JP2005349442A - Welding robot system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a welding robot system capable of adjusting welding conditions while confirming an arc state surely, being efficiently adjusted while appropriately imaging contents of the welding conditions after correction, and eliminating careless mistakes in setting and selecting welding conditions even in similar components. <P>SOLUTION: The welding robot system is composed of a welding robot, a programming pendant 6, a welding power source 3a, and a controller 4 for controlling the welding robot and the welding power source 3a. In this system, the controller 4 is equipped with a communication control part 22 for communicating with the programming pendant 6, a data storage part 21 for storing the welding conditions, and a transmission part 23 for communicating with the welding power source 3a. The programming pendant 6 is provided with a communicating part 24 for communicating with the controller 4, a data holding part 25 for temporarily holding the welding conditions, and a data display part 26 for displaying the welding conditions. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a welding robot system that performs welding using a robot.

In arc welding, in order to maintain the welding quality, the welding current and the welding voltage are conventionally controlled. To set the welding current and welding voltage in a robot-based welding system, enter the set value directly on the operation panel of the welding power source, or set the welding current command and welding voltage command values on the welding robot program. It is common to do.
Also, in an environment where welding robots and welding power sources are distributed over a wide range, such as automobile assembly lines, the welding power source is connected to a personal computer via a communication line, and each welding condition is set on the personal computer. Some are set / adjusted intensively. A conventional technique for centrally setting welding conditions on a personal computer will be described below.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an outline of the whole image of the remote welding management device in resistance welding, and FIG. 6 shows a control panel screen 80 having the same configuration as the panel of the welding control device 200 displayed on the screen 48 of the personal computer 40. FIG. In FIG. 5, the welding robot 1 includes a welding gun 202 and a welding transformer 203 at the tip of its arm.
The welding control device 200 includes a communication substrate 220, a condition holding unit 230, and a welding control unit 240. The communication board 220 includes a state transmission unit 221 and a condition reception unit 222. The state transmitting unit 221 sends information indicating the operation state, operation abnormality, and other information indicating the operation state of each welding robot 1 to the personal computer 40. The condition receiving unit 222 receives welding conditions of individual welding robots transmitted from the personal computer 40, for example, welding current, current waveform, applied pressure, and the like, and stores them in the condition holding unit 230.

  In accordance with these stored conditions, the welding control unit 240 controls the welding current, energization time, waveform, and the like of the welding robot 1. The communication line (network system) is constructed based on, for example, IEEE 802.3. Each device is connected to this communication line via an AUI (Attachment Interface Unit) and a MAU (Medium Attachment Unit). The welding conditions are set on the control panel screen 80 shown in FIG. 6, and the person in charge does not go to the individual welding robots 1 by transmitting the welding conditions to the individual welding control devices 200 through the communication line. The welding conditions can be set (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-47950

However, adjustment of the welding conditions in arc welding does not provide the welding quality unless it is actually confirmed while checking the arc state, whereas in the conventional technology, the setting is concentrated on the personal computer screen. There was a problem that the arc state could not be confirmed.
Also, since the screen displayed on the PC when setting the welding conditions is the same as the panel of the welding control device, even if the welding conditions are corrected, only the corrected numerical value is displayed on the PC screen. There is also a problem that the person cannot accurately image the corrected content and cannot adjust the welding conditions efficiently.
In addition, various parts are arc welded in automobile assembly lines, etc., but there are many similar parts, and it is difficult to determine which parts are to be welded at first glance on the screen. There is also a problem that careless mistakes occur when selecting welding conditions according to the conditions.
The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and it is possible to adjust the welding conditions while confirming the arc state with certainty, and also to efficiently adjust the image of the corrected welding conditions accurately. An object of the present invention is to provide a welding robot system that can eliminate the careless mistake of setting and selecting welding conditions even for similar parts.

In order to solve the above problem, the present invention is configured as follows.
The invention according to claim 1 includes a welding robot equipped with a welding torch, a programming pendant that performs operation teaching of the welding robot and setting operation of welding conditions, a welding power source that outputs current and voltage according to the welding conditions, In a welding robot system including the welding robot and a control device that controls the welding power source, the control device includes a communication control unit that communicates with the programming pendant, a data storage unit that stores the welding conditions, A transmission unit that communicates with the welding power source, and the programming pendant displays a communication unit that communicates with the control device, a data holding unit that temporarily holds the welding conditions, and the welding conditions. And a data display unit for performing the processing.
The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the data display unit displays the welding condition as a numerical value and a waveform.
The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that, in pulse welding, the welding conditions are a pulse current value, a base current value, and an application time of each current.

According to the welding robot system of the present invention, by adjusting the welding robot operation and welding conditions on the screen of the programming pendant, the welding robot and the welding power source can be adjusted reliably while checking the arc state. In addition, even if the welding parts are similar, there is an effect that the careless mistake in setting the welding conditions can be eliminated, and the contents of the adjusted welding conditions can be accurately imaged and adjusted efficiently.
Further, since the welding waveform is read out, set and registered only within the control device, and the welding waveform is transmitted to the welding power source only at the time of welding, there is an effect that communication control between the control device and the welding power source can be simplified.

  Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a welding robot system of the present invention. 1 is a welding robot, 2 is a welding torch, 3a is a welding power source, 3b is a wire feeding device, 4 is a control device, 5 is a communication cable for connecting the control device and the welding power source, 6 is a programming pendant, 6a is a programming pendant screen It is.
The welding robot 1 has a welding torch 2 at its tip. A programming pendant 6 is connected to the control device 4, and the programming pendant 6 is used to program the operation of the welding robot 1, welding conditions, and the like.
An outline of welding by the robot will be described.
When the welding robot 1 moves to the start position of the welding section according to the operation program taught in advance, the control device 4 transmits a welding start command, welding conditions, and the like to the welding power source 3a via the communication cable 5.
When receiving the welding start command, the welding power source 3a transmits a wire feeding command to the wire feeding device 3b. The wire feeding device 3b feeds the wire to the welding torch 2 in accordance with a wire feeding command. When the wire and the material to be welded come into contact with each other, an arc is generated and welding is started, and the welding power source 3a outputs current and voltage according to the welding conditions. On the other hand, the welding robot 1 moves in the welding section.
When the welding robot 1 finishes the taught operation of the welding section, the control device 4 transmits a welding end command to the welding power source 3a. The wire stops on the same command path as that at the start of welding, and the welding ends.

  The case of pulse welding will be described as a specific example. FIG. 2 is a relationship diagram of welding current and droplet transfer in pulse welding. In the figure, 7 is a wire, 8 is an arc, 9 is a droplet, and 10 is a material to be welded. In pulse welding, control is performed so that a pulse section with a high welding current value and a base section with a low welding current value are alternately repeated. In the pulse section, a high current is applied to melt the wire 7, and the droplet 9 is detached from the wire 7 and transferred to the workpiece 10 by an electromagnetic pinch force generated by the high current. In the base section, the arc is maintained at a low current value. By controlling as described above, one droplet transfer (called one pulse and one drop) is performed in one pulse section, and stable welding is realized.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a welding waveform setting screen displayed on the screen 6a of the programming pendant of the present invention.
Reference numeral 16 denotes a registration button, 17 denotes a cancel button, 18 denotes an end button, and 19 denotes a waveform display unit that displays the welding current waveform 11. Further, 12 is a pulse current input frame for inputting a pulse current value, 13 is a pulse time input frame for inputting a pulse time, 14 is a base current input frame for inputting a base current value, and 15 is a base time input for inputting a base time. It is a frame.
In FIG. 3, the welding current waveform in the above-described pulse welding is displayed as an example, and the values of the pulse current, the pulse time, the base current, and the base time, which are elements of the welding current waveform 11, can be input by each input frame. The pulse current indicates the current value in the pulse interval, the pulse time indicates the time in the pulse interval, the base current indicates the current value in the base interval, and the base time indicates the time in the base interval.
In the pulse welding in the present invention, the above four numerical values are used as welding condition data. The welding condition data is a command value.

FIG. 4 is an internal configuration diagram of the control device 4, the welding power source 3a, and the programming pendant 6 of the present invention. First, the configuration in the control device 4 will be described.
A data storage unit 21 stores welding condition data. A communication control unit 22 controls communication with the programming pendant 6. Reference numeral 23 denotes a transmission unit that transmits welding condition data to the welding power source 3a.

  Next, the configuration in the programming pendant 6 will be described. A communication unit 24 outputs a command for reading / saving welding waveform data to the communication control unit 22 in the control device 4. A data holding unit 25 temporarily stores the welding waveform data sent from the control device 4 or holds the welding waveform data set on the welding waveform setting screen 20 until it is transmitted to the control device 4. To do. A data display unit 26 displays the welding current waveform 11 and numerical values on the welding waveform setting screen 20 in accordance with the welding waveform data in the data holding unit 25.

  Next, the configuration inside the welding power source 3a will be described. Reference numeral 27 denotes a receiving unit that receives a transmission from the control device 4. A CPU 28 controls the wire feeding control unit 29 and the welding output unit 30 according to the received welding current command, welding voltage command, welding condition data, and the like. The wire feed control unit 29 controls the wire feed speed according to the welding current command. The welding output unit 30 controls the current / voltage in accordance with a welding current command, a welding voltage command, and the like.

Hereinafter, an operation for adjusting the welding conditions in the teaching work will be described.
The programming pendant 6 includes a movement key for moving a cursor displayed on the screen 6a of the programming pendant and a selection key for inputting a button indicated by the cursor (none is shown).
When the operator presses the move key to move the cursor to the welding condition specification file specified in the welding work program (hereinafter referred to as program) displayed on the screen 6a of the programming pendant, and presses the selection key, the programming pendant A welding waveform setting screen 20 is displayed on the screen 6a.
At the same time, the communication unit 24 in the programming pendant 6 transmits a welding waveform data read command to the communication control unit 22. The communication control unit 22 calls the commanded welding waveform data from the data storage unit 21 and transmits it to the communication unit 24. The welding waveform data is sent to the data holding unit 25.
The data display unit 26 displays the welding current waveform 11 on the waveform display unit 19 according to the welding waveform data in the data holding unit 25.

On the welding waveform setting screen 20, the input keys 12 to 15 for the pulse current, pulse time, base current, and base time values, the registration button 16, the cancel button 17, and the end button 18 are displayed by pressing a movement key on the programming pendant. The cursor can be moved.
When the cursor moves to each input frame and becomes a setting target, the numerical value in the input frame blinks, and in the case of the registration button 16, cancel button 17, and end button 18, the button itself blinks.

When setting / changing the welding conditions, the cursor is moved to the numerical value in the input frame of the welding waveform setting screen 20 with the movement key, and the selection key is pressed. As a result, the setting becomes possible.
The digit in the input frame is moved by pressing the move key, and a value is input with a numeric key (not shown) on the programming pendant. When you have finished entering values, press the Select key to confirm.
The determined value is immediately displayed on the waveform display unit 19 as the welding current waveform 11 updated by the data display unit 26 and is sent to the data holding unit 25.
In order to cancel the input value, the cursor is moved to the cancel button 17 with the movement key and the selection key is pressed. As a result, a cancel command is sent to the data holding unit 25, and the held welding current waveform 11 is displayed again.
In this way, since the welding conditions can be confirmed not only as numerical values but also as current waveforms, it is possible to adjust the welding conditions while checking the arc state during actual welding, and when the welding parts are similar Even if there is, careless mistake of setting can be prevented.

  When the welding waveform is determined, the cursor is moved to the registration button 16 with the movement key and the selection key is pressed, whereby the updated welding waveform data is registered in the data storage unit 21 via the communication unit 24 and the communication control unit 22. When the cursor is moved to the end button 18 and the selection key is pressed, the welding waveform setting screen 20 is closed and the program is returned to.

Next, a case where welding is actually executed based on the set welding waveform will be described.
A welding robot movement command, a welding condition designation file, a welding start command, and a welding end command are registered in the program for executing welding.
When the program is executed, the welding robot 1 is moved to the welding start position by a welding robot movement command.
In the program, the welding current command, welding voltage command, and welding condition specification file are registered before reaching the welding start position, and transmitted when the control device 4 recognizes the welding current command, welding voltage command, and welding condition specification file. The unit 23 transmits the welding current command, the welding voltage command, and the welding waveform data in the designated data storage unit 21 to the receiving unit 27 of the welding power source 3a.

The welding current command, welding voltage command, and welding waveform data are also sent to the CPU 28 of the welding power source 3a. When a welding start command is sent to the welding power source 3a after the welding robot 1 has moved to the welding start position, the CPU 28 causes the wire feed control unit 29 to feed the wire in accordance with the welding current command and causes the welding output unit 30 to feed the welding current. Output current and voltage according to the command, welding voltage command and welding waveform data. Thereby, an arc is generated between the wire 7 and the workpiece 10 and welding is started.
The welding robot 1 moves at a designated moving speed and welding is continued. When the welding end command is sent from the control device 4 to the welding power source 3a, the CPU 28 causes the wire feeding control unit 29 to stop the wire feeding and causes the welding output unit 30 to stop outputting the current / voltage.

  The present invention can be widely applied to a welding robot system using a programming pendant.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of a welding robot system showing an embodiment of the present invention. Relationship diagram between welding current waveform and droplet transfer in pulse welding Welding condition setting screen displayed on the screen of the programming pendant of the present invention Internal configuration diagram of control device, programming pendant and welding power source of the present invention Configuration diagram of a conventional remote welding management device Control panel screen displayed on a personal computer screen in a conventional remote welding management device

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Welding robot 2 Welding torch 3a Welding power supply 3b Wire feeder 4 Control device 5 Communication cable 6 Programming pendant 6a Programming pendant screen 7 Welding wire 8 Arc 9 Droplet 10 Welded material 11 Welding current waveform 12 Pulse current input frame 13 Pulse Time input frame 14 Base current input frame 15 Base time input frame 16 Registration button 17 Cancel button 18 End button 19 Waveform display unit 20 Welding waveform setting screen 21 Data storage unit 22 Communication control unit 23 Transmission unit 24 Communication unit 25 Data holding unit 26 Data display unit 27 Reception unit 28 CPU
29 Wire feed control unit 30 Welding output unit 40 Personal computer 48 Computer screen 80 Control panel screen 200 Welding control device 202 Welding gun 203 Welding transformer 220 Communication substrate 221 Status sending unit 222 Condition receiving unit 230 Condition holding unit 240 Welding control unit

Claims (3)

A welding robot equipped with a welding torch;
A programming pendant that performs operation teaching of the welding robot and setting operation of welding conditions;
A welding power source that outputs current and voltage according to the welding conditions;
In a welding robot system comprising the welding robot and a control device for controlling the welding power source,
The control device includes a communication control unit that performs communication with the programming pendant,
A data storage unit for storing the welding conditions;
A transmission unit that communicates with the welding power source,
The programming pendant includes a communication unit that communicates with the control device;
A data holding unit for temporarily holding the welding conditions;
A welding robot system comprising: a data display unit that displays the welding conditions.   The welding robot system according to claim 1, wherein the data display unit displays the welding conditions as numerical values and waveforms.   3. The welding robot system according to claim 1, wherein the welding conditions in the pulse welding are a pulse current value, a base current value, and an application time of each current.

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