IP Library Granted Patent US 12,459,023
Granted Patent B2
US 12,459,023 · App. 18/456,314 · Granted Nov 4, 2025

Welding monitoring apparatus and welding monitoring method

Inventors: Noboru Hasegawa (Tokyo, JP); Michitoshi Tanimoto (Tokyo, JP); Michimasa Mukai (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
B21C51/00B21C37/08B21C37/0818B23K11/062B23K11/0873B23K11/252B23K13/02B23K13/08B23K31/003B23K31/125G01N21/892G01N21/952G01N29/041G01N29/043G01N2291/267
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,459,023
App. No.
18/456,314
Granted
Nov 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a welding monitoring apparatus that monitors a welding state of a V-convergence region in which a strip-shaped metal sheet is converged in a V-shape, when the metal sheet is cylindrically formed while being conveyed, and both side edges of the metal sheet are heated and melted in a manner of being butted each other while being converged in the V-shape, such that an electric resistance welded steel pipe is manufactured. This welding monitoring apparatus includes an image capturing unit that captures images of a region including the V-convergence region in time series; and an image processing unit that extracts a welding point based on the images captured in time series and detects the presence or absence and a position of irregular arcing at the welding point or on an upstream side of the welding point.

Claims (22)

1 . A welding monitoring method for monitoring welding of a V-convergence region in which a strip-shaped metal sheet is converged in a V-shape, when the metal sheet is cylindrically formed while being conveyed in a longitudinal direction, and both side edges of the metal sheet are heated and melted in a manner of being butted each other while being converged in the V-shape, such that an electric resistance welded steel pipe is manufactured, the method comprising:

an image capturing step of capturing images from above a region including the V-convergence region in a plan view in time series; and

a detecting step of extracting a welding point based on the images captured from above in time series and detecting the presence or absence and a position of irregular arcing at the welding point or on an upstream side of the welding point,

wherein RGB images are used as the images, and

wherein in the detecting step,

at least one of a red image and a blue image is extracted from the RGB images,

inverted binarization and labeling of the red image are performed with respect to the red image, and

a high-luminance portion in the blue image is detected with respect to the blue image.

2 . The welding monitoring method according to claim 1 ,

wherein in the image capturing step, images are captured at a frame rate of 200 frames or more per second.

3 . The welding monitoring method according to claim 2 , further comprising:

a marking step of physically marking the position of the irregular arcing in a longitudinal direction in the electric resistance welded steel pipe.

4 . The welding monitoring method according to claim 3 , further comprising:

a defect presence-or-absence specifying step of performing an ultrasonic test with respect to a region to which the marking is applied.

5 . The welding monitoring method according to claim 2 , further comprising:

a tracking step of tracking the position of the irregular arcing in a longitudinal direction in the electric resistance welded steel pipe.

6 . The welding monitoring method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a marking step of physically marking the position of the irregular arcing in a longitudinal direction in the electric resistance welded steel pipe.

7 . The welding monitoring method according to claim 6 , further comprising:

a defect presence-or-absence specifying step of performing an ultrasonic test with respect to a region to which the marking is applied.

8 . The welding monitoring method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a tracking step of tracking the position of the irregular arcing in a longitudinal direction in the electric resistance welded steel pipe.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 1, 2025
From: NIPPON STEEL & SUMIKIN PIPE CO., LTD.
To: NIPPON STEEL PIPE CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 072984/0784 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 1, 2025
From: NIPPON STEEL PIPE CO., LTD.
To: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 073451/0654 →
Continuity (2)
Division 16331067
Related Publication 20240082900A1 · Mar 14, 2024
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