December 2017 Vol.

26

ARC ON TIME MEASURING UNIT WITH WELD JOINT COUNTER

Many times the welding job consists of number of joints and counting of such joints becomes very important
to ensure the job is completed as per the requirements and no joint is missed out. Without going into big
automation and complex system for counting number of joints as per jobs, a simple add on standalone unit
can do this. Following article gives information about how this unit works and how it can be used for
individual’s application.

This unit can store sixteen different jobs with their respective number of joints. Individual job can be selected
by binary input which can be given from external switches or PLC binary output. This unit has to be connected
to output terminals of Welding power source and with the help of binary input, job stored at particular location
(Program number) has to selected to start the number of joint counting.

Actual Unit Front Panel for ARC on timer and joint counting unit

Default screen during welding, Display will show the actual arc on time, number of joints which have been
counted after resetting the unit and program number against which unit will give ok/not ok status.
 ARCON PROGRAM
COUNT NUMBER
S
A R C O N = 0 5 9 : 5 9 P R : O 9
A CI N T S A= 0 M
J O 9 9 9 A K
S T : O STATUS
JOINT
U A A OK/NOK/
COUNT
ERR/RST
S

UP DOWN ENTE ESC

KEY KEY RKEY KEY

Start Counting:-

Before start the counting of joints & arc on time counts has to be clear by user. Previous counts/garbage will
be get erased by resetting the unit by pressing ‘ENTER’ key with password.

R E S E T C O U N T S
Y E S NOM
U

If yes, front panel will ask to enter the password to reset the counts. User by using up down key can enter the
password & will be check by set key.

If NO, front will come out from password entry mode & will display default screen.

P A S S WO R D = X X X X
A A M
Set or Change the password:-

User can change or reset the password by operating the keys from front panel.

S E T P A S S WO R D = 9 9 9 9
A A
R C O N A E M
R R O R = + / - 0 9

To reset the password (if user forgot the password):-

User can flush all the data stored in EEPROM by pressing set key continuously for 20 seconds. It will clear all
passwords with all the counts as well as all the programs which are stored by user.

Weld joint ok or not ok status:-

Unit will continuously monitor the entered number of joints & measured number of joint. When both are equal
it will compare the measured arc on time with entered arc on time (with+/- hysteresis count) & result will be
get indicate be glowing green/red lamp.

(Note:-Joint count will be counted only when welding current is flowing above 50A & arcing time must be
more than one second)

To save 16 different programs of Target Joint Counts & Target ARC ON counts in memory:-

Press up & down keys continuously for 2 seconds, then unit will be going into program mode.

A R C O N = 0 5 9 : 5 9 P R : O 5
A CI N T S A= 0 M
J O 9 9 9 AM
P R O G
U A O K

By default program location & program mode will be get blinked. By using Up/Down key user can edit the
memory location to view or edit the joint & Arc on time counts.

By using ENTER key user rotate the edit cursor

Memory locationJoints countArc on countsmemory location

If program location is blinking, by using Up/Down key user can edit the memory location from 00 to 16 to view
or edit the joint & Arc on time counts.

If joint counter is blinking, by using Up/Down key user can edit the joint counts from 000 to 9999.

If arc on counter is blinking, by using Up/Down key user can edit the arc on time counts from 00:00 to 999:59
min:sec.

For Save & Exit from program mode press ESC key continuously for 2 seconds. Unit will save all programs &
will get exit automatically & will display the default screen.

Selection of saved program from memory for comparison with running job:-

User can select the program by applying 4 digital inputs continuously of voltage level 0VDC or 24VDC. As per
that binary combination program will get reloaded from memory to main code to compare the joint & Arc on
time counts.

Input A Input B Input C Input D Memory Location

0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 1 2
0 0 1 0 3
0 0 1 1 4
0 1 0 0 5
0 1 0 1 6
0 1 1 0 7
0 1 1 1 8
1 0 0 0 9
1 0 0 1 10
1 0 1 0 11
1 0 1 1 12
1 1 0 0 13
1 1 0 1 14
1 1 1 0 15
1 1 1 1 16

Technical specification of unit :-

Sr. No. Parameters Range

1 Input Supply (2 Ø) 0-415VAC

2 Display LCD Display (20x2)
3 Up, Down & resetting password using Tact Switches
keys
4 Arc on time 000:00 to 999:59
Unit:- min:sec
 5 Joints counts 0000-9999
4 Voltage Measurement 0-100VDC
(using Voltage Isolator)
5 Current Measurement 0-400A
(using Hall sensor)
6 Password for resetting Arc on timer count Yes (0000-9999)
7 Setting of new password facility Yes
8 Previous welding joint OK/NOT OK Led indication/Potential free contact
compared with program stored in (Maximum rating 1A/230VAC)
memory.
9 Memory location to save different Joint 16 memory Locations
Count Target.
10 Memory location to save different ARC ON 16 memory Locations
Target.
11 Digital binary inputs to select different 4 numbers.
programs
12 Voltage levels of digital binary inputs. Continuous 0 or 24VDC
(Potential free inputs maximum
rating 100ma/100VDC)

This unit is useful where single welder is working on individual job having number of joints.

In such cases this unit is a simple tool to monitor the numbers of joints and arc on time which is nothing but
monitoring quality and productivity for that individual job.