Devices and methods comprise at least one gauge for inspecting weld seams comprising a plurality of cutouts: a square cutout, a rectangular cutout, a concave cutout with a protuberance; and a straight edge ending with a protruding part. The devices and methods make it possible to inspect the compliance of a weld bead with various quality standards, without taking measurements, or referring to said standards.

A bead appearance inspection device includes an input unit configured to enter input data related to a welding bead of a workpiece produced by welding, and a determination unit configured to perform an inspection determination related to a shape of the welding bead based on the input data. The determination unit determines which of a range of a value indicating a non-defective product zone, a range of a value indicating a gray zone, and a range of a value indicating a defective product zone a value obtained from the input data belongs to. The range of the value indicating the gray zone is between the range of the value indicating the non-defective product zone and the range of the value indicating the defective product zone.

A method for checking a connection region formed during a joining process of at least two metal components via a laser. The method includes producing a photographic recording of the connection region being formed, transforming the photographic recording, creating at least two image strips in the photographic recording, and assessing the at least two image strips. An apparatus for carrying out the method is further provided.

A method, apparatus, and system are provided to monitor and characterize the dynamics of a phase change region (PCR) created during laser welding, specifically keyhole welding, and other material modification processes, using low-coherence interferometry. By directing a measurement beam to multiple locations within and overlapping with the PCR, the system, apparatus, and method are used to determine, in real time, spatial and temporal characteristics of the weld such as keyhole depth, length, width, shape and whether the keyhole is unstable, closes or collapses. This information is important in determining the quality and material properties of a completed finished weld. It can also be used with feedback to modify the material modification process in real time.

A method for determining a depth of a vapor capillary during laser machining includes: irradiating a machining laser beam onto a workpiece to form the capillary, the beam deflected by a first deflection device along a machining path within a first scan field, irradiating an optical measuring beam onto the workpiece, the measuring beam deflected by a second deflection device relative to the machining laser beam along a scanning path within a scanning area and then together with the machining laser beam by the first deflecting device, acquiring measured distance values along the path based on part of the measuring beam reflected by the workpiece, determining a depth/position of the capillary based on the acquired measured distance values. The scanning area size is based on a position of the laser beam and/or deflection of the laser beam by the first deflection device. A corresponding laser machining system is also provided.

The present invention relates to a method for inspecting a welding quality of an electrode tab-electrode lead welded portion of a pouch-type lithium secondary battery, and the method includes: recognizing welding traces of the welded portion by a vision inspection device; measuring a size of each of the recognized welding traces; and determining whether the welded portion has been weakly welded, excessively welded or normally welded by comparing the measured size with a reference value.

A laser processing apparatus includes a laser oscillator that oscillates processing laser light to be incident on a processing point on a processing surface of a workpiece, a coupling mirror that deflects or transmits the processing laser light and measurement light to be incident on the processing point toward the processing point, a measurement light deflection unit that changes an incident angle of the measurement light on the coupling mirror, a lens that concentrates the processing laser light and the measurement light on the processing point, a controller that controls the laser oscillator and the measurement light deflection unit, a measurement processor that measures a depth of a keyhole generated at the processing point by the processing laser light by using an optical interference signal based on an interference generated by an optical path difference between the measurement light reflected at the processing point and reference light, and a beam position measurement unit that measures positions of the processing laser light and the measurement light.

A device for measuring the depth of a weld seam in real time during the welding or joining of a workpiece by means of radiation, including: its measuring light source, the light of which is coupled by a beam splitter into a reference arm and a measuring arm; a collimator module having at least one collimation lens for collimating a measuring light beam, which is fed to the collimator module via an optical waveguide in the measuring arm, and for imaging the measuring light beam, which is reflected from a workpiece to be processed, on an exit/entry surface of the optical waveguide; a coupling element for coupling the measuring light beam into the beam path of a processing beam; a focusing lens for the joint focusing of the measuring light beam and the processing beam on the workpiece and for the collimating of the reflected measuring light beam; and an analysis unit for determining the depth of a weld seam, into which the measuring light reflected from the workpiece is guided with the superimposed, reflected light from the reference arm. The collimator module includes a device for setting the axial focal position of the measuring light beam, and for setting the lateral focal position of the measuring light beam, and a field lens, which is arranged between the exit/entry surface of the optical waveguide and the collimation lens and defines the beam widening of the measuring light beam and therefore the focus diameter of the measuring light beam.

A method, apparatus, and system are provided to monitor and characterize the dynamics of a phase change region (PCR) created during laser welding, specifically keyhole welding, and other material modification processes, using low-coherence interferometry. By directing a measurement beam to multiple locations within and overlapping with the PCR, the system, apparatus, and method are used to determine, in real time, spatial and temporal characteristics of the weld such as keyhole depth, length, width, shape and whether the keyhole is unstable, closes or collapses. This information is important in determining the quality and material properties of a completed finished weld. It can also be used with feedback to modify the material modification process in real time.

A welding gauge and method of use that allows a user to measure the difference in height between a first material surface with that of a second material surface when they are welded together along the same plane or at an angle. The gauge has a first plate with a foot portion and a bottom reference edge. The first plate is connected to a second plate at an axis of rotation corresponding to a circular measurement scale located on the first plate. The gauge also has a third plate that is attachable to the second and slidably connected through vertical slots located in said second and third plates. The third plate has a bottom contact edge and tolerance indicators along its left and right edges that can align with a tolerance measurement scale located on the second plate and along the vertical slot of the second plate.