Welding Distortion Can be Mitigated if Welding Current and Traveling Speed Vary Optimized Along a Weld Path

Abstract

Typically, the distortion from welding is mitigated with the use of fixtures, clamps, tack welds and so on. Also the welding current and traveling speed are normally set constant during welding along a weld-path. The authors have developed and implemented an advanced control method that adaptively changes welding current and traveling speed depending on the state of deformation, in order to mitigate the final distortion without the use of additional hardware such as fixtures, clamps, and/or tack welds. It predicts the distortion before actual happening and adjusts parameters to counteract the deformation during welding. The present work implements this advanced method by applying an optimized, varying welding current and traveling speed on an edge-welded bar of Aluminum 5052-H32. A comparison is made between the final welding distortion with the new method, versus the regular method at constant welding current and traveling speed. A virtual predictive model was established to simulate and control the adaptive change of welding current and traveling speed, the optimized profile of the process parameters were performed by a robot, and the transient distortion was measured by state-of-the-art 3D photogrammetry cameras in real-time.