A robotic electric arc welding system includes a welding torch, a welding robot configured to manipulate the welding torch during a welding operation, a robot controller operatively connected to the welding robot to control weaving movements of the welding torch along a weld seam and at a weave frequency and weave period, and a welding power supply operatively connected to the welding torch to control a welding waveform, and operatively connected to the robot controller for communication therewith. The welding power supply is configured to sample a plurality of weld parameters during a sampling period of the welding operation and form an analysis packet, and process the analysis packet to generate a weld quality score, wherein the welding power supply obtains the weave frequency or the weave period and automatically adjusts the sampling period for forming the analysis packet based on the weave frequency or the weave period.

Embodiments of systems and methods for supporting weld quality across a manufacturing environment are disclosed. One embodiment includes manufacturing cells within a manufacturing environment, where each manufacturing cell includes a cell controller and welding equipment. A communication network supports data communications between a central controller and the cell controller of each of the manufacturing cells. The central controller collects actual weld parameter data from the cell controller of each manufacturing cell, via the communication network, to form aggregated weld parameter data for a same type of workpiece being welded in each of the manufacturing cells. The central controller analyzes the aggregated weld parameter data to generate updated weld settings. The updated weld settings are communicated from the central controller to the cell controller of each of the manufacturing cells via the communication network.

Embodiments of systems and methods for supporting predictive and preventative maintenance are disclosed. One embodiment includes manufacturing cells within a manufacturing environment, where each manufacturing cell includes a cell controller and welding equipment, cutting equipment, and/or additive manufacturing equipment. A communication network supports data communications between a central controller and the cell controller of each of the manufacturing cells. The central controller collects cell data from the cell controller of each of the manufacturing cells, via the communication network. The cell data is related to the operation, performance, and/or servicing of a same component type of each of the manufacturing cells to form a set of aggregated cell data for the component type. The central controller also analyzes the set of aggregated cell data to generate a predictive model related to future maintenance of the component type.

An example additive manufacturing apparatus includes an energy source to melt material to form a component in an additive manufacturing process, a camera aligned with the energy source to obtain image data of the melted material during the additive manufacturing process, and a controller to control the energy source during the additive manufacturing process in response to processing of the image data. The controller adjusts control of the energy source based on a correction determined by: applying an artificial intelligence model to image data captured by a camera during an additive manufacturing process, the image data including an image of a melt pool of the additive manufacturing process; predicting an error in the additive manufacturing process using an output of the artificial intelligence model; and compensating for the error by generating a correction to adjust a configuration of the energy source during the additive manufacturing process.

Systems, methods, and apparatuses of a welding system are disclosed and include a first stage of a scanning device for scanning weld parts to generate a three-dimensional (3D) profile of a weld target wherein the 3D profile captures matching imperfections of a meeting together of the set of weld parts when performing the weld operation; and the 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 includes the monitoring device determining a weld schedule based on the 3D profile, and to adjust the weld schedule while the weld operation progresses to adapt to predicted distortion based on the 3D profile and to sensed distortion; wherein the second stage further includes a plurality of sensors to sense a set of components associated with the weld operation to generate high-resolution data of measurements.

A welded shaped steel manufacturing device for weld-connecting a butt portion of a web member having an end butting perpendicularly against a flange member and thereafter correcting in shape the flange member subjected to thermal deformation caused by heat input during welding, the device includes: a corrective device including flange-member correcting rollers arranged for respective ends of the flange member, each configured to press each end on a web-member side of the flange member so as to correct the thermal deformation over a range of the flange member from each end thereof to the butt portion thereof against the web member, and web-member supporting rollers configured to support a web surface of the web member, wherein the flange-member correcting rollers arranged for the respective ends of the flange member apply independent pressures to the respective ends so as to correct the thermal deformation.

The present invention relates to a method for connecting an electrical conductor (12) to an electrical contact part (14), which has a base part (16) and deformable flanks (18) connected thereto, wherein the flanks (18) are deformed by means of a device, which has a bending punch (26) and a resting region (24) for at least one section of the base part (16) of the electrical contact part (14), by means of the bending punch (26) in such a way that said flanks (18) compress the electrical conductor (12) with the contact part (14) in a force-fitting manner, wherein, at least within a lower dead center time period of the bending punch (26), the contact part (14), which is arranged at least partially between the resting region (24) and the bending punch (26), is acted upon through the resting region (24) in such a way that at least one component (20) of the electrical conductor (12) is cohesively connected to the base part (16) and/or at least one flank (18). The present invention also relates to a device designed for the method according to the invention.

A non-consumable electrode arc-welding method is provided for causing a welding machine to output or stop a welding current in accordance with at least an ON state and an OFF state of a start signal. In the method, a start signal is switched between an ON state and an OFF state, thereby controlling the on/off operation of the welding machine. Further, an operation mode instruction signal is switched between a normal mode and an interval mode, thereby controlling the operation mode of the welding machine. When the operation mode instruction signal indicates the interval mode and also the start signal is in the ON state, the welding current is outputted in a welding current output period. Then, the output of the welding current is suspended in a welding current interval period successively following the welding current output period.

A method for forming a vertically cracked thermal barrier coating is disclosed including positioning an article relative to a heat source. The article includes a thermal barrier coating disposed on a first surface of a substrate, and the substrate includes a second surface distal across the substrate from the first surface. Heat is applied locally to at least one discrete portion of the second surface of the substrate. At least one vertical crack in the thermal barrier coating is formed disposed over the at least one discrete portion. An article is disclosed including a substrate and a vertically-cracked thermal barrier coating disposed on the substrate. The vertically cracked thermal barrier coating includes at least one vertical crack in the thermal barrier coating and at least one of a low density of less than 85% of a theoretical density for the thermal barrier coating and a selective crack distribution.

In certain embodiments, inductive heating is added to a metal working process, such as a welding process, by an induction heating head. The induction heating head may be adapted specifically for this purpose, and may include one or more coils to direct and place the inductive energy, protective structures, and so forth. Productivity of a welding process may be improved by the application of heat from the induction heating head. The heating is in addition to heat from a welding arc, and may facilitate application of welding wire electrode materials into narrow grooves and gaps, as well as make the processes more amenable to the use of certain compositions of welding wire, shielding gasses, flux materials, and so forth. In addition, distortion and stresses are reduced by the application of the induction heating energy in addition to the welding arc source.