SOLDAMATIC USE FOR MANUAL WELDING
Login
- Guest user: you do not need a password to access. You only need to select the laterality of the person who is going to perform the open welding practice.
- Administrator user: enter the password 1111, use the up/down navigation buttons and press OK after entering each character to move to the next field. When you have entered all the characters of the password, double click OK to connect.
- Student user: enter the password assigned to your profile. Student profiles are created by the instructor from Soldamatic e-Learning.
Menu
Administrator profile interface:
Student/Guest profile interface:
1. Content created by the instructor in the e-Learning application.
2. Default courses with all licences.
3. Help guides.
4. Open practices for demonstrations.
Welding practice
You can access welding practices in two ways:
- Pre-defined practices, using options 1 (my courses: instructor-created content) or 2 (predefined welding practices: default course included in all licences).
- Open practice for demo, where you can configure the welding process, the piece, the welding position and some parameters of the exercise.
Predefined practice
Use the navigation buttons to select the course, module, unit and practice you want to do.
Once inside, the summary of the exercise appears.
Click on «Start exercise». See how to Execute a practice.
Open practice for demo
If you have selected to perform an open practice you will have to configure the exercise. Click on Start.
The following screens will appear:
1. Select the type of workpiece.
2. Configure the following options:
a. Difficulty: There are 3 levels and each level is more restrictive. The higher the difficulty, the smaller the margin of error.
b. Equipment settings: You can enable or disable the indicators that appear on the screen during the exercise regarding voltage, wire speed, amperage, gas, etc. Some users may prefer to hide them to make the experience more realistic.
You will also have to choose whether you want the exercise to start with the equipment parameters set correctly or not. If you select the second option, the exercise will not start until the equipment settings are correct.
c. Real-time parameter guides: It refers to the icons that appear during practice on the screen and that help the user to perform the welding exercise in a correct way. You can deactivate them if you think they are not necessary.
d. Slag removal requierements: You can choose to clean the slag between passes or after completing the passes. This option will only be enabled for SMAW-MMA and FCAW processes.
e. Undo welding passes during exercise: with this option you can configure whether or not the student can redo the pass during the execution of the exercise.
NOTE
If you are new to welding, we recommend leaving the default values. They are set for beginners.
3. Parameter Selection . Next, you have to select some of the parameters involved in the exercise. The system will guide you so that you do not leave any of them unchecked. The screens show each one of them in an easy and intuitive way. You will start by selecting the piece to weld:
After selecting the piece, the Position, Material, Thickness, Welding Process, Filler Material, Filler Diameter, Gas, Bead Length, Number of Passes, Pattern, Sequence, and Welding Technique screens will appear.
NOTE
The e-learning application offers a more detailed customization of the parameters involved in welding.
Now you have all the necessary parameters to start the exercise. You will see a summary of them in this screen.
If you have selected an Advanced or Industrial Welding Multi-joint, this summary will show all the parameters of the different welds that make up your coupon. In these pieces, the parameters come predefined.
Click on «Start exercise».
See the next section: «Execution of a practice».
Execution of a practice
It is important to know what actions you have to perform prior to the execution of the practice once you start this process and what information you will find on the screen when performing the practice:
1. Torch connection and workpiece selection
Before starting the welding exercise make sure you have the torch of the selected procedure connected. See How to connect the welding torch. As well as you should also check that you are using the selected piece and it is positioned as indicated in the exercise.
2. Light calibration
Hold the helmet in your hands to perform the light calibration and pull the torch trigger (GMAW and GTAW) or press the AR button.
The first time you practice with your simulator, you will need to do a light calibration. This will adjust the settings of the video device (temperature, intensity) according to the lighting conditions in the room. It is possible to set the frequency of light calibration, see Change lighting calibration options.
When you finish the light calibration, put on your helmet (make sure that it fits properly and that you feel comfortable in it).
IMPORTANT
To make sure you do the light calibration correctly, remember not to wear the helmet, calibrate with it in your hands, it will be easier to position the cameras during the process. It is also important that the piece is seen without any object in the middle of the scene (torches, hands…) and the image must be as centred as possible.
- Make sure the helmet light is on.
- A dashed circle will appear in the centre of the screen.
- Aim the helmet at the workpiece and ensure that the dashed circle is aligned with the solid line circle.
- Adjust the distance from the helmet to the workpiece so that both circles are the same size.
- When both circles match, the lighting calibration process will be performed automatically. A notification indicates when the process has been successfully completed.
In case you change your Soldamatic location, we recommend you to perform the light calibration again in order to optimise the light conditions. To do so, during the practice (we explain it deeply in the section 5) you must press the Settings button in the front panel of the simulator to deploy the light settings in the left bottom corner of the screen. Once on there, select: Start Lighting Calibration Process.
What happens if the piece is not detected and the calibration process is not activated?
If you don’t have to do the Light calibration, just press AR button in the front panel of your simulator to start the simulation.
3. Items detection and parameters’ info
a. Detection of the piece and the torch or electrode. If the coverage is good, it will appear in blue. It is important that at least two of the stripes shown are filled. It will appear red if the item is not detected. This can be due to three causes:
- The markers are not detected.
- The position of the person is not correct.
- Light calibration has not been performed correctly.
If you have connected an advanced torch it will also be displayed. You will see next to the torch the icon shown in the picture.
b. Intensity (voltage, amperage).
c. Wire speed.
d. Gas flow.
e. Other settings. You can select whether will be welded in 2 or 4 times.
f. You can adjust the shade of the mask, i.e. the darkness of the mask glass. Use the up and down navigation buttons for this purpose.
NOTE
If you have previously selected to hide the settings panel during the execution of the welding bead, the previous settings will not be displayed while welding.
If the settings are red, they are incorrect and must be changed, otherwise you will not be able to start welding. The arrows on the display indicate whether the setting needs to be increased or decreased.
If detection is lost during welding, the workpiece icon or the torch icon will appear in red in the upper left corner. If the lost of detection persists the full upper bar is shown, welding is stopped and scene illuminates automatically.
4. Help icons
Once you start you will see red, yellow, blue and green arrows and marks on the metal piece. These signs are the Help icons (see Help icons section) that will guide you through the exercise to give you information on the correct way to execute the weld bead.
5. During and after exercise
You can check the welding pass parameters at any time by pressing the OK button. This is very useful when performing a multi-pass exercise, as it may be composed of different welding processes and parameters.
NOTE
In the SMAW process, when the electrode has been consumed, the welding simulation will stop automatically. To continue the welding process, place the electrode in the initial position.
Once you are performing the exercise you can modify the light settings of the cameras or perform the light calibration again if necessary (mainly if there is a problem detecting the workpiece or the torch). To deploy these settings, press the «Settings» button on the front navigation panel of your Soldamatic.
Once you have pressed this button you will see the following menu on the left bottom corner of your screen:
1. Restart video devices. Here the video devices will be restarted in case the problem is in the boot of them.
2. Intensity. Select Intensity and press Ok. A new setting will appear. Modify the different pre-sets until the image improves.
3. Temperature. Select Temperature and press Ok. A new setting will appear. Modify the different pre-sets until the image improves.
4. Start Lighting Calibration Process. Here you will be able to make the calibration process again if you need it.
If you do not want to make any changes or if you have already saved the changes you have made, press CANCEL to return to the exercise.
Continue welding until you see the following message on the screen: «Weld completed. Press the Cancel button». If this message does not appear, it means that the pass has not yet been completed.
Once you have completed the exercise, you can perform any of the following actions:
a. View result. You can save the exercise by pressing this button.
b. Clear weld and restart.
c. Continue weld. It will appear if the weld bead hasn’t been completed yet.
d. Clear weld and switch laterality. It will appear only if you are logged in as a Guest.
e. Back to activity selection.
Help icons
This allows to see different icons that will help the student during the execution of the welding practice.
Place the torch or electrode at the start of the welding bead and pay attention to the guides provided by the system.
Before you start welding, you must position yourself correctly.
Help icons will appear in red if the position or distance is not correct. They will appear green when these parameters are correct.
General help icons:
1. You will see a dashed yellow line indicating the position of the bead on the workpiece.
2. Inside the bead you will see a blue arrow indicating the start, direction and pattern of the weld.
3. Bring the tip of the torch close to the start of the bead. You will see a white circle indicating the position of the electrode/torch. The wider the circle, the farther you are from the coupon, so you will have to get closer until it narrows. This icon will disappear once the welding practice starts.
4. The circle above the torch indicates the Working Angle and the Travel Angle, which will change depending on whether you are push or drag welding. You must maintain these angles throughout the pass. If you see any part of this guide in red, move the torch or electrode in the direction indicated to get the correct position. You will know when you see the full circle in green.
5. The same applies to the icon that indicates the distance between the torch/electrode and the weld bead. You will see it on the tip of the weld bead and it tells you that you need to move further away from or closer to the workpiece
6. Try to keep the speed indicated by the two arrows. To do so, you must move forward as the same time as these help guides do.
GTAW help icons:
- Perception and positioning guide. The white circles indicate the position of the electrode/torch. The wider the circles, the farther you are from the coupon, so you will have to get closer until it narrows. This icon will disappear once the welding practice starts.
- Rod distance guide, hand positioning. Indicates the position of the hand regardless of how the rod is consumed. It is intended to ensure that the hand is neither too far from nor too close to the arc.
- Weld puddle size. It is represented by a dot that increases in size according to the amount of filler material in the weld puddle. The dot changes colour as follows:
- It appears red when there is not enough material in the weld puddle. The dot is smaller than the inner circle.
- It appears green when the weld puddle is sufficiently full. The dot is between the 2 circles.
- The dot changes quickly to green when there is enough material.
- Weld puddle size. It is represented by a dot that increases in size according to the amount of filler material in the weld puddle. The dot changes colour as follows:
- Travel speed help. Starts moving when the weld puddle has been established and has sufficient material (indicated by the feed aid: green circle). In this state the guide is blue (Image 1). Once the weld puddle has been established, the aid starts to advance with the configured speed and changes colour in the same way as the other guides (Imagen 2 and 3).
Once the bath has been established, the aid will continue to advance even if there is insufficient material in the weld puddle (Image 3). In case there is too little material, the aid will stop and appear blue (Image 4). Wait until the weld puddle is established again to continue.
- Travel speed help. Starts moving when the weld puddle has been established and has sufficient material (indicated by the feed aid: green circle). In this state the guide is blue (Image 1). Once the weld puddle has been established, the aid starts to advance with the configured speed and changes colour in the same way as the other guides (Imagen 2 and 3).
NOTE
It is possible to configure the display of the help in the exercise setup in Soldamatic e-Learning. You can also hide them when setting up an exercise in your Soldamatic in the Open Demo practices.
Results and exercise analysis
Once you have completed the exercise, you can access the analysis module where you will be able to analyse the performance of the exercise. Besides, you can reproduce a 3D video of the exercise.
There are three different views in the Analysis Module. This is the default view (explained in 4a.Graph view) once you enter after finishing the exercise:
The following information is common to all views:
a. Graph view
View of the weld bead progress graph while the video execution is still playing in the upper right corner of the screen.
1. Score: the total score for an exercise is the average of the scores of all the values. If you reach the score, you will see a green check icon. If not, your score will appear in red.
a. Technique: it is the average of the score obtained on the technical parameters. These will be different depending on the process.
b. Settings: considers the setting of voltage, amperage, wire speed and gas, selected on the equipment for the welding bead.
c. Defects: indicates whether or not defects have potentially occurred in the weld bead.
d. Bend test: the result is displayed, indicating whether the test has been passed or failed.
2. Graphical representation of the weld bead that has been made in the exercise.
3. Technical parameters values: the average value must fit in between the two range values.
4. Welding bead progress graph. There is a graph for each of the technical parameters. Using the navigation buttons, you can scroll through the graph from start to finish.
5. Numerical score of the performance in relation to each parameter of the welding bead.
b. 3D view
Video execution of your welding practice.
a. View perspective: you can choose to visualize the video from the welder perspective or a free perspective.
b. Rotate: rotate the workpiece. Only available in free perspective.
c. Zoom: Zoom the video. Only available in free perspective.
d. Move the video linearly. Only available in free perspective.
c. Cross section and mechanical resistance view
View of the information concerning the cross section and the mechanical resistance.
a. You can see the section cut of the bead at the point selected by the caret.
b. You can see the values of the bead at the point selected by the caret.
c. In the central part you can see the bead on which a heat map is painted with the mechanical resistance values, which appear in the lower right corner. These values refer to a 1mm section.
The results of all the exercises performed will be saved in the history of the simulator or in Soldamatic e-Learning for both the instructor and the student.
Configuration and settings
Log in as Administrator to access the home screen. Select the Configure your Soldamatic option and click OK. You can also access by pressing the «settings» button on the front panel when you are on the Home screen.
NOTE
We recommend that students do not have access to this screen. To do this, make sure that the Admin option is unchecked when registering a new student. Otherwise you grant administrator rights.
Change language
Select Change language and press OK to choose the desired language.
If you want to leave without saving, press Cancel.
Change units and standards
Select Change Units and Standards and use the navigation knobs to change the units of measure (Imperial or Metric) or to change the naming conventions (American, European or Mixed welding convention).
Press Apply to confirm or press Cancel to exit the menu without saving.
Change time zone
Select Change time zone and select yours.
Select Apply to confirm or press Cancel to exit the menu without saving.
Change simulation settings
Select Change Tracking Method to choose the detection mode of every welding process.
Soldamatic supports two tracking methods:
- Mono: only one camera is used. This tracking method guarantees a better detection but less precision when performing an exercise. Use this option for more complex welding positions.
- Stereo: both cameras are used. This tracking method guarantees more precision when performing a welding exercise. However, it would be easier to not have a stable detection as the torch must be detected by both cameras simultaneously. We recommend using this option in general.
In the case of advanced torches, tracking is configured by default. It is not recommended to modify this option, only in case technical support indicates it.
Change lighting calibration options
Schedule light calibration options using the navigation knobs.
Select apply to confirm or press Cancel to exit the menu without saving.
Automatic shutdown configuration
Select this option if you want the simulator to shut down after a certain period of inactivity.
NOTE
The simulator has this option disabled by default.
If you do not enable this option, it will shut down only when you press the OFF button on the front panel.
Enable/disable wifi access point
Use this option to activate or desactivate the Access Point of your equipment.
Go to the Connection Options section to find out how to connect Soldamatic to other networks.
NOTE
If your equipment is connected with an Ethernet cable, the Access Point will not be activated.
Restore factory defaults
It is possible to restore the simulator to factory defaults.
There are 3 ways to do this:
- Configuration: Only the system configuration will be restored. When restarting, the date and time, the language and the unit system must be configured. As it was done at the beginning of the installation. The camera calibration will also be reset to factory defaults.
- Curriculum, student and exam data: Only the data related to the created courses and students will be deleted, but the current system settings and configuration will be kept.
- Both: Both of the above options will be carried out.
Check front panel
Selecting this option will take you to the test screen.
Verify that all front panel buttons and triggers on the GMAW/GTAW torch are working properly. To do this, press each button.
To exit the menu, press twice the Cancel button quickly.
Check and configure audio
In this section you can choose the audio output (monitor, helmet or both). Select Audio check to verify the correct functioning of the speakers of the helmet, the monitor or both if you have selected this option. A musical melody will be played on the device you have chosen.
Check camera set
In this button you can check if both cameras of the mask are working properly. Once you have selected this option, you will see two screens corresponding to the left and right camera.
Here you can check the intensity and temperature values and modify them if necessary.
Check advanced torch
Click here to check that the advanced torches have been connected correctly.
Check displays
Select this option to verify the correct operation of the simulator and helmet displays. A solid white screen should appear on both devices.
Check it and press Cancel to exit the menu.
Calibrate electrode retraction
If you notice that the electrode rod is consuming too fast or too slow, or if you change the electrode holder, you should perform a calibration.
Follow the instructions showcased on the screen to perform the electrode calibration:
1. Position the electrode in the start position.
2. Select the option «Run calibration speed 1».
3. When the electrode reaches the end position, press OK.
4. Repeat calibration on all six samples.
5. Once finished, select the option «Save calibration and exit».
If you only want to check if the electrode retraction is working properly, select the option «Test retraction ratio».
If you want to manually change the electrode retraction speed, use the «Increase/Decrease scaling factor» options. The speed can be scaled between 80% and 120%.
Use this same option to perform the calibration of the Advanced electrode.
Foot pedal calibration
Before start using the pedal, you must calibrate it.
1. Connect the pedal using the stick connector in the front panel.
2. Activate the foot pedal using the navigation buttons.
3. Select the Calibrate Pedal option. You will be prompted to press pedal and hold it in a specific position until the calibration process is completed.
Connect to technical support
IMPORTANT
Use this option only when instructed by Soldamatic’s technical team. Make sure you have an Internet connection before contacting us.
Select this option and press OK to allow Soldamatic’s technical support team to access the system for troubleshooting. For more information about the remote assistance see How can I connect to the Remote Assistance?
Select Yes (to request assistance) or No (to cancel the assistance request), then press Ok.
Press Cancel to exit the menu without saving.
If you want to turn off remote assistance, press this option again and it will be disabled.
Copy screen captures
Select this option if you want to capture any of the simulator screens.
NOTE
You will need an external keyboard with USB connection.
Connect an external keyboard to one of the USB ports on your unit and press the F9 key to capture the images. No on-screen action takes place, but your captures will be saved on the system.
Then connect a USB to save the screenshots by selecting this option.
Copy log files
Connect an external keyboard to one of the USB ports on your unit and press the F9 key to capture the images. No on-screen action takes place, but your captures will be saved on the system.
Then connect a USB to save the screenshots by selecting this option.
Use this option only when instructed by the Soldamatic technical team.
Select this option to save the log files on a connected USB drive. Once sent to the technical team they will be able to examine them and locate any incidents.
Fix simulator system date
This button will appear in the menu only if you get the error message when you start the unit:
«[ERR-CODE] We have encountered a problem with the system date of your simulator that has crashed the system. To fix it, connect your simulator to the Internet and use the option «Fix Simulator System Date” from the System Settings. You have 30 days to perform this operation before the system crashes».
IMPORTANT
It is necessary to connect the simulator to the Internet before performing the process. You can consult the section How to connect Soldamatic to a local Network, if you don’t know how to do it.
Click ok.
Please do not disconnect or turn off the unit. The system will restart automatically once completed. This process will take less than one minute.
System information
This provides information about:
Update software
Single unit
During start-up, the system automatically installs software updates provided through an Internet connection (if available) or USB memory stick (if connected).
To manually initiate a software update, select Update Software and press OK. Select Internet if the system is connected to the Internet; select USB stick if the software will be installed from a USB memory stick (connected to the USB receptacle on the back of the simulator). Press OK after making changes, or press Cancel to exit the menu without saving.
Server
To manually initiate a software update, enclose the software update in an empty USB and plug it into the rear panel of the server, turn it on and it will update automatically. Remember to also update each of the simulators that are linked to the server, see Update software Single unit.
To check if your server is updated see How do I check if my server has been update?
Show version list
Here you can check the latest version of each of the components available in Soldamatic.
Configure camera set
Select Configure Camera Set only when instructed by Soldamatic technical support. This option will step through the processes required to configure the camera set.
Configure camera set
Configure camera setCheck if the right image corresponds to the right camera by covering it. Repeat this process with the left camera. If not, select the swap options.
In case one or both cameras are rotated, use the rotate options.
Check camera set
Once you select this option you will see two screens corresponding to the left and right camera.
Here you can check the intensity and temperature values of both devices and you can change them if necessary.
Focus
Check the cameras focus using the calibration pattern (this is included in the Soldamatic pack).
Position the helmet so both rectangles match and keep still. If having trouble when trying to match them, align them as close as possible and press OK.
If the auto-focus time is exceeded an on-screen message will be displayed and you could choose between performing the auto focus again or do it manually.
If you decide to perform the focus process manually, place the helmet towards the front panel. The first camera to be checked is the left one. If its view appears focused in the simulator screen, press OK to switch to the right camera. If not, you will be prompted to perform the auto focus. Repeat the same process with the right camera.
Cameras calibration
IMPORTANT
To make sure you do the cameras calibration correctly, don’t wear your helmet, calibrate with it in your hands, it will be easier to position the cameras during the process.
To calibrate cameras, place the camera calibration sheet (supplied with the simulator) on a flat surface.
If you do not have the calibration pattern, please consult your sales representative.
Position the helmet so both rectangles match and keep still. If having trouble when matching them, align them as much as possible and press OK. This process must be repeated 8 times in different positions that are marked by the rectangle shape shown on-screen.
In the upper left corner of the screen you have a calibration pattern image with directional arrows that will also help you out to position the helmet to align both rectangles.
Once you finish all the samples, the result (showcased in the lower left corner of the screen) must be more than 4. If you get 4 or less, you must repeat the auto focus and the calibration process, that’s why you have the options «Start Auto-focus» and «Start Calibration».
Save the calibration to finish the process.
Restore factory camera calibration
Select Restore camera settings only when instructed to do so by Soldamatic technical support. This option allows you to restore the factory calibration of the camera.
To do this, select Restore Factory Calibration and click OK to return to factory settings. The system will reboot to apply the changes.
Detected video devices
Here you can check the different cameras that are connected (the two helmet cameras, the robotics cameras and the advanced torch cameras).
Event log
In this window you will find information needed by the Technical Support team. You will be asked for it when you are connected to Remote Assistance.
