fig. 15 illustrates an example of the selected system 244 being utilized on a date 8/03/2013 where no target arc% is stored in memory or the target arc% is 0%, with the determined arc% of date 08/02/2013 not reaching the target arc% based substantially on the stored target utilization selected system 244 of dates 07/29/2013-08/01/2013. From the report page 240, the user may observe that the% arc of the selected system 244 peaks in the middle of the week (e.g., 07/31/2013), that the% arc of 08/02/2013 (e.g., friday) drops sharply, or that the selected system 244 is utilized at 08/03/2013 (e.g., saturday), or any combination thereof. These observations may enable the user to adjust the target% arc of the selected system 244 in view of productivity trends and/or to coordinate with the operator of the selected welding system 244 to increase the% arc of friday and/or any given time that productivity drops relative to other time periods. In some embodiments, monitoring/analysis system 24 may analyze the analyzed system parameter against historical trends of the target and generate predicted trends of the analyzed system parameter for future time periods. The predicted trend may be stored as a target for a future time period. In some embodiments, the predicted trend may be based at least in part on an expected increase in productivity affecting the analyzed system parameter. For example, the predicted trend may allow for higher productivity gains after supplemental training. As another example, the predicted trend may be used to set a target for the on-duty personnel% arc to increase to a desired threshold, where the threshold is based at least in part on-duty personnel experience and/or on-duty personnel training time.

In some embodiments, the user may compare the determined arc% of one or more welding systems 242 to stored targets over a plurality of time ranges 252. The time range may include, but is not limited to, hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, or any custom range. Through a comparison of the determined analyzed system parameters with the stored goals over the plurality of time ranges 252, the user may identify trends that may be useful for setting the analyzed system parameter goals. After identifying trends (e.g., arc% relatively increasing to a peak during the middle of a week and/or the middle of a shift's operation, arc% relatively decreasing at the end of friday and/or the shift's operation), the user may adjust individual goals for one or more time periods to encourage increased performance per time period. For example, the target for% arc on wednesday or in the middle of an operator's operation may be set higher than the target for% arc on friday or at the end of an operator's operation.

The user may compare the system parameters resulting from the determined analysis using one or more of the groups 244 of selected systems or welding systems 242 over the time period 210. Fig. 16 illustrates an embodiment of a report page 240 that compares the arc on of a selected group 244, and the selected group 244 includes a plurality of subgroups 254 of welding systems 242 that may be utilized by a plurality of operators 256 (e.g., operator a, operator B, operator C). It is understood that some welding systems 242 may be utilized by multiple operators and/or multiple operators on duty. The report page 240 presents the analyzed system parameters for arc% of each attendant 256 as bars 258 over a selected time period 210 for comparison with each other. Additionally, or in the alternative, the report page 240 may present the deposited amounts, deposition rates, or other analyzed system parameters for a plurality of operators or operators on duty over a selected time period 210. The user may select custom settings for the group 244 and the subgroup 254 of welding systems 242 for comparison of the respective analyzed system parameters over the time period 210. In some embodiments, the user may select an operator and/or a person on duty for the comparison via the person on duty control 260. In some embodiments, the report page 240 may present data obtained from the time period 210 in addition to the analyzed system parameters. Thus, the reporting page may present the analyzed system parameters for multiple types of comparisons.

FIG. 17 illustrates an analysis information page 300 that can facilitate comparing metalworking operations of a metalworking resource. The analysis/reporting component 72 of fig. 5 may cause the communications component 74 to output a cost information page 300 to the operator interface 26 to collect operational labor cost data 302 (e.g., cost per welder hour), welding wire cost data 304 (e.g., cost per pound or other unit of weight, cost per foot or other unit of length), and/or gas cost data 306 (e.g., cost per cubic foot or other unit of volume, gas flow rate in cubic feet per hour, or other flow metric).

The example analysis information page 300 also includes an operation selector 308 to enable a user to select a metal fabrication operation to be compared. FIG. 17 illustrates the operation selector 308 as a selection of different date ranges 310, 312 to be compared, wherein the cost data 302 and 306 are used to analyze and compare the metalworking operations occurring within the selected date ranges 310, 312. However, other criteria may be used to select a metal fabrication operation, such as a grouping of metal fabrication resources (e.g., a group of welding equipment, a group of welding operators, etc.) and/or different portions of the same time period (e.g., different shifts). Different cost data 302 can be entered 306 for different selected metal working operations.

Based on the selection of the group of metal fabrication operations, the analysis/reporting component 72 analyzes a subset of the data acquired for the metal fabrication resource. For example, the analysis/reporting component 72 may determine production information associated with different sets of metal working operations. Exemplary production information may include determining an arc on time, an arc off time, an arc on time percentage, an arc off time percentage, a wire consumption, and/or a gas consumption corresponding to a metalworking operation. For example, the analysis/reporting component 72 may determine first production information for a metal working operation occurring during the selected date range 310 and second product information for a metal working operation occurring during the selected date range 312 by aggregating data for metal working operations occurring during the respective date ranges 310, 312.

By using the operation cost 302-. For example, for a metal working operation corresponding to a respective date range 310, 312, the analysis/reporting component 72 may: determining an operating cost for arc on time and/or arc off time by applying (e.g., multiplying) a labor rate (e.g., from labor cost data 302) to the arc on time and/or arc off time determined from the acquired data; determining an operating cost for the wire consumption by applying (e.g., multiplying) the wire unit cost (e.g., from the wire cost data 304) to the wire consumption determined from the acquired data; determining an operating cost for the gas consumption by applying (e.g., multiplying) the gas unit cost (e.g., from the gas cost data 306) to the gas consumption determined from the acquired data and/or by the average gas consumption in the gas cost data 306; and/or determining a total operating cost by adding the determined operating cost for arc on time, the determined operating cost for arc off time, the determined operating cost for wire consumption, and/or the determined operating cost for gas consumption.

In addition to labor costs for arc on time and/or arc off time, other costs may be included and/or amortized for arc on time and/or arc off time. For example, the arcing time may amortize wire deposition and/or gas consumption. Other consumables to which arc on time and/or arc off time may be apportioned may include electrode rods, flux, tungsten electrodes, torch consumables (e.g., contact tip, nozzle, diffuser, wire liner, drive roller, etc.), electrical power, personnel protection devices (e.g., filters, lenses, gloves, etc.), abrasive discs, plasma cutting components, mechanical cutting consumables (e.g., blades), fuel and/or lubricants for engine-driven generators or other equipment, and/or any other welding-related consumables and/or non-welding activity consumables. In some instances, the wasted cost may be due to arc on time and/or arc off time. Exemplary wasted costs may include scrap material, time to use non-value added tools (e.g., gouging defective welds, grinding to remove spatter, hammering to assemble parts, repairing tools and/or equipment at a station, etc.), trips between stations and/or parts, unplanned downtime, and/or planned downtime (e.g., maintenance time).

Additionally or alternatively, the arc-quenching time may be further divided into non-welding activities, such as workpiece preheating, arching, part acquisition and/or searching, part loading and/or unloading, waiting, and/or other downtime, and/or any other pre-weld, post-weld, and/or non-welding activities. In addition, arc on time and/or arc off time may amortize overhead costs, such as management, construction, equipment, indirect labor, and/or depreciation. The apportioning may be accomplished based on labor time, machine time, units of production, and/or by any other method. Furthermore, arc on time and/or arc off time may amortize safety costs and/or risk components, such as injury costs and/or unsafe operator practice.

Examples of data acquisition and/or data aggregation associated with consumables, waste, non-welding activity, overhead, and/or safety are described in U.S. patent publication No. 2012/0085741. U.S. patent publication No. 2012/0085741 is incorporated herein in its entirety. Apportioning of consumable costs, wasted costs, non-welding activity costs, overhead costs, security costs, and/or any other costs may be accomplished by a user by generating and/or presenting to the user apportionment options (e.g., via page 300 or sub-pages).

Although the exemplary page 300 may be used to collect cost data from a user, in other examples, the actual cost data may be obtained from one or more external systems. For example, labor cost rates may be accessed from a system that stores labor or personnel information. The wire and/or gas costs may be determined from price data available from the supplier.

FIG. 18 illustrates a report page 320, which report page 320 can facilitate comparing operating costs associated with metal fabrication operations on metal fabrication resources. The example communication component 74 may generate and/or populate the report page 320 with one or more visualizations of the analysis of the acquired data. In the example report page 320 of FIG. 18, the communications component 74 provides charts 322, 324, the charts 322, 324 showing a visual comparison of arc on time and arc off time (and/or arc on time cost and arc off time cost) for a metalworking operation from each date range 310, 312.

For the metalworking operations from each date range 310, 312, the communications component 74 also populates the example report page 320 with a visual comparison, e.g., numerical results, of an analysis of the arc time cost 326, an analysis of the wire deposit cost 328, an analysis of the gas usage cost 330, and an analysis of the arc blowout time cost 332. The report page 320 may include a numerical value for the total cost of the metalworking operation from each date range 310, 312.

The example pages 300, 320 of fig. 17 and 18 enable a visual cost comparison of different aspects of welding and/or non-welding operations in terms of money. In this manner, a manager may compare sets of metal fabrication recipes using actual data obtained from metal fabrication resources to determine cost differences and/or identify opportunities to reduce metal fabrication costs. By using the pages 300, 320, a user may compare different time periods (e.g., weekly, per shift), compare different work units and/or different groups of operators, and/or metal fabrication resources and/or any other desired organization of metal fabrication operations.

The exemplary graphs 322, 324 may be further subdivided into more detailed cost divisions. For example, the cost apportioned by the arc on time and/or arc off time may be shown as separate portions in the graphs 322, 324 to visually show the various components that make up the arc on time and/or arc off time to the user. In some examples, the user may select (e.g., click on) an arc on time or arc off time portion of the graphs 322, 324 to cause the communications component 74 to present a more detailed graph of the selected costs. For example, selection of an arc-quenching time from the graphs 322, 324 will cause the communications component 74 to generate and display another page or sub-page that includes a second graph that shows a visual comparison of the sub-components of the arc-quenching time, such as the non-welding activity contribution, the non-welding consumables contribution, the non-welding overhead (overhead) contribution, and/or any other factor associated with the arc-quenching time of the user. The second chart may accompany the value of the cost.

In some examples, when a threshold corresponding to a recipient is crossed, communication component 74 may send a notification to a selected device, a selected person, a selected role, and/or any other desired recipient. The threshold, the recipient, and/or the association between the threshold and the recipient may be specified by the user. For example, if the arc-out time exceeds the arc-out time threshold for a specified person on duty or a specified operator, the communication component 74 may send a notification to the plant owner.

Fig. 19 is a block diagram of an exemplary processing platform 1900 that may be used to implement any of the disclosed systems, methods, and/or devices. For example, processing platform 1900 may implement, in whole or in part, monitoring/analysis system 24, operator interface 26, monitoring/analysis system 32, cloud data store and service 36, data collection component 68, storage 70, analysis/reporting component 72, and/or communication component 74 of fig. 1, 2, 3, and/or 5.

The exemplary processing platform 1900 of fig. 19 may be a general purpose computer, laptop computer, tablet computer, mobile device, server, and/or any other type of computing device. In some examples, processing platform 1900 may be implemented in a cloud computing environment using one or more physical machines and, in some examples, one or more virtual machines in a datacenter.

The exemplary processing platform 1900 of fig. 19 includes a processor 1902. The exemplary processor 1902 may be any general purpose Central Processing Unit (CPU) from any manufacturer. In some other examples, the processor 1902 may include one or more special-purpose processing units, such as a graphics processing unit and/or a digital signal processor. The processor 1902 executes machine-readable instructions 1904, which machine-readable instructions 1904 may be stored locally at the processor (e.g., in a built-in cache memory), in random access memory 1906 (or other volatile memory), in read only memory 1908 (or other non-volatile memory, such as FLASH memory), and/or in mass storage device 1910. Exemplary mass storage device 1910 may be a hard disk drive, a solid state storage drive, a hybrid drive, a RAID array, and/or any other mass data storage device.

The bus 1912 enables communication between the processor 1902, the RAM 1906, the ROM 1908, the mass storage device 1910, the network interface 1914, and/or the input/output interface 1916.

The example network interface 1914 includes hardware, firmware, and/or software to connect the processing platform 1900 with a communication network 1918, such as the internet. For example, the network interface 1914 may include ieee802.x compliant wireless and/or wired communication hardware to transmit and/or receive communications.

The example I/O interface 1916 of fig. 19 includes hardware, firmware, and/or software that couples one or more input/output devices 1920 to the processor 1902 to provide input to the processor 1902 and/or to provide output from the processor 1902. For example, I/O interface 1916 may include a graphics processing unit to interface with a display device, a universal serial bus port to interface with one or more USB compatible devices, a FireWire (FireWire), a fieldbus, and/or any other type of interface. Exemplary I/O devices 1920 may include a keyboard, keypad, mouse, trackball, pointing device, microphone, audio speaker, display device, optical media drive, multi-touch screen, gesture recognition interface, magnetic media drive, and/or any other type of input and/or output device.

The example processing platform 1900 may access the non-transitory machine-readable medium 1922 via the I/O interfaces 1916 and/or the I/O devices 1920. Examples of machine-readable medium 1922 of fig. 19 include optical disks (e.g., Compact Disks (CDs), digital versatile/video disks (DVDs), blu-ray disks, etc.), magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks), portable storage media (e.g., portable flash drives, Secure Digital (SD) cards, etc.), and/or any other type of removable and/or installed machine-readable media.

In summary, the monitoring analysis circuitry may process the acquired data to determine analyzed system parameters (e.g., arcing, deposition, etc.) presented to the user. These analyzed system parameters may be presented on an initial page (e.g., dashboard) as seen by the user, thereby facilitating easy and quick review of the relative status of one or more welding systems. The analyzed system parameters may be used for comparisons between welding systems, between welding operators, between a first set of welding systems and a second set of welding systems, between a first set of welding operators and a second set of welding operators, and so on. The comparison (e.g., graphical presentation) may provide the user with more information than the data obtained alone. In some embodiments, the monitoring/analysis circuitry may facilitate a visual comparison of a first set of one or more welding systems utilized by the same or different sets (e.g., a duty person) with its own analyzed system parameters (e.g., arc on, deposition). The comparison may be within a predetermined time range (e.g., hourly, daily, weekly, monthly) or may be within a user-defined time range. For example, the monitoring/analysis circuitry may present a comparison of the% arc on for a first welding system used by attendant a within a week to the% arc on value for a first welding system used by attendant B within the same week or a different week. In some embodiments, the monitoring/analysis circuitry may facilitate a visual comparison of analyzed system parameters (e.g., arcing, deposition, etc.) of a first set of one or more welding systems utilized by the same or different sets (e.g., a human on duty) and a second set of welding systems. The comparison may be within a predetermined time range or may be within a user-defined time range. For example, the monitoring/analysis circuitry may present a comparison of the deposition of a first welding system used by the attendant a on a certain date with the deposition of a second welding system used by the attendant a or B on the same or a different date. As described above, the monitoring/analysis circuitry determines the analyzed system parameters at least partially from the acquired data, rather than directly from one or more welding systems.

As used herein, the terms "circuit" and "circuitry" refer to physical electronic components (i.e., hardware) and any software and/or firmware ("code") that may configure, be executed by, and/or otherwise be associated with the hardware. As used herein, for example, a particular processor and memory may include a first "circuit" when executing a first set of one or more lines of code and may include a second "circuit" when executing a second set of one or more lines of code. As used herein, "and/or" refers to any one or more of the items in the list connected by "and/or". For example, "x and/or y" represents any element of the three-element set { (x), (y), (x, y) }. In other words, "x and/or y" means "one or both of x and y". As another example, "x, y, and/or z" represents any element of the seven-element set { (x), (y), (z), (x, y), (x, z), (y, z), (x, y, z) }. In other words, "x, y, and/or z" means "one or more of x, y, and z. The term "exemplary", as used herein, is intended to serve as a non-limiting example, instance, or illustration. As used herein, the terms "for example" and "such as" list one or more non-limiting examples, instances, or lists of examples. As used herein, circuitry is "operable" to perform a function, regardless of whether the performance of the function is disabled or not enabled (e.g., by operator-configurable settings, factory fine-tuning, etc.), as long as the circuitry includes the hardware and code necessary to perform the function, if necessary.

While only certain features of the disclosed examples have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes.

Claims (20)

1. A method of monitoring performance of a metal fabrication resource, comprising:

obtaining data representative of arc times and wire deposits associated with metalworking operations on a plurality of metalworking resources;

analyzing, via at least one computer processor, the acquired first subset of the data and the acquired second subset of the data for the plurality of metal fabrication resources;

populating, via the at least one computer processor, a user-viewable page with graphical indicia representative of at least the arc on time and the amount of wire deposit, the user-viewable page facilitating a visual comparison of an analysis of the first subset of the acquired data and an analysis of the second subset of the acquired data; and

transmitting the user viewable page to a user viewable display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the first subset of the acquired data comprises determining first production information associated with a first subset of the metal working operations, and the analyzing the second subset of the acquired data comprises determining second production information associated with a second subset of the metal working operations.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising: determining, via the at least one computer processor, an operating cost associated with the metal working operation by applying cost data to the first production information and the second production information.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising: populating, via the at least one computer processor, a second user-viewable page with one or more prompts to receive at least one of the cost data or a selection of the metal working operation.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein analyzing the first subset of the acquired data further comprises determining a first operating cost associated with the first subset of the metal working operations by applying cost data to the first production information, and analyzing the second subset of the acquired data further comprises determining a second operating cost associated with the second subset of the metal working operations by applying the cost data to the second production information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein visually comparing the analysis of the first subset of the acquired data with the analysis of the second subset of the acquired data comprises visually comparing a first total cost of the first subset of the metal working operations with a second total cost of the second subset of the metal working operations.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein visually comparing the analysis of the first subset of the acquired data with the analysis of the second subset of the acquired data comprises visually comparing a first cost of the arcing time associated with the first subset of the metal working operations with a second cost of the arcing time associated with the second subset of the metal working operations.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein visually comparing the analysis of the first subset of the acquired data and the analysis of the second subset of the acquired data comprises visually comparing a first cost of the amount of wire deposit associated with the first subset of the metal working operations to a second cost of the amount of wire deposit associated with the second subset of the metal working operations.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

obtaining data representative of an amount of gas consumption associated with the metal working operation, the first subset of the obtained data and the second subset of the obtained data comprising at least a portion of the data representative of the amount of gas consumption, visually comparing the analysis of the first subset of the obtained data and the analysis of the second subset of the obtained data comprising visually comparing a first cost of the amount of gas consumption associated with the first subset of the metal working operation and a second cost of the amount of gas consumption associated with the second subset of the metal working operation.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first subset of the data acquired corresponds to a first time period and the second subset of the data acquired corresponds to a second time period.

11. A performance monitoring system for a metal fabrication resource, comprising:

a data collection component configured to acquire data representative of arc on time and amount of wire deposit associated with a metalworking operation on a plurality of metalworking resources;

an analysis component configured to analyze a first subset of the acquired data and a second subset of the acquired data for the plurality of metal fabrication resources; and

a communication component configured to:

populating a user-viewable page with graphical indicia representative of at least the arc on time and the amount of wire deposit, the user-viewable page facilitating visual comparison of the analysis of the first subset of the acquired data with the analysis of the second subset of the acquired data; and is

Transmitting the user viewable page to a user viewable display, at least one of the data collection component, the analysis component, or the communication component including processing circuitry.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the analysis component is configured to analyze a first subset of the acquired data by determining first production information associated with the first subset of metal working operations, and to analyze a second subset of the acquired data by determining second production information associated with the second subset of metal working operations.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the analysis component is configured to determine an operational cost associated with the metal working operation by applying cost data to the first production information and the second production information.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the communication component is configured to populate a second user viewable page with one or more prompts to receive at least one of the cost data or a selection of the metal fabrication operation.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the analysis component is configured to:

determining a first operating cost associated with the first subset of the metal working operations by applying cost data to the first production information to analyze the first subset of the data acquired; and is

Determining a second operational cost associated with the second subset of the metal working operations by applying the cost data to the second production information to analyze the second subset of the data obtained.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein visually comparing the analysis of the first subset of the acquired data with the analysis of the second subset of the acquired data comprises visually comparing a first total cost of the first subset of the metal working operations with a second total cost of the second subset of the metal working operations.

17. The system of claim 15, the visually comparing the analysis of the first subset of the acquired data with the analysis of the second subset of the acquired data comprising visually comparing a first cost of the arcing time associated with the first subset of the metal working operations with a second cost of the arcing time associated with the second subset of the metal working operations.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein visually comparing the analysis of the first subset of the acquired data and the analysis of the second subset of the acquired data comprises visually comparing a first cost of the amount of wire deposit associated with the first subset of the metal working operations to a second cost of the amount of wire deposit associated with the second subset of the metal working operations.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the data collection component is configured to acquire data representative of gas consumption associated with the metal working operation, the first subset of the acquired data and the second subset of the acquired data comprising at least a portion of the data representative of the gas consumption, the visually comparing the analysis of the first subset of the acquired data and the analysis of the second subset of the acquired data comprising visually comparing a first cost of the gas consumption associated with the first subset of the metal working operation and a second cost of the gas consumption associated with the second subset of the metal working operation.

20. A method of monitoring performance of a metal fabrication resource, comprising:

obtaining data representative of a plurality of parameters sampled during a metal fabrication operation on a plurality of metal fabrication resources;

analyzing, via at least one computer processor, the data to determine production information associated with the metal fabrication operations on the plurality of metal fabrication resources;

determining, via the at least one computer processor, an operating cost associated with the metal working operation by applying cost data to the production information;

populating, via the at least one computer processor, a dashboard page viewable by a user with graphical indicia representing at least one parameter of the plurality of parameters, the graphical indicia comparing a first subset of the operating costs to a second subset of the operating costs; and

transmitting the user viewable dashboard page to a user viewable display.

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