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.

A system and method of electric arc welding that includes a welding apparatus having an electric arc welder torch with sensors to determine the absolute position of the torch tip and the relative position of the torch tip to the weld joint during automatic welding. Combining absolute and relative positional data can be used to adjust the path of the robot during automated or robotic welding in response to variations in the weld joint.

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 inductive sensor which includes one or more inductive coils and an inductance to digital converter. The output of the inductive sensor may be used to replace the functions of a switch and a potentiometer to initiate and control various outputs in welding-type systems and applications.

An inductive sensor which includes one or more inductive coils and an inductance to digital converter. The output of the inductive sensor may be used to replace the functions of a switch and a potentiometer to initiate and control various outputs in welding-type systems and applications.

The present disclosure discloses an integrated weld position detection device based a binaural effect, including a microphone, a microphone holder, a megaphone, a conductive rod, and a current contact nozzle, where the microphone holder is provided with a first through hole in the center; the first through hole allows the conductive rod to pass through and is fixedly connected to the conductive rod; the current contact nozzle is fixedly connected to the conductive rod; the microphone holder is internally provided with two accommodating cavities; the two accommodating cavities are symmetrically distributed on left and right sides of the microphone holder; two microphones are respectively disposed inside the two accommodating cavities; the megaphone is provided with at least two sound transmission channels; first ends of the two sound transmission channels communicate with the two accommodating cavities respectively.

Embodiments of systems and methods for supporting weld quality across a manufacturing environment are disclosed. One embodiment includes a manufacturing cell supporting welding of a sequence of welds to manufacture a workpiece. The manufacturing cell includes robotic welding equipment to make robotic welds as at least a portion of manufacturing a workpiece. The manufacturing cell also includes non-robotic welding equipment configured to allow a human operator to make non-robotic welds as at least a portion of manufacturing the workpiece. The manufacturing cell further includes a weld sequence controller configured to control timing associated with making the robotic welds and the non-robotic welds as a sequence of welds to manufacture the workpiece.

A system for and method of tracking elements of a welding system using electromagnetic sensors and an electromagnetic transmitter, the electromagnetic sensors and an electromagnetic transmitter operating at a frequency group that is selected to reduce or avoid interference from other welding systems, such selection being performed manually by a user or automatically as the result of detection of interference at the sensors.

A system and method of electric arc welding that includes a welding apparatus having an electric arc welder torch with sensors to determine the absolute position of the torch tip and the relative position of the torch tip to the weld joint during automatic welding. Combining absolute and relative positional data can be used to adjust the path of the robot during automated or robotic welding in response to variations in the weld joint.

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.