How it works
From camera to part record
AIOR Vision is station software installed at the welding cell. It evaluates the thermal cameras, the PLC signals and the digital twin of the part together and records the results on the station; the records can also be viewed in the customer portal.
How the system is built
Thermal detection
Thermal cameras view the welding cell from different sides; their number and positions depend on the cell. A four-camera installation, for example, has left, right, upper-front and upper-rear views.
Each camera has its own hot-area threshold (isotherm). The software looks for the moment new heat begins and evaluates the time just before and after it together. The images of all cameras that see the same arc are merged into one decision: one arc is one weld event.
PLC signals
The PLC reports when a part is clamped and released and which part it is:
- Clamp closed (KK): the part's cycle starts.
- Clamp opened (KA): the cycle ends.
- Barcode: the part's ID; the value sent by the PLC is recorded exactly as received.
- Encoder angle: the current angle of the fixture.
AIOR Vision sends no data, acknowledgements or commands to the PLC. Cycles for which the PLC sends no barcode are recorded as barcode-less and shown separately in the reports.
Digital-twin calibration
During commissioning the fixture is turned through 36 positions and every camera takes a photo at each one; in a four-camera cell that makes 144 photos. From these photos the software computes how each camera sees the part and prepares projections in advance for every 0.1° of fixture angle, 3600 angles in all.
Calibration is started only from the calibration menu, by an authorised user. If a camera is moved, the calibration is repeated.
Mapping to named weld points
Every weld point is defined by name on the part's 3D model. The heat is projected onto the model at the current fixture angle and matched to the most suitable weld point on the surface the cameras can see. Each record gets one of these statuses:
- Recorded: the weld was written to a point.
- Uncertain: the weld could not be told apart between two or more points.
- Unplanned: the heat did not fall on a planned weld point.
- Fault: the record could not be evaluated because of a signal or image problem.
The decision states which point a weld was written to; it is not a verdict on weld quality.
Records and backups
Records are written to a local database on the station PC; recording needs no internet connection. Hourly and daily copies of the database are kept on the station, on separate disks.
The customer portal shows a copy of the station records held on the server. Data in the portal is not live.
Verification with a Capability Study
How well the system works in your cell is measured with a planned trial: 50 weld points are welded in turn, and each one is marked CORRECT, WRONG or NOT DETECTED.
The report gives the capture and correct-recognition rates with exact 95% confidence intervals and attribute-equivalent Cp/Cpk values with their 95% lower bounds, and is saved as a PDF. Cp/Cpk here are equivalent indices derived from pass/fail results, not dimensional capability.
We publish no general accuracy figure on this site: the result is measured in your cell, with your trial.
Commissioning steps
Every installation starts with a review of the cell and the parts.
The duration depends on the cell and the number of parts; we set the schedule together after the review.
- Cell reviewIdentifying the parts, weld points, camera positions and PLC signals.
- InstallationInstalling the thermal cameras, the station PC and the network connections.
- PLC connectionReceiving the KK, KA, barcode and angle signals, read-only.
- Part modelsDefining the 3D part models and their named weld points.
- Digital-twin calibrationTaking photos at 36 positions and computing the projections.
- VerificationA planned weld trial and report with the Capability Study.
- HandoverUser training and opening the customer portal accounts.
Let's review your cell together
Tell us about your parts, weld points and PLC signals; we will plan the installation together.