JP2020059049A - Seam welding apparatus and seam welding method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a seam welding apparatus capable of suppressing occurrence of failure due to a roller electrode.SOLUTION: A seam welding apparatus 100 comprises a pair of roller electrodes 23a, 23b which are rotatable around a rotation shaft X2 and are arranged at predetermined intervals on the rotation shaft X2, an imaging part 11 which acquires image information with respect to the pair of roller electrodes 23a, 23b, an image processing part 31 which determines conditions of the pair of roller electrodes on the basis of the image information and decides a quality of conditions of the pair of roller electrodes (23a, 23b) and a stage 25 which retains a workpiece movably. The pair of roller electrodes 23a, 23b apply electric current to the workpiece, at the same time, roll on the surface of the workpiece, thereby performing seam welding. The imaging part 11 is opposed to the stage 25 and is arranged such that the workpiece and the pair of roller electrodes 23a, 23b can be imaged.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a seam welding device and a seam welding method.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a seam welding apparatus capable of grasping a distance between an electrode roller and a work (object to be welded) and maintaining good welding accuracy.

  Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a method of confirming whether or not the roller electrode is normally attached to the electrode holder when the worker replaces the roller electrode.

  An example of the work includes a package and a lid. Patent Document 3 discloses a method of recognizing the position and angle of a package by using image processing and accurately mounting the lid on the package. This method is used for accurate seam welding.

JP, 2014-155950, A JP, 2006-315057, A JP, 2016-030286, A

The present inventors have found the following problems regarding the seam welding device and the seam welding method.
Before performing seam welding, the condition of the roller electrode may deviate from a desired range, and a defect due to the roller electrode may occur.

A plurality of specific examples of such defects will be given below.
For example, before performing seam welding, it is possible to set or adjust the condition of the roller electrode by changing the width or taper angle of the roller electrode or the interval between the roller electrodes according to the size and type of the work. is there. However, when seam welding is performed using a roller electrode under incorrect conditions, the seam welding device may be damaged or the welded product may be defective. That is, a problem may occur due to the shape of the roller electrode.

  Further, when the seam welding is repeatedly performed using the same roller electrode, the roller electrode may be worn due to a recessed portion of the roller electrode. Further, in such a case, foreign matter may be attached to the taper portion of the roller electrode in a circumferential manner in a line, and the roller electrode may be soiled. When seam welding is further performed using such worn or dirty roller electrodes, the seam welding device may be damaged or a welded product may be defective. That is, a problem may occur depending on the state of the roller electrode.

  The same roller electrode is worn out by being repeatedly used for seam welding. Therefore, in order to continue good seam welding, the worn roller electrode is replaced with a roller electrode that is hardly worn. Further, in order to match the size and type of a work such as a package, the roller electrode may be replaced with a roller electrode under different conditions. Specifically, the worker removes the used roller electrode from the seam welding device, then attaches the roller electrode to be used to the electrode shaft, incorporates it into the electrode holder, and attaches it to the seam welding device. To replace. At this time, if there is a mounting error, the position of the roller electrode deviates from the normal position, and therefore seam welding may damage the seam welding device or cause a defect in the welded product. That is, a problem may occur depending on the position of the roller electrode.

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a seam welding device that suppresses the occurrence of defects due to roller electrodes.

The seam welding apparatus according to the present invention,
A pair of roller electrodes rotatable about a rotation axis, and arranged on the rotation axis at a predetermined interval;
An image capturing unit that acquires image information about the pair of roller electrodes,
An image processing unit that determines the condition of the pair of roller electrodes based on the image information and determines whether the condition of the pair of roller electrodes is good or bad,
And a stage that holds the workpiece movably,
The pair of roller electrodes, while energizing the work, by rolling on the work surface, seam welding,
The imaging unit is arranged at a position facing the stage and capable of imaging the work and the pair of roller electrodes.

  The stage may include a facing surface facing the imaging unit, and the facing surface may be glossy.

Further, the seam welding method according to the present invention,
Placing the work on the stage,
Moving the pair of roller electrodes to the welding position,
Imaging the pair of roller electrodes from a position facing the stage to obtain an image;
An image processing step of obtaining at least one of position, shape, and state of the pair of roller electrodes based on the acquired image;
Determining whether seam welding is possible based on at least one of the position, shape, and state of the pair of roller electrodes.

At least one of the position, shape, and state of the pair of roller electrodes is defined by the width of the pair of roller electrodes, the taper angle of the pair of roller electrodes, the inter-electrode distance of the pair of roller electrodes, and the pair of roller electrodes. At least one of the displacement of the roller electrode and the electrode surface state of the pair of roller electrodes may be featured.
In addition, before the step of acquiring the image, a step of arranging an imaging unit for recognizing the work at a position facing the stage and allowing the work and the pair of roller electrodes to be imaged is provided. Good.

  The present invention can suppress the occurrence of defects due to the roller electrode.

  Specifically, according to the present invention, for example, after positioning a work such as a package or a lid at a predetermined position, the width of the roller electrode, the taper angle, the distance between the electrodes, the positional deviation, and the electrode surface state can be observed. You can Therefore, it is possible to prevent damage to the seam welding device due to improper mounting of the roller electrode and production by seam welding using a roller electrode having an incorrect condition. Further, the distance between the pair of roller electrodes is appropriate, and the seam welding can be performed without the positional displacement between the pair of roller electrodes. Therefore, the deterioration of the quality of the welded product can be suppressed.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the seam welding apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a side view of the seam welding apparatus according to the first embodiment. 1 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of a seam welding apparatus according to a first exemplary embodiment. It is a top view which shows a specific example of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b. It is a figure which shows an example of the detection method of the position gap of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b. It is a figure which shows another example of the detection method of the position gap of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b. It is a figure which shows an example of the detection method of the abrasion degree of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b. It is a figure which shows an example of the detection method of the foreign material adhesion of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b. It is a flow chart which shows a seam welding method.

  Hereinafter, specific embodiments to which the present invention is applied will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. Further, in order to clarify the explanation, the following description and drawings are appropriately simplified.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. It should be noted that the right-handed xyz coordinates shown in FIG. 1 and other drawings are, of course, convenient for explaining the positional relationship of the components. Usually, the plus direction of the z-axis is the vertically upward direction, and the xy plane is the horizontal plane, which is common between the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view of the seam welding apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view of the seam welding apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the system configuration of the seam welding apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a top view showing a specific example of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a method for detecting the positional deviation of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another example of the method for detecting the positional deviation of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a method of detecting the degree of wear of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a method of detecting foreign matter adhesion on the roller electrodes 23a and 23b.

(Hardware configuration)
The hardware configuration of the seam welding apparatus according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the seam welding apparatus 100 includes an imaging unit 10 and a welding unit 20.

  The image pickup unit 10 includes an image pickup unit 11, a lens 12, and an illumination 13.

  The image pickup unit 11 may be any image recognition camera that can recognize the workpiece (not shown) and the roller electrodes 23a and 23b, and various types of cameras can be used. As the camera, for example, a monochrome camera or a color camera can be used.

  Here, a specific example of the work is a container or lid of a circuit element such as an IC or a crystal oscillator. The container is called a package and the lid is called a lid. By welding the lid and the container, the circuit element can be sealed inside the lid and the container.

  The lens 12 can change the focal length continuously. The lens 12 is arranged between the imaging unit 11 and the work or the like. By continuously changing the focal length by the lens 12, the work or the like can be imaged on the image pickup surface of the image pickup unit 11, and the work or the like can be picked up.

  The illumination 13 irradiates the roller electrodes 23a and 23b and the work with light. The light intensity of the light emitted by the illumination 13 may be of any magnitude such that the imaging unit 11 can image the roller electrodes 23a and 23b and the work and recognize them. The illumination 13 can utilize a wide variety of light sources.

  The welding unit 20 includes an electrode opening / closing screw 21, an electrode opening / closing screw motor 22, a pair of roller electrodes 23a and 23b, holders 24a and 24b, an XYθ stage 25, a seam head upper and lower stage 26, and a welding power source shown in FIG. And 27.

  Each of the electrode opening / closing screws 21 is provided so as to be rotatable around the virtual axis X1.

  The electrode opening / closing screw motor 22 receives the electrode opening / closing control signal from the control unit 30 shown in FIG. 3 and drives the electrode opening / closing screw 21.

  The roller electrodes 23a and 23b are a pair of electrodes including a rolling portion that rolls on the work during seam welding. The rolling portion is, for example, a columnar portion, a cylindrical portion, or a disc-shaped portion. The roller electrodes 23a and 23b are made of a conductive material. The roller electrodes 23a and 23b are attached to the electrode opening / closing screw 21 via holders 24a and 24b and the like so that they can approach each other or can be separated from each other. The roller electrodes 23a and 23b are rotatably arranged around the rotation axis X2 and arranged on the rotation axis X2. Electric power is supplied to the roller electrodes 23a and 23b from the welding power source 27 shown in FIG. 3 via a conductive shaft or the like.

  The XYθ stage 25 holds a work and can move the work by performing translational movement or rotational movement on a plane (here, a plane along the XY plane). The XYθ stage 25 includes a facing surface 25 a that faces the imaging unit 11. Here, the imaging unit 11 is located on the XYθ stage 25, particularly on the normal line of the facing surface 25a (here, a virtual line parallel to the Z axis). The facing surface 25a is provided in a direction along the XY plane. Further, this normal line may pass through the midpoint X23 of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b.

  The facing surface 25a may have a luster, for example, may have a metallic luster. A plate-shaped body made of a metal material can be used as the XYθ stage 25. The surface of the plate-shaped body made of a metal material may be exposed as it is without being painted black or the like. The peripheral area of the work on the facing surface 25a of the XYθ stage 25 is preferably glossy. It is preferable that the peripheral area of the work has gloss so that the work and the roller electrodes 23a and 23b can be recognized even if the imaging unit 11 is a monochrome camera.

  The seam head upper / lower stage 26 moves in the vertical direction (here, the Z-axis direction) while holding the electrode opening / closing screw 21, the electrode opening / closing screw motor 22, and the roller electrodes 23a and 23b. The seam head upper / lower stage 26 can press the roller electrodes 23a and 23b close to the work held by the XYθ stage 25 so as to enable seam welding or separate the work from the work.

(System configuration)
Next, the system configuration of the seam welding apparatus according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 30 includes an image processing unit 31, a memory 32, a motor control unit 33, and a power supply control unit 34. The control unit 30 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) as a hardware configuration. When the CPU reads and executes the control program stored in the memory 32, the control program is executed by the CPU and functions as the image processing unit 31, the motor control unit 33, and the power supply control unit 34.

  The image processing unit 31 receives image information indicating an image captured by the image capturing unit 10. The image processing unit 31 performs predetermined image processing based on the received image information and detects the conditions of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b. Further, the image processing unit 31 determines whether the conditions of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b are good or bad based on the detection result of the conditions of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b. The image processing unit 31 detects, for example, the positional deviation of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b, and the degree of wear of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b. Further, the image processing unit 31 detects whether or not the foreign matter is attached to the roller electrodes 23a and 23b.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4, there is a specific example of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b. One specific example of the roller electrode 23a includes a shaft 230a and a substantially disk-shaped rolling portion 231a connected to the tip of the shaft 230a. A conical side surface 232a (also referred to as a tapered surface 232a) that is inclined with respect to the side surface of the rolling portion 231a is provided at the tip of the rolling portion 231a. One specific example of the roller electrode 23a is rotatably held around the central axis X2a.
Similarly, a specific example of the roller electrode 23b includes a shaft 230b and a substantially disk-shaped rolling portion 231b connected to the tip of the shaft 230b. A conical side surface 232b (also referred to as a tapered surface 232b) that is inclined with respect to the side surface of the rolling portion 231b is provided at the tip of the rolling portion 231b. One specific example of the roller electrode 23b is rotatably held around the central axis X2b. In a specific example of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b shown in FIG. 4, the center axes X2a and X2b are arranged on the same rotation axis X2 with a predetermined space.

  The conditions of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b are, for example, the size of each part of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b, the angle, the distance between the parts, and the like. Specifically, the width A1 of the rolling portion 231a, the width A2 of the rolling portion 231b, the electrode distance B1 between the roller electrodes 23a and 23b, and the taper angle C1 of the conical side surface 232a inclined with respect to the side surface of the rolling portion 231a. , The taper angle C2 of the conical side surface 232b inclined with respect to the side surface of the rolling portion 231b, and the like. The inter-electrode distance B1 is the distance between the roller electrode 23a and the roller electrode 23b. The image processing unit 31 detects the widths A1 and A2, the inter-electrode distance B1, the taper angles C1 and C2, and when the detected width A1 is within a predetermined range according to the size and type of the work, the roller electrode It is determined that the specifications of 23a and 23b are correct. If not, the image processing unit 31 determines that the specifications of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b are incorrect. The conditions of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b include the surface condition, for example, the presence or absence of foreign matter adhering to the conical side surfaces 232a and 232b, and the size thereof. The foreign matter is, for example, dirt.

  The image processing unit 31 can detect the positional deviation of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b. The positional deviation of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b specifically means that at least one of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b has moved to a position spaced apart from the rotation axis X2 by a predetermined distance.

  In one specific example shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the roller electrode 23b is moved from the rotation axis X2 to the rear side of the seam welding apparatus 100 (here, the Y axis plus side) with a predetermined gap D1. There is. Specifically, the central axis X2b of the roller electrode 23b exists at a position spaced apart from the rotation axis X2 by a predetermined distance D1 behind the seam welding apparatus 100.

  An example of a method for detecting the positional deviation of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b will be described. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the image processing unit 31 includes the end 233a of the rolling portion 231a of the roller electrode 23a on the rear side (here, the Y-axis plus side) of the seam welding device 100 and the roller electrode 23b. The rear end 233b of the seam welding device 100 in the rolling portion 231b is recognized. The image processing unit 31 derives a distance D2 between the end portion 233a and the end portion 233b in the front-back direction (here, the Y-axis direction) of the seam welding apparatus 100. For example, when the distance D2 exceeds 0 (zero) or a predetermined value close to 0, the image processing unit 31 determines that the roller electrodes 23a and 23b are displaced, and otherwise, the roller electrodes 23a and 23b. It is determined that there is no displacement in position. In this way, the image processing unit 31 can detect the positional deviation of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b.

  The image processing unit 31 recognizes, for example, a distance D1 between the center axis X2a and the center axis X2b in the front-rear direction of the seam welding apparatus 100 (here, the Y-axis plus side), and based on the distance D1, the rollers are detected. The displacement of the electrodes 23a and 23b may be detected.

  Further, another example of the method for detecting the positional deviation of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b will be described. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the image processing unit 31 recognizes the distance B2 between the tip center position 234a of the roller electrode 23a and the tip center position 234b of the roller electrode 23b. The tip center position 234a is a point where the center axis X2a and the tip surface of the roller electrode 23a intersect. The tip center position 234b is a point at which the center axis X2b and the tip surface of the roller electrode 23b intersect. When the distance B2 is larger than the inter-electrode distance B1, the image processing unit 31 determines that the roller electrodes 23a and 23b are displaced, and if not, the roller electrodes 23a and 23b are not displaced. judge. Further, when the distance B2 is the same as the inter-electrode distance B1, the image processing unit 31 determines that the positional displacement of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b has not occurred. In this way, the image processing unit 31 can detect the positional deviation of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b. Note that the image processing unit 31 may acquire the inter-electrode distance B1 in advance and store information indicating the acquired inter-electrode distance B1 in the memory 32, for example.

  When the roller electrodes 23a and 23b are not displaced and the roller electrodes 23a and 23b rotate around the rotation axis X2, even if seam welding is performed, the weld quality does not deteriorate due to the displacement. Further, even if the roller electrodes 23a and 23b are misaligned, the roller electrodes 23a and 23b are attached to the regular positions again, and similarly, the welding quality of the welded product does not deteriorate due to the misalignment. Further, the seam welding apparatus 100 is not damaged due to the displacement.

  The image processing unit 31 also detects the degree of wear of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b based on the conical side surfaces 232a and 232b.

  An example of a method of detecting the degree of wear of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b will be described. In the specific example shown in FIG. 7, a concave portion 235b is formed on the conical side surface 232b of the roller electrode 23b. The roller electrode 23b is used for seam welding, and the conical side surface 232b is worn, so that the recess 235b is formed. For example, when the recess 235b exceeds a predetermined size, the image processing unit 31 determines that the degree of wear of the roller electrode 23b exceeds a predetermined size. If not, the image processing unit 31 determines that the degree of wear of the roller electrode 23b is below a predetermined size. On the other hand, since no concave portion is formed on the conical side surface 232a of the roller electrode 23a, the image processing unit 31 determines that the degree of wear of the roller electrode 23a does not exceed the predetermined size.

  If the degree of wear of the roller electrodes 23a, 23b is suppressed to a predetermined size, even if seam welding is performed, the welding quality of the welded product due to seam welding due to the wear of the roller electrodes 23a, 23b does not occur. Even if the degree of wear of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b exceeds a predetermined level, if the roller electrodes 23a and 23b are detected and the roller electrodes 23a and 23b are replaced, similarly, welding of welded products by seam welding due to wear of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b is performed. No deterioration in quality occurs. Therefore, it is possible to suppress deterioration of the welding quality of the welded product due to seam welding. Further, the seam welding apparatus 100 is not damaged by the abrasion of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b.

  Further, the image processing unit 31 detects whether or not the foreign matter is attached to the roller electrodes 23a and 23b, for example, the conical side surfaces 232a and 232b. When determining that there is a convex portion protruding from at least one of the conical side surface 232a and the conical side surface 232b, the image processing unit 31 determines that foreign matter is attached to the conical side surfaces 232a and 232b.

  In the specific example shown in FIG. 8, the foreign material F1 is attached to the conical side surface 232b of the roller electrode 23b. When the image processing unit 31 recognizes that the foreign matter F1 exceeds a predetermined size and is a convex portion protruding from the conical side surface 232b, it determines that the foreign matter is attached to the conical side surface 232b. If not, the image processing unit 31 determines that the foreign matter is not attached to the conical side surface 232b. On the other hand, no foreign matter is attached to the conical side surface 232a of the roller electrode 23a. In such a case, the image processing unit 31 recognizes that there is no convex portion protruding from the conical side surface 232a and determines that the foreign matter is not attached to the conical side surface 232a.

  As long as the foreign matter does not adhere to the roller electrodes 23a and 23b, even if seam welding is performed, the welding quality of the welded product does not deteriorate due to the foreign matter adhered to the roller electrodes 23a and 23b. Even if foreign matter adheres to the roller electrodes 23a and 23b, the foreign matter can be detected and removed from the roller electrodes 23a and 23b, so that the welding quality of the welded product is deteriorated due to seam welding due to the foreign matter adhered to the roller electrodes 23a and 23b. Does not occur. Therefore, it is possible to suppress deterioration of the welding quality of the welded product due to seam welding. Further, the seam welding apparatus 100 is not damaged due to the foreign matters attached to the roller electrodes 23a and 23b.

  As shown in FIG. 3 again, the memory 32 stores welding control information such as the motion speed and momentum of each component of the seam welding apparatus 100, and current and voltage according to the welding conditions of seam welding.

  The motor control unit 33 sends a control signal to start seam welding to the seam head up / down motor 261, the electrode opening / closing screw motor 22, and the XYθ stage motor 251. The image processing unit 31 determines that the specifications of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b are incorrect, detects the positional deviation of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b, or determines that the roller electrodes 23a and 23b are worn to a predetermined degree. It may have detected that the size has been exceeded. In response to such determination and detection, the motor control unit 33 stops transmitting the control signal for starting seam welding to the seam head vertical motor 261, the electrode opening / closing screw motor 22, and the XYθ stage motor 251. Good.

  The seam head up / down motor 261 receives the seam head control signal, drives the seam head up / down stage 26, and moves it to a predetermined position.

  The electrode opening / closing screw motor 22 receives the electrode opening / closing control signal and drives the electrode opening / closing screw 21 to move it to a predetermined position.

  The XYθ stage motor 251 receives the stage control signal and drives the XYθ stage 25 to move it to a predetermined position.

  Further, the power supply control unit 34 sends a control signal to the welding power supply 27. The welding power source 27 receives the power source control signal and supplies power to the roller electrodes 23a and 23b via a conductive shaft or the like.

(Seam welding method)
Next, a seam welding method using the seam welding apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the seam welding method.

  First, the work is placed at a predetermined position on the XYθ stage 25 and is appropriately fixed (work positioning step ST1). The predetermined position is specifically the position of the work when the work is seam welded in a seam welding step ST6 described below.

  Then, the roller electrodes 23a and 23b are moved to the welding position (roller electrode moving step ST2).

  Then, at least the roller electrodes 23a and 23b are imaged and image information is acquired (imaging step ST3). Here, the work may also be appropriately imaged. The image pickup unit 11 faces the XYθ stage 25 and picks up an image of the work and the pair of roller electrodes 23a and 23b from an imageable position.

  Then, the acquired image information is image-processed and the conditions of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b are detected (image processing step ST4). Specifically, the condition of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b is at least one of the shape, position, and state of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b. More specifically, the widths A1 and A2 of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b, the inter-electrode distance B1, the taper angles C1 and C2, the presence or absence of displacement, the degree of wear, the presence or absence of foreign matter, and the like can be mentioned.

  Then, based on the detected conditions of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b, the seam welding is enabled or disabled (roller electrode condition determination step ST5). Specifically, when the conditions of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b are good, it is determined that the seam welding is possible, and when it is determined that the conditions of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b are not, the seam welding is determined to be no.

  Subsequently, when it is determined that seam welding is possible (roller electrode condition determination step ST5: YES), seam welding is performed (seam welding step ST6). Specifically, the roller electrodes 23a and 23b are moved from the welding position toward the work and pressed against the work held by the XYθ stage 25. Further, the roller electrodes 23a and 23b and the work are energized to roll the roller electrodes 23a and 23b. Work pieces can be welded to form welded products. The atmosphere condition may be nitrogen or vacuum as appropriate.

  When it is determined that seam welding is not possible (roller electrode condition determination step ST5: NO), the operator adjusts the conditions of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b (roller electrode adjustment step ST51). The position of the roller electrodes 23a, 23b is adjusted based on the detected condition of the roller electrodes 23a, 23b, or at least one of the roller electrodes 23a, 23b is a separate roller electrode 23a, 23b satisfying a predetermined condition, or Replace with a new one.

  Further, after detecting the conditions of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b, the condition of the roller electrodes can be adjusted according to the detected condition of the roller electrodes (roller electrode adjusting step ST51). Therefore, since the welding quality does not deteriorate due to the poor conditions of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the welding quality of the welded product due to seam welding. Further, the seam welding apparatus 100 is not damaged.

  As described above, according to the configuration of the seam welding apparatus 100, since the conditions of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b are good (roller electrode condition determination step ST5: YES), the welding is performed because the conditions of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b are bad. There is no deterioration in quality. Therefore, it is possible to suppress deterioration of the welding quality of the welded product due to seam welding. When the work is a package and a lid, and a circuit element such as an IC and a crystal oscillator is housed inside the package, the package and the lid are welded while suppressing deterioration of the welding quality of the welded product. You can Therefore, the circuit element can be sealed with high airtightness.

  Further, the seam welding apparatus 100 includes an XYθ stage 25 that movably holds a work, the XYθ stage 25 includes an opposed surface 25a that faces the imaging unit 11, and the opposed surface 25a has gloss. Therefore, a monochrome camera can be used as the imaging unit 11. Even with a simple configuration, after detecting the conditions of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b, the conditions of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b can be appropriately modified according to the detected conditions of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b. Therefore, good seam welding can be performed even with a simple structure.

  Further, in the seam welding method described above, a seam welding apparatus having the same configuration as the seam welding apparatus 100 may be used, except that the position of the imaging unit 10 is different. In such a case, the seam welding method described above includes a step of disposing the image pickup unit 10 facing the XYθ stage 25 at a position where the workpiece and the roller electrodes 23a and 23b can be imaged before the image pickup step ST3. Good. Even if the seam welding apparatus 100 and the seam welding apparatus having the same configuration except that the positions of the imaging unit 10 are different, similarly, welding by seam welding due to poor conditions of the roller electrodes 23a and 23b. This is preferable because the deterioration of the welding quality of the product and the damage of the seam welding apparatus 100 do not occur.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, but can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the seam welding apparatus 100 may include a notification unit. In the seam welding method using the seam welding apparatus 100 described above, when it is determined that the seam welding is impossible (roller electrode condition determination step ST5: NO), the notification unit stops the seam welding and detects the roller electrodes 23a and 23b. Notify the user of the detection result of the condition. The notification unit may be composed of at least one of sound, warning light, display, and the like.

100 seam welding device 10 imaging unit 11 imaging unit 12 lens 13 lighting 20 welding unit 21 electrode opening / closing screw 22 electrode opening / closing screw motor 23a, 23b roller electrode
230a, 230b Shafts 231a, 231b Rolling parts 232a, 232b Conical side surfaces (tapered surfaces)
24a, 24b Holder 25 XYθ stage 25a Opposing surface 251 XYθ stage motor
26 seam head vertical stage 261 seam head vertical motor 27 welding power source 30 control unit 31 image processing unit 32 memory 33 motor control unit 34 power supply control unit A1, A2 width B1 electrode distance C1, C2 taper angle X1 virtual axis X2 rotation axis ST1 Work positioning step ST2 Roller electrode movement step ST3 Imaging step ST4 Image processing step ST5 Roller electrode condition judgment step ST51 Roller electrode adjustment step ST6 Seam welding step

Claims (5)

A pair of roller electrodes rotatable about a rotation axis, and arranged on the rotation axis at a predetermined interval;
An image capturing unit that acquires image information about the pair of roller electrodes,
An image processing unit that determines the condition of the pair of roller electrodes based on the image information and determines whether the condition of the pair of roller electrodes is good or bad,
And a stage that holds the workpiece movably,
The pair of roller electrodes, while energizing the work, by rolling on the work surface, seam welding,
The image pickup unit is arranged at a position facing the stage and capable of picking up an image of the work and the pair of roller electrodes.
Seam welding equipment. The stage includes a facing surface facing the imaging unit,
The opposite surface has a gloss,
The seam welding device according to claim 1, wherein: Placing the work on the stage,
Moving the pair of roller electrodes to the welding position,
Imaging the pair of roller electrodes from a position facing the stage to obtain an image;
An image processing step of obtaining at least one of position, shape, and state of the pair of roller electrodes based on the acquired image;
Determining whether or not seam welding is possible, based on at least one of the position, shape, and state of the pair of roller electrodes.
Seam welding method. At least one of the position, shape, and state of the pair of roller electrodes is the width of the pair of roller electrodes, the taper angle of the pair of roller electrodes, the inter-electrode distance of the pair of roller electrodes, and the pair of roller electrodes. Position deviation of at least one of the electrode surface states of the pair of roller electrodes,
The seam welding method according to claim 3, wherein Before the step of acquiring the image,
An image pickup unit for recognizing the work, facing the stage, and disposing the work and the pair of roller electrodes at positions where an image can be picked up.
The seam welding method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that.

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