JP7539002B2 - How to control a welding machine - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a method for controlling a welding machine, and in particular to a method for controlling a welding machine having a welding torch that is manually operated by a welding operator.

Conventionally, there is known a technique for attaching a sensor such as an acceleration sensor to a welding torch that is manually operated by a welding worker, and controlling arc welding based on the output signal from the sensor (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 4).

JP 2013-066906 A JP 2018-020367 A International Publication No. 2019/202854 International Publication No. 2018/025584

In arc welding, where the welding torch is operated manually, a typical configuration is to connect the power supply and the welding torch with a torch cable. In this case, welding conditions are often set or changed using an input unit provided on the power supply or a remote control connected to the power supply.

However, when using the input unit of the power supply, the welding worker must go to the power supply to change the welding conditions. Also, if the cable of the remote control is short, it may not be possible to carry the remote control to the welding point of the work, and the welding worker must go to the remote control to change the conditions.

To eliminate this hassle, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 3 disclose a configuration in which the detection value of an acceleration sensor is changed by moving the welding torch in one direction or by tapping the welding torch, and the welding conditions are changed depending on the number of such changes.

However, the conventional configurations disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 3 do not disclose a method for selecting the parameters to be changed among the welding conditions. In addition, when the amount of change is large, the welding torch must be moved or tapped many times, which does not eliminate the hassle of operation.

This disclosure has been made in consideration of these points, and its purpose is to provide a method for controlling a welding machine that can reduce the operational burden on a welding operator when changing welding conditions.

In order to achieve the above object, the method of controlling a welding machine according to the present disclosure is a method of controlling a welding machine having a welding torch to which at least an angular velocity sensor is attached, and is characterized by comprising at least a condition change standby step of making the welding conditions of the welding machine changeable, a torch rotation step of rotating the welding torch around a predetermined axis while operating a first operating unit provided on the welding torch, a condition change step of changing a value of a specific parameter among the welding conditions in accordance with the amount of rotation of the welding torch in the torch rotation step if the amount of rotation of the welding torch is equal to or greater than a certain amount, and a condition confirmation step of confirming the change in the welding conditions by releasing the operation of the first operating unit after the condition change step.

According to the present disclosure, the operational burden on the welding operator when changing welding conditions can be reduced. In addition, the convenience and safety of operation can be improved.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of an arc welder according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the appearance of a welding torch. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of the welding torch. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the functional blocks of the power supply device and the welding torch. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a procedure for changing the welding current. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the appearance of a welding torch according to the first modification. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of functional blocks of a power supply device and a welding torch according to the second modification.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The following description of the preferred embodiment is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, its application, or its uses.

(Embodiment)
[Configuration of Arc Welding Machine and Configuration of Welding Torch]
Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the configuration of an arc welder according to this embodiment, Fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram of the external appearance of a welding torch, and Fig. 3 shows a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the welding torch.

As shown in Fig. 1, an arc welding machine 10 (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as the welding machine 10) includes a power supply unit 20, a wire feeder 30, and a welding torch 60. A shielding gas, for example, _CO2 gas, is supplied to the welding torch 60 from a gas cylinder 80 via a gas hose 81 and the wire feeder 30. The shielding gas is supplied with a pressure and flow rate adjusted by a flow rate regulator (not shown) to a predetermined value. The gas hose 81 is housed inside a torch cable 41, and a power cable 40 and a control cable 50 (described later) are also housed inside the torch cable 41.

The power supply unit 20 has a power cable 40 connected to one of the output terminals 21 and a work cable 42 connected to the other, and power for welding is supplied from the power cable 40 to the welding torch 60. Specifically, a welding current is supplied to the welding wire 70 passing through the welding torch 60 via the power cable 40 housed in the torch cable 41 and connected to the welding torch 60 and a welding tip (not shown). The power supply unit 20 is also configured to send control signals to the wire feeder 30 to control the wire feed speed and the welding current flowing through the welding wire 70. The functions and internal functional block configuration of the power supply unit 20 will be described later.

The wire feeder 30 is composed of a wire feed mechanism (not shown) and a motor 31 that drives the wire feed mechanism, and feeds the welding wire 70 toward the workpiece (object to be welded) W at a predetermined speed in response to a control signal from the power supply 20. It also supplies shielding gas from a gas cylinder 80 to the welding torch 60. The shielding gas may be supplied directly to the welding torch 60 via a flow regulator.

The control cable 50 is connected to the power supply unit 20 and the wire feeder 30, and is configured to send a control signal to control the wire feed speed of the welding wire 70 as described above, and to transmit and receive various signals between the power supply unit 20 and various devices provided in the welding torch 60. In addition, the driving power of the various devices provided in the welding torch 60 is supplied via the control cable 50. In addition, the control cable 50 is configured to send an operation signal of the torch switch 64, which determines whether to start or stop welding, to the power supply unit 20.

2 and 3, the welding torch 60 has a torch body 61, a torch holder 63, a torch switch (first operating unit) 64, and a head 62. The welding torch 60 also holds a welding wire 70 therein, and the welding wire 70 is fed from the tip of the head 62 toward the workpiece W.

2 and 3, the torch holder 63 is provided with a display unit 100 and an operation unit 200. The display unit 100 is configured with a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic electroluminescence display. The display unit 100 displays various information such as welding conditions. The function of the operation unit 200 will be described later.

3, a sensor unit 300 is attached inside the torch holder 63 and is electrically connected to the control cable 50 passing through the torch cable 41 via wiring 65. A torch switch (first operation unit) 64 is attached to the torch holder 63 and is also electrically connected to the control cable 50 passing through the torch cable 41 via wiring 66. By operating the torch switch 64, a welding start state, that is, an ON state in which the wire feeder 30 is activated and a welding current flows through the welding wire 70, and a welding stop state, that is, an OFF state in which the supply of the welding current is stopped and the wire feeder 30 is also stopped, can be switched.

[Function block configuration of power supply device and welding torch]
4 is a schematic diagram showing the functional blocks of the power supply device and the welding torch 60. Although not shown, as described above, the control cable 50 is connected to the power supply device 20 and the welding torch 60 via the wire feeder 30.

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the welding torch 60 is provided with a display unit 100, an operation unit (second operation unit) 200, and a sensor unit 300.

The operation unit (second operation unit) 200 is composed of devices such as operation buttons (not shown), and outputs operation signals to various devices provided on the welding torch 60, such as the display unit 100, when operated by the welding operator. For example, a predetermined screen is displayed on the display unit 100 by operating the operation unit 200. The display unit 100 can be switched on and off by operating the operation unit 200. A light-emitting device such as an LED (not shown) provided on the torch holder 63 may be turned on by operating the operation unit 200.

The operation unit 200 also outputs an operation signal to the control unit 400 of the power supply device 20, for example, the welding control unit 430. As described in detail later, by operating the operation unit 200, the welding conditions become changeable. Furthermore, by operating an operation button or operation key of the operation unit 200 that corresponds to a specific parameter of the welding conditions, the specific parameter becomes changeable. Note that if the display unit 100 is a touch panel, the functions of the operation unit 200 can be consolidated in the display unit 100, and the operation unit 200 can be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 4, the sensor unit 300 is a device that is composed of an acceleration sensor 310, an angular velocity sensor 320, and a signal processing unit 330 that processes the outputs of the acceleration sensor 310 and the angular velocity sensor 320, and is integrated into one package. The acceleration sensor 310 and the angular velocity sensor 320 are sensors that detect changes in acceleration or angular velocity in three mutually orthogonal axes (X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis shown in FIG. 2) in a three-dimensional space. In other words, the sensor unit 300 is a so-called six-axis sensor. The signal processing unit 330 is composed of an IC or an LSI. The sensor unit 300 detects the acceleration and angular velocity in each axial direction of the welding torch 60 and their changes. These values are detected at predetermined time intervals. In addition, the rotation angle of each axial direction of the welding torch 60 is calculated based on the acceleration or angular velocity in each axial direction. The rotation angle is calculated by a calculation unit 410 described later, for example, based on the detection value of the angular velocity sensor 320.

In addition, the sensor unit 300 detects the movement speed and movement of the tip of the welding torch 60 from the changes in acceleration and angular velocity in each axial direction and the difference in position between a predetermined position of the sensor unit 300 and the tip of the head 62, which is the tip of the welding torch 60.

The signal processing unit 330 receives the analog output signals of the acceleration sensor 310 and the angular velocity sensor 320, and performs noise filtering, signal amplification, or digitization of the analog output signals. In this embodiment, the acceleration sensor 310, the angular velocity sensor 320, and the signal processing unit 330 are integrated in a single package, but each may be prepared separately and mounted on a printed circuit board.

On the other hand, the power supply unit 20 is provided with a control unit 400 and a memory unit 500, and the control unit 400 has at least a calculation unit 410, a judgment unit 420, and a welding control unit 430.

The memory unit 500 stores the welding conditions, such as the set voltage and current, and the corresponding wire feed speed. The memory unit 500 also stores the angular velocity and acceleration of the welding torch 60 in each axial direction detected by the angular velocity sensor 320 at predetermined time intervals.

The memory unit 500 also stores a condition change table (not shown) that associates the amount of rotation around each axis of the welding torch 60 described below with the amount of change in a specific parameter of the welding condition selected by the operation unit 200.

The control unit 400 is a functional block realized by executing a specific software on a microcomputer or LSI, and the same is true for the calculation unit 410, judgment unit 420, and welding control unit 430 included therein. Note that the calculation unit 410, judgment unit 420, and welding control unit 430 may each be implemented on a different LSI.

Of the control unit 400, the welding control unit 430 calls up desired conditions from a plurality of welding conditions pre-stored in the memory unit 500, according to the operation of the welding operator, etc. In addition, the welding control unit 430 controls the wire feed speed of the welding wire 70 fed from the wire feeder 30 and the welding output, i.e., the welding current and welding voltage flowing through the welding wire 70, according to the called-up welding conditions.

In addition, the welding control unit 430 makes the called welding conditions changeable by operating the operation unit 200. For example, if it is desired to change the welding current, the welding current conditions called by the welding control unit 430 can be made changeable by operating an operation button or operation key (not shown) of the operation unit 200 that corresponds to the welding current.

The calculation unit 410 executes various calculation processes based on the signal output from the signal processing unit 330 of the sensor unit 300, that is, the detection values of the acceleration sensor 310 and the angular velocity sensor 320. For example, the calculation unit 410 calculates the speed and the swing width of the tip of the welding torch 60, the attitude of the welding torch 60, etc., based on the detection values of the angular velocity sensor 320. Furthermore, the calculation unit 410 calculates the rotation angle of the welding torch 60 around each axis based on the rotation angle of the welding torch 60 around each axis. Here, the rotation amount around each axis is the difference between the rotation angle around each axis between a certain time T1 and a time T2 at which a predetermined time has elapsed from the time T1. In the following description, the rotation amount AR _Y around the Y axis (hereinafter simply referred to as the rotation amount AR _Y ) will be described. Further, the amount of rotation _{AR_Y} about the Y axis in this embodiment is the difference in the rotation angle about the Y axis between the time point immediately before the welding torch 60 is rotated and the time point immediately after the rotation.

The determination unit 420 determines whether or not to actually change the welding conditions based on the operation signal of the torch switch 64 and the rotation amount ARY around the _Y -axis calculated by the calculation unit 410. The welding conditions changed in this case are specific parameters selected by the operation of the operation unit 200. Specifically, the determination unit 420 changes the welding conditions when the torch switch 64 is operated and the rotation amount _ARY is equal to or greater than a certain amount. Specifically, the welding control unit 430 calls up a corresponding condition change table from the storage unit 500 according to the rotation amount _ARY , and changes the value of a specific parameter among the welding conditions.

[Welding condition change procedure]
FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the procedure for changing the welding conditions. Here, the procedure for changing the welding current will be described.

First, the operation unit 200 is operated (step S1) to set the welding conditions in a changeable state (step S2). Further, an operation button or operation key corresponding to the welding current provided on the operation unit 200 is operated to select the welding current as a changeable parameter (step S3). Note that by executing step S3, the welding conditions may be set in a changeable state and the welding current may be selected as a parameter.

Next, the welding operator operates the torch switch 64 (step S4), and the judgment unit 420 judges whether the torch switch 64 is ON or not based on the operation signal of the torch switch 64 (step S5). If the judgment result in step S5 is negative, it is possible that the torch switch 64 has not been operated correctly, so the process returns to step S4 and the torch switch 64 is operated again.

On the other hand, if the determination result in step S5 is positive, the welding operator rotates the welding torch 60 around the Y axis (step S6). The determination unit 420 determines whether the rotation amount AR _Y of the welding torch 60 in step S6 is equal to or greater than a certain amount (step S7). As described above, the rotation amount AR _Y is calculated by the calculation unit 410 based on the rotation speed detected by the angular velocity sensor 320. This result is input to the determination unit 420 and compared with the aforementioned certain amount, and step S7 is executed. In order to inform the welding operator of the determination result in step S5, the result may be displayed on the display unit 100, for example.

If the determination result in step S7 is negative, the current value of the welding current is not changed, and the process returns to step S6 to again rotate welding torch 60. On the other hand, if the determination result in step S7 is positive, the current value of the welding current is changed according to the rotation amount _ARY (step S8).

Specifically, welding control unit 430 checks the condition change table called up from storage unit 500 against the actual rotation amount _ARY to determine the change amount of the welding current. Note that the current amount changed in this case is often smaller than the original value. For example, when the original setting value of the welding current is 200 A, the change amount is often a few A or less.

Furthermore, the current value of the welding current is not changed linearly according to the amount of rotation _ARY , but rather, for example, an appropriate range is predefined in the condition change table as the amount of rotation when the amount of current is increased by 1 A. For example, the welding current is set to increase by 1 A when the amount of rotation _ARY is in the range of 10 degrees to 30 degrees. This makes it possible to reduce errors during condition change setting due to hand shake or erroneous operation.

In addition, the sensor unit 300 can easily increase or decrease the amount of change by detecting the rotation direction of the welding torch 60. For example, in the Y-axis direction shown in Figure 2, when the welding torch 60 rotates clockwise in the direction looking at the tip of the welding torch 60 from the base of the welding torch 60, i.e., the side to which the torch cable 41 is connected, the amount of change increases, and when the welding torch 60 rotates counterclockwise, the amount of change decreases.

Next, the change in the welding current is checked (step S9) and it is determined whether or not it is the desired change (step S10). Steps S9 and S10 are performed by the welding operator, and for example, the change is displayed on the display unit 100 so that the welding operator can visually confirm and determine it. If the determination result in step S10 is negative, the process returns to step S6 and the subsequent steps are executed.

On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step S10 is positive, the operation of the torch switch 64 is released (step S11). This finalizes the change in the welding current conditions (step S12).

[Effects, etc.]
As described above, the method for controlling a welding machine according to this embodiment is a method for controlling a welding machine 10 having a welding torch 60 to which at least an angular velocity sensor 320 is attached.

This control method includes a condition change standby step (step S2) for making the welding conditions of the welding machine 10 changeable, and a torch rotation step (step S6) for rotating the welding torch 60 around the Y axis while operating the torch switch (first operating unit) 64 provided on the welding torch 60 (step S4).

The method also includes at least a condition changing step (step S8) for changing a value of a specific parameter among the welding conditions, that is, a current value of the welding current in this embodiment, in accordance with the rotation amount _ARY of the welding torch 60 in the torch rotation step if the rotation amount _ARY is equal to or greater than a certain amount, and a condition determining step (step S12) for determining the change in the welding conditions by releasing the operation of the torch switch 64 after the condition changing step.

According to this embodiment, the welding conditions can be changed by a simple method of rotating the welding torch 60 around the Y-axis while operating the torch switch 64. This improves the convenience of the operation required for the welding operator to change the welding conditions. In addition, compared to the conventional configurations disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 3, the number of times the welding torch 60 needs to be moved and the amount of operation can be reduced, reducing the operational burden on the welding operator. In addition, since the range in which the welding torch 60 is moved can be reduced, problems such as the welding torch 60 colliding with nearby equipment can be avoided, improving the work safety of the welding operator.

The amount of rotation _ARY is preferably determined based on the rotation angle obtained from the detection value of the angular velocity sensor 320 .

For example, it is possible to calculate the angle of the welding torch 60 around the Y-axis using the detection values of the acceleration sensor 310 and the angular velocity sensor 320, and use this angle as is to change the welding conditions. However, in this case, the angle is calculated as a tilt relative to the direction of gravity. Therefore, for example, whether welding work is performed on a slope or on flat ground, in order to obtain the same amount of change, the welding torch 60 must be operated to obtain the same angle. However, in these cases, the actual amount of rotation of the welding torch 60 differs, and it takes a lot of effort to adjust it to the desired amount of change.

It is also possible to calculate the angle solely from the detection value of the acceleration sensor 310 and determine the amount of rotation from the amount of change, but the error will be large if acceleration other than gravitational acceleration is occurring.

On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, the amount of change in the welding conditions is set according to the rotation amount _ARY . Therefore, regardless of the posture of the welding operator or the working environment, the same amount of operation can be used to achieve the desired amount of change, improving the convenience of the operation required to change the welding conditions.

In this embodiment, the change amount of the welding condition is set according to the rotation amount AR _Y around the Y axis, but is not limited to this. For example, the rotation amount AR _X when the welding torch 60 is rotated around the X axis or the rotation amount AR _Z when the welding torch 60 is rotated around the Z axis may be used.

The calculation accuracy can be further improved by correcting the detection value of the angular velocity sensor 320 using the detection value of the acceleration sensor 310. Specifically, even if there is no change in the angle, an event may occur in which the detection value of the angular velocity sensor 320 is output in a very small amount. This is because the integral value of the angular velocity is used to calculate the angle. As a result, even if there is no actual change in the angle, a phenomenon (drift) may occur in which the calculation result shows that the angle has changed due to the influence of this very small detection value. Therefore, it is possible to further improve the calculation accuracy by correcting the detection value of the angular velocity sensor 320 using the detection value of the acceleration sensor 310. As a correction method, a method using a complementary filter or a Kalman filter is useful. For example, as a correction using a complementary filter, it is possible to use an equation such as "corrected angle = angle based on the detection value of the acceleration sensor 310 x k + angle based on the detection value of the angular velocity sensor 320 x (1-k)" (where k is a coefficient between 0 and 1).

When a welding operator operates the welding torch 60, it is easiest to rotate it around the Y axis. Also, rotating the welding torch 60 around the X axis or Z axis is easily affected by the length and weight of the welding torch 60, but rotation around the Y axis is less affected by this. In other words, it becomes easier to adjust the amount of change in the parameters.

In the condition change standby step, the welding conditions of the welder 10 are made changeable by operating the operation unit (second operation unit) 200 provided on the welding torch 60. In this case, it is preferable to operate a specific operation button or operation key, etc., to make a corresponding specific parameter, the welding current in this embodiment, changeable.

In this way, the welding operator can select the parameter he or she wants to change and set the amount of change to the parameter by simply operating the controls at hand. This improves the convenience of the operations required to change welding conditions. It also reduces the operational burden on the welding operator.

The control method for the welding machine 10 of this embodiment further includes an operation determination step (step S5) for determining whether or not the torch switch 64 has been operated after the condition change standby step. If it is determined in the operation determination step that the torch switch 64 has been operated, the condition change step is made executable.

In this way, even if a welding operator unintentionally turns the welding torch 60, the welding conditions are not changed, and the workpiece W is prevented from being welded under conditions different from the desired conditions. In addition, since an arc can be prevented from occurring under unintended conditions, the work safety of the welding operator is improved.

During the execution of the condition change step, it is preferable to display a particular parameter, in this case the amount of change in the welding current, on the display unit 100 provided on the welding torch 60.

This allows the welding operator to easily visually check whether the parameter change amount has reached the desired value. This ensures that the welding conditions are changed to the desired values.

In addition, the welding machine 10 according to this embodiment includes at least a welding torch 60 having an acceleration sensor 310 and an angular velocity sensor 320 attached thereto, and a power supply unit 20 electrically connected to the welding torch 60 and supplying power for welding to the welding torch 60.

The power supply unit 20 has a control unit 400 and a memory unit 500, and the control unit 400 has at least a calculation unit 410, a judgment unit 420, and a welding control unit 430.

The acceleration sensor 310 detects the acceleration of the welding torch 60 at predetermined time intervals, and the angular velocity sensor 320 detects the angular velocity of the welding torch 60 at predetermined time intervals.

The calculation unit 410 calculates the amount of rotation before and after rotating the welding torch 60 when the torch switch 64 is operated based on the detection value of the angular velocity sensor 320.

The memory unit 500 stores the welding conditions for the workpiece W, which have multiple parameters. The memory unit 500 also stores a condition change table in which the amount of change of a specific parameter in the welding conditions is associated with the amount of rotation of the welding torch 60.

The determination unit 420 determines whether or not to change the welding conditions based on the operation signal of the torch switch 64 and the amount of rotation ARY about the _Y axis calculated by the calculation unit 410.

If the determination result by determining unit 420 is positive, welding control unit 430 calls up the corresponding condition change table from storage unit 500 and changes the welding conditions according to the rotation amount _ARY .

As described above, the welding machine 10 of this embodiment allows the welding conditions to be changed easily. In other words, the convenience of the operation required by the welding operator to change the welding conditions can be improved. In addition, the operational burden on the welding operator can be reduced. The work safety of the welding operator can be improved.

The welding torch 60 also has at least a display unit 100 and an operation unit 200.

When the operation unit 200 is operated, it puts the welding conditions in the power supply device 20 into a state in which they can be changed. It also puts certain parameters among the welding conditions into a state in which they can be changed.

By configuring the operation unit 200 in this way, the welding operator can select the parameter to be changed and set the amount of change of the parameter by only operating the operation at hand. This improves the convenience of the operation required to change the welding conditions. It also reduces the operational burden on the welding operator.

It is preferable that the display unit 100 is configured to display the amount of change in the parameters being changed while the welding conditions are being changed.

By configuring the display unit 100 in this way, the welding operator can easily visually check whether the parameter change amount is the desired value. This allows the welding conditions to be reliably changed to the desired value.

<Modification 1>
Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the appearance of a welding torch according to this modification. In Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 described later, the same parts as those in the embodiment are given the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The welding torch 60 shown in Figure 6 differs from the display unit 100 shown in Figure 2 in that the display unit 140 is composed of first to third display units 110, 120, and 130.

The first display unit 110 is provided in the same position as the display unit 100 shown in Figure 2. On the other hand, the second display unit 120 is provided in the torch holder 63 at a position rotated about 30 degrees clockwise around the Y axis from the first display unit 110. The third display unit 130 is provided in the torch holder 63 at a position rotated about 30 degrees counterclockwise around the Y axis from the first display unit 110.

As shown in Figure 6, when the welding torch 60 is rotated clockwise around the Y axis, the welding operator can see the second display unit 120. On the other hand, when the welding torch 60 is rotated counterclockwise, the welding operator can see the third display unit 130.

When the welding torch 60 shown in FIG. 2 is rotated around the Y axis by more than a certain amount, the welding operator may find it difficult to see the screen of the display unit 100. This makes it difficult to check whether the change in the welding current has reached the desired value.

On the other hand, according to this modified example, the change amount of the welding current, which is a parameter, is displayed on the second display unit 120 or the third display unit 130, so that the welding operator can easily visually check whether the change amount of the welding current is the desired value. This allows the welding conditions to be reliably changed to the desired value.

Furthermore, as shown in this modified example, by providing the second display unit 120 and the third display unit 130 along the outer periphery of the torch holder 63, sandwiching the first display unit 110, even when the direction of rotation of the welding torch 60 changes, the welding operator can easily visually confirm whether the change in welding current has reached the desired value, and can reliably change the welding conditions to the desired values.

As mentioned above, the configuration shown in this modified example is suitable in cases where the increase or decrease of a parameter is determined depending on the rotation direction of the welding torch 60. When it is desired to increase the welding current, the welding torch 60 is rotated clockwise around the Y axis, and the amount of increase can be visually confirmed on the second display unit 120. Conversely, when it is desired to decrease the welding current, the welding torch 60 is rotated clockwise around the Y axis, and the amount of decrease can be visually confirmed on the third display unit 130.

For example, when the parameter to be changed and the direction of increase or decrease are determined by operating the operation unit 200, the rotation direction of the welding torch 60 around the Y axis can be limited to only one direction in order to determine the amount of change in the parameter. In such a case, it is sufficient that either the second display unit 120 or the third display unit 130 is provided according to the limited rotation direction.

The positional relationship between the first to third display units 110, 120, and 130 is not particularly limited to the relationship shown in this modified example. For example, the second display unit 120 may be provided at a position rotated about 45 degrees around the Y axis from the first display unit 110. Alternatively, it may be provided at a position rotated about 90 degrees. The same applies to the third display unit 130.

The second display unit 120 and the third display unit 130 do not have to be in a format that displays a screen such as an LCD panel. For example, an indicator format in which LEDs are arranged may be used, and the number of LEDs that are lit may be changed according to the amount of change in the parameter. The LEDs in the second display unit 120 and the third display unit 130 may also have different light colors. It is easy to see whether the parameter value is increasing or decreasing.

<Modification 2>
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the functional blocks of a power supply device and a welding torch according to this modified example.

The configuration shown in Fig. 7 differs from the configuration shown in Fig. 4 in that the welding torch 60 is provided with a calculation unit 610, a judgment unit 620, and a memory unit 500. The functions of the calculation unit 610 and the judgment unit 620 are the same as those of the calculation unit 410 and the judgment unit 420 shown in Fig. 4.

In addition, in order to send the output signal of the sensor unit 300 to the control unit 400 provided in the power supply unit 20, a communication unit 630 is provided in the welding torch 60, and the signal is sent from the communication unit 630 to the welding control unit 430 of the control unit 400 as an insulated signal.

According to this modified example, it is possible to achieve the same effects as the configuration shown in the embodiment. In other words, the welding conditions can be changed easily. In addition, it is possible to improve the convenience of the operation required by the welding operator to change the welding conditions. In addition, it is possible to reduce the operational burden on the welding operator. It is possible to improve the work safety of the welding operator.

Furthermore, according to this modified example, the acceleration and angular velocity of the welding torch 60 in each axial direction and the amount of rotation around each axis can be accurately calculated. When the torch cable 41 including the control cable 50 is very long, if the output signal of the sensor unit 300 is small, the signal transmitted through the control cable 50 and input to the control unit 400 becomes large, and it may be difficult to accurately calculate the acceleration and angular velocity of the welding torch 60 in each axial direction. In such a case, by providing the calculation unit 610, the judgment unit 620, and the memory unit 500 in the welding torch 60, the signal distortion in the control cable 50 is eliminated, and the acceleration and angular velocity of the welding torch 60 in each axial direction, and thus the amount of rotation around each axis of the welding torch 60 can be accurately calculated.

The signal processing unit 330 may incorporate the calculation unit 410 and the judgment unit 420 into one body. The communication unit 630 may be a functional block that transmits and receives wireless signals. In that case, a wireless communication unit (not shown) is provided in the power supply device 20, and signals are exchanged between the communication unit 630 and this wireless communication unit.

In this specification, a so-called consumable electrode type arc welder 10 using a welding wire 70 has been described as an example, but the arc welder 10 may be a non-consumable electrode type arc welder such as TIG. In that case, however, the wire feeder 30 is not necessary, and power is supplied directly to the welding torch 60 from the power supply 20 via the power cable 40. A welding rod or filler metal feeder may be arranged in place of the wire feeder 30. The welding torch 60 is also directly connected to the power supply 20 by the control cable 50.

The welding machine control method disclosed herein is useful because it can reduce the operational burden on the welding operator when changing welding conditions, and also improves operational convenience and safety.

10 Arc welding machine 20 Power supply device 30 Wire feeder 31 Motor 40 Power cable 41 Torch cable 42 Work cable 50 Control cable 60 Welding torch (first operating unit)
61 Torch body 62 Head 63 Torch holder 64 Torch switch 70 Welding wire 80 Gas cylinder 81 Gas hose 100, 140 Display unit 110 First display unit 120 Second display unit 130 Third display unit 200 Operation unit (second operation unit)
300 Sensor unit 310 Acceleration sensor 320 Angular velocity sensor 330 Signal processing unit 400 Control unit 410, 610 Calculation unit 420, 620 Determination unit 500 Memory unit 630 Communication unit W Workpiece (object to be welded)

Claims (5)

A method for controlling a welding machine having a welding torch to which at least an angular velocity sensor is attached, comprising the steps of:
a condition change standby step for changing the welding conditions of the welding machine;
a torch rotating step of rotating the welding torch around a predetermined axis while operating a first operating unit provided on the welding torch;
a condition changing step of changing a value of a specific parameter among the welding conditions in accordance with a rotation amount of the welding torch in the torch rotating step, when the rotation amount of the welding torch is equal to or greater than a certain amount;
a condition confirmation step of confirming the change in the welding conditions by releasing the operation of the first operating unit after the condition change step. 2. The method for controlling a welding machine according to claim 1,
A method for controlling a welding machine, characterized in that in the condition change standby step, the welding conditions of the welding machine are made changeable by operating a second operating unit provided on the welding torch. 3. The method for controlling a welding machine according to claim 2,
A welding machine control method, characterized in that in the condition change standby step, the specific parameter is made changeable by operating the second operating unit provided on the welding torch. 4. The method for controlling a welding machine according to claim 1, further comprising:
a control method for a welding machine, the control method comprising: determining the amount of rotation based on a rotation angle obtained from a detection value of the angular velocity sensor; 5. The method for controlling a welding machine according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
A method for controlling a welding machine, wherein the predetermined axis is an axis extending in the longitudinal direction of the welding torch.

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