Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Todd Earl Holverson

James Lee Uecker

Richard Martin Hutchison

Robert Raimund Davidson

Nathan Gerald Leiteritz

Nathan John Lamers

James Francis Rappl

Gregory David Popp

Knut Norman Froland

Jerald Edward Jones

Valerie Lisa Rhoades

Bruce Patrick Albrecht

Adam Nathan Cuneo

David G Almy

Caleb Robert Krisher

Michael Anthony Gill

Lin Zhang

Curt J Beck

Mark Dietrich Mann

Jon O Reynolds

William Joshua Becker

Christopher Hsu

Steven Edward Barhorst

James F Ulrich

Kyle Andrew Pfeifer

William Todd Watson

Anthony Franklin Nikodym

Jyi-Jiin Luo

Andrew Patrick Mulroy

Joseph C Schneider

Richard W Beeson

Jeffery Ray Ihde

Thomas Allen Bunker

Richard J Schuh

William R Giese

Joseph Edward Feldhausen

Kenneth S Dobson

Jeremy Daniel Overesch

Bryan Dustin Marschke

Adam Kirk Pliska

Joseph Kyle Fink

Clay Alan Byron

Michael Hilary Novak

Robert D Steenis

Timothy Nathan Temby

John Henry Gaffney, Iii

Stephen King Madden

Jeffery P Schroeder

Douglas W Krebs

Peter Donald Mehn

L Thomas Hayes

Albert Matthew Nowak

Christopher Nelli

Steven Blair Massey, Jr

Ryan Jerome Lindeman

Jason Bonnell

Tret West

James Lee Eucker

Curtis J Beck

James Olejnizak

Richard Hutchinson

Joseph K Fink

Christopher J Nelli

Michael J O'DELL

Kenneth J Puls

John Henry Gaffney Iii

Timothy Temby

Michael Novak

Clay A Byron

Jeremy D Overesch

John Henry Gaffney

Apparatus and methods for welding asset tracking with heartbeat monitoring are disclosed. In some examples, a welding asset tracking system may comprise an asset tracking network of tags, hubs, and/or gateways retained by welding assets within a welding area. The welding asset tracking system may generate heartbeat signals that certain welding assets may require for normal operation, so as to ensure the welding assets are used in appropriate welding contexts and/or welding areas. In some examples, information obtained from the asset tracking network may be used to determine whether one or more heartbeat signals should be discontinued.

Welding asset tracking with heartbeat monitoring

A travel speed sensing system includes an optical sensor configured to be coupled to a welding torch. The optical sensor is configured to sense light incident on the optical sensor, and the travel speed sensing system is configured to determine a travel speed of the welding torch, a direction of the welding torch, or both, based on the sensed light.

Optical-based weld travel speed sensing system

An example welding interface device, includes: a user interface device; a processor; and a machine readable storage device comprising machine readable instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: determine, via the user interface device, information describing physical characteristics of a workpiece for a weld to be performed; based on the physical characteristics, determining at least one of a thermal characteristic of the workpiece, an electrical characteristic of the workpiece, or a chemical characteristic of the workpiece; determine a boundary condition associated with the workpiece based on the at least one of the thermal characteristic, the electrical characteristic, or the chemical characteristic; and output a welding process based on the boundary condition.

Systems and methods to select weld parameters based on thermal, electrical, and/or chemical properties

An example system includes an additive manufacturing tool configured to receive a wire from a wire feeder, to receive current from a power source, and to supply the wire to a workpiece during an additive manufacturing process, and a mechanical oscillation system configured to mechanically oscillate a structural component toward and away from the workpiece, wherein the structural component is external to the wire feeder and the power source.

Metal manufacturing systems and methods using mechanical oscillation

A welding system includes a repositionable temperature sensor. The repositionable temperature sensor is configured to detect temperatures corresponding to a workpiece and to provide temperature data corresponding to the detected temperatures. The welding system also includes a power supply configured to receive the temperature data from the temperature sensor. The power supply is configured to modify control of an output of the power supply based on the detected temperature.

Welding system for determining a quality of a welding operation

A welding system having a welding power supply, a wire feeder coupled to the welding power supply, and a welding torch coupled to the wire feeder and configured to output wire from the wire feeder is provided. In particular, the welding system includes a wireless module (e.g., gateway) disposed within a component of the welding system, or as an independent component within the welding system. For example, the wireless module may be disposed within the welding power supply, the wire feeder, or the welding torch. The wireless module is configured to wirelessly transmit to and receive welding information, such as operator identification information, from a wireless personal device. The wireless personal device is uniquely associated with a welding operator operating the welding system.

Systems and methods for a personally allocated interface for use in a welding system

A method and apparatus for monitoring weld cell and related activity is disclosed. The activity is sensed using a variety of sensors, and reported to the controller, or to a remote location.

Method and apparatus for monitoring weld cell

Systems and methods for welding asset tracking are disclosed. In some examples, a welding asset tracking system may comprise an asset tracking network of tags, hubs, and/or gateways retained by welding assets within a welding area. The asset tracking network may obtain and/or communicate to an asset tracking server welding data related to one or more of the welding assets, as well as position data obtained via an internal and/or external positioning system. In this way, the welding asset tracking server may continually receive updated information regarding each welding assets identity, location, and/or use. The asset tracking server may additionally send a command to a selected welding asset that causes an interface of the selected welding asset to emit an output that enables an operator to physically identify the welding asset.

Systems and methods for welding asset identification

An example welding user interface system includes: a user interface configured to receive a plurality of control inputs indicative of a plurality of weld specifications, wherein the plurality of weld specifications comprise two or more physical attributes of a weld, the physical attributes comprising two or more of a workpiece thickness, a joint type, a workpiece material, a fillet size, a penetration depth, a penetration profile, a bead width, a wire type, a wire feed speed, or a gas type; and a processor configured to convert the weld specifications from the plurality of control inputs into electrical parameters of a welding power source, and to control an output welding power of the welding power source based at least in part on the electrical parameters.

Weld parameter interface

Disclosed is a system and method to track the consumption and use period of various consumable and/or durable welding-type products via tracking the consumption and/or use of various other consumable and/or durable welding-type products. The system and method may provide alerts when the use period of a consumable and/or durable welding-type product satisfies a threshold and therefore should be replaced.

Systems and methods to provide vendor managed inventory with active tracking

In certain embodiments, a portable metal working robot system includes a metal working tool configured to perform a metal working process on one or more metal parts. In addition, the portable metal working robot system includes communication circuitry configured to receive control signals from a control system located remotely from the portable metal working robot system. The portable metal working robot system also includes control circuitry configured to control operational parameters of the portable metal working robot system in accordance with the received control signals.

Virtual reality controlled mobile robot

A method for monitoring a spatter generating event during a welding application. The method includes capturing data that corresponds to a welding current of the welding application. The method also includes detecting parameters associated with a short circuit from the captured data. The method includes analyzing the detected parameters to monitor the spatter generating event during the welding application.

Devices and methods for analyzing spatter generating events

Growing community of inventors

Appleton, WI, United States of America

Todd Earl Holverson