US 12,005,532 B2
Systems, methods, and apparatuses, of an arc welding (AW) process and quality monitoring
Debejyo Chakraborty, Novi, MI (US); Miguel Arturo Saez, Clarkston, MI (US); John Patrick Spicer, Plymouth, MI (US); Pei-chung Wang, Troy, MI (US); Spyros P Mellas, Waterford, MI (US); Wayne Cai, Troy, MI (US); and James M Ward, Almont, MI (US)
Assigned to GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC, Detroit, MI (US)
Filed by GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC, Detroit, MI (US)
Filed on Aug. 18, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/405,433.
Prior Publication US 2023/0056400 A1, Feb. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. B23K 9/095 (2006.01); B23K 9/12 (2006.01)
CPC B23K 9/0956 (2013.01) [B23K 9/0953 (2013.01); B23K 9/125 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A weld system comprising:
a first stage of a scanning device for scanning a workpiece comprising a set of weld parts to generate a three-dimensional (3D) profile of a weld target wherein the 3D profile captures matching imperfections caused by a meeting of the set of weld parts when performing a weld operation for joining the set of weld parts;
a second stage of a monitoring device to monitor the weld operation and to generate a data of high-resolution measurements of the weld operation;
wherein the first stage further comprises the monitoring device to determine a weld schedule based on the 3D profile of the weld target, and to adjust the weld schedule while the weld operation is in progress to adapt to a predicted distortion in a shape of the weld based on the 3D profile of the target weld and sensed distortion during the weld operation resulting from a combination of forces caused by a weld between the set of weld parts and a clamping force exerted on the workpiece, and
wherein the second stage further comprises a plurality of sensors configured to sense a set of components associated with the weld operation to generate high-resolution data of measurements from direct and indirect sensing of measurements of the set of components associated with the weld operation in contrast to a low-resolution data of measurements provided by a weld controller, wherein:
at least one or more of the plurality of sensors to provide indirect measurements of the weld operation comprise a microphone, a strain gauge sensor, and a welding reaction force sensor,
the microphone is configured to monitor ultrasonic frequencies and audible range frequencies of noises associated with the weld operation to determine whether a weld segment is compliant,
the strain gauge sensor is configured to measure a set of measurements exhibited by the weld part during the weld operation to determine a warping of the weld part and whether the warping of the weld part is beyond a compliant level, the strain gauge sensor being attached to the weld part, and
the welding reaction force sensor is configured to determine a strength of the weld segment in contrast to the clamping force applied to the weld part;
a third stage of a processing monitoring module configured to qualify the weld segment formed by the weld operation based on a weld monitoring rule applied to a result of computation using a function of a measured weld part gap schedule; and
a fourth stage of a post welding inspection module configured to perform an automated inspection of the weld segment and the set of weld parts by using at least one of a camera and a scanner to assess a geometry of the welded part and a length of the welded part and that classifies the weld operation using a classification algorithm that evaluates a fusion of the high-resolution data and the low-resolution data and the adjusted weld schedule.