WO2016038395A1

WO2016038395A1 - Completion assembly quality control

Info

Publication number: WO2016038395A1
Application number: PCT/GB2015/052652
Authority: WO
Inventors: Eric Bridgstock; Nicholas Peter MARK; William Brian JOHNSON
Original assignee: Controlpoint Llp
Priority date: 2014-09-12
Filing date: 2015-09-14
Publication date: 2016-03-17
Also published as: GB2530080A; GB201416176D0; GB2530080B

Abstract

A method of controlling the completion of a joint forming part of a completion assembly comprising the steps of: capturing, prior to the completion of the joint, data relating to one or more features of the completion assembly that represents the quality of the completion assembly or the joint; automatically analysing said features to predict the quality of the completion assembly or the joint; automatically generating a quality control signal based on the predicted quality of the completion assembly or the joint; and preventing the completion of the joint until an appropriate quality control signal has been received by a control system of the completion assembly.A control apparatus for controlling completion of an electrofusion joint forming part of a completion assembly, the control apparatus comprising a processing device and control box for electrically linking to an electrofusion fitting, the control box adapted to prevent completion of an electrofusion joint comprising an electrofusion fitting linked to the control box until an appropriate quality control signal has been received, wherein the quality control signal is automatically generated by the processing device based upon data representative of the quality of a completion assembly.

Description

COMPLETION ASSEMBLY QUALITY CONTROL

The present invention relates to joint assembly quality control, and particularly to quality control for electro-fusion piping assembly operations.

Subterranean piping is well known in the art to transport utilities, such as gas and water in a safe and efficient manner. Such piping is laid in sections which must be securely connected together to prevent leaks. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to ensure that each joint is prepared correctly before it is completed. As the piping is usually located underground, the joints are usually assembled in the trench which has been excavated to locate the pipe prior to the assembly of the piping system. Consequently, the environment in which the joints are assembled and completed is not conducive to the preparation of a clean and high quality joint. Furthermore, the joints are often assembled by relatively unskilled workers under time pressure, which can prevent a successful joint completion.

Subterranean pipes carrying utilities such as water and gas are often manufactured from a plastic such as polyethylene as these materials have superior properties in resisting corrosion due to the contents transported by the pipe. Pipes are often also manufactured from ductile iron, or other suitable materials. Materials such as polyethylene can easily be joined by melting the surfaces to be adjoined and contacting the surface to create a homogeneous joint, which can create a join having a substantially similar physical properties (e.g. tensile strength) to the rest of the piping. A known method of joining polyethylene piping is electro-fusion. In a typical electrofusion joint formation a joint sub-assembly is created comprising at least one pipe and an electrofusion fitting. The joint sub-assembly forms part of a completion assembly which may comprise a jig for holding the pipe and fitting and also comprises a control box which is electrically linked to the coupling. The control box passes a current through wires within the fitting to melt and/or soften ends of the pipe and a least some of the fitting to fuse them together and, in some systems, can then also provide a cool down timer during which the joint is allowed to cool. The heating and cooling cycle is said to complete the joint. There are various methods of arranging the joint, such as inserting the ends of the two pipes to be connected into a suitable electro-fusion coupling. In order to ensure the quality of the joint, the ends of the pipe to be joined must be cleaned and suitably prepared. As mentioned above, the assembly of the joint is typically performed manually in the dirty subterranean environment and therefore many joints are of low quality, which can result in failures or leakage of the contents of the pipe. Quality control of polyethylene pipe joints can be achieved with proper training of the workers assembling and completing the joints, but this is not always practical or cost effective. Modern electro-fusion systems utilise electronic control means to minimise errors in the jointing process by controlling the current applied to the joint, the temperature achieved during the electro-fusion process and the cooling time of the joint, among other parameters. Whilst this has proved successful in reducing the number of joint failures due to errors in the electro-fusion process, it has not proved successful in improving the quality of the assembly and preparation of the joint before the completion of the electro-fusion process.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of ensuring the quality of a piping assembly operation that provides reliable quality control of the piping assembly and preparation.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION

In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method of controlling the completion of a joint formed in a completion assembly comprising the steps of: capturing, prior to the completion of the joint, data relating to one or more features of the completion assembly that represents the quality of the completion assembly or the joint; automatically analysing said features to predict the quality of the completion assembly or the joint; automatically generating a quality control signal based on the predicted quality of the completion assembly or the joint; and preventing the completion of the joint until an appropriate quality control signal has been received by a control system of the completion assembly.

Preferably, the joint is a pipe joint. Also preferably, the joint is an electrofusion joint. The joint may be a joint between electrical wires or fibre optic cables. The completion assembly comprises at least the parts to be joined to form the joint, but may also include one or more supports, guides, clamps or brackets to hold the parts in place and control apparatus for creating the joint, for example an electrofusion controller for an electrofusion joint. During completion of the joint the parts to be joined are joined together to form a joint, for example by electrofusion, welding, bonding or other methods. Once completed any parts of the completion assembly which are not part of the joint can be removed from the joint, for example clamps and/or control apparatus can be removed and reused in the creation of further completion assemblies. If the joint is an electrofusion joint, then the joint will comprise an electrofusion fitting and at least one other component to be joined to the fitting, for example an electrofusion pipe joint may comprise an electrofusion coupling and at least one pipe. There are many other types of fitting available, including saddles, T-junctions and elbows

The invention as recited offers a more efficient method of controlling the quality of electrofusion joints. The automatic generation of the quality control signal removes human error and time spent by operators or supervisors in reviewing the assembly for quality. The features to be measured can be carefully chosen to provide the most accurate prediction of the quality of the completion assembly. By measuring one or more features, the chance of an error in the quality control process is reduced significantly. The quality of the completion assembly, or a sub assembly or part thereof, may be indicative of the quality of the joint to be formed. Furthermore, by automating the generation of the quality control signal and ensuring that an acceptable automated signal must be received by the control system, the control method cannot be overridden by an operator performing the method if the quality control signal received by the system is not acceptable.

Features which can be representative of the quality of a completion assembly or electrofusion joint are the presence of scraping marks on the joint sub-assembly components to be joined, the relative positions, distances and angles between one or more of the assembly components, the compatibility of the components, size and shape of the components, or identifying features of the components, amongst others. Data relating to any combination of these features can be captured to predict the quality of the joint or assembly. Preferably, the analysing step comprises transmission of data regarding the measured features to a processing device. A dedicated processing device can be remote or local to the control system and can ensure that adequate processing power is available to perform the automatic analysis of the features. Transmission can be wired, wireless, or any other data transmission method. Data regarding the measures characteristics comprises one or more images of the completion assembly, modifications, or derivative data therefrom.

In a preferable embodiment, the measuring step comprises capturing one or more images of the completion assembly or a sub-assembly or part thereof, preferably the data regarding the measured features is the one or more images of the completion assembly, modifications thereof, or data derived therefrom. An image can provide a large array of the features of the completion assembly in a single document, and can contain a large amount of information regarding the assembly in a relatively small amount of data. Images are also more difficult to counterfeit, alter or to contain errors than a text or user-inputted data entry, and therefore more accurate information about the features of the assembly can be gathered by capturing images thereof. Images in the context of the present invention should be understood as any type of visual representation. The images may be still, for example photographs, or moving images, for example video, or a combination thereof. Moving images may comprise a plurality of still images which can be played sequentially.

Also in a preferable embodiment, the analysing and generating steps are performed by automated analysis software, and more preferably, the automated analysis software is an image recognition or image analysis software. Providing software to perform the analysis and generation steps allows the analysis to be performed on a range of computing devices. Software is commonly adapted for use on a wide variety of devices, and could be loaded onto a control box itself, a portable or wearable computing device such as a smart phone, smart watch, Google Glass® by Google®, electronic tablet or laptop computer, or onto a computer or server remote to the location of the completion assembly. Images are a preferable form of data for analysis as an image is easy to obtain and harder to alter or fake to gain an erroneous quality control signal. The image analysis software may have machine learning capabilities, such as one or more neural networks, to improve its own effectiveness.

In a further preferred embodiment, the measuring step comprises identifying one or more components of the completion assembly. There are a multitude of electrofusion components that can be present in an assembly. By identifying the components that make up the subject assembly, an analysis can be made that all of the required components are present, that the components are compatible and ensure that the automatic analysis is performed in relation to the correct components and the desired joint assembly. Furthermore, incorrect components can be identified and indicated for replacement.

Component recognition may be conducted be analysing a variety of features of the component such as shape, relative size and/or colour. In a preferred embodiment at least some of the components include identifying indicia, such as alphanumeric codes, bar codes, images, or the like, that can be captured in an image. More preferably, identifying the one or more components comprises identifying a barcode, QR code or other identifying feature which indicates the type, size or any other property of the one or more components. As images of the assembly are captured and analysed by image recognition software, visual identifiers can also be analysed by the software to avoid a system operator having to manually identify the components, which can introduce further human error. The analysing step may further comprise performing an image processing operation on the one or more images, preferably wherein the image processing operation increases the detectability of the one or more features, for example the image could be sharpened using a sharpening algorithm to enhance the clarity of the image or by partial or full spectrum colour inversion. By performing an image processing operation on the image, the image can be optimised for analysis and detection by image recognition or analysis software. This processing can be performed in such a way to highlight, or otherwise increase the definition of the target features which are to be analysed by the software to ensure effective and efficient operation of the software and improve the number of correct quality control signals generated yet further. It has been found that inverting at least some of the colours in the image, and preferably the entire colour palette, can enhance the detection of some features of the assembly. The method of the present invention may preferably further comprise the step of providing an operator at the location of the completion assembly with instructions to improve the measured quality of the completion assembly if an unacceptable quality control signal is received by the control system. If a simple quality control signal is the only feedback from the analysis software, then an operator arranging the assembly may not be aware which incorrect feature of the assembly is causing the negative response. Therefore, providing instructions to the operator regarding how to improve the measured quality of the assembly can reduce the number of iterations of the measuring, analysis and generation cycle to gain an acceptable quality control signal to allow completion of an acceptable joint. The feedback could be text, image or video based provided on a screen to the operator, or audio based provided by a loudspeaker, or a combination of these.

In a further preferred embodiment, the image capturing step may comprise providing instructions to an operator of an image capture device used to capture said images. Human error can be a major factor in receiving erroneous quality control signals. One of the method steps in which human error can be introduced is in the capture of the images of the completion assembly. Therefore, by providing instructions for the capture of the images, this human error can be minimised at source. The instructions could include reference images, head-up wireframe or translucent overlay images which can be displayed on a screen, for example a screen used to preview an image to be captured, to the operator.

In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a control apparatus for controlling completion of an electrofusion joint forming part of a completion assembly, the control apparatus comprising a processing device and control box for electrically linking to an electrofusion fitting, the control box adapted to prevent completion of an electrofusion joint comprising an electrofusion fitting linked to the control box until an appropriate quality control signal has been received, wherein the quality control signal is automatically generated by the processing device based upon data representative of the quality of a completion assembly.

In a preferred embodiment, the measuring of the one or more features comprises capturing one or more images of the completion assembly or a sub-assembly or part thereof, and more preferably the automatic generation of the quality control signal and the analysis can comprise automatic analysis of the one or more captured images of the, or the part of, completion assembly by a processing device. As previously discussed, images are the preferable form of data for analysis in the present invention.

Also in a preferable embodiment, the control apparatus may further comprise an image capture device for capturing one or more images of the completion assembly, or a subassembly or part thereof, preferably wherein the image capture device is a portable computing device such as a smart phone, digital camera, for example a stills camera, a video camera or a digital camera able to capture both still and moving images, or wearable technology, such as a smart watch or Google Glass® by Google®. A portable device is advantageous as in the environment in which the completion assembly is located, a static or large imaging device can be impractical.

In a further preferable embodiment, the automatic generation of the quality control signal may be performed by analysis of one or more captured images of the completion assembly by a processing device. As previously discussed, images are the preferable form of data for analysis in the present invention.

Also preferably, the control apparatus may further comprise a database containing data for at least one of:

a) identifying one or more components of the completion assembly b) comparison to data representative of the quality of the completion assembly;

c) analysis on the data representative of the quality of the completion assembly; or

d) a required quality of the completion assembly for generation of an appropriate quality control signal. It should be understood that the database on the control apparatus may comprise data for two or more of the above operations in any combination and may comprise one or more sub- databases.

A database containing this information allows reference to be made to known data which can be used for analysis quickly and easily. Furthermore, the database can contain a multitude of data on different types of joint and compietion assembly such that a single control apparatus can be utilised for a variety of completion operations with a range of different components.

In a yet more preferable embodiment, the portable computing device can be adapted to perform at least one of:

a) provide feedback or information via a screen or speaker;

b) include the processing device;

c) store the data representative of the quality of the completion assembly; d) contain the database;

e) receive data from the database; or

f) store information from the database.

The provision of feedback can enable the operator to complete a joint more quickly and efficiently as discussed above. If the portable computing device contains the processing device, one less component is needed for the compietion assembly and the majority of operators will have access to a portable computing device, it should be understood that the portable computing device may be adapted to perform two or more of the above operations in any combination. if the portable computing device contains, or can receive or store data from, the database, the analysis and generation of the quality control signal can be performed on the device itself.

The invention also provides a portable computing device which comprises software such that it is adapted to form part of the control apparatus described above. Such a portable computing device may further include a database a described to above. The invention may be used to control joint quality for systems, particularly pipes, used in utility, petrochemical, offshore, waste, and chemical applications amongst other. In both aspects, further data may be captured relating to the joint or the completion assembly after completion of the joint. An actual quality of the joint may be measured manually or automatically, possibly based on data captured using the image capture device after completion of the joint, which may be compared to the predicted quality of the joint. The data captured after completion may be checked against the actual quality of the joint. Data captured before or after the completion of the joint may be used to update the database. Therefore, if a predicted quality of the joint does not match the actual quality of the joint after completion, the related data ma be stored or updated in the database to provide more accurate predictions of joint quality for future uses of the method or apparatus,

The completion assembly or the joint may comprise at least one substantially tubular component, or more preferably a substantially cylindrical or substantially cylindrical tubular component. Data may also be captured in relation to or derived from components not forming part of the completion assembly for the purpose of quality control or auditing. Such components may include one or more pressure valve, hydrant or meter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

A better understanding of the present invention will be obtained from the following detailed description. The description is given by way of example only and refers to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an electrofusion completion assembly and electrofusion control box according to the present invention.

Before a joining operation can be completed, the components of the electrofusion completion assembly must correctly prepared and assembled to ensure the success of the electro-fusion process and the integrity of the resulting joint.

It will be understood that the electrofusion completion assembly described herein is for exemplary purposes only, and that there are many types of electrofusion joint compatible with the present invention.

In Figure 1 , a typical completion assembly 10 is shown during a joining operation. The assembly comprises an electrofusion control box 12, an electrofusion fitting 14, two polyethylene pipes 16, 18 to be joined, a clamping rig 24 and a portable computing device 44. The pipes 16, 18 and the fitting 14 together will be referred to as the joint sub-assembly.

Before assembly, the pipes 16, 18 must be prepared for joining. The end sections 20,22 of the pipes 16, 18 must be clear of contaminants, such as dirt, water, grease and grit which are often present in the environment in which the joint sub-assembly will be assembled. Furthermore, the end sections 20,22 must be scraped to remove old material and expose a suitable surface for effective joining of the pipes. Markings from the scraping process, which can be performed manually or by a scraping machine as known in the art, are typically visible on the end sections 20, 22.

The electrofusion fitting 14 is a hollow tube with an internal diameter similar to or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the ends sections 20,22 of the pipes. During assembly, and as shown clearly in Figure 1 , the end sections 20,22 are inserted into opposite open ends of the electrofusion fitting 14 to a substantially equal depth. The ends of the pipes 16,18 may or may not abut in the centre of the electrofusion fitting 14. As is shown, prepared end sections 20,22 of the pipes should be substantially longer than the depth to which the pipes 16, 18 are inserted into the electrofusion fitting 14 when assembled. Therefore, an amount of the prepared end sections 20,22 is visible externally when the pipes have been fully inserted into the fitting 14 to an acceptable depth.

The pipes 16, 18 are supported in the correct position when assembled in a clamping rig 24 with clamps 26,28. When assembled correctly, the clamping rig aligns the joint subassembly so that the electrofusion process can be performed successfully. The clamping rig 24 may be capable of applying a force to the pipes 16, 18 or the fitting 14 in the axial direction or normal direction to achieve a desired pressure, to retain components in place, to produce a stronger joint and/or to counteract forces produced during the electrofusion process due to expansion of components. The electrofusion fitting 14 has terminals 36,38 which are electrically connected to an internal wiring system within the fitting 14. When an appropriate current is passed through the internal wiring system, the internal surface of the fitting and, consequently, the prepared ends 20,22 within the fitting are heated by resistive heating in the wiring. When the melting temperature of the internal surface of the fitting 14 and the end sections 20,22 is reached, the surfaces of these parts will melt and fuse together. Once the melted portion has cooled and set, the joint can be considered completed. This process of fusing the sections of the assembly in this manner will be referred to as 'completion' or 'completing'. Each component to be joined (in the illustrated embodiment, the pipes 16, 18 and the fitting 14) features an indicator barcode 30,32,34 that is scanned by an auxiliary scanning device (not shown) to provide information about the components to be joined to the electrofusion control box 12. Alternatively, a portable computing device 44, which features an imaging device, can capture images of the barcodes, or the entire joint sub-assembly to identify the components. The control algorithms of the control box 12 calculate the correct current to be applied to the internal wiring system, the time for which the current must be applied, and the cooling time needed to allow the joint to set after heating. The data regarding the components that is required to calculate or look up the correct current, application time and cooling time can be accessed from a processing device 50 containing a database 52 or from a database internal to the control box 12. The control box 12 has output leads 40,42 which are connected to the fitting terminals 36,38, through which current can be applied to the internal wiring system. When the components have been scanned and the correct current, application time and cooling time have been calculated, the electrofusion process is ready to be initiated.

However, according to the present invention, the completion of the electrofusion process may not yet proceed at this stage.

The scanned information provided to the control box 12 is then transmitted to a remote processing device 50, The transmission between the control box 12 and the device 50 could be wireless, GSM or wired. In alternative embodiments, the processing device could be a remote or local computer or server or could be an integral element of the control box 12 or a portable computing device 44. A remote computer, server or device is one which is not an integral component of the assembly 10 or is not located at the site of the assembly 10. The processing device 50 contains a database 52 of possible joints, although in other embodiments the database may be remote, but accessible to the processing device 50. Using the information provided about the components to be joined, the processing device retrieves data describing a reference joint and related information from the joint database 52, which will be subsequently referred to herein as the reference joint information. Included in the reference joint information are one or more reference images of the correct assembly of a joint comprising the components listed in the scanned information. Assembly information or instructions can be sent back to the control box 12 to offer the operator guidelines as to the correct installation process for the assembly in question. Guidelines could include image or text references to the relevant tooling or installation methods, and health and safety practices, top tips or any combination thereof. By virtue of machine learning or neural network capabilities of the device 50, database 52 or any other associated component or software, the database 52 may be constantly updated to improve the accuracy of the system. The reference images represent the correct assembly of an electrofusion joint that is required to achieve a desired quality of the joint on completion of the electrofusion process. If more than one reference image is provided, the images may be representations of the required assembly from different perspectives or particular components of the assembly in closer detail. The images are displayed to the operator on a screen 48 of the portable computing device 44, but could also be shown on a separate screen (not shown). Alternatively, the reference images could represent incorrect assemblies of an electrofusion joint, which indicate an inadequate quality of the joint.

At the site of the completion assembly 10, which may or may not be remote to the processing device 50, one or more images of the completion assembly 10 or a part thereof are captured by the portable computing device 44, which is also in communication with the processing device 50 either directly through wired or wireless connections or via the control box 12. The images captured by the portable computing device could, in an alternative embodiment, be captured by a further auxiliary image capture device in communication with the processing device 50 or the portable computing device 44. If more than one image is taken of the completion assembly 10, these may be from same perspectives as those reference images of the required assembly. This step of the joining operation will be described in more detail later in this document. The image data may also include information relating to the time at which the image was taken, the location at which the image was taken, or the personnel who have captured the image and/or assembled the joint, amongst other factors and any combination thereof.

The images, or data relating to the images, of the subject completion assembly 10 are then transmitted to the processing device 50. The subject images are then automatically linked to the earlier data sent to the processing device regarding the joint by the control box 12. Alternatively, the image and joint data can be combined locally to the joint by the control box, and sent to the processing device 50 together.

The subject images (SI) of the subject completion assembly 10 are then analysed. Automatic analysis of the SI is performed with reference to the earlier identified reference images (Rl). One of more features of the subject assembly are automatically identified in the SI. The features can be, amongst others, the relative positions of the assembly components; the appearance of the markings 46 on the surfaces of the exposed parts of the pipe end sections 20,22; the angles of the clamps 26,28 or pipes 16, 18; the axial spacing of the clamps 26,28; the depth of the pipe end sections 22 into the fitting 14; the axial alignment of the fitting 14 and the pipes 16, 18; the barcodes 30,32,34; and/or the terminals 36,38 or any combination thereof.

If the required features cannot be identified in the SI, then the processing device 50 may return an indication to the operator via control box 12 or portable computing device 44 that further, or replacement images of the assembly 10 are required.

Once the subject features (SF) have been identified in the SI, the equivalent reference features (RF) are identified in the Rl. The image analysis software then performs a comparison of the SF against the RF. Comparison can be based upon relative measurements of the SF to the RF, angular misalignment of the SF to the RF, confirmation that the SF appears in the same location as the RF, relative roughness comparison of the SF to the RF, other features of the SF and RF or any combination thereof. Comparison could also or alternatively be made of data which is based on or captured from the images, rather than image to image comparison. Once a comparison has been performed, the software analyses the similarity of the SF to the RF, and provides an approximation of the degree of overall similarity S of the subject completion assembly 10 to the reference joint.

If the degree of overall similarity S is appropriate, then the software via the processing device 50 generates a positive quality control signal which is sent to the control box 12. If the degree of overall similarity S is not appropriate, then the software sends a negative quality control signal to the control box 12.

If the control box 12 receives a positive signal, then the electrofusion process can go ahead, either immediately, or upon an initiation command entered by an operator on site at the assembly 10. If a negative signal is received, the control box is prevented from proceeding with the electrofusion process to complete the joint.

If the control box 12 is prevented from proceeding, then further information can be provided to the operator (via the control box, a peripheral device, or otherwise) containing instructions on how to reduce the differences between the SF and the RF in order to increase the calculated P following the image analysis to an adequate level to provide a positive quality control signal.

Alternatively, a positive signal can be sent to the control box 12 to proceed with the electrofusion operation upon detection of a particular feature in the assembly 10 by the image analysis software. For example, in a particular joint sub-assembly, the existence of the markings 46 may be a key indicator of the quality of the joint, and therefore it may only be required to detect their presence. In the described embodiment, the quality control signal generated is a binary signal, 1 being a positive signal instructing to the control box 12 to proceed and 0 being a negative signal not to proceed. Alternatively, 0 could be a positive signal and 1 could be a negative signal. The quality control signal can be generated as a percentage or numerical value which must be above a certain threshold in order for the control box to proceed, a positive instruction to the control box to proceed, a negative instruction to prevent the control box from proceeding, an analogue signal, or the signal could require further information or input from another source for the control box to proceed with completion of the joint.

For example, success of a particular electrofusion operation may be dependent upon the correct preparation of the pipe end sections 20,22, which is indicated by the markings 46. The existence of the markings can be confirmed by the software as follows. As with the above method, one or more images can be taken of the assembly 10, with a portion of the end section showing as in Figure 1 , or alternatively, images of the end section 20 or 22 in its disassembled state.

The images are sent to the processing device 50 along with the abovementioned identification data. The images are processed by the software to highlight or distinguish the markings 46, or otherwise make them more visible. In one embodiment, a colour-negative operation is performed upon the images.

The pipe end sections 20,22 are designed such that markings 46 have a distinctive or unique appearance, through roughness, removal of an oxidised layer or a sub-surface material colouring different from the surface of the pipe end section. In this way, the markings 46 exhibit a distinctive or unique colour signature. Therefore, after the image processing operation, the markings appear as a unique colour, or in a unique colour range. Consequently, if the image processing software detects a predetermined sufficient number of the markings' unique colour signatures on the pipe end section, then the existence of the sufficient number of markings can be confirmed and contribute to a positive quality control signal being sent to the control box 12. Conversely, if an insufficient number of the markings' unique colour signatures are detected (indicating a lack or insufficient number of markings), a negative quality control signal is sent to the control box 12, along with an indication to the personnel on site to prepare the end section 20 or 22 adequately.

As described above, upon receipt of a positive signal by the control box 12, the electrofusion process can be initiated. The control box, via leads 40,42, applies a current between the terminals 36,38 of the electrofusion fitting 14 as calculated previously for the calculated time, followed by allowing the precalculated cooling time.

There may be indicators on the components of the assembly 10 that indicate when an electrofusion operation has been successful. If required, one of the abovementioned image analysis methods can be repeated, with the indicators as the SF or particular feature to ensure that the electrofusion joint has been finished correctly.

A secondary issue with using automatic image analysis software as described above is that the SI must be representations of the assembly must be captured from the same perspective as in the Rl. If the images are not taken from an appropriate perspective, then the software may not recognise the SF in the SI and may calculate an incorrect probability of success and deliver an incorrect quality control signal to the control box 12, resulting in incorrect joints or delays in the jointing operation.

Therefore, in order to improve the quality control process described, human error by the personnel operating the portable computing device 44 when capturing the SI should be minimised.

As described above, following the receipt by the processing device 50 of the scanned information regarding the components of the assembly 10, the reference joint information is identified, including the Rl. In order to help provide SI that are taken from the correct perspective to allow effective comparison with the Rl, the Rl (or a wireframe or translucent representation of the Rl) are sent to the portable computing device 44 and displayed to the personnel and overlaid on the viewfinder before the SI are captured by the device, known as framing guidance.

This 'framing guidance' would aim to prevent an operator from capturing an SI in the event that the SI would contain insufficient information relating to the SF such as clamps or pipe end sections. It would also seek to ensure that the SI were optimised for the correct orientation and focal distance, relating to the assembly in question. Furthermore, the portable computing device 44 may prevent the capture of the SI unless the device 44 is positioned appropriately to capture the SI from the required perspective, using a shape or pattern recognition algorithm, or further image analysis software present on the device 44 itself.

Optionally, the above photoanalysis step, calculation of the probability of success P and generation of the positive or negative quality control signal step can be performed on the portable computing device 44 rather than at a remote processing device 50. The device 44 may be a commonly available portable computing device having a camera, such as a smart phone or tablet computer.

The described photoanalysis methods may be combined into a single application on the device, or an 'app', which may be downloaded onto any suitable smart device to convert said device into a device 44 suitable for use in the invention. To aid the photoanalysis process, it is envisaged that the 'app' and associated software could automatically apply digital colour filtering as described above to create an image providing enhanced or optimal contrast and/or focus for the software to identify the features necessary to judge the probability of success S of the assembly. The app and associated software could take account of various factors, including pipe & fitting properties and colours, project type (and applicable welding standards), background conditions, GPS location, ambient light and temperature.

It is also envisaged that photo-enhancing components and ancillary products can be utilised in the assembly 10 to further assist with the automatic photoanalysis process. For example, the SF, which can be any part of the assembly 10, could be brightly coloured with pigments or shades not usually found in the working environment. Other methods of highlighting the SF can be envisaged, such as UV luminescence, distinctive patterning or highlighting pens to be applied to the SF by the personnel assembling the assembly or capturing the SF. The assembly 10 could also be laid on top of a neutral background, such as a ground sheet, to distinguish further the assembly components and SF from the background environment in the SI.

The present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein. Alternative arrangements and suitable materials will be apparent to a reader skilled in the art. It will be apparent that the completion assembly of the present invention comprises at least the components at the site of the joint that are necessary to complete the joint, namely the pipes, fitting, control box, wires and clamps. However, it will be understood that the completion assembly need not comprise all of these components, or may comprise additional components not explicitly described which facilitate or aid the completion process. It will be understood to that images or data captured of one or more components of the completion assembly alone or in combination, which do not relate to the entire completion assembly are images or data captured of the completion assembly. For example, an image or data relating to the completion assembly may only contain data relating to or images of the pipes, fitting and clamps only, or even the pipes and fitting only.

Claims

A method of controlling the completion of a joint formed in a completion assembly comprising the steps of:

capturing, prior to the completion of the joint, at least one image of one or more features of the completion assembly or the joint that represent the quality of the completion assembly or the joint;

automatically analysing the at least one image of said features to predict the quality of the completion assembly or the joint;

automatically generating a quality control signal based on the predicted quality of the completion assembly or the joint;

and

preventing the completion of the joint until an appropriate quality control signal has been received by a control system of the completion assembly.

A method of controlling the completion of a joint as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the analysing step comprises transmission of data regarding the measured features to a processing device.

A method of controlling the completion of a joint as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one image comprises an image of all or a part of the completion assembly or joint, modifications thereof, or data derived therefrom.

A method of controlling the completion of a joint as claimed in any previous claim, wherein the analysing and generating steps are performed by automated analysis software.

A method of controlling the completion of a joint as claimed in claim 4, wherein the automated analysis software is an image recognition or image analysis software.

A method of controlling the completion of a joint as claimed in any previous claim wherein the capturing and/or analysis steps comprises identifying one or more components of the completion assembly or the joint.

A method of controlling the completion of a joint as claimed in claim 6, wherein identifying the one or more components comprises identifying a barcode, QR code or other visual identifying feature which indicates the type, size or any other property of the one or more components.

8. A method of controlling the completion of a joint as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the analysing step further comprises performing an image processing operation on the one or more images, preferably wherein the image processing operation increases the detectability of the one or more features.

9. A method of controlling the completion of a joint as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising the step of providing an operator at the location of the completion assembly with instructions to improve the predicted quality of the completion assembly or the joint if an unacceptable quality control signal is received by the control system.

10. A method of controlling the completion of a joint as claimed in any preceding claim the image capturing step comprises providing instructions to an operator of an image capture device used to capture said images.

1 1. A method of controlling the completion of a joint as claimed in any previous claim, wherein the joint is one of a pipe joint, an electrofusion joint, an electric cable joint, or a fibre optic cable joint.

12. A control apparatus for controlling completion of a joint formed in a completion assembly, the control apparatus comprising a processing device and a control box adapted to prevent completion of the joint until an appropriate quality control signal has been received, wherein the quality control signal is automatically generated by the processing device based upon at least one image captured by an image capture device, the image being of one or more features of the completion assembly or the joint representative of the quality of the completion assembly or the joint.

13. A control apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the automatic generation of the quality control signal is performed by analysis of one or more captured images of the completion assembly or part thereof by the processing device.

14. A control apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim further comprising a database containing data for at least one of:

a) identifying one or more components of the completion assembly b) comparison to data representative of the quality of the completion assembly or the joint;

c) analysis on the data representative of the quality of the completion assembly or the joint; or d) a required quality of the completion assembly or the joint for generation of an appropriate quality control signal.

15. A control apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein, the image capture device is a part of a portable computing device.

16. A control apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the portable computing device is adapted to perform at least one of:

a) provide feedback or information via a screen or speaker;

b) include the processing device;

c) store the data representative of the quality of the completion assembly or the joint;

d) contain the database;

e) receive data from the database; or

f) store information from the database.

17. A control apparatus as claimed in any previous claim, wherein the control apparatus is suitable for controlling completion of an electrofusion joint and wherein the control apparatus further comprising an electrofusion fitting, which electrofusion fitting is linked to the control box.

18. A portable computing apparatus comprising software such that it is adapted to form part of a control apparatus as claimed in claims 12 to 17.

19. A method of controlling the completion of a joint as claimed in any of claims 1-11 using the control apparatus is as claimed in any of claims 12 to 17.

20. A method or apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the at least one image is at least one still image.

21. A method of controlling the completion of a joint substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

22. An control apparatus for controlling completion of a joint substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.