VIRTUAL TESTING AND INSPECTION OF A VIRTUAL WELDED ASSEMBLY

专利摘要:
virtual testing and inspection of a virtual weldment. These are arc welding simulations that provide virtual destructive and non-destructive inspection and testing simulation of virtual welded assemblies for training purposes. Virtual test simulations can be performed on virtual weldments created using a virtual reality welding simulator system (e.g. a virtual reality arc welding system (vraw). Virtual testing can be performed on "predetermined" (i.e. pre-defined) virtual weldments or using virtual weldments created using a virtual reality welding simulator system. be performed using a virtual reality welding simulator system (e.g. a virtual reality arc welding system (vraw)), and virtual inspection can be performed using a weldment inspection system (vwi) standalone or using a virtual reality welding simulator system (e.g. a virtual reality arc welding system (vraw)). of the present invention, the virtual test can also be performed on a standalone vwi system.
公开号:BR112012030156B1
申请号:R112012030156-0
申请日:2011-05-27
公开日:2022-01-11
发明作者:Matthew Wayne Wallace；Carl Peters
申请人:Lincoln Global, Inc；
IPC主号:

专利说明:

This US patent application claims priority from and is a continuation-in-part (CIP) patent application of pending Patent Application Serial Number US 12/501,257 filed July 10, 2009, which is now incorporated by way of reference in its entirety. This US patent application also claims priority from provisional patent application serial number U.S. 61/349,029 filed on May 27, 2010, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. FIELD OF TECHNIQUE
Certain modalities refer to virtual reality simulation. More particularly, certain modalities refer to systems and methods for testing and virtual inspection of a virtual weldment for training welders, welding inspectors, welding teachers, structural engineers and material engineers. BACKGROUND
In the real world of welding and training, a weld can be subjected to destructive testing and/or non-destructive testing. Such tests help to determine the quality of the weld and, therefore, the skill of the welder. Unfortunately, certain types of non-destructive testing, such as radiographic X-ray testing, may require expensive testing equipment and it can be time consuming to perform such tests. Also, destructive testing, by definition, destroys the weld. As a result, the weld can only be tested once in a destructive test.
In addition, there is a big lag in the industry between making a weldment and knowing if the weld is a satisfactory weld. Welding inspection training often considers such destructive and non-destructive testing to properly train a welding inspector for the purpose of determining how satisfactory or unsatisfactory a weld may be. The North American Welding Standard (AWS), as well as other welding standard institutions, provide visual inspection standards that set criteria for the types and levels of discontinuities and defects that are permitted in a particular type of weld.
Additional limitations and disadvantages of conventional, traditional, and proposed approaches will become apparent to those skilled in the art by comparing such approaches with embodiments of the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings. SUMMARY
Arc welding simulations that provide virtual destructive and non-destructive test simulation and inspection and testing of virtual weldment materials for training purposes are disclosed in the present document. Virtual test simulations can be performed on virtual weldments created using a virtual reality welding simulator system (eg, a virtual reality arc welding (VRAW) system). Virtual inspection simulations can be performed on "predetermined" (ie, pre-defined) virtual weldments or using virtual weldments created using a virtual reality welding simulator system. In general, virtual testing can be performed using a virtual reality welding simulator system (e.g. a virtual reality arc welding (VRAW) system), and virtual inspection can be performed using a standalone virtual weld assembly (VWI) inspection system or using a virtual reality welding simulator system (e.g. a virtual reality arc welding (VRAW) system). However, in accordance with certain enhanced embodiments of the present invention, virtual testing may also be performed on a standalone VWI system. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the standalone VWI system is a programmable processor-based hardware and software system with display capability. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the VRAW system includes a programmable processor-based subsystem, a spatial tracker operatively connected to the programmable processor-based subsystem, at least one dummy soldering tool that can be spatially tracked by the spatial tracker, and at least one display device operatively connected to the programmable processor-based subsystem. The VRAW system that can simulate, in virtual reality space, a real-time welding scenario includes formation of a weld by a user (welder) and various defect and discontinuity characteristics associated with welding. Both the standalone VWI system and the VRAW system can perform virtual inspection of a virtual weldment and display an animation of the virtual weldment under inspection to observe the effects. The VRAW system can perform both virtual testing and virtual inspection of a virtual weldment and can display an animation of the virtual weldment under test or inspection. A virtual weldment can be tested and inspected repeatedly, destructively and non-destructively, using the corresponding virtual reality welding simulator system or the corresponding standalone virtual weldment inspection system.
These and other features of the claimed invention, as well as details of illustrated embodiments thereof, will be more fully understood from the following description and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a system block diagram of a system that provides arc welding training in a real-time virtual reality environment;
Figure 2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a combined simulated welding console and Observer Display Device (ODD) of the system of Figure 1;
Figure 3 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the Observer Display Device (ODD) of Figure 2;
Figure 4 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a front portion of the simulated welding console of Figure 2 showing a physical welding user interface (WUI);
Figure 5 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a false welding tool (MWT) of the system of Figure 1;
Figure 6 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a table/stand (T/S) of the system of Figure 1;
Figure 7A illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a pipe weld coupon (WC) of the system of Figure 1;
Figure 7B illustrates the piping toilet of Figure 7A mounted on an arm of the table/stand (TS) of Figure 6;
Figure 8 illustrates various elements of an exemplary embodiment of the space tracker (ST) of Figure 1;
Figure 9A illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a face mounted display device (FMDD) of the system of Figure 1;
Figure 9B is an illustration of how the FMDD of Figure 9A is attached to a wearer's head;
Figure 9C illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the FMDD of Figure 9A mounted on a welding helmet;
Figure 10 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a subsystem block diagram of a programmable processor (PPS) based subsystem of the system of Figure 1;
Figure 11 illustrates an exemplary block diagram embodiment of a graphics processing unit (GPU) of the PPS of Figure 10;
Figure 12 illustrates an exemplary functional block diagram embodiment of the system of Figure 1;
Figure 13 is a flowchart of one modality of a training method using the virtual reality training system of Figure 1;
Figures 14A to 14B illustrate the concept of a welding pixel displacement map (wexel) in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 15 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a coupon space and a solder space of a simulated flat solder (WC) coupon in the system of Figure 1;
Figure 16 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a coupon space and a solder space of a simulated corner (T-joint) solder (WC) coupon in the system of Figure 1;
Figure 17 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a coupon space and a weld space of a simulated pipe weld (WC) coupon in the system of Figure 1;
Figure 18 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the pipe weld coupon (WC) of Figure 17;
Figures 19A to 19C illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the concept of a dual displacement puddle model of the system of Figure 1;
Figure 20 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a standalone virtual weldment inspection (VWI) system that can simulate inspection of a virtual weldment and display an animation of the virtual weldment under inspection to observe the effects due to the various characteristics associated with welding;
Figure 21 illustrates a flowchart of an exemplary embodiment of a method for evaluating the quality of a linebase virtual weldment rendered in virtual reality space; and
Figures 22 to 24 illustrate virtual animation modalities of a simulated bend test, a simulated drag test, and a simulated fracture test for the same virtual section of a weld. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
One embodiment of the present invention comprises a system for the virtual testing and inspection of a virtual weldment. The system includes a programmable processor-based subsystem operable to execute coded instructions. Coded instructions include a rendering tool and an analysis tool. The rendering instrument is configured to render at least one of a three-dimensional (3D) virtual weldment before simulated testing, a 3D animation of a virtual weldment under simulated testing, and a 3D virtual weldment after simulated testing. The analysis instrument is configured to perform simulated testing of a 3D virtual weldment. The simulated test may include at least one of simulated destructive testing and simulated non-destructive testing. The analysis instrument is further configured to perform inspection of at least one of a 3D virtual weldment before simulated testing, a 3D animation of a virtual weldment under simulated testing, and a 3D virtual weldment after simulated testing. for at least one of the pass/fail conditions and defect/discontinuity characteristics. The system also includes at least one display device operatively connected to the programmable processor-based subsystem to display at least one of a 3D virtual weldment prior to simulated testing, a 3D animation of a virtual weldment under simulated testing, and a 3D virtual weldment after the mock test. The system further includes a user interface operatively connected to the programmable processor-based subsystem and configured to at least handle an orientation of at least one of a 3D virtual weldment prior to simulated testing, a 3D animation of a weldment virtual under mock test, and a 3D virtual weldment after mock test on at least one display device. The programmable processor-based subsystem may include a central processing unit and at least one graphics processing unit. The at least one graphics processing unit may include a Unified Computer Device Architecture (CUDA) and a shader. The analysis instrument may include at least one of an expert system, a support vector machine (SVM), a neural network, and one or more intelligent agents. The analysis instrument can use welding code data or welding pattern data to analyze at least one of a 3D virtual weldment prior to simulated testing, a 3D animation of a virtual weldment under simulated testing, and an 3D virtual soldier after mock test. The analysis instrument may also include programmed virtual inspection tools that can be accessed and manipulated by a user using the user interface to inspect a virtual weldment.
Another embodiment of the present invention comprises a virtual welding test and inspection simulator. The simulator includes means for performing one or more simulated destructive and non-destructive tests on a 3D rendered virtual weldment. The simulator also includes a means to analyze results from one or more destructive and non-destructive tests simulated in the 3D rendered virtual weldment. The simulator even includes means for inspecting the 3D virtual weldment rendered at least after a simulated test of the 3D virtual weldment. The simulator may also include means for rendering a virtual 3D weldment. The simulator may also include means for rendering a 3D animation of the virtual weldment when performing one or more simulated destructive and non-destructive tests. The simulator may also include means for displaying and manipulating an orientation of the 3D animation of the virtual weldment. The simulator may also include means for inspecting a 3D virtual weldment before, during, and after simulated testing of the 3D virtual weldment.
A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method of evaluating the quality of a linebase virtual weldment rendered in virtual reality space. The method includes subjecting the line base virtual weldment to a first computer simulated test configured to test at least one feature of the line base virtual weldment. The method also includes rendering a first tested virtual weldment and generating the first test data in response to the first test. The method further includes subjecting the first tested virtual weldment and the first test data to a computer simulated analysis configured to determine at least one pass/fail condition of the first tested virtual weldment with respect to at least one characteristic. The first computer-simulated test can simulate a real destructive test or a real non-destructive test. The method may further include re-rendering the baseline virtual weldment in virtual reality space, subjecting the baseline virtual weldment to a second computer-simulated test configured to test at least one other feature of the baseline virtual weldment. line, render a second tested virtual weldment and generate the second test data in response to the second test, and subject the second tested virtual weldment and second test data to a computer-simulated analysis configured to determine at least one other pass/fail condition of the second virtual weldment tested against at least one other characteristic. The second computer-simulated test can simulate a real destructive test or a real non-destructive test. The method may further include manually inspecting a displayed version of the first tested virtual weldment rendered. The method may also include manually inspecting a displayed version of the second rendered tested virtual weldment.
A complete virtual weldment formed in virtual reality space can be analyzed for weld defects and a determination can be made as to whether or not such a weld has passed or failed industry standard tests in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Certain defects can cause certain types of faults at certain locations in the weld. Data representing any defects or discontinuities is captured as part of defining the virtual weldment either by pre-defining the virtual weldment or by creating a virtual weldment using a virtual reality welding simulator system (e.g. a virtual reality arc welding system (VRAW)) as part of a virtual welding process.
In addition, the pass/fail criteria for any particular test is previously known based on pre-defined welding codes and standards such as the AWS Welding Standards. According to an embodiment of the present invention, an animation is created allowing the visualization of a simulated destructive or non-destructive test of the virtual weldment. The same virtual weldment can be tested in many different ways. Testing and inspection of a virtual weldment can take place in a virtual reality welding simulator system (eg a virtual reality arc welding (VRAW) system) which will be described in detail later in this document. Inspection of a virtual weldment can take place in a standalone Virtual Weldment Inspection (VWI) system which will be described in detail later in this document.
The VRAW system can allow a user to create a virtual weldment in real time by simulating a welding scenario as if the user were actually welding, and capturing all the resulting data that defines the virtual weldment, which includes defects and discontinuities. The VRAW system can even perform virtual destructive and non-destructive testing and virtual weldment inspection as well as materials testing and virtual weldment inspection. The standalone VWI system can insert a pre-defined virtual weldment or a virtual weldment created using the VRAW system, and perform virtual inspection of the virtual weldment. A three-dimensional virtual weldment or part may be derived from a computer-aided design (CAD) model, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Then, testing and inspection can be simulated on irregular geometries for specific parts. According to an embodiment of the present application, the VRAW system can also perform virtual inspection of a pre-defined virtual weldment. For example, the VRAW system may include prefabricated virtual weld sets that a student can refer to to learn what a good weld should look like.
Various types of weld discontinuities and defects include improper weld size, insufficient microsphere placement, concave microsphere, excessive convexity, undercut, porosity, incomplete melting, slag inclusion, excess spatter, overload, cracks, and pit or molten material. whereby they are all well known in the art. For example, undercutting often occurs due to an incorrect weld angle. Porosity is a cavity-type discontinuity formed by gas trapping during solidification, often caused by moving the arc too far from the weld. Other problems may occur due to an incorrect process, filling material, wire size, or technique, all of which can be simulated.
Various types of destructive tests that can be performed include a root bend test, a face bend test, a side bend test, a drag or pull test, a fracture test (e.g. a fracture test notch test or a T-joint fracture test), an impact test, and a stiffness test which are all well known in the art. For many of these tests, a part is cut from the weld and testing is performed on that part. For example, a root bend test is a test that bends the cut part from the weldment so that the weld root is on the convex surface of a specified weld radius. A side bend test is a test that bends the weld so that the side of a weld cross section is on the convex surface of a specified weld radius. A face bend test is a test that bends the weld so that the face of the weld is on the convex surface of a specified weld radius.
An additional destructive test is a drag or pull test in which a cut part of a weld is pulled or stretched until the weld breaks, testing the yield strength and tensile strength of the weld. Another destructive test is a fracture test. One type of fracture test is a test on a weld that has two sections welded together at 90 degrees to each other to form a T-joint, in which one section is bent in the direction of the other section to determine if the weld is broken or not. If the solder breaks, the internal solder microsphere can be inspected. An impact test is a test in which an impact element is forced into a weld at various temperatures to determine a weld's ability to resist impact. A weld can have good strength under static load, and it can still fracture if subjected to high-velocity impact. For example, a pendulum device can be used to swing down and bump into the weld (possibly breaking the weld) and is called a Charpy impact test.
An additional destructive test is a stiffness test that tests an ability of the weld to resist notch or penetration in the weld joint. The stiffness of a weld depends on the resulting metallurgical properties in the weld joint, which is based, in part, on how the weld joint is cooled in the heat-affected zone. There are two types of stiffness tests, the Brinell test and the Rockwell test. Both tests use an indenter with either a hard ball or a finely tuned diamond tip. The indenter is applied to the weld under a standardized load. When the load is removed, penetration is measured. The test can be performed at various points in the surrounding metal and is a good indicator of potential cracks. An additional destructive test type is a pipe bend test in which a welded pipe is cut to have one piece outside each of the four quadrants of the pipe. A root bend is performed on two of the parts and a face bend is performed on the other two parts.
Various types of non-destructive testing that can be performed include radiographic testing and ultrasonic testing. In a radiographic test, the weld is exposed to X-rays and an X-ray image of the weld joint is generated which can be examined. In an ultrasonic test, the solder is exposed to ultrasonic energy and various properties of the solder joint are derived from the reflected ultrasonic waves. For certain types of non-destructive testing, the weld is subjected (in a virtual manner) to X-ray or ultrasound exposure and defects such as internal porosity, slag entrapment, and lack of penetration are visually presented to the user. Another type of non-destructive testing is dye penetrant or liquid penetrant testing which can be simulated in a form of virtual reality. A weld is subjected to a coloring material and the weld is then exposed to a developer to determine, for example, if there are any surface cracks that are not visible to the naked eye. An additional non-destructive test is the magnetic particle test which is also used to detect cracks and can be simulated in a form of virtual reality. Small cracks beneath the surface of a weld can be created by inappropriate heat input to the weld. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, travel speed and other welding process parameters are tracked in the virtual reality environment and used to determine the heat input to the weld, and then cracks near the weld surface can be detected with the use of virtual non-destructive testing.
In addition, the simulation of a weld on a simulated structure can be performed. For example, a virtual weldment that has a virtual weld joint created by a user of a VRAW system can be incorporated into a virtual simulation of a bridge for testing. The virtual weldment can correspond to a key structural element of the bridge, for example. The bridge can be specified to last a hundred years before failing. Testing may involve looking at the bridge over time (ie, virtual time) to see if the weld fails. For example, if the weld is of poor quality (ie, has unacceptable discontinuities or defects), the simulation may show an animation of the bridge collapsing after 45 years.
Figures 1 to 19C show an embodiment of a virtual reality arc welding (VRAW) system 100 that can simulate, in virtual reality space, a real-time welding scenario that includes the formation of a virtual weldment by a user (welder) and various defect and discontinuity characteristics associated with welding, as well as simulate testing and inspection of the virtual weldment and display an animation of the virtual weldment under test to observe the effects. The VRAW system can create a sophisticated virtual rendering of a weldment and perform sophisticated analysis of the rendering that compares various characteristics of the virtual weldment to a weld code.
Virtual inspection can be deployed to the VRAW system in any of a number of different forms and/or combinations thereof. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the VRAW system includes an expert system and is driven by a set of rules. An expert system is software that attempts to provide an answer to a problem, or to clarify uncertainties where normally one or more human experts need to be consulted. Specialized systems are more common in a specific problem domain, and are a traditional application and/or subfield of artificial intelligence. A wide variety of methods can be used to simulate expert performance, however common to many are 1) the creation of a knowledge base that uses some knowledge representation formalism to capture the Subject Matter Expert (SME) knowledge ( for example, a knowledge of the certified welding inspector) and 2) a process for collecting the knowledge of the SME and coding it according to the formalism, which is called knowledge engineering. Expert systems may or may not have learning components, but a third common element is that once the system is developed, it is proven to be placed in the same real-world problem-solving situation as human EMSs, typically as an aid to human workers or a complement to some information system.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the VRAW system includes support vector machines. Support vector machines (SVMs) are a set of related supervised learning methods used for classification and regression. Given a set of training examples each is marked as belonging to one of two categories, an SVM training algorithm creates a model that predicts whether a new example fits into one category or the others (e.g. pass categories /disapproval for particular defects and discontinuities). Intuitively, an SVM model is a representation of the examples as points in space, mapped in such a way that the separate category examples are divided by a clear span that is as wide as possible. New examples are then mapped in the same space and predicted to belong to a base category on which the sides of the span fall.
In accordance with a still further embodiment of the present invention, the VRAW system includes a neural network that can be trained and adapted to new scenarios. A neural network is made up of interconnecting artificial neurons (programming constructs that mimic the properties of biological neurons). Neural networks can either be used to gain an understanding of biological neural networks, or to solve artificial intelligence problems without necessarily creating a model of an actual biological system. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a neural network is designed to input defect and discontinuity data from virtual weldment data, and output pass/fail data.
In accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, intelligent agents can be employed to provide feedback to a student regarding areas in which the student needs to practice more, or to provide feedback to an instructor or educator in order to modify the teaching curriculum to improve the student's knowledge. In artificial intelligence, an intelligent agent is an autonomous entity, typically deployed in software, that observes and acts upon an environment and directs its activity to achieve goals. An intelligent agent may be able to learn and use knowledge to achieve a goal (for example, the goal of providing relevant feedback to a welding student or welding educator).
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a virtual rendering of a weld created using the VRAW system is exported to a destructive/non-destructive test portion of the system. The test portion of the system can automatically generate cross-sections of the virtual weldment (for destructive testing) and subject such cross-sections to one of a plurality of tests possible in the test portion of the VRAW system. Each of the plurality of tests can generate an animation that illustrates the particular test. The VRAW system can display the test animation to the user. The animation clearly shows the user whether or not the user-generated virtual weldment passed the test. For non-destructive testing, the weld is subjected (in a virtual manner) to X-ray or ultrasound exposure and then defects such as internal porosity, slag entrapment, and lack of penetration are visually presented to the user.
For example, a virtual weldment that undergoes a virtual bend test can be shown to fracture in the animation at a location where a particular type of defect occurs in the weld joint of the virtual weldment. As another example, a virtual weldment that undergoes a virtual bend test may be shown to bend in the animation and be cracked or show a significant amount of defect despite the weld not breaking completely. The same virtual weldment can be tested again and again for different tests using the same cross-sections (for example, cross-sections can be reconstituted or re-rendered by the VRAW system) or different cross-sections of the virtual weldment. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a virtual weldment is identified with metallurgical characteristics such as, for example, metal type and tensile strength that are factored into the particular destructive/non-destructive test selected. Various common weld metals are simulated, including weld metals such as aluminum and stainless steel, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, an expert system in background execution may pop up in a window on a display of the VRAW system and indicate to the user (e.g., via a text message and/or graphically) the reason for the weld failed the test (eg too much porosity at these particular points in the weld joint) and which particular weld pattern was not found. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the VRAW system can link hypertext to an external tool that links the present test to a particular weld pattern. In addition, a user can have access to a knowledge base that includes text, figures, video, and diagrams to support their training.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the animation of a particular destructive/non-destructive test is a 3D rendering of the virtual weldment as modified by the test so that a user can move the rendered virtual weldment in a three-dimensional manner in a VRAW system display during testing to view the test from multiple angles and perspectives. The same 3D animation rendered from a particular test can be played over and over again to allow maximum training benefit for the same user or multiple users.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the rendered virtual weldment and/or the rendered 3D animation of the corresponding virtual weldment under test can be exported to an inspection portion of the system to perform a weld inspection and/or to train a user in welding inspection (e.g. to become a certified welding inspector). The inspection portion of the system includes a teaching mode and a training mode.
In teaching mode, the virtual weldment and/or the rendered 3D animation of a virtual weldment under test is displayed and visualized by a classifier (trainer) together with a welding student. The trainer and welding student can view and interact with the virtual weldment. The trainer can make a determination (e.g., through a scoring method) of how well the welding student performed the identification of defects and discontinuities in the virtual weldment, and indicate to the welding student how well the welding student performed. the activity and what the student missed when interacting with the displayed virtual weldment (viewing from different perspectives, etc.).
In training mode, the system asks the student welding inspector various questions about the virtual weldment and allows the student welding inspector to enter answers to the questions. The system may provide the student welding inspector with a rating at the end of the questionnaire. For example, the system may initially provide student welding inspector sample questions for a virtual weldment and then proceed to provide timed student welding inspector questions for another virtual weldment that must be graded during a test mode.
The inspection portion of the system may also provide certain interactive tools that help a student welding inspector or trainer to detect defects and make certain measurements on the virtual weld that are compared to predetermined weld standards (for example, a virtual measurement that measures the penetration of a root weld and compares the measurement to a required standard penetration). A student welding inspector's rating may also include whether or not the student welding inspector used the correct interactive tools to assess the weld. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the inspection portion of the system, based on rating (i.e., score) determines which areas the welding inspector student needs assistance and provides the welding inspector student with more representative samples on which he must practice the inspection.
As previously discussed in this document, intelligent agents can be employed to provide feedback to a student of relative areas in which the student needs to practice more, or to provide feedback to an instructor or educator in order to modify the teaching curriculum to improve student knowledge. student. In artificial intelligence, an intelligent agent is an autonomous entity, typically deployed in software, that observes and acts upon an environment and directs its activity to achieve goals. An intelligent agent can learn and use the knowledge to achieve a goal (for example, the goal that provides relevant feedback to a welding student or a welding educator). According to an embodiment of the present invention, the environment perceived and acted upon by an intelligent agent is the virtual reality environment generated by the VRAW system, for example.
Again, the various interactive inspection tools can be used either on the virtual weldment before testing, or on the virtual weldment after testing, or both. The various interactive inspection tools and methodologies are configured for various welding processes, types of metals, and types of welding patterns, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In the standalone VWI system, interactive inspection tools can be manipulated using a keyboard and mouse, for example. In the VRAW system, interactive inspection tools can be manipulated via a joystick and/or a console panel, for example.
The VRAW system comprises a programmable processor-based subsystem, a spatial tracker operatively connected to the programmable processor-based subsystem, at least one dummy welding tool that can be spatially tracked by the spatial tracker, and at least one tracking device. display operatively connected to the programmable processor-based subsystem. The system can simulate, in a virtual reality space, a weld puddle that has real-time molten metal fluidity and heat dissipation characteristics. The system can also display the simulated weld pool on the display device in real time. The real-time molten metal fluidity and heat dissipation characteristics of the simulated weld pool provide real-time visual feedback to a user of the dummy welding tool when displayed, allowing the user to adjust or maintain a welding technique in real time. in response to real-time visual feedback (i.e. helping the user learn to weld correctly). The weld pool displayed is representative of a weld pool that must be formed in the real world based on the user's welding technique and selected welding parameters and process. When viewing a puddle (eg shape, color, slag, size, stacked coins), a user can modify their technique to make a good weld and determine the type of weld to be performed. The puddle shape is responsive to machine or rod movement. As used in this document, the term "real time" means to perceive and experience on the spot, in a simulated environment in the same way that a user would perceive and experience in a real world welding scenario. Additionally, the weld puddle is responsive to the effects of the physical environment including gravity, allowing a user to realistically practice welding in multiple positions that include overhead welding and multiple pipe welding angles (e.g. 1G , 2G, 5G, 6G). Such a real-time virtual welding scenario results in the generation of representative data from a virtual weldment.
Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a system block diagram of a system 100 that provides arc welding training in a real-time virtual reality environment. System 100 includes a programmable processor-based subsystem (PPS) 110. PPS 110 provides hardware and software configured as a rendering instrument to provide 3D animated renderings of virtual weldments. The PPS 110 also provides hardware and software configured as an analysis instrument to perform testing and inspection of a virtual weldment. In the context of the system in Figure 1, a virtual weldment is a simulation resulting from a weld coupon that has been performed through a simulated welding process to form a weld microsphere or weld joint.
System 100 further includes a spatial tracker (ST) 120 operatively connected to PPS 110. System 100 also includes a physical welding user interface (WUI) 130 operatively connected to PPS 110 and a display device mounted on the face (FMDD) 140 (see Figures 9A to 9C) operatively connected to the PPS 110 and ST 120. However, certain embodiments may not provide an FMDD. The system 100 further includes an Observer Display Device (ODD) 150 operatively connected to the PPS 110. The system 100 also includes at least one dummy welding tool (MWT) 160 operatively connected to the ST 120 and the PPS 110 The system 100 further includes a table/stand (T/S) 170 and at least one solder coupon (WC) 180 that can be attached to the T/S 170. In accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention, a bottle of Dummy gas is provided (not shown) to simulate a shielding gas source and has an adjustable flow regulator.
Figure 2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a combined simulated welding console 135 (simulation of a welding power source user interface) and Observer Display Device (ODD) 150 of the system 100 of Figure 1. The physical WUI 130 resides in a front portion of the console 135 and provides a handle, buttons, and a joystick for user selection of various modes and functions. ODD 150 is attached to a top portion of console 135, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The MWT 160 rests on a retainer attached to a side portion of the console 135. Internally, the console 135 retains the PPS 110 and a portion of the ST 120.
Figure 3 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the Observer Display Device (ODD) 150 of Figure 2. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the ODD 150 is a liquid crystal display device (LCD). Other display devices are also possible. For example, the ODD 150 may be a touch screen display, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. The ODD 150 receives video (eg SVGA format) and displays information from the PPS 110.
As shown in Figure 3, the ODD 150 can display a first user scene that shows various weld parameters 151 that include position, tip to work, weld angle, travel angle, and travel speed. These parameters can be selected and displayed in real time in graphical form and are used to teach proper welding technique. In addition, as shown in Figure 3, the ODD 150 can display simulated weld discontinuity states 152 that include, for example, inappropriate weld size, insufficient microsphere positioning, concave microsphere, excessive convexity, undercut, porosity, incomplete melting. , slag inclusion, excess spatter, overload, and pit (melting). The undercut is a molten groove in the base metal adjacent to the weld or weld root and is left unfilled by weld metal. Undercutting often happens due to an incorrect weld angle. Porosity is the cavity-type discontinuity formed by gas trapping during solidification often caused by arc motion too far away from the coupon. Such simulated weld discontinuity states are generated by system 100 during a simulated welding process to form a virtual weldment using a simulated weld coupon.
In addition, as shown in Figure 3, the ODD 150 can display user selections 153 that include menu, actions, visual cues, new coupon, and final approval. These user selections are linked to user buttons on the console 135. As the user makes various selections via, for example, an ODD touchscreen 150 or via the physical WUI 130, the displayed characteristics can be changed to provide selected information and other options to the user. In addition, the ODD 150 can display a view seen by a welder using the FMDD 140 in the same angled view as the welder or at several different angles, for example, chosen by an instructor. The ODD 150 can be viewed by an instructor and/or students for various training purposes including destructive/non-destructive testing and inspection of a virtual weldment. For example, the view can be rotated around the finished weld allowing visual inspection by an instructor. In accordance with an alternate embodiment of the present invention, video from system 100 may be sent to a remote location via, for example, the Internet, for remote viewing and/or review. In addition, audios can be provided, allowing real-time audio communication between a student and a remote instructor.
Figure 4 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a front portion of the simulated welding console 135 of Figure 2 showing a physical welding user interface (WUI) 130. The WUI 130 includes a set of buttons 131 corresponding to the displayed user selections 153. on the ODD 150. The buttons 131 are colored to match the colors of the user selections 153 displayed on the ODD 150. When one of the buttons 131 is pressed, a signal is sent to the PPS 110 to activate the corresponding function. The WUI 130 also includes a joystick 132 that can be used by a user to select various parameters and selections displayed on the ODD 150. The WUI 130 further includes an indicator or knob 133 for adjusting wire feed speed/amps, and another indicator or knob 134 to adjust voltage/balance. The WUI 130 also includes an indicator or handle 136 for selecting an arc welding process. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, three arc welding processes are selectable to include fluidized weld arc welding (FCAW) which includes gas shielded and self shielded processes; gas metal arc welding (GMAW) which includes short arc, axial spray, STT, and pulse; gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW); and shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) which includes the E6010, E6013, and E7018 electrodes. The WUI 130 even includes an indicator or handle 137 for selecting a weld polarity. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, three arc welding polarities are selectable to include alternating current (AC), direct current positive (DC+), and direct current negative (DC-).
Figure 5 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a mock welding tool (MWT) 160 of the system 100 of Figure 1. The MWT 160 of Figure 5 simulates a punch welding tool for plate and pipe welding and includes a retainer 161 and electrodes. 162. A trigger on the MWD 160 is used to communicate a signal to the PPS 110 to activate a selected simulated welding process. The simulated punch electrodes 162 include a resistive tactile tip 163 to simulate resistive feedback that occurs during, for example, a root pass procedure in real-time pipe welding or when welding a plate. If the user moves the simulated punch electrodes 162 too far back out of the root, the user may feel or sense the lower resistance, thus deriving feedback for use in adjusting or maintaining the current welding process.
It is contemplated that the punch welding tool may incorporate an activator, not shown, which withdraws the simulated punch electrodes 162 during the virtual welding process. That is, as a user engages in virtual welding activity, the distance between retainer 161 and the tip of simulated punching electrodes 162 is reduced to simulate electrode consumption. The rate of consumption, that is, the withdrawal of the puncture electrodes 162, can be controlled by the PPS 110 and more specifically, by coded instructions executed by the PPS 110. The simulated consumption rate may also depend on the technique of the user. It is worth mentioning here that as the system 100 facilitates virtual welding with different types of electrodes, the consumption or reduction rate of the punch electrodes 162 may change with the welding procedure used and/or the configuration of the system 100.
Other dummy welding tools are possible as well, in accordance with other embodiments of the present invention, which include an MWD that simulates a manual semiautomatic welding gun that has a wire electrode fed through the gun, for example. Furthermore, in accordance with certain other embodiments of the present invention, the actual welding tool can be used like the MWT 160 to better simulate the actual feel of the tool in the user's hands, although in system 100 the tool is not used. to actually create a real bow. In addition, a simulated grinding tool may be provided for use in a simulated grinding mode of simulator 100. Similarly, a simulated cutting tool may be provided for use in a simulated cutting mode of simulator 100 as, for example used in plasma and oxyfuel cutting. In addition, a gas simulated tungsten arc welding (GTAW) torch or filler material can be provided for use in the Simulator 100.
Figure 6 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a table/stand (T/S) 170 of the system 100 of Figure 1. AT/S 170 includes an adjustable table 171, a stand or base 172, an adjustable arm 173, and a vertical column. 174. The table 171, the support 172, and the arm 173 are each attached to the vertical column 174. The table 171 and the arm 173 can each be manually adjusted up, down, and rotatably. relative to the vertical column 174. The arm 173 is used to hold various soldering coupons (eg, soldering coupon 175) and a user may rest his arm on the table 171 during training. Vertical column 174 is indexed with position information so that a user can know exactly where arm 173 and table 171 are vertically positioned in column 171. This vertical position information can be entered into the system by a user using the WUI 130 and ODD 150.
In accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the positions of the table 171 and the arm 173 may be automatically adjusted by the PSS 110 via pre-programmed adjustments, or via the WUI 130 and/or the ODD 150 as ordered by a user. In such an alternative embodiment, the T/S 170 includes, for example, motors and/or servos, and signal commands from the PPS 110 to activate the motors and/or servos. In accordance with a further alternative embodiment of the present invention, the positions of the table 171 and arm 173 and the type of coupon are detected by the system 100. In this way, a user does not have to manually enter position information via the user interface. user. In such an alternative, the T/S 170 includes position and orientation detectors and sends signal commands to the PPS 110 to provide position and orientation information, and the WC 175 includes position detection sensors (e.g., helical sensors to detect magnets). A user can see a rendering of the T/S 170 adjust in the ODD 150 as the adjustment parameters are changed, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 7A illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a pipe weld coupon (WC) 175 of the system 100 of Figure 1. The WC 175 simulates two 15.24 centimeters (six inches) diameter pipes 175' and 175" positioned together to form a root 176 to be welded. WC 175 includes a connecting portion 177 at one end of WC 175, allowing WC 175 to be accurately and repeatably secured to arm 173. Figure 7B illustrates tubing WC 175 of Figure 7A mounted to arm 173 of table/stand (TS) 170 of Figure 6. The precise and repeatable manner in which the WC 175 can be attached to the arm 173 allows spatial calibration of the WC 175 to be performed only once in the factory. Then, in the field, since system 100 has the position of arm 173, system 100 can track MWT 160 and FMDD 140 against WC 175 in a virtual environment. A first portion of arm 173, at which WC 175 is fixed, can be angled towards a second portion arm 173, as shown in Figure 6. This allows the user to practice welding pipe with pipe in any of several different orientations and angles.
Figure 8 illustrates various elements of an exemplary embodiment of the space tracker (ST) 120 of Figure 1. The ST 120 is a magnetic tracker that can operatively interface with the PPS 110 of the system 100. The ST 120 includes a source magnet 121 and source cable, at least one sensor 122 and associated cable, host software on indicator 123, a power source 124 and associated cable, USB and RS-232 cables 125, and a processor tracking unit 126. The source magnet 121 may be operatively connected to processor tracking unit 126 by means of a cable. Sensor 122 may be operatively connected to processor tracking unit 126 via a cable. Power source 124 may be operatively connected to processor tracking unit 126 via a cable. The processor tracking unit 126 can be operatively connected to the PPS 110 via a USB or RS-232 cable 125. The host software on the indicator 123 can be loaded onto the PPS 110 and allows functional communication between the ST 120 and the PPS 110.
Referring to Figure 6 and Figure 8, the magnetic source 121 of the ST 120 is mounted on the first portion of the arm 173. The magnetic source 121 creates a magnetic field around the source 121, which includes the space encompassing the fixed WC 175. to arm 173, establishing a 3D spatial frame of reference. T/S 170 is largely non-metallic (non-ferric and non-conductive) so as not to distort the magnetic field created by magnetic source 121. Sensor 122 includes three induction coils orthogonally aligned along three spatial directions. With respect to the induction coils of the sensor 122, each measures the magnetic field resistance in each of the three directions and provides such information to the processor tracking unit 126. As a result, the system 100 can know where any portion of the WC 175 is located. is relative to the 3D spatial frame of reference that is established by the magnetic field when WC 175 is mounted on arm 173. Sensor 122 can be attached to MWT 160 or FMDD 140, allowing MWT 160 or FMDD 140 to be tracked by the ST 120 against the 3D spatial frame of reference in both space and orientation. When two sensors 122 are provided and operatively connected to the processor tracking unit 126, both the MWT 160 and the FMDD 140 can be tracked. In this way, system 100 can create a virtual WC, a virtual MWT, and a virtual T/S in the virtual reality space and display the virtual WC, virtual MWT, and virtual T/S on the FMDD 140 and/or the ODD 150 as per MWT 160 and FMDD 140 are tracked against the reference 3D spatial frame.
In accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the sensor(s) 122 can wirelessly interface to the processor tracking unit 126, and the processor tracking unit 126 can wirelessly interface to the PPS 110. In accordance with other alternative embodiments of the present invention, other types of space trackers 120 may be used in system 100 including, for example, an accelerometer/gyroscope-based tracker, an optical tracker (active or passive), an infrared tracker, a acoustic, a laser tracker, a radio frequency tracker, an inert tracker, and a tracking system based on argued reality. Other types of trackers may also be possible.
Figure 9A illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the face-mounted display device 140 (FMDD) of the system 100 of Figure 1. Figure 9B is an illustration of how the FMDD 140 of Figure 9A is attached to a user's head. Figure 9C illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the FMDD 140 of Figure 9A integrated into a welding helmet 900. The FMDD 140 operatively connects to the PPS 110 and ST 120 either through wired or wireless means. A sensor 122 of the ST 120 may be attached to the FMDD 140 or welding helmet 900, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, allowing the FMDD 140 and/or welding helmet 900 to be tracked relative to the 3D spatial frame of reference created by the ST 120.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the FMDD 140 includes two high-contrast SVGA 3D OLED micro-displays that can deliver fluid full motion video in both 2D video and frame-sequential modes. Video of the virtual reality environment is provided and displayed on the FMDD 140. A magnification mode (eg 2X) can be provided, allowing a user to simulate a fake lens, for example.
The FMDD 140 further includes two in-ear speakers 910, which allow the user to hear ambient and simulated welding-related sounds produced by the system 100. The FMDD 140 can operatively interface to the PPS 110 through wired or wireless media. yarn, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the PPS 110 provides stereoscopic video to the FMDD 140, which provides enhanced depth perception to the user. In accordance with an alternate embodiment of the present invention, a user may use a control on the MWT 160 (e.g., a button or switch) to call up and select menus and display options on the FMDD 140. This may allow the user to easily reset a weld if it makes an error, change certain parameters, or go back a bit to redo a portion of a weld microsphere trajectory, for example.
Figure 10 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a subsystem block diagram of the programmable processor-based (PPS) subsystem 110 of the system 100 of Figure 1. The PPS 110 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 111 and two data processing units. graphics (GPU) 115, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The two 115 GPUs are programmed to provide virtual reality simulation of a weld pool (also known as a weld pool) that has real-time molten metal fluidity and heat absorption and dissipation characteristics, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 11 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a block diagram of a graphics processing unit (GPU) 115 of the PPS 110 of Figure 10. Each GPU 115 supports the implementation of data parallel algorithms. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, each GPU 115 provides two video outputs 118 and 119 that can provide two virtual reality views. Two of the video outputs can be routed to the FMDD 140, to render the welder's point of view, and a third video output can be routed to the ODD 150, for example, to render either the welder's point of view or some other point of view. The fourth remaining video output can be routed to a projector, for example. The two 115 GPUs perform the same physical welding computations, but can render the VR environment from the same or different viewpoints. The GPU 115 includes the Unified Computer Device Architecture (CUDA) 116 and a shader 117. The CUDA 116 is a computing instrument of the GPU 115 that is accessible to software developers through industry-standard programming languages. The CUDA 116 includes parallel colors and is used to run the physical models of the weld puddle simulation described in this document. CPU 111 provides real-time weld input data to CUDA 116 on GPU 115. Shader 117 is responsible for designing and applying all simulation visuals. The microsphere and puddle visuals are driven by the state of a wexel displacement map that will be described later in this document. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the physical models execute and update at a rate of more than 30 times per second. During virtual destructive/non-destructive testing and simulation inspections, the GPUs 115 act as a rendering instrument to provide 3D animated renderings of a virtual weldment created during a simulated welding process. In addition, the CPU 111 acts as an analysis instrument to provide test analysis of the virtual weldment for the various defects and discontinuities that may be present in the virtual weldment.
Figure 12 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a functional block diagram of the system 100 of Figure 1. The various function blocks of the system 100, as shown in Figure 12, are largely implemented through software instructions and modules that are executed in the PPS 110. The various function blocks of the system 100 include a physical interface 1201, torch and clamp models 1202, environment models 1203, sound content functionality 1204, welding sounds 1205, support/mesal model206, structure functionality internal 1207, calibration functionality 1208, coupon templates 1210, welding physics 1211, internal physics tuning tool (optimizer) 1212, graphical user interface functionality 1213, graphical functionality 1214, student reports functionality 1215, renderer 1216 , microsphere rendering 1217, 3D textures 1218, visual cues functionality 1219, scoring and tolerance functionality 1220, edit 1221 tolerance r, and 1222 special effects. The 1216 renderer, 1217 microsphere rendering, 1218 3D textures, and 1220 scoring and tolerance functionality are employed during virtual destructive/non-destructive testing and inspection as well as during a simulated welding, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
Internal framework functionality 1207 provides the higher-level software logistics of system processes 100 that include, for example, loading files, retaining information, managing threads, activating physical models, and triggering menus. In-frame functionality 1207 is performed on CPU 111, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Certain real-time inputs to the PPS 110 include local arc, machine position, FMDD or helmet position, weapon in off state, and contact made state (yes/no).
The graphical user interface functionality 1213 allows a user, through the ODD 150 using the joystick 132 of the physical user interface 130, to configure a welding scenario, a test scenario, or an inspection scenario. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, setting up a welding scenario includes selecting a language, entering a user name, selecting a practice board (i.e., a welding coupon), selecting a welding process (e.g. , FCAW, GMAW, SMAW) and associated axial spray, pulse, or short arc methods, select a gas type and flow rate, select a punch electrode type (e.g., 6010 or 7018), and select a type fluidized wire (e.g. self-shielded, gas-shielded). Setting up a welding scenario also includes selecting a table height, an arm height, an arm position, and an arm rotation for the T/S 170. (e.g. a background environment in virtual reality space), adjust a wire feed speed, adjust a voltage level, adjust an amperage, select a polarity, and turn particular visual cues on or off. Similarly, setting up a virtual test or inspection scenario can include selecting a language, entering a username, selecting a virtual weldment, selecting a destructive or non-destructive test, selecting an interactive tool, and selecting a perspective view. lively.
During a simulated welding scenario, the graphical user interface 1214 gathers user performance parameters and provides the user performance parameters to the graphical user interface functionality 1213 for display in a graphical format (eg in the ODD 150). The ST 120's information tracking is fed into the 1214 graphics functionality. The 1214 graphics functionality includes a Simple Analysis Module (SAM) and a Whip/Weave Analysis Module (WW AM). SAM analyzes user welding parameters including weld offset angle, offset speed, weld angle, position, and tip for working distance by comparing weld parameters to data stored on microsphere tables. WWAM analyzes user whip parameters that include coin spacing, whip time, and puddle time. WWAM also analyzes user weave parameters that include weave width, weave space, and weave time. SAM and WWAM interpret raw input data (eg, position and orientation data) into data that is functionally usable for charts. For each parameter analyzed by SAM and WWAM, a tolerance window is defined by parameter limits around an optimal or optimal set point entered into microsphere tables using the 1221 tolerance editor, and the scoring and 1220 tolerance is realized.
The 1221 tolerance editor includes a weld gauge that approximates material usage, electrical usage, and weld time. In addition, when certain parameters are out of tolerance, weld discontinuities (ie weld defects) can occur. The status of any weld discontinuities is processed by the graphical functionality 1214 and presented through the graphical user interface functionality 1213 in a graphical format. Such weld discontinuities include inappropriate weld size, insufficient microsphere placement, concave microsphere, excessive convexity, undercut, porosity, incomplete melting, slag entrapment, overload, pit, and excessive spatter. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the level or amount of a discontinuity is dependent on how far a particular user parameter is from the ideal or optimal set point. Such weld discontinuities that are generated as part of the simulated welding process are used as inputs to the virtual destructive/non-destructive processes and inspection as associated with a virtual weldment.
Different parameter limits can be pre-set for different types of users such as welding novices, welding experts, and people at a trade show. The 1220 scoring and tolerance functionality provides numerical scores depending on how close to optimal (optimal) a user is for a particular parameter and depending on the level of discontinuities or defects present in the weld. The optimal values are derived from real-world data. Information from the 1220 scoring and tolerance functionality and 1214 charting functionality can be used by the 1215 student reporting functionality to create a performance report for an instructor and/or a student.
System 100 can analyze and display the results of virtual welding activity. By analyzing the results, it is understood that System 100 can determine when during weld approval and where along the weld joint the user is derived from the acceptable limits of the welding process. A score can be assigned to user performance. In one embodiment, the score may be a function of deviation in position, orientation, and speed of the dummy welding tool 160 across tolerance ranges, which can extend from an optimal weld pass to marginal or acceptable welding activity. Any range gradient can be built into the system 100 as chosen for user performance scoring. The score can be displayed numerically or alphanumerically. Additionally, user performance can be displayed graphically showing, in time and/or position along the solder joint, how closely the dummy soldering tool has crossed the solder joint. Parameters such as offset angle, working angle, speed, and weld joint distance are examples of what can be measured, although any parameters can be analyzed for scoring purposes. The parameter tolerance ranges are taken from real-world welding data, thus providing accurate feedback on how the user will perform in the real world. In another embodiment, the analysis of defects corresponding to user performance can also be incorporated and displayed in the ODD 150. In this embodiment, a graph can be described indicating which type of discontinuity resulted from the measurement of the various parameters monitored during the virtual welding activity. . While occlusions may not be visible in ODD 150, defects may still have occurred as a result of user performance, the results of these may still be correspondingly displayed, i.e. in graphical form, and also tested (e.g. by means of a bend test) and inspected.
The 1219 visual cues functionality provides immediate feedback to the user by displaying overlay colors and indicators on the FMDD 140 and/or the ODD 150. Visual cues are provided for each of the 151 weld parameters including position, tip to working distance, angle angle, travel angle, travel speed, and arc length (e.g. for punch welding) and visually indicate to the user whether any aspect of the user's welding technique should be adjusted based on pre-defined limits or tolerances. . Visual cues can also be provided for the whip/weave technique and solder microsphere "coin" spacing, for example. Visual cues can be adjusted independently or in any desired combination.
The 1208 calibration functionality provides the possibility of matching physical components in real world space (3D frame of reference) with visual components in virtual reality space. Each different type of weld coupon (WC) is calibrated at the factory by mounting the WC to the arm 173 of the T/S 170 and tapping the WC at predefined points (indicated by, for example, three cavities in the WC) with a calibration style operatively connected to the ST 120. The ST 120 reads magnetic field strengths at preset points, provides position information to the PPS 110, and the PPS 110 uses the position information to perform the calibration (i.e. , the translation of real-world space to virtual reality space).
Any particular type of WC fits into the arm 173 of the T/S 170 in the same repeatable fashion within very tight tolerances. So once a particular WC type is calibrated, that WC type does not need to be recalibrated (i.e. calibration of a particular WC type is a one time event). Toilets of the same type are interchangeable. Calibration ensures that physical feedback perceived by the user during a welding process is equivalent to that displayed to the user in virtual reality space, making the simulation more real. For example, if the user slides the tip of a MWT 160 around the corner of a real WC 180, the user will see the tip slide around the corner of the virtual WC on the FMDD 140 as the user feels the tip slide around. from the actual corner. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the MWT 160 is positioned on a prepositioned template and is calibrated as well, based on the known template position.
According to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, "smart" coupons are provided which have sensors on, for example, the corners of the coupons. The ST 120 can track the corners of a "smart" coupon so that the system 100 continuously knows where the "smart" coupon is in real-world 3D space. In accordance with a further alternative embodiment of the present invention, license keys are provided to "unlock" soldering coupons. When a private WC is purchased, the license key is provided allowing the user to enter the license key into system 100, unlocking the software associated with the WC. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, special non-standard welding coupons can be provided based on real-world CAD drawings of parts. Users can train welding on a CAD part even before the part is actually produced in the real world.
The 1204 Sound Content functionality and 1205 Weld Sounds provide particular weld sound types that change depending on whether certain weld parameters are in tolerance or out of tolerance. Sounds are adapted to the various welding processes and parameters. For example, in a MIG sprinkler arc welding process, a cracking sound is provided when the user does not have the MWT 160 correctly positioned, and a hissing sound is provided when the MWT 160 is correctly positioned. In a short arc welding process, a constant crackling or frying sound is provided for proper welding technique, and a hissing sound can be provided when undercutting is taking place. These sounds mimic real-world sounds corresponding to correct and incorrect welding technique.
High fidelity sound content can be taken from real world recordings of real soldering using a variety of electronic and mechanical means, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the perceived volume and directionality of sound is modified depending on the position, orientation, and distance of the user's head (assuming the user is using an FMDD 140 which is tracked by the ST 120) relative to to the simulated arc between MWT 160 and WC 180. Sound can be provided to the user through ear speakers 910 on the FMDD 140 or through speakers configured on the console 135 or T/S 170, for example .
1203 environment models are provided to provide various background scenes (static and moving) in the virtual reality space. Such background environments may include, for example, an indoor welding shop, an outdoor race track, a garage, etc. and can include moving cars, people, birds, clouds, and various ambient sounds. The background environment may be interactive, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. For example, a user may need to survey a background area before starting welding to ensure that the environment is suitable (eg safe) for welding. Torch and Gripper Models 1202 are supplied in the model of several MWTs 160 which include, for example, guns, retainers with punch electrodes, etc. in the virtual reality space.
1210 coupon templates are provided to model the various 180 WCs which include, for example, flat plate coupons, T-joint coupons, but T-joint coupons, groove weld coupons, and piping coupons (e.g. example, 5.08 centimeters (2 inches) diameter pipe and 15.24 centimeters (6 inches) diameter pipe) in virtual reality space. A support/table model 206 is provided in the T/S multi-part models 170 that include an adjustable table 171, a stand 172, an adjustable arm 173, and a vertical column 174 in the virtual reality space. A physical interface model 1201 is provided to model the various parts of the welding user interface 130, console 135, and ODD 150 in the virtual reality space. Again, the resulting simulation of a solder coupon that has gone through a simulated soldering process to form a microsphere solder, solder joint, pipe plate solder, plug solder, or bend solder is known. in this document as a virtual weldment against System 100. Weldment coupons can be provided to support each of these scenarios.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the simulation of a weld pool or pool in virtual reality space is accomplished where the simulated weld pool has real-time molten metal fluidity and heat dissipation characteristics. At the heart of weld puddle simulation is the weld physics functionality 1211 (also known as the physical model) that runs on the GPUs 115, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The welding physics functionality employs a dual displacement layer technique to accurately model dynamic fluidity/viscosity, solidity, thermal gradient (absorption and dissipation and heat), puddle trail, and microsphere shape, and is described in more detail in present document in relation to Figures 14A to 14C.
The 1211 weld physics functionality communicates with the 1217 microsphere rendering functionality to render a weld microsphere in all states from the heated molten state to the cooled solidified state. The 1217 microsphere rendering functionality uses information from the 1211 welding physics functionality (e.g. heat, fluidity, displacement, coin spacing) to accurately and realistically render a weld microsphere in VR space in time real. Textures in 1218 3D functionality provides texture maps for the 1217 microsphere render functionality to overlay additional textures (eg ember, slag, grain) on the simulated weld microsphere. For example, slag can be shown rendered onto a solder microsphere during and shortly after a soldering process, and then removed to reveal the underlying solder microsphere. The 1216 renderer functionality is used to render various specific non-puddle characteristics using information from the 1222 special effects module which include sparks, spatter, smoke, arc glow, steam and gases, and certain discontinuities such as, for example, undercut and porosity.
The 1212 Internal Physics Tuning Tool is an optimization tool that allows various welding physics parameters to be set, updated, and modified for the various welding processes. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the internal physics tuning tool 1212 runs on the CPU 111 and the adjusted or updated parameters are downloaded to the GPUs 115. 1212 internal physics include parameters related to welding coupons, process parameters that allow a process to be changed without having to reset a welding coupon (allowing to perform a second pass), various global parameters can be changed without readjusting the entire simulation, and other various parameters.
Figure 13 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a training method 1300 using the virtual reality training system 100 of Figure 1. The method proceeds as follows: in step 1310, moving a dummy welding tool relative to a soldering coupon according to a soldering technique; in step 1320, tracking position and orientation of the fake welding tool in three-dimensional space using a virtual reality system; in step 1330, view a VR welding system display showing a real-time VR simulation of the dummy welding tool and the weld coupon in a virtual reality space as the simulated dummy welding tool deposits a material of simulated weld microsphere on at least one simulated surface of the simulated weld coupon by forming a simulated weld pool in the vicinity of a simulated arc emitting from said simulated false welding tool; in step 1340, visualize in the display the real-time molten metal flow and heat dissipation characteristics of the simulated weld pool; in step 1350, modify in real time at least one aspect of the welding technique in response to the visualization of the real-time molten metal flow and heat dissipation characteristics of the simulated weld pool.
Method 1300 illustrates how a user can visualize a weld pool in virtual reality space and modify their welding technique in response to viewing various characteristics of the simulated weld pool, which include real-time molten metal flow (e.g., viscosity) and heat dissipation. The user can also view and respond to other features including real-time puddle trail and coin spacing. Viewing and responding to weld pool characteristics is done as most welding operations are actually performed in the real world. The dual displacement layer modeling of the 1211 welding physics functionality performed on the 115 GPUs allows such real-time molten metal fluidity and heat dissipation characteristics to be accurately modeled and represented to the user. For example, heat dissipation determines solidification time (ie, how long it takes for a wexel to completely solidify).
In addition, a user can make a second approval on the solder microsphere material of the virtual weldment using the same or different (eg, a second) dummy solder tool and/or soldering process. In such a second pass scenario, the simulation shows the simulated dummy solder tool, the solder coupon, and the original simulated solder microsphere material in virtual reality space as the simulated dummy solder tool deposits a second simulated microsphere material. weld that is integrated with the first simulated weld microsphere material by forming a second simulated weld pool in the vicinity of a simulated arc emitting from the simulated dummy welding tool. Subsequent additional approvals using the same or different welding tools or processes can be done in a similar manner. On any second or subsequent approval, the previous weld microsphere material is integrated with the new weld microsphere material to be deposited as a new weld puddle that is formed in virtual reality space from the combination of any of the previous solder microsphere material, the new solder microsphere material, and possibly the underlying coupon material then modify the resulting virtual weldment, in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention. Such subsequent approvals may be required to create a large strip or groove weld, being performed to repair a solder microsphere formed by a previous approval, for example, or may include a hot pass and one or more fill and cap passing through. after a root pass as is done in pipe welding. In accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, solder microsphere and base material may include mild steel, stainless steel, aluminum, nickel with base alloys, or other materials.
Figures 14A to 14B illustrate the concept of a weld element displacement map (wexel) 1420, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 14A shows a side view of a flat weld coupon (WC) 1400 that has a flat top surface 1410. The weld coupon 1400 exists in the real world as, for example, a plastic part, and also exists in the space of virtual reality as a simulated welding coupon. Figure 14B shows a representation of the top surface 1410 of the simulated WC 1400 fractured into a grid or matrix of weld elements (i.e., wexels) forming a map of wexel 1420. Each wexel (e.g., wexel 1421) defines a small surface portion 1410 of the solder coupon. The wexel map defines a surface resolution. Changeable channel parameter values are assigned to each wexel, allowing the values of each wexel to change dynamically in real-time in virtual reality weld space during a simulated welding process. Changeable channel parameter values correspond to channel pool (molten metal fluidity/viscosity displacement), heat (heat absorption/dissipation), displacement (solid displacement), and extra (various extra states, e.g. slag, grain, ember, virgin metal). These changeable channels are referred to herein as PHED for puddle, heat, extra, and displacement, respectively.
Figure 15 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a coupon space and a solder space of the flat weld (WC) coupon 1400 of Figure 14 simulated in the system 100 of Figure 1. Points O, X, Y, and Z define the space 3D coupon template. In general, each coupon type defines the mapping from 3D coupon space to 2D virtual reality solder space. The wexel map 1420 of Figure 14 is a bidirectional matrix of values that map to the weld space in virtual reality. A user must weld from point B to point E as shown in Figure 15. A trajectory line from point B to point E is shown in both 3D coupon space and 2D weld space in Figure 15.
Each coupon type defines the travel direction for each location on the wexel map. For the flat weld coupon in Figure 15, the direction of travel is the same everywhere on the wexel map (ie, in the Z direction). Wexel map texture coordinates are shown as S, T (sometimes called U, V) in both 3D coupon space and 2D weld space to clarify mapping. The wexel map is mapped and represents the rectangular surface 1410 of the weld coupon 1400.
Figure 16 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a coupon space and a solder space of a corner (T-joint) solder coupon (WC) 1600 simulated in the system 100 of Figure 1. The corner WC 1600 has two surfaces 1610 and 1620 in 3D coupon space which are mapped to 2D weld space as shown in Figure 16. Again, points O, X, Y, and Z define the local 3D coupon space. Wexel map texture coordinates are shown as S,T in both 3D coupon space and 2D weld space to clarify mapping. A user must weld from point B to point E as shown in Figure 16. A line trajectory from point B to point E is shown in both 3D coupon space and 2D weld space in Figure 16. However, the direction of offset is to the X'-O' line as shown in 3D coupon space, to the opposite corner as shown in Figure 16.
Figure 17 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a coupon space and a weld space of a simulated pipe weld coupon (WC) 1700 in the system 100 of Figure 1. The pipe WC 1700 has a curved surface 1710 in the coupon space which is mapped to the 2D weld space as shown in Figure 17. Again, the points O, X, Y, and Z define the local 3D coupon space. The texture coordinates of the wexel map are shown as S,T in both 3D coupon space and 2D weld space to clarify mapping. A user must weld from point B to point E along a curved path as shown in Figure 17. A curved path and line from point B to point E is shown in 3D coupon space and 2D weld space, respectively. , in Figure 17. The direction of travel is away from the Y-0 line (ie, away from the center of the pipe). Figure 18 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the Pipe Welding Coupon (WC) 1700 of Figure 17. The Pipe WC 1700 is made of a non-ferric, non-conductive plastic, and simulates two pieces of pipe 1701 and 1702 joined to form a joint. root 1703. A fastener 1704 for attaching to the arm 173 of the T/S 170 is also shown.
In a similar way that a texture map can be mapped to a rectangular surface area of a geometry, a weldable wexel map can be mapped to a rectangular surface of a weld coupon. Each weldable map element is called a wexel in the same sense that each element of a figure is called a pixel (a contraction of a figure element). A pixel contains information channels that define a color (eg red, green, blue, etc.). A wexel contains information channels (eg P, H, E, D) that define a weldable surface in virtual reality space.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the format of a wexel is summarized as PHED (Pull, Heat, Extra, Shift) channels that contain four floating point numbers. The extra channel is treated as a set of bits that store logical information about the wexel, such as whether or not there was any dross in the wexel location. The puddle channel stores an offset value for any liquefied metal in the wexel location. The offset channel stores an offset value for the solidified metal at the wexel location. The heat channel stores a value that gets the magnitude of heat at the wexel location. Thus, the solderable part of the coupon may show displacement due to a welded microsphere, a shiny surface "pool" due to liquid metal, color due to heat, etc. All these effects are achieved by vertex and pixel shaders applied to the weldable surface. In accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention, a wexel may also incorporate specific metallurgical properties that may change during a welding simulation, for example, due to heat input to the wexel. Such metallurgical properties can be used to simulate testing and virtual inspection of a weld.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a displacement map and a particle system are used where particles can interact with each other and collide with the displacement map. The particles are virtual fluid dynamic particles and provide the liquid behavior of the weld puddle, but are not directly rendered (that is, not directly visually seen). On the contrary, only the particle effects on the displacement map are visually perceived. Heat input into a wexel affects the movement of nearby particles. There are two types of displacement involved in simulating a weld pool which include Puddle and Displacement. The puddle is "temporary" and only lasts if particles and heat are present. The displacement is "permanent". Puddle displacement is liquid weld metal that changes rapidly (eg diffused lights) and can be considered to be "on top" of displacement. The particles overlay a portion of a virtual surface displacement map (i.e. a wexel map). The displacement represents the permanent solid metal that includes both the starting base metal and the weld microsphere that has solidified.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the simulated welding process in virtual reality space works as follows: particles flow from the emitter (emitter of the simulated MWT 160) in a thin cone. The particles make first contact with the surface of the simulated weld coupon where the surface is defined by a wexel map. The particles interact with each other and the wexel map is created in real time. More heat is added the closer a wexel is to the emitter. The heat is modeled depending on the distance from the arc point and the amount of time the heat is input from the arc. Certain views (eg color, etc.) are heat driven. A weld puddle is drawn or rendered in VR space for wexels that have enough heat. Wherever it is hot enough, the wexel map is liquefied, causing the puddle displacement to "increase" for such wexel locations. Puddle displacement is determined by sampling the "loudest particles" at each wexel location. As the emitter moves along the weld path, the wexel spots left behind are cooled. Heat is removed from a wexel location at a particular rate. When a cooling threshold is reached, the wexel map is solidified. As such, puddle displacement is gradually converted to displacement (ie, a solidified microsphere). The offset added is equivalent to the puddle removed so the overall height does not change. Particle lifetimes are optimized or adjusted to persist until solidification is complete. Certain particle properties that are modeled in System 100 include attraction/repulsion, velocity (related to heat), damping (related to heat dissipation), direction (related to gravity).
Figures 19A to 19C illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the concept of a dual displacement (displacement and particles) puddle model of the system 100 of Figure 1. Welding coupons are simulated in virtual reality space that has at least one surface. The weld coupon surfaces are simulated in virtual reality space as a dual displacement layer that includes a solid displacement layer and a puddle displacement layer. The puddle displacement layer can modify the solid displacement layer.
As described herein, "pool" is defined by an area of the wexel map where the pool value has arisen by the presence of particles. The sampling process is depicted in Figures 19A to 19C. A section of a wexel map is shown having seven adjacent wexels. Current offset values are represented by unshaded rectangular bars 1910 of a given height (ie, a given offset for each wexel). In Figure 19A, the 1920 particles are shown as round unshaded dots that collide with current displacement levels and are stacked. In Figure 19B, the "highest" 1930 particle heights are sampled at each wexel location. In Figure 19C, the 1940 shaded rectangles show how much of the puddle was added on top of the displacement as a result of the particles. The weld pool height is not instantly adjusted to the sampled values, as the pool is added at a particular liquefaction rate based on heat. Although not shown in Figures 19A to 19C, it is possible to visualize the solidification process as the puddle (shaded rectangles) gradually shrinks and the displacement (unshaded rectangles) gradually grows from below to exactly take the place of the puddle. In this way, the flow characteristics of the molten metal in real time are accurately simulated. As a user practices a particular welding process, the user can observe the flow characteristics of the molten metal and the heat dissipation characteristics of the weld puddle in real time in virtual reality space and use this information to adjust or maintain their technique. of welding.
The number of wexels representing the surface of a solder coupon is fixed. Furthermore, the puddle particles that are generated by the simulation for model fluidity are temporary, as described herein. So, once an initial puddle is generated in virtual reality space during a simulated welding process using system 100, the number of wexels plus puddle particles tends to remain relatively constant. This is because the number of wexels that are processed is fixed and the number of puddle particles that exist and that are processed during the welding process tend to remain relatively constant because puddle particles are created and "destroyed" at a similar rate. (ie puddle particles are temporary). Therefore, the processing load of the PPS 110 remains relatively constant during a simulated welding session.
In accordance with an alternate embodiment of the present invention, puddle particles may be generated on or below the surface of the solder coupon. In such an embodiment, the displacement can be modeled as being positive or negative with respect to the original surface displacement of a virgin (ie, unwelded) coupon. In this way, puddle particles can not only be created on the surface of a weld coupon, but can also penetrate the weld coupon. However, the number of wexels is still fixed and the puddle particles that are created and destroyed are still relatively constant.
In accordance with an alternate embodiment of the present invention, instead of modeling particles, a wexel displacement map can be provided having more channels to model puddle fluidity. Or, instead of modeling particles, a dense voxel map can be modelled. Or, instead of a wexel map, only particles can be modeled, which are shown and never disappear. Such alternative embodiments, however, cannot provide a relatively constant processing load for the system.
Furthermore, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, an explosion or a keyway is simulated by removing the material. For example, if a user holds an arc in the same location for too long, in the real world, the material would burn causing a hole. Such a real-world pit is simulated in system 100 by wexel decimation techniques. If the amount of heat absorbed by a wexel is determined to be too high by system 100, the wexel can be flagged or assigned as being burned and rendered as such (eg, rendered as a hole). Subsequently, however, wexel reconstitution may occur for certain welding processes (eg pipe welding) where material is added shortly after it is initially fired. In general, system 100 simulates wexel decimation (material removal) and wexel reconstitution (ie, material addition). In addition, material removal in root pass welding is appropriately simulated in System 100.
In addition, material removal in root pass welding is appropriately simulated in system 100. For example, in the real world, root pass grinding can be performed prior to subsequent weld passes. Similarly, system 100 can simulate a grinding pass that removes material from the virtual solder joint. It will be appreciated that the removed material can be modeled as a negative displacement on the wexel map. That is, the grinding pass removes material that is shaped by the system 100 resulting in an altered microsphere contour. The simulation of the grinding pass may be automatic, that is, the system 100 removes a predetermined thickness of material, which may be relative to the surface of the root pass weld microsphere.
In an alternative embodiment, an actual grinding tool, or grinder, can be simulated to activate and deactivate by activating the dummy welding tool 160 or other input device. It is noted that the grinding tool can be simulated to be similar to a real world grinder. In this mode, the user handles the grinding tool along the root pass to remove material responsive to its movement. It will be understood that the user may allow too much material to be removed. In a manner similar to that described above, holes or other defects (described above) may appear if the user grinds too much material. In addition, hard limits or interruptions can be implemented, that is, programmed, to prevent the user from removing too much material or to indicate when too much material must be removed.
In addition to the non-visible "puddle" particles described herein, system 100 also uses three other types of visible particles to represent arc, flame, and spark effects, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. These types of particles do not interact with other particles of any kind, but only interact with the displacement map. While these particles collide with the simulated weld surface, they do not interact with each other. Only puddle particles interact with each other, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The physics of spark particles is set up so that spark particles bounce and are rendered as glowing dots in virtual reality space.
Arc particle physics is set up so that the arc particles impact the surface of the simulated coupon or weld microsphere and stay for a while. Arc particles are rendered as larger dark bluish white spots in VR space. This causes many of the overlapping spots to form any kind of visual image. The end result is a shiny white crown with blue edges.
Flame particle physics is modeled to slowly surge upwards. Flame particles are rendered as a medium of large dark reddish-yellow spots. This causes many such overlapping spots to form any kind of visual image. The end result is reddish-orange flame bubbles with red edges that flow upwards and disappear. Other types of no puddle particles may be implanted in system 100, in accordance with other embodiments of the present invention. For example, smoke particles can be modeled and simulated in a similar way to flame particles.
The final steps in the simulated view are handled by the vertex and pixel shaders provided by the 117 shaders of the 115 GPUs (see Figure 11). Vertex and pixel shaders apply puddle and offset, as well as surface colors and reflectivity changed due to heat, etc. The extra channel (E) of the wexel PHED format, as discussed earlier in this document, contains all the extra information used by wexel. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the extra information includes a non-virgin bit (true=microsphere, false=virgin steel), a slag bit, an undercut value (amount of undercut in that wexel where zero equals to no undercut), a porosity value (amount of porosity in that wexel where zero equals no porosity), and a microsphere trail value that encodes the time the microsphere solidifies. There is a set of image maps associated with different visual coupons that include virgin steel, slag, microsphere, and porosity. These image maps are used for both shock mapping and texture mapping. The amount of mixing of these image maps is controlled by the various signals and values described herein.
A microsphere trailing effect is achieved using an ID image map and a microsphere trailing value per wexel that encodes the time at which a given microsphere bit is solidified. Once a hot puddle wexel location is no longer hot enough to be called a "pool", a time is saved at the location and is called a "microsphere trail". The end result is that the shader code can use the ID texture map to draw the "ripples" that provide a unique appearance of your microsphere that depicts the direction the microsphere was predicted. In accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the system 100 can simulate, in virtual reality space, and display a solder microsphere that has a real-time solder microsphere trail characteristic resulting from a fluid-to-flow transition. real-time solidification of the simulated weld pool, as the simulated weld pool is moved along a weld path.
In accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention, system 100 can teach a user how to troubleshoot a welding apparatus. For example, a system troubleshooting mode can train a user to make sure the system is configured correctly (e.g. correct gas flow rate, correct power cord connected, etc.) In the present invention, system 100 can record and replay a soldering session (or at least a portion of a soldering session, e.g. N frames). A tracking ball can be provided to scroll through video frames, allowing a user or instructor to critique a welding session. Playback can be provided at selectable speeds as well (eg full speed, half speed, quarter speed). In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a split screen reproduction can be provided, allowing two welding sessions to be viewed side by side, for example on the ODD 150. For example, a "good" welding session can be viewed next to an "insufficient" soldering session for comparison purposes.
As discussed earlier in this document, a standalone Virtual Weldment Inspection (VWI) system can insert a pre-defined virtual weldment or a virtual weldment created using the VRAW system, and perform virtual inspection of the virtual weldment. . However, unlike the VRAW system, the VWI system cannot create a virtual weldment as part of a simulated virtual welding process, and may or may not perform virtual destructive/non-destructive testing of the weld, according to certain modalities. of the present invention.
Figure 20 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a standalone Virtual Weldment Inspection (VWI) 2000 system that can simulate inspection of a virtual weldment and display an animation of the virtual weldment under inspection to observe the effects due to various associated characteristics. with welding. In one embodiment, the VWI 2000 system includes a programmable processor-based subsystem (PPS) 2010, similar to the PPS 110 of Figure 1. The VWI 2000 system further includes an Observer Display Device (ODD) 2050, similar to the ODD 150 of Figure 1 operatively connected to the PPS 2010. The VWI 2000 system also includes a keyboard 2020 and a mouse 2030 operatively connected to the PPS 2010.
In a first embodiment of the System 2000 of Figure 20, the PPS 110 provides hardware and software configured as a rendering instrument to provide 3D animated renderings of virtual weldments. The PPS 110 also provides hardware and software configured as an analysis instrument to perform testing and inspection of a virtual weldment. PPS 2010 can input data representative of a virtual weldment and generate an animated 3D rendering of the virtual weldment for inspection using a PPS 110 rendering instrument that operates on the input data. Virtual weldment data can be "predetermined" (i.e., predefined) virtual weldments (e.g. generated using a separate computer system) or virtual weldment data created using a virtual reality welding simulator (eg a VRAW system as previously described in this document).
In addition, in accordance with an improved embodiment of the present invention, the PPS 2010 includes an advanced analysis/rendering/animation capability that allows the VWI 2000 system to perform virtual destructive/non-destructive testing on an input virtual weldment and display of an animation of the test, similar to that of the VRAW system.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a virtual rendering of a weld created using a VRAW system exported from the VWI system. The test portion of the VWI system can automatically generate cross-sections of the virtual weldment and subject such cross-sections (or the blunt virtual weldment itself) to one of a plurality of possible destructive and non-destructive tests in the test portion. of the VWI system. Each of the plurality of tests can generate an animation that illustrates the particular test. The VWI system can display the test animation to the user. The animation clearly shows the user whether or not the user generated virtual weldment passes the test.
For example, a virtual weldment that undergoes a virtual bend test can be shown to fracture in the animation at a location where a particular type of defect occurs in the weld joint of the virtual weldment. As another example, a virtual weldment that undergoes a virtual bend test may be shown to be bent in animation and crack or show a significant amount of defect despite the weld not completely fracturing. The same virtual weldment can be tested repeatedly for different tests using the same cross-sections (eg the cross-sections can be reconstructed by the VWI system) or different cross-sections of the virtual weldment. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a virtual weldment is identified with metallurgical characteristics such as, for example, metal type and tensile strength that are factored into the particular destructive/non-destructive test selected.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, an expert system in background execution may pop up in a window on a VWI system display and indicate to the user (e.g., via a text message and/or graphically) why the solder failed the test (eg too much porosity at these particular points on the solder joint) and which solder pattern was not found. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the VWI system may link hypertext to an external tool that links the present test to a particular weld pattern.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the animation of a particular destructive/non-destructive test is a 3D rendering of the virtual weldment as modified by the test so that a user can move the rendered virtual weldment in a three-dimensional manner in a VWI system display during testing to view the test from multiple angles and perspectives. The same 3D animation rendered from a particular test can be played over and over again to allow maximum training benefit for the same user or multiple users.
In a simpler and less complex embodiment of the VWI 2000 system of Figure 20, the PPS 2010 can insert an animated 3D rendering of a virtual destructive or non-destructive test generated by a VRAW system, and display the animation for inspection purposes. . PPS 2010 provides hardware and software configured as an analysis instrument to perform inspection of a virtual weldment. However, in this simplest embodiment, PPS 2010 does not provide hardware and software configured as a rendering instrument to provide 3D animated renderings of virtual weldments, and the analysis instrument is limited to supporting the inspection of a virtual weldment. The renderings and testing are done elsewhere (eg in a VRAW system) and are fed into the VWI system in that mode. In such a simpler embodiment, the PPS 2010 can be a standard off-the-shelf personal computer or workstation programmed with software to perform virtual inspection and for training in welding inspection.
As previously discussed in this document, virtual inspection can be implemented in the VWI system in any number of different forms and/or combinations thereof. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the VWI system includes an expert system and is driven by a set of rules. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the VWI system includes support vector machines. In accordance with a still further embodiment of the present invention, the VWI system includes a neural network that can be trained and adapted to new scenarios, and/or intelligent agents that provide feedback to relative student areas where the student needs more practice. or provide feedback to an instructor or educator to modify the teaching curriculum to improve student knowledge. In addition, a user can have access to a knowledge base that includes text, figures, video, and diagrams to support their training.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a rendered virtual weldment and/or a corresponding rendered 3D animation of the virtual weldment under test can be input to the VWI system to perform a weld inspection and/or to train a user in welding inspection (eg to become a certified welding inspector). The inspection portion of the system includes a teaching mode and a training mode.
In teaching mode, the virtual weldment and/or the rendered 3D animation of a virtual weldment under test is displayed and visualized by a classifier (trainer) together with a welding student. The trainer and welding student can view and interact with the virtual weldment. The trainer can make a determination (e.g., through a scoring method) of how well the welding student performed the identification of defects and discontinuities in the virtual weldment, and indicate to the welding student how well the welding student performed. the activity and what the student missed when interacting with the displayed virtual weldment (viewing from different perspectives, etc.).
In training mode, the system asks the student welding inspector various questions about the virtual weldment and allows the student welding inspector to enter answers to the questions. The system may provide the student welding inspector with a rating at the end of the questionnaire. For example, the system may initially provide sample questions to the student welding inspector for a virtual weldment and then proceed to provide timed questions to the student welding inspector for another virtual weldment to be graded.
The inspection portion of the system may also provide certain interactive tools that help a student welding inspector or trainer to detect defects and make certain measurements on the virtual weld that are compared to predetermined weld standards (e.g., a virtual measurement that measures, e.g. the penetration of a root weld and compares the measurement to a required standard penetration). A student welding inspector's rating may also include whether or not the student welding inspector uses the correct interactive tools to assess the weld. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the inspection portion of the system, based on rating (i.e., score), determines which areas the welding inspector student needs assistance and provides the welding inspector student with more representative samples under which to practice inspection.
Again, the various interactive inspection tools can be used either on the virtual weldment before testing, on the virtual weldment after testing, or both. The various interactive inspection tools and methodologies are configured for various welding processes, metal types, and standard welding types, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In the 2000 standalone VWI system, the interactive inspection tools can be manipulated using a 2020 keyboard and 2030 mouse, for example. Other examples of interactive inspection tools include a virtual Palmgren gauge to perform a throat gauge, a virtual range gauge to determine leg size, a virtual VWAC measure to perform a convexity measurement or undercut measurement, a caliper a virtual micrometer for measuring the length of a crack, a virtual micrometer for measuring the width of a crack, and a virtual magnifying glass for enlarging a portion of a weld for inspection. Other interactive virtual inspection tools are possible as well, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.
Figure 21 illustrates a flowchart of an exemplary embodiment of a method 2100 for evaluating the quality of a linebase virtual weldment rendered in virtual reality space. In step 2110, a linebase virtual weldment is rendered (or re-rendered again...re-rendered). For example, a user can employ the VRAW 100 system to practice their welding technique on a virtual part and render the line base virtual weldment, which is representative of the user's welding skill. As used herein, the term "virtual weldment" may refer to the entire virtual welded portion or a virtual cut section thereof, as is used in many welding tests.
In step 2120, the line base virtual weldment is subjected to a computer-simulated test (e.g., a destructive virtual test or a non-destructive virtual test) configured to test the characteristic(s) of the line base virtual weldment. line. Computer simulated testing can be performed by the VRAW system or the VWI system, for example. In step 2130, in response to simulated testing, a tested virtual weldment is rendered (for example, a modification of the linebase virtual weldment due to destructive testing) and associated test data is generated. In step 2140, the tested virtual weldment and test data are subjected to computer-simulated analysis. Computer simulated analysis is configured to determine pass/fail conditions of the tested virtual weldment against the virtual weldment characteristic(s). For example, a determination can be made as to whether or not the virtual weldment has passed a bending test, based on analysis of the characteristic(s) after the test.
In step 2150, a decision is made by the user to inspect the tested virtual weldment or not. If the decision is not to inspect, then in step 2160 a decision is made to perform another test or not. If the decision is made to perform another test, then the method returns to step 2110 and the linebase virtual weldment is re-rendered, as if the previous test had not occurred on the virtual weldment. In this way, many tests (destructive and non-destructive) can be run on the same line base virtual weldment and analyzed for various pass/fail conditions. In step 2150, if the decision is to inspect, then in step 2170 the tested virtual weldment (that is, the virtual weldment after testing) is displayed to the user and the user can manipulate the orientation of the tested virtual weldment to inspect various features of the tested virtual weldment. In step 2180, the user can access and apply programmed inspection tools to the tested virtual weldment to aid in inspection. For example, a user can access a virtual gauge that measures the penetration of a root weld and compares the measurement to a required standard penetration. After inspection, again at step 2160, the decision is made to perform another test or not. If another test does not need to be performed, then the method ends.
As an example, the same cross section of a virtual 2200 weldment can be subjected to a simulated bend test, a simulated drag or pull test, and a simulated notch fracture test as shown in Figures 22 through 24, respectively. . Referring to Figure 22, a straight cut section of a virtual weldment 2200 that has a weld joint 2210 is subjected to a simulated bend test. Bending testing can be performed to find various weld properties such as weld zone flexibility, weld penetration, melting, crystal structure (of the fractured surface), and strength. The bend test helps to determine the quality of the weld metal, the weld joint, and the heat affected zone. Any cracks in the metal during the bending test indicate insufficient melting, insufficient penetration, or some other condition that can cause cracking. The elongation of the metal helps to indicate the flexibility of the weld. A fractured surface reveals the crystalline structure of the weld. Larger crystals tend to indicate a faulty soldering procedure or improper heat treatment after soldering. A quality solder has small crystals.
Referring to Figure 23, after the bend test, the same straight cut section of the virtual weldment 2200 that has the same weld joint 2210 can be re-rendered and subjected to a simulated drag test. Drag testing (or tensile testing) can be performed to find the strength of a welded joint. In the simulated test, the 2200 virtual weldment is clamped at one end and pulled at the other end until the 2200 virtual weldment breaks. The drag or pull load at which the 2200 weld breaks is determined and can be compared to a standard measurement for pass/fail determination.
Referring to Figure 24, after the drag test, the same 2200 virtual weldment straight cut section that has the same 2210 weld joint can be re-rendered and subjected to a simulated notch fracture test. The simulated notch fracture test is performed to determine if the weld metal of a welded butt joint has any internal defects such as slag inclusion, gas pockets, insufficient fusion, and oxidized metal. A slot is cut on each side of the weld joint 2210 as shown in Figure 24. The virtual weldment 2200 is positioned on two supports and hammered into the weld section 2210 between the crack fractures. Inner weld metal 2210 can be inspected for defects. Defects can be compared to standard measures for pass/fail determination.
While the claimed subject matter of the present application has been described with reference to certain embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the claimed subject. Furthermore, many modifications can be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the claimed subject without deviating from its scope. Therefore, it is intended that the subject matter claimed not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but that the subject matter claimed include all embodiments that fall within the scope of the appended claims. Reference Numbers: 100 Virtual Reality Arc Welding System 140 Face-Mounted Display Device 110 Programmable Processor-Based Subsystem 150 Observer Display Device 111 Central Processing Unit 151 Various Welding Parameters 115 Graphic Processing Units 152 States 116 Computer Unified Device Architecture 153 User Selections 117 Shader 160 Mock Welding Tool 118 Video Out 161 Retainer 119 Video Out 162 Simulated Punch Electrodes 120 Space Tracker 163 Resistive Tip 121 Magnetic Source 170 Table/Stand 122 Sensor 171 Adjustable table 123 Disk 172 Bracket or base 124 Power supply 173 Adjustable arm 125 Cables 174 Vertical column 126 Processor tracking unit 175 Welding coupon 130 Physical welding user interface 175' 15.24 centimeter (6 cm) tubing inches) diameter 131 Button set 175" Tubing d and 15.24 centimeters (6 inches) in diameter 132 Joystick 176 Root 133 Indicator or handle 177 Connection portion 134 Indicator or handle 180 Welding coupon 135 Combined simulated welding console 900 welding helmet 136 Indicator or handle 910 ear 137 Indicator or handle 1201 Physical interface 1202 Clamp models 1350 Step 1203 Ambient models 1400 Flat weld coupon 1204 Sound content functionality 1410 Flat top surface 1205 Weld sounds 1420 Displacement map 1206 Stand/table model 1421 Wexel 1207 Internal Structure Functionality 1600 Welding Coupon 1208 Calibration Functionality 1610 Surface 1210 Coupon Templates 1620 Surface 1211 Welding Physics 1700 Pipe Welding Coupon 1212 Internal Physics Adjustment Tool 1701 Pipe Piece 1213 Graphical User Interface Functionality 1702 Pipe part 1214 Graphical functionality 1703 Root joint 1215 student report 1704 Fixing piece 1216 Renderer 1710 Curved surface 1217 Microsphere rendering 1910 Unshaded rectangular bars 1218 3D textures 1920 Particles 1219 Visual cues functionality 1930 Particle heights 1220 Scoring and tolerance functionality 1940 Shaded rectangles 122000 Tolerance Editor System 1222 Special Effects 2010 Processor-Based Subsystem 1300 Method 2020 Keyboard 1310 Step 2030 Mouse 1320 Step 2050 Observer Display Device 1330 Step 2100 Method 1340 Step 2120 Step 2130 Step 2140 Step 2150 Step 2160 Step 2170 Step 2120 Step Welded virtual 2210 Weld joint B Point E Point 0 Point 10 0' Line S Texture coordinate T Texture coordinate U Texture coordinate V Texture coordinate 15 X Point X' Line Y Point Z Point

权利要求:
Claims (15)
[0001]
1. System (100) for a virtual test and inspection of a virtual weldment, in particular as defined in any one of claims 7 to 10, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that the system (100) comprises: a programmable processor-based subsystem ( 110) operable to execute coded instructions, said coded instructions including: a rendering instrument configured to render at least one of a three-dimensional (3D) virtual weldment prior to simulated testing, a 3D animation of a virtual weldment under simulated test, and a 3D virtual weldment after the simulated test, and an analysis instrument configured to perform simulated testing of a 3D virtual weldment and additionally configured to perform inspection of at least one of a virtual weldment in 3D before mock testing, a 3D animation of a virtual weldment under mock testing and a 3D virtual weldment after mock testing for at least one of pass/fail conditions and defect/discontinuity characteristics; at least one display device operatively connected to said programmable processor-based subsystem to display at least one of a 3D virtual weldment prior to simulated testing, a 3D animation of a virtual weldment under simulated testing, and a weldment 3D virtual after simulated test; and a user interface operatively connected to said programmable processor-based subsystem (110) and configured to at least handle an orientation of at least one of a 3D virtual weldment prior to simulated testing, a 3D animation of an assembly virtual weldment under simulated testing and a 3D virtual weldment after simulated testing on said at least one display device; wherein said simulated test includes at least one of simulated destructive testing or simulated non-destructive testing; and wherein said simulated destructive test is selected from the group consisting of a simulated root bend test, a simulated face bend test, a simulated side bend test, a simulated drag or pull test, a simulated fracture test, a simulated impact test and a simulated stiffness test.
[0002]
2. System, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that said programmable processor-based subsystem includes a central processing unit (111) and at least one graphics processing unit (115), wherein said at least one graphics processing unit includes a computer unified device architecture (CUD A) (116) and a shader (117).
[0003]
3. System, according to claims 1 or 2, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that said analysis instrument includes at least one of a specialized system, a support vector machine (SVM), a neural network and an intelligent agent.
[0004]
4. System according to any one of claims 1 to 3, CHARACTERIZED in that said analysis instrument uses welding code data or welding pattern data to analyze at least one of a 3D virtual weldment before from the mock test, a 3D animation of a virtual weldment under mock testing, and a 3D virtual weldment after mock testing.
[0005]
5. System, according to any one of claims 1 to 4, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that said analysis instrument includes programmed virtual inspection tools that can be accessed and manipulated by a user using said user interface to inspect a virtual weldment.
[0006]
6. System, according to any one of claims 1 to 5, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that said simulated test includes at least one of a simulated destructive test and a simulated non-destructive test.
[0007]
7. Virtual welding test and inspection simulator, said simulator being CHARACTERIZED by the fact that it comprises: means to perform one or more destructive and non-destructive tests simulated in a virtual weldment in 3D rendered; means for analyzing the results of said one or more simulated destructive and non-destructive tests on said 3D rendered virtual weldment; and means for inspecting said 3D rendered virtual weldment after at least a simulated test of said 3D virtual weldment; and wherein said means for performing one or more simulated destructive tests is selected from the group consisting of a simulated root bend test, a simulated face bend test, a simulated side bend test, a test drag or pull test, a simulated fracture test, a simulated impact test and a simulated stiffness test.
[0008]
8. Simulator, according to claim 7, CHARACTERIZED in that it additionally comprises means for rendering a virtual weldment in 3D.
[0009]
9. Simulator, according to claim 7 or 8, CHARACTERIZED in that it additionally comprises means for rendering a 3D animation of said virtual weldment as it performs said one or more simulated destructive and non-destructive tests and which comprises additionally, preferably, means for displaying and manipulating an orientation of said 3D animation of said virtual weldment.
[0010]
10. Simulator, according to any one of claims 7 to 9, CHARACTERIZED in that it additionally comprises means for inspecting a virtual weldment in 3D before, during and after the simulated test of said virtual weldment in 3D.
[0011]
11. Method for evaluating the quality of a line base virtual weldment rendered in virtual reality space, in particular with the use of the system or simulator, as defined in any of the preceding claims, said method being CHARACTERIZED by comprising: subjecting said linebase virtual weldment to a first computer simulated test configured to test at least one characteristic of said linebase virtual weldment; rendering a first tested virtual weldment and generating first test data in response to said first test; and subjecting said first tested virtual weldment and said first test data to a computer simulated analysis configured to determine at least one pass/fail condition of said first tested virtual weldment with respect to said at least one characteristic, in that said first computer-simulated test simulates at least one of an actual destructive test or an actual non-destructive test; and wherein said computer-simulated test is selected from the group consisting of a simulated root bend test, a simulated face bend test, a simulated side bend test, a simulated drag or pull test, a simulated fracture test, a simulated impact test and a simulated stiffness test.
[0012]
12. Method, according to claim 11, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that said first computer-simulated test simulates a real destructive test and a real non-destructive test.
[0013]
13. Method, according to claim 11 or 12, CHARACTERIZED in that it additionally comprises: re-rendering said line base virtual weldment in virtual reality space; subjecting said linebase virtual weldment to a second computer simulated test configured to test at least one other characteristic of said linebase virtual weldment; rendering a second tested virtual weldment and generating second test data in response to said second test; and subjecting said second tested virtual weldment and said second test data to a computer simulated analysis configured to determine at least one other pass/fail condition of said second tested virtual weldment with respect to said at least one other characteristic .
[0014]
14. Method, according to claim 13, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that said second computer-simulated test simulates a real destructive test and a real non-destructive test.
[0015]
15. Method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, CHARACTERIZED in that it further comprises manually inspecting a displayed version of said first rendered tested virtual weldment.

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同族专利:

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公开号 | 公开日

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WO2011148258A2|2011-12-01|

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CN106023727A|2016-10-12|

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CN106057027A|2016-10-26|

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BR112012030156A2|2021-05-11|

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CN106205291B|2019-05-28|

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US8657605B2|2014-02-25|

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EP2577643A2|2013-04-10|

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RU2012152526A|2014-07-10|

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CN106057026A|2016-10-26|

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CN106297493A|2017-01-04|

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CN105679148A|2016-06-15|

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CA2800876A1|2011-12-01|

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CN103038804A|2013-04-10|

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MX2012013776A|2013-04-09|

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CN103038804B|2016-08-17|

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CN105679148B|2018-12-07|

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CN106205291A|2016-12-07|

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WO2011148258A3|2012-06-21|

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CN106057026B|2020-06-16|

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US20110183304A1|2011-07-28|

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法律状态:
2021-05-25| B06F| Objections, documents and/or translations needed after an examination request according [chapter 6.6 patent gazette]|

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2021-05-25| B06U| Preliminary requirement: requests with searches performed by other patent offices: procedure suspended [chapter 6.21 patent gazette]|

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2021-11-09| B09A| Decision: intention to grant [chapter 9.1 patent gazette]|

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2022-01-11| B16A| Patent or certificate of addition of invention granted [chapter 16.1 patent gazette]|Free format text: PRAZO DE VALIDADE: 20 (VINTE) ANOS CONTADOS A PARTIR DE 27/05/2011, OBSERVADAS AS CONDICOES LEGAIS. PATENTE CONCEDIDA CONFORME ADI 5.529/DF, QUE DETERMINA A ALTERACAO DO PRAZO DE CONCESSAO. |

优先权:

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申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题

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US34902910P| true| 2010-05-27|2010-05-27|

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US61349029|2010-05-27|

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US61/349,029|2010-05-27|

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US13081725|2011-04-07|

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US13/081,725|2011-04-07|

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PCT/IB2011/001157|WO2011148258A2|2010-05-27|2011-05-27|Virtual testing and inspection of a virtual weldment|

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