The Xiris Blog

High Dynamic Range (HDR) weld cameras provide clear images of a welding process including detail of the weld arc as well as the darker surrounding background environment, making it easy to monitor and control precise welding processes. Not only do weld cameras enable operators to see more detail of the welding process, by allowing them to see it remotely, they can improve the health and safety of operators on the job and reduce workplace costs associated with safety.

Common on-the-job risks that can be eliminated by removing the operator from the immediate welding environment include:

·         electrical shock 

·         "welding eye" (direct exposure of the weld arc to the human eye)

·         contact with weld spatter

·         injuries from moving or falling objects 

·         welding fume inhalation

·        workers' compensation insurance rates

·        employee health insurance rates

·        costs due to lost productivity

·      possible litigation

There are many other benefits to using a weld camera, but health and safety is such an important factor that cannot be overlooked. When operators are able to view the welding process in a safe, remote location, there are a multitude of positive results.

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Each type of welding has a unique sound. Sometimes that sound can signify problems. Other times it tells the operator that everything is going exactly right. Xiris has now added audio monitoring to our industry-leading weld cameras. This innovative system gives welders a new tool to monitor and improve their operations.

However, it often takes years of experience to be able to distinguish the slight differences in sound that separate a good weld from a bad one. And if you’re new to welding or you’ve not been monitoring by sound before, how do you know what to listen for?

Today, we’re looking at GMAW, or MIG welding, and sharing the various sounds you may hear and what they mean.

1. -  Frying Bacon: This is the most common description for what GMAW sounds like. The torch will sizzle, with the occasional pop. This usually means that your welder is set up properly and you are laying a quality bead.
2. -  Popcorn Popping: If your welding sounds more like popcorn than bacon, with lots of snapping and popping, this may signify that your wire speed is too fast. “The wire is hitting the surface and not melting into the metal fully, creating a weak and dangerous weld.”¹
3. -  Hissing, as though gas is leaking: Often means too slow of a wire speed. This is also a weak, unsafe weld.¹
4. -  Popping and Hissing: This usually signifies a problem with the shielding gas. You will also see excessive sparks and slag, and pores in the finished weld. Check that the gas is on, there is gas in the tank and the tank pressure is correct.¹
5. -  Irregular: Another issue that can be identified by sound is wire stickout. If your stickout is too long, the arc may sound irregular – constantly changing in pitch and/or volume.²

The voltage and current setting on your welder, as well as the metal that you are welding, all affect the sound of the arc in GMAW.³ For example, stainless steel welding uses three different approaches: dip transfer, globular transfer or spray arc. Each of these techniques has a different sound, as the arc moves from low power to high through the metal transfer cycle.⁴

In dip transfer (low amperage welding, which is ideal for thinner materials), you hear a fast crackling—the coveted bacon sound. Globular transfer, which is not often used, makes an uneven, splattering sound, with occasional hisses. Spray transfer has a consistent hissing sound as the hot metal transfers to the parent material in a steady stream.

It is important to learn your equipment, understand your materials and experiment with different settings. Monitor the sound and appearance of the arc and critically evaluate the quality of your welds. Soon you will know what to listen for.

Watch a video that shows how varying the wire feed speed and voltage changes the sound of MIG welding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmcO0lFfn1k.

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Sources: 

¹https://garage.eastwood.com/eastwood-chatter/listen-to-your-mig/

²https://www.millerwelds.com/resources/article-library/mig-welding-the-basics-for-mild-steel

³https://forum.millerwelds.com/forum/welding-discussions/4179-mig-welding-sound

⁴https://www.theshedmag.co.nz/home/2018/7/8/tackling-stainless-a-guide-to-stainless-steel-welding

Xiris is pleased to celebrate its 30th anniversary in September, 2019. Founded 30 years ago by Cameron Serles, the business was set up to commercialize the budding technology of machine vision, using cameras to acquire images and send to computers to process those images. Back in 1989 when the company started, most manufacturers were highly skeptical of the possibility of cameras being able to inspect manufactured goods by measuring the size or shape of manufactured goods. As a result, the first few years were tough until the technology slowly gained acceptance, initially in the automotive and semiconductor industries, then eventually being embraced into all kinds of applications across all forms of manufacturing and materials processing.

Over the years, Xiris developed inspection systems for the automotive, semiconductor, electronics, pharmaceutical, steel, plastics, compact disc and printing industries.For the past 10 years or so Xiris' focus has been on the metal fabrication industry.

We would like to thank everyone who has contributed to our success over these past three decades. We would not have been able to do it without all of our customers, partners, and employees. Our team at Xiris Automation Inc. is grateful for our journey thus far and we are looking forward to another 30 years of advancing inspection technology.

In today’s world, environmental issues are becoming more and more important in all aspect of business. Currently, “humanity uses the equivalent of 1.7 Earths to provide the resources we use and absorb our waste”¹. So, we want to share how you can do your part by making your welding processes more environmentally friendly through scrap and waste reduction.

Implementing camera systems for inspection and monitoring can help you reduce waste in your welding processes. Camera systems give you instantaneous feedback, allowing operators to immediately adjust their process before defects or scrap is created. Our customers are often our best cheerleaders: Brian Dobben, from Flowserve, credits Xiris’ dual-camera weld monitoring system with roughly an 80-95% reduction in weld defects long-term. The monitoring feedback helps reduce the scrap from welding processes that are not in control, helping operators to weld with better precision, making better, stronger welds. The end result? Final products that last longer, with less frequent replacements in the field, contributing to less waste. 

Weld Camera System	Weld Inspection System

Other examples exist, such as use of cameras in the classroom. By using weld cameras at schools, weld instructors can drastically reduce the weld coupons, energy and consumable materials they use by recording some of their welding lessons using a weld camera. By recording some welding lessons, the instructor doesn’t have to waste energy and materials by continuously repeating their demonstrations.

Cameras for monitoring and inspection can be used in a variety of different welding applications to help operators improve their quality and therefore reduce their scrap. Every step counts towards helping the environment, so take that first step by implementing a camera system with that automated welding process.

Follow Xiris on social media for regular updates and welding videos!

Source: 

¹https://www.footprintnetwork.org/our-work/ecological-footprint/

Our team at Xiris has released an audio monitoring package for our weld cameras. Today, we’re sharing how you can set up audio monitoring capability with weld cameras for your operations.

Audio monitoring with weld cameras involves both hardware—the microphone and other equipment—and software—Xiris’ WeldStudio™ software.           

Audio Monitoring Hardware

Audio monitoring starts with the microphone. The welding environment is not very friendly for electronics and sensitive equipment, so Xiris has developed a rugged microphone capable of capturing the full spectrum of audio using a specialized sensor. This sensor captures sound frequency from 40hz up to 20khz. This means that you not only get the low rumbles at the bottom of the range, but you also get the sizzle and pop at the high end.

The microphone has been “ruggedized” so that it is suitable for the welding environment. A protective covering provides thermal, environmental and dust protection for the sensitive microphone elements. The microphone is also directional, meaning once it is pointed at the welding process, it will ignore some of the surrounding noises.

The microphone has been designed to be located near the welding camera, although it can be positioned elsewhere if needed.

Cables and wires connect the microphone and transmit the audio signals to the Xiris HMI computer, which contains Xiris’ specially developed audio processing card. It is here that the signal is processed and conditioned for integration with the video images.

Audio Monitoring Software

The audio feature is part of Xiris’ WeldStudio™ software utility, where operators are able to play back, record and adjust the audio that they’re hearing. The audio signal is synchronized with the video stream from the weld camera, so operators can see and hear what’s happening with their welding at the same time.

User Interface of WeldStudio™ with audio feature.

Using equalization controls, operators are able to reduce or eliminate certain frequencies, such as those caused by other mechanical noises or environmental noises unrelated to the welding. The software allows operators to completely control the equalization curve to meet their specific needs, suppressing or enhancing certain frequency ranges depending on what they want to listen to. Audio is a module in the WeldStudio™ software, so the touch and feel of the interface and the tools within the program will feel familiar to experienced users.

Summary

Video monitoring using weld cameras has brought many benefits to fabricators and their operations. However, there was something missing. Sound.

Experienced welders understand how sound can help to tune and monitor their welding processes. With this new audio monitoring package, Xiris is providing this capability as an option with the Xiris weld camera system.

Follow Xiris on social media for regular updates and welding videos!

Using weld cameras in a classroom has many benefits for students, instructors, and administrators by providing high dynamic range images with a clear view of the weld arc, torch tip as well as the darker surrounding features such as the weld pool and seam. Weld cameras will enhance your classroom training, making them indispensable tools for teaching welding techniques.

Rather than always having to crowd around the instructors, with weld cameras, students are able to clearly see all features of the weld process, providing a better weld instruction experience, without the instructor having to restart or repeat the welding process should the student have missed some portion of the instruction.

“By displaying the captured welding video on a remote screen, the instructors can vastly improve the learning experience of their students, with improved learning success, which is always the instructors’ goal”. – Chris Manning, Chair of Welding Programs at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT)

Not only do welding instructors achieve their goal of improving the learning success, they also don’t have to worry about classroom space and students’ proximity to weld demos.

Having each lesson recorded also gives students the ability to repeatedly view and learn from those demos, and enables instructors to keep an on-going source of recorded material to avoid constantly recreating lessons.

Administrators experience benefits from the use of weld cameras in classrooms as well. This technology eliminates space constraints in weld training booths and allows instructors to teach more students, faster. Weld cameras can also enhance the program’s reputation, which attracts even more students to the school.

Xiris offers a Weld Camera Kit specifically designed for Educators that comes with everything you need for easy applications of weld cameras in your welding program.

So, are you ready for weld cameras in your classroom?

Visit our website, download our Education Whitepaper or contact our Education Account Manager for more information.