Electric heating – Metal heating – By arc
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-15
2004-09-28
Shaw, Clifford C. (Department: 1725)
Electric heating
Metal heating
By arc
Reexamination Certificate
active
06797921
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to a welding device having a current source for supplying electrical energy to at least one electrode and a control and/or evaluation unit, cooperating with the current source. The evaluation unit has an input device for setting various welding parameters. There is also a communication interface connected to the controller evaluation unit to set up a two-way data exchange between the welding device or the current source via a web server such as a HTTP server. The invention also relates to, a method of operating a welding device as well as a control and/or evaluation system for a welding device.
A welding control system for a welding device is known from patent document U.S. Pat. No. 5,850,066 A, in which the welding device is able to retrieve data from a data bank via a network. This being the case, the welding device is connected to a network, in particular a computer network, by means of a communications interface, in particular a RS 232, so that corresponding data located in the network can be downloaded from a computer or a data bank via this data connection. The disadvantage of this system is that only one location-related data exchange can be operated with other components, such as a data bank or a computer.
Also known from the report entitled “Implementation of computer system for production and QA/QC in the Öresund link high bridge project”, is the idea of using a computer system for quality assurance and for documentation purposes. In this computer system, welding drawings, test protocols, etc., are produced, entered and stored, in particular on a server, and can then be retrieved by another computer via a modem. The disadvantage of this system is that the data transferred via the computer can be retrieved by one other computer only, after which the devices, in particular the welding devices, have to be configured by skilled personnel on the basis of the transferred data.
A system is known from patent document EP 0 825 506 A2, whereby several clients are able to access a remotely disposed server via the internet or via an intranet and run a corresponding data exchange. A server is installed upstream of the terminal devices, to which the individual terminal devices are connected via a bus system. The way in which the data transfer is operated is that external devices link up to the server, which in turn communicates with the terminal devices linked by the bus system.
Methods of controlling welding devices and current sources as well as a control system needed for this purpose are known, in which various welding parameters such as a welding current, an additive, a welding method, etc., can be set from an input and/or output device and the control system operates the individual components of the welding device on the basis of the set welding parameters so that a user can start a corresponding welding process.
The underlying objective of the present invention is to propose a welding device and a method for operating a welding device, which can be remotely operated and by means of which status data can be determined remotely and maintenance carried out remotely.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a welding device having a current source, at least one electrode, a control and evaluation unit, an input device, a communications interface, a sensor system and a HTTP server in communication with the control and evaluation unit. The advantage of this system is that data can be forwarded to the welding device from a remote site and a data reading relating to the welding device or a welding process can be taken and transmitted over long distances. By incorporating a web server or HTTP server of the type known from the prior art, standardised software programmes can be used for the two-way data traffic, thereby ensuring compatibility with a whole range of connection possibilities such as data banks and the most varied of communication partners and communication equipment. Another advantage resides in the fact that this option of transmitting data remotely means that maintenance and software updates can be run remotely, as can access to external welding data banks in which special welding processes on welding settings are stored, thereby saving on the high travelling coat involved in sending a service engineer out.
The term data is intended to include software programmes which can be selectively forwarded to the welding device or read from it, providing an effective means of amending configurations, searching for errors and controlling and monitoring the welding device. In particular, all the information or data of a welding process to be run can be fully accessed from the welding device, which enables faulty conditions to be avoided and provides an easy way of assessing the quality and productivity of the welding process. Moreover, it is possible to set up a central control or operating or monitoring system for several welding devices so that the welding engineer can concentrate on his main job since settings can be entered and the welding device monitored from a central point or alternatively from several remote sites. The option of being able to manage and monitor the welding device and the welding processes from a central site or alternatively from several different remote sites allows the system to be automated, which can increase the quality and productivity of welding jobs. Servicing and order processing are simplified in particular and can be operated much more quickly, whilst the welding device can be maintained and configured remotely. Furthermore, online help services can be accessed through the communications interface which means that it will not usually be necessary to stop work or to leave the working area.
In one embodiment, the HTTP server can be disposed adjacent to the welding device or in the current source, in another embodiment the HTTP server can be disposed external to the welding device or current source. This HTTP server can establish a connection to a primary network such as the Internet or an Intranet for data exchange with another HTTP server. These designs are of advantage because they provide an easy means of connecting into an already existing or configured network.
Another embodiment of the invention is that the control or evaluation unit is a computer unit which operates via software modules of a control program and processes and prepares received data and/or data to be transmitted. This design has advantages since it offers a welding device which can be readily adapted to the individual requirements of the user and is also flexible if any changes have to be made subsequently.
The invention can also include a communications interface that is a TCP/IP interface that enables a communication to be operated using the TCP/IP protocol. An advantage of this embodiment is that it enables the welding device to be connected into data transmission networks covering a wide area, which means that virtually everybody will be able to benefit from the advantages of the welding device proposed by the invention.
In this case, the communications interface can be designed to link into a local area network such as the Internet, or to a global network such as the Internet. With this embodiment, welding process data or settings specific to the internal company or worldwide can be transmitted to a specific welding device or from a specific welding device.
Also of advantage is an embodiment wherein the welding device has a control or evaluation unit that has a standardized interface wherein the welding device is connected with a coupling device on the network by a communication device such as a modem or a network card. This feature is beneficial, since the welding device may be docked into the primary network or separated from the primary network in full security.
In the embodiment described above, the standardized interface can be a serial interface such as a RS 232 interface. The advantage of this embodiment is that the welding device can be connected to standard commercially available PC-compatible components, which means that its fu
Hackl Heinrich
Lauber Anton
Mair Peter
Niedereder Franz
Wittman Manfred
Collard & Roe P.C.
Fronius International GmbH
Shaw Clifford C.
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