Skip to main content
Log in

Circular fillet weld tracking in GMAW by robots based on rotating arc sensors

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
  • Published:
The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In order to reduce the welding cost, improve the welding quality, and enhance the automation level of the welding, the circular fillet weld tracking algorithm was studied based on the coordinated movement between wheels and a horizontal slider, and the tracking algorithm can eliminate the impact on the welding quality due to roundness errors of the circular fillet weld in the plane. Furthermore, the circular fillet weld tracking algorithm was studied based on the vertical slider moving up or down, and this algorithm can eliminate the influence on the welding quality due to flatness errors of the circular fillet weld in the vertical direction. By using the circular fillet weld tracking algorithm that robots track the circular fillet weld based on the coordinated movement among wheels, the vertical and horizontal sliders, a large number of experiments have been done in the laboratory and the factory. For example, robots tracked the circular fillet weld with different diameters in the laboratory, and the circular fillet weld of the flat bottom container was tracked by robots in the factory. At last, the deviation that the arc welding gun deviated from the weld seam was analyzed, and the experimental results show that the robot based on the rotating arc sensor can track the circular fillet weld with high accuracy and good reliability by using the designed algorithm in gas metal arc welding.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Chen B, Feng JC (2014) Modeling of underwater wet welding process based on visual and arc sensor. Ind Robot-An Int J 41(3):311–317

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  2. Xu YL, Yu HW, Zhong JY, Lin T, Chen SB (2012) Real-time seam tracking control technology during welding robot GTAW process based on passive vision sensor. J Mater Process Technol 212(8):1654–1662

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Shen HY, Lin T, Chen SB, Li LP (2010) Real-time seam tracking technology of welding robot with visual sensing. J Intell Robot Syst 59(3):283–298

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  4. Xu YL, Lv N, Zhong JY, Chen HB, Chen SB (2012) Research on the real-time tracking information of three-dimension welding seam in robotic GTAW process based on composite sensor technology. J Intell Robot Syst 68(2):89–103

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Wang XW (2014) Three-dimensional vision-based sensing of GTAW a review. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 72(1):333–345

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Ku N, Cha JH, Lee KY, Kim J, Kim TW, Ha S, Lee D (2010) Development of a mobile welding robot for double-hull structures in shipbuilding. J Mar Sci Technol 15(4):374–385

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Liu SY, Wang GR, Zhang H, Jia JP (2010) Design of robot welding seam tracking system with structured light vision. Chin J Mech Eng 23(4):436–442

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Nele L, Sarno E, Keshari A (2013) An image acquisition system for real-time seam tracking. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 69(9):2099–2110

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Gu WP, Xiong ZY, Wan W (2013) Autonomous seam acquisition and tracking system for multi-pass welding based on vision sensor. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 69(1):451–460

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Xu YL, Fang G, Lv N, Chen SB, Zou JJ (2015) Computer vision technology for seam tracking in robotic GTAW and GMAW. Robot Comput Integr Manuf 32(2):25–36

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Chen B, Chen SB (2010) Multi-sensor information fusion in pulsed GTAW based on fuzzy measure and fuzzy integral. Assem Autom 30(3):276–285

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Xu YL, Zhong JY, Ding MY, Chen HB, Chen SB (2013) The acquisition and processing of real-time information for height tracking of robotic GTAW process by arc sensor. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 65(5):1031–1043

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Chen B, Wang JF, Chen SB (2010) A study on application of multi-sensor information fusion in pulsed GTAW. Ind Robot-An Int J 37(2):168–176

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  14. Le J, Zhang H, Ye YH (2015) Fillet weld tracking based on rotating arc sensor. Transac China Weld Inst 36(5):5–9

    Google Scholar 

  15. Gao YF, Zhang H, Mao ZW (2009) Welding gun inclination detection and curved fillet weld joint tracking. Weld J 88(3):45s–53s

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jian Le.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Le, J., Zhang, H. & Xiao, Y. Circular fillet weld tracking in GMAW by robots based on rotating arc sensors. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 88, 2705–2715 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-016-8990-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-016-8990-9

Keywords

Navigation