No abstract

No abstract

Purpose -The control of weld penetration in gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) is required for a "teach and playback" robot to overcome the gap variation in the welding process. This paper aims to investigate this subject. Design/methodology/approach -This paper presents a robotic system based on the real-time vision measurement. The primary objective has been to demonstrate the feasibility of using vision-based image processing to measure the seam gap in real-time and adjust welding current and wire-feed rate to realize the penetration control during the robot-welding process. Findings -The paper finds that vision-based measurement of the seam gap can be used in the welding robot, in real-time, to control weld penetration. It helps the "teach and playback" robot to adjust the welding procedures according to the gap variation.Research limitations/implications -The system requires that the seam edges can be accurately identified using a correlation method. Practical implications -The system is applicable to storage tank welding of a rocket. Originality/value -The control algorithm based on the knowledge base has been set up for continuous GTAW. A novel visual image analysis method has been developed in the study for a welding robot.

No abstract

No abstract