REAL TIME CONTROL SYSTEM AND PROCESS FOR CONTROLLING PREDETERMINED OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS OF A WELDING MECHANISM

摘要

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREA real time control system and process forcontrolling predetermined operating characteristics of awelding mechanism movable along a workpiece joint to bewelded, the workpiece joint having two opposed edges. Athermal radiation sensing device is responsive to thermalradiation energy emanating from a heated workpiece joint.The sensing device is positioned along a travelling pathof a welding element of the welding mechanism, ahead andin close proximity to the welding element, the sensingdevice and welding element being disposed on a common siderelative to the workpiece joint. The thermal radiationsensing device is caused to scan the workpiece joint alonga line transverse to the travelling path so as to allow thesensing device to sense a thermal radiation profile alongthe transverse scanning line and to provide peak signalsrepresentative of the relative position of the edges of theworkpiece joint in accordance with the thermal radiationprofile sensed, thereby defining the actual width of thejoint. Circuitry is provided for processing the peaksignals provided by the radiation sensing device to issuecommand signals for controlling the predetermined operatingcharacteristics of the welding mechanism.