Caterpillar Inc.

Howard W Ludewig

Huijun Wang

Fernando Martinez Diez

Alan L Kilty

Ilhan J Varol

Leon Robert Adcock

Keith Alan Herman

Donald A Stickel, Iii

Kendall Reed Powell

Mathew Mark Robinson

Brian L Wallace

Keith Egland

Samuel L McClallen

Matthew Mark Robinson

Donald Stickel

Michael Lynn Johnson

Stephen A Haytcher

Donald Albert Stickel, Iii

Steven R Thompson

Kevin S Stump

Brett A Jones

Yan Shao

Pingshun Zhao

Bryan L Crane

James H Siwicke

Danny L McCaherty

Tao Hong

Dean E Rees

Kandarp Siddharthbai Patel

Adam Q Moore

Zhaolin Hu

A weld kit is presented for use in creating a weld with limited access to a structure. The weld kit contains a back plate being a combination of a thermic material attached to a metallic material. Additionally, the weld kit has a lowering device secured to the back plate. A plurality of tacking nodes travel through both the thermic material and the metallic material of the back plate. The plurality of tacking nodes are operative to accept and distribute heat from a welding arc to create a tack weld at a location where at least one of the plurality of tacking nodes contacts a weld joint. The presented weld kit may be used to repair a damaged enclosed structure. Additionally, the presented weld kit may also be used to create an enclosed structure in a manufacture type environment.

Weld kit and method for limited access weld joints

A truck body for a machine is disclosed. The truck body has a bottom wall defining a front end and a rear end, a pair of lateral walls extending from the bottom wall, and a front wall extending between the pair of lateral walls at the front end. The truck body includes a pair of bottom beams pivotally coupled to a frame of the machine. The truck body further includes a plurality of tubes disposed on the pair of bottom beams. Each of the plurality of tubes is disposed adjacent to each other to at least define the bottom wall and the pair of lateral walls of the truck body.

Truck body for a machine

A consumable insert for welding a first component to a second component is provided. The first component is positioned with respect to the second component in such a manner that a gap is defined between adjacent surfaces thereof. The consumable insert includes a body having a profile. The profile of the body matches a scan of a profile of the gap between the adjacent surfaces. The consumable insert also includes a dam portion having a profile. The profile of the dam portion matches, at least in part, a scan of corresponding surfaces of the first component and the second component respectively. The dam portion is provided in contact with at least one end of the body. The dam portion is configured to control an overflow of a weld puddle therefrom. The body and the dam portion are formed using three dimensional printing.

Consumable insert for welding

A welding system is disclosed for use in closing a seam. The welding system may have a mount configured to hold a work piece having the seam to be welded, and a robotic welding device movable relative to the mount. The welding system may also have a controller in communication with the robotic welding device and configured to control the robotic welding device to sequentially generate a plurality of weld layers within the seam. Each weld layer may have at least one dam segment extending generally orthogonal to a length direction of the seam, and a main segment extending in the length direction.

Welding system implementing concurrent auto-dam fabrication

A system for automated assembly and welding is disclosed. The system includes a pallet for receiving incoming workpieces; a workpiece holder having a plurality of electromagnets; a handling robot configured to transport incoming workpieces from the pallet to the workpiece holder; and a controller in communication with the workpiece holder and the handling robot. The controller is configured to determine an orientation of a workpiece positioned on the workpiece holder, and to selectively adjust an activation state of one or more electromagnets of the workpiece holder based upon the orientation of the workpiece. A method of assembling and welding workpieces is also disclosed.

Automated assembly and welding of structures

An apparatus for the heat-treating of a heat-hardenable steel cruciform article having a weld seam includes a heating element to heat the weld seam to a point that an austenitic transformation occurs, and a quenching chamber to cool the weld seam, causing the formation of Martensite and an associated expansion. The quenching is rapid since slow quenching may allow a crystalline phase other than martensite to form. The apparatus may comprise rollers operable to convey the welded cruciform article through the apparatus at a speed such that the weld seam is subjected to heating for a predetermined heat time sufficient to cause a formation of martensite there within, and such that the heated portion reaches the quenching chamber and is quenched to create a substantial amount of martensite, e.g., an amount sufficient to cause expansion of the part.

Localized induction heating for residual stress optimization

A welding torch includes a nozzle with a first welding wire guide configured to orient a first welding wire in a first welding wire orientation, and a second welding wire guide configured to orient a second welding wire in a second welding wire orientation that is non-coplanar and divergent with respect to the first welding wire orientation. A method of welding includes moving a welding torch with respect to a workpiece joint to be welded. During moving the welding torch, a first welding wire is fed through a first welding wire guide defining a first welding wire orientation and a second welding wire is fed through a second welding wire guide defining a second welding wire orientation that is divergent and non-coplanar with respect to the first welding wire orientation.

Dual wire welding torch and method

Surfaces of a weld seam are measured to determine weld seam characteristics such as weld seam profile, seam shape, misfit in a seam, seam gap, and surface irregularities. A desired weld bead profile is predicted based on the weld seam profile. Optimal welding parameters for the weld process are determined to achieve the desired weld bead profile. As the weld bead is applied along the weld seam, weld bead characteristics are measured to define the actual weld bead profile. The desired weld bead profile is compared to the actual weld bead profile and the weld process is modified if there is a difference between the actual weld bead profile and the desired weld bead profile. Modifications may include changing wire speed, travel speed, torch position, torch angles, or other various welding parameters.

Method and system for controlling weld geometry features for improved fatigue performance of fabricated structures

A method and apparatus for monitoring quality of a weld bead during a welding process utilizing an electronic controller is disclosed. The method and apparatus includes determining an average power spectral density value for a first welding parameter signal between a first predetermined frequency and a second predetermined frequency, determining an average power spectral density value for a second welding parameter signal between a first predetermined frequency and a second predetermined frequency, and comparing the average power spectral density value for the second welding parameter signal with the average power spectral density value for the first welding parameter signal and terminating the welding process if the average power spectral density value for the first welding parameter signal exceeds the average power spectral density value for the second welding parameter signal.

Method and apparatus for monitoring weld quality

A method for determining the quality of a weld bead includes producing a weld bead along a work surface during a welding process and scanning the weld bead with a vision system to obtain positional data points for defining a weld bead profile. The weld bead has a weld toe zone or region, which is formed at the interface between the weld bead and the work surface. A curve fit is determined for the weld bead profile bases on the positional data points obtained by the laser scan vision system. The toe radius is derived bases on the curve fit and is then compared to a first predetermined limit and a second predetermined limit, greater than the first predetermined limit, to determine the quality of the weld bead. If the toe radius is less than the first predetermined limit or greater than the second predetermined limit, the welding process is modified to produce a weld bead with a toe radius that falls within the desired range. In one embodiment the weld toe radius is determined from first and second derivations of a numerical relationship representative of the curve fit. In another embodiment the curve fit is compared to a plurality of curves to find a corresponding match and the weld toe radius is determined from the matching

Method and system for determining weld bead quality

A method for sensing and controlling the weld quality of gas metal arc welding employs sampling of the welding current and voltage signals and making determinations of the weld quality state based on information embedded in those signals. The signals are processed such that the quality of the weld can be determined and the appropriate steps are taken to respond to the detected quality level. If the quality level is deemed unacceptable the process is terminated and the operator is alerted. The method includes determinations based on the standard deviation of the electrical signal, the summed power spectrum of the electrical signal, and/or the average absolute value of the time derivative of the electrical signal.

Method for arc welding fault detection

A method for determining distortion of a member which results from the member being subjected to a welding operation is disclosed. The method includes the steps of (1) locating the member so that the member assumes a first position, (2) obtaining first data measurements of the member while the member is located in the first position, (3) performing the welding operation on the member whereby the member distorts and assumes a second position, (4) obtaining second data measurements of the member while the member is located in the second position, and (5) calculating distortion of the member based on the first data measurements and the second data measurements. An apparatus for determining distortion of a member which results from the member being subjected to a welding operation is also disclosed.

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Groveland, IL, United States of America

Howard W Ludewig