Page 72 - MetalForming October 2017

Automated Welding May Have an Answer
Advancements in sensoring have enabled robotic-welding systems to handle joining challenges previously considered beyond the scope of automation. Improvements in seam tracking, for example, are shifting the paradigm.
the desired weld path
• Measuring the width or profile of
a joint.
For this article, we’ll focus on joint-
seam tracking. In some instances the start or edge of the joint may be rela- tively simple to control within the tool- ing or fixturing. The seam itself, how- ever, may vary due to manufacturing methodology or thermal influences of the process. Tracking of the seam by various methods can overcome this shortcoming of manufactured parts, offering another opportunity to auto- mate the welding of previously pro- hibited joints and components.
Three main methodologies can facilitate seam tracking, with each pro- viding varying levels of investment, complexity and capability:
• Vision solutions
• Laser scanning
• Through-the-arc sensors Historically, most vision applica-
tions have been employed in situations where quality requirements were uncompromising, often with significant
The efficiencies inherent in auto- mated welding cannot be denied, as the process has proven itself for OEMs and Tier One and Two suppliers alike. But a long- standing challenge remains: automat- ing the welding of materials with irreg- ular, inconsistent or difficult-to-access joint interfaces. Fortunately, advances in sensing technology allow automated welding to tackle such variables and, combined with cost-competitive robot- ic-welding options, enable automated welding to expand all along the fabri- cated-part supply chain.
With sensor packages selected, installed and trained (programmed) correctly, the capabilities of robotic
arms in combination with controllers are significantly extended. For example, in robotic-welding systems the intro- duction of sensors provides the adap- tive capability of touch and sight to address the challenges of a “moving” weld seam or component. Previously prohibited joint tolerances and con- figurations now are effectively pro- duced with acceptable quality and weld integrity.
Sensoring has positively addressed inconsistent-joint challenges in these phases of the automated-welding process:
• Joint-edge detection—finding the edge or start of a weld seam
• Joint-seam tracking—maintaining
70 MetalForming/October 2017
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Difficult
Difficult
Welds?
Welds?