An apparatus includes a welding torch, a laser capable of projecting a beam towards a seam on a surface, a camera directed towards the surface, a memory, and a processor. The processor receives an image of the surface from the camera. Next, the processor determines, based on the reflection of the laser beam from the surface, a vertical distance from the torch to the seam. The processor adjusts the brightness and contrast of the image, applies a gamma correction, and applies at least one gradient filter to the image to produce a new image. Next, the processor determines a horizontal location of the seam in the new image, which it uses to determine a horizontal distance from the torch to the seam. Based on the vertical and horizontal distances from the torch to the seam, the processor adjusts a vertical and a horizontal position of the torch.

Hybrid manual and automated welding systems and methods are described. A hand-held welding tool is manually positioned to engage a workpiece. The hand-held welding tool includes a motion device that is configured to automatically move a contact tip or a welding heat source during a welding operation after a manual triggering. A welding arc is automatically and repeatedly turned off and on to make a string of overlapping and equally spaced spot welds while the contact tip or the welding heat source moves from the first position to the second position.

A welding program is created for performing spot welding by a program creation device. The program creation device includes a display unit configured to display an image, and an image generation unit configured to generate image data of a product model before being subjected to spot welding in accordance with shape data on a product and display the product model on the display unit, a display control unit configured to make a workpiece having a selected surface in the product model to be semitransparent, a welding portion setting unit configured to set welding portions to be allotted for the selected surface in the product model, and a program creation unit configured to create the welding program including related data for a welding robot with regard to the set welding portions.

The present invention provides a method for detecting a shape of a butt joint of a welded steel pipe. A specific detection range including a butt joint of a welded steel pipe is scanned with a non-contact means to obtain geometric coordinate data. Coordinates of a start point and an end point of the specific detection range, a first selected point located between the start point and the butt joint, and a second selected point located between the butt joint and the end point are selected from the geometric coordinate data. A first approximate circle including the start point, the end point, and the first selected point, and a second approximate circle including the start point, the end point, and the second selected point are calculated. A deviation between the first and the second approximate circles is used as an index representing the shape of the butt joint.

An arc welder produces a weave pattern between workpieces. Each weld run comprises a center portion including a joining region between the workpieces and edge regions spaced apart from the joining region. The welder includes a power source that provides a welding waveform to a welding electrode to generate an arc to achieve a desired heat for welding, a welding torch, and an oscillator for oscillating the torch between the welding edge regions. A controller causes the power source to operate in a first mode utilizing a first waveform during welding within the joining region, and in a second mode using a second waveform, having a greater positive component than the first waveform, during welding within the edge regions. The controller determines a stickout value based on the first waveform but not the second waveform, and performs seam tracking based the second waveform but not the first waveform.

An arc welder produces a weave pattern between workpieces. Each weld run comprises a center portion including a joining region between the workpieces and edge regions spaced apart from the joining region. The welder includes a power source that provides a welding waveform to a welding electrode to generate an arc to achieve a desired heat for welding, a welding torch, and an oscillator for oscillating the torch between the welding edge regions. A controller causes the power source to operate in a first mode utilizing a first waveform during welding within the joining region, and in a second mode using a second waveform, having a greater positive component than the first waveform, during welding within the edge regions. The controller determines a stickout value based on the first waveform but not the second waveform, and performs seam tracking based the second waveform but not the first waveform.

A system for manufacturing boiler tubes includes a first spindle for receiving a first tube having a first weld preparation, a second spindle for receiving a second tube having a second weld preparation, the first spindle and the second spindle being rotatable synchronously, and a welding device having a first weld head. The welding device is configured to automatically weld the first tube to the second tube according to a control routine stored in memory to produce a boiler tube.

A system for manufacturing boiler tubes includes a first spindle for receiving a first tube having a first weld preparation, a second spindle for receiving a second tube having a second weld preparation, the first spindle and the second spindle being rotatable synchronously, and a welding device having a first weld head. The welding device is configured to automatically weld the first tube to the second tube according to a control routine stored in memory to produce a boiler tube.

A weld system for welding two pipes includes a frame, a plurality of rollers, a drive motor, a brake system, an inspection detector, a weld torch, one or more battery cells and one or more processors. The frame is configured to be placed within the pipes. The plurality of rollers is configured to rotatably support the frame. The drive motor drives the rollers to move the frame within the pipes. The brake system secures the frame from movement at a desired location within the pipes. The weld torch, the inspection detector and the one or more battery cells are carried by the frame. The inspection detector is configured to detect a characteristic of an interface region between the pipes. The one or more battery cells are configured to power the drive motor, the inspection detector and the weld torch.

An arc-tracking welding method according to the present invention is an arc-tracking welding method in a consumable-electrode-type welding apparatus provided with a weaving function for swinging a torch in the welding direction, wherein a welding current and a welding voltage to be supplied to a consumable electrode include high-frequency components. A change in resistance value resulting from a fluctuation in electrode height is detected from the welding current and the welding voltage during welding. Then, a shift of a weld line is detected from information about the detected resistance value and both end positions of a weaving amplitude.