Abstract text

A number of methods to support process quality and maintenance during control of an industrial process such as welding are provided. The methods provide, among other things: automatic process limit programming based on runtime data; user-initiated process limit programming based on upcoming data; correlate equipment deterioration based on capability measurement; correlate tip dressers/formers to new; detect electrical deterioration; integrate process data with programmed data for a visual aid; and quantify process variation in welding tools (pareto of stddev of the c-factor).