PRODUCTION OF EXHAUST SYSTEM
During the production of Exhaust System MIG Welding by robots is used.
INTRODUCTION TO
MIG WELDING BY ROBOT
Equipment
1. DC output power source
2. Wire feed unit
3. Torch
4. Work return welding lead
5. Shielding gas supply, (normally from cylinder)
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Robot welding means welding that is performed and controlled by robotic
equipment. In general equipment for automatic arc welding is designed
differently from that used for manual arc welding. Automatic arc welding
normally involves high duty cycles, and the welding equipment must be able to
operate under those conditions. In addition, the equipment components must
have the necessary features and controls to interface with the main control
system.
A special kind of electrical power is required to make an arc weld. The special power
is provided by a welding machine, also known as a power source. All arc welding
processes use an arc welding gun or torch to transmit welding current from a
welding cable to the electrode. They also provide for shielding the weld area from
the atmosphere.
The nozzle of the torch is close to the arc and will gradually pick up spatter. A torch
cleaner (normally automatic) is often used in robot arc welding systems to remove
the spatter. All of the continous electrode wire arc processes require an electrode
feeder to feed the consumable electrode wire into the arc.
Welding fixtures and workpiece manipulators hold and position parts to ensure
precise welding by the robot. The productivity of the robot welding cell is
speeded up by having an automatically rotating or switching fixture, so that the
operator can be fixing one set of parts while the robot is welding another.
To be able to guarantee that the electrode tip and the tool frame are accurately
known with respect to each other, the calibration process of the TCP (Tool
Center Point) is important. An automatic TCP calibration device facilitates this
time consuming task.
During the short time that industrial welding robots have been in use, the jointed
arm or revolute type has become by far the most popular. For welding it has
almost entirely replaced the other types except for the Cartesian, which is used
for very large and very small robots. The reason for the popularity of the jointed
arm type is that it allows the welding torch to be manipulated in almost the same
fashion as a human being would manipulate it. The torch angle and travel angle
can be changed to make good quality welds in all positions. Jointed arm robots
also allow the arc to weld in areas that are difficult to reach. Even so, a robot
cannot provide the same manipulative motion as a human being, although it can
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come extremely close. In addition, jointed arm robots are the most compact and
provide the largest work envelope relative to their size. Usually arc welding
robots have five or six free programmable arms or axes.
Off-the-shelf programmable robot arms are today available from different
suppliers such as ABB, FANUC, PANASONIC, KUKA, MOTOMAN
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A Description of the System Components
The Robot and the Controller
A robot is programmed to move the welding torch along the weld path in a given
orientation. The robot is typically comprised of a large number of links and
linkages, which are interconnected by gears, chains, belts, and/or screws. The
majority of industrial robots are actuated by linear, pneumatic, or hydraulic
actuators, and/or electric motors. Most of the high-end robots currently use AC
servo motors which have replaced the use of hydraulic actuators and, more
recently, DC servo motors. AC servo motors are essentially maintenance free
which is very important in industrial applications.
In an arc welding robot system, the torch is attached to the wrist of the robot
which has two or three axes of motion. As technology develops, however, there is
less application for a robot with a two-axis wrist motion. In the case of three-axis
motion, the motion is composed of yaw, pitch, and roll, similar to the human
wrist. The robot has the most effective motion when the center point of the wrist
is aligned with the center line of the upper arm. A robot with a three-axis lower
arm and a three-axis wrist will permit the torch action that is necessary for a
complicated three-dimensional welding process. The torch can satisfy all the
angle requirements, such as, the work angle, the transverse angle, the travel
angle, and the longitudinal angle.
Important factors, when considering manufacturing performance are the
frequency of failure, the mean time between failure (MTBF), the average time for
repair, and the time for robot replacement. Also, with regards to system design,
important issues are the robot work envelope, the reach of the robot tip, the
number of joints (i.e., the degrees of freedom), the travel velocity, and the
repeatability, accuracy, and resolution of motion.
The controller is the brain of the robot arc welding system. This is because the
controller stores the robot programming and arc welding data, and performs the
necessary computations for robot control, typically by a high-speed
microprocessor. The controller provides a signal to the actuators and the motors
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by programmed data and position, speed, and other information obtained from
various sensors. The controller is now integrated to govern not only the robot but
also any peripheral devices, such as manipulators. When the system is required to
weld a work piece that has a complicated geometry, the simultaneous
coordinated control of the integrated controller is inevitable.
Memory backup devices, such as, a floppy disc drive, are recommended for
storing important data as a safeguard in the event of a break down with the
controller. In the case of a power failure, or some other unforeseen event, storing
the data from an absolute resolver, or encoder, in controller memory will ensure
that the robot can restore the programmed position without returning to the zero
configuration.
The Welding Equipment (Power Source)
The welding equipment generates power to generate the arc for welding. One of
the most important characteristics is stability of power. It is recommended that
the welding equipment generates a short arc with less spatter for a good welding
quality even at high speeds. The arc sensor detects the current value so that the
power source can supply the correct amount of power to the wire feeder, which
then controls the wire feeding speed. The wire feeder has wheel rollers to
advance the wire. Some feeders have four rollers speed sensors for more
accurate wire feeding by push-pull action. Also, a wire feeder with shorter
lengthto the torch is better in terms of a response time. Therefore, a good
location for the wire feeder for a robot system is at the end of the upper arm of
the robot.
A slender welding gun is better for maneuverability but, in case of a collision,
sufficient strength must be guaranteed. It is also necessary to ensure that the
torch is equipped with shock absorption devices such as springs. It is also
important to have a cooling system (a circulating water, in general) to protect the
torch against heat deformation. All the connections for welding, such as, electric
power, the wire, and the coolant are usually integrated into one cable unit. It is
recommended that the cable unit be as short as possible for a quicker response
and a better reliability.
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Manipulators
A robot has a limited working range and accessibility, therefore, in many cases a
manipulator has to be considered. A manipulator is a device holding the work
piece and is moved around (typically with linkages) for better access and welding
positions. The advantages of a manipulator include:
(1) A manipulator can easily be moved around the work piece for the best welding
positions.
(2) A manipulator can reduce the variation in the lead and the lag angles of the
tip.
(3) Welding can be performed in a stable flat welding position by a synchronized
and simultaneous control of a robot and a manipulator.
(4) Any hard-to-reach positions can be accessed more easily.
(5) A manipulator increases the working range of a fixed floor mounted robot or
an inverted robot.
In general, a robot can maintain a better flat welding position which will produce
a better deposition and, thereby, reduce any repair work by the cooperation with
a manipulator. This also makes possible higher welding speeds and, thereby, an
increase in productivity. There are two types of actuation systems for
manipulators; namely, the indexing type system, and the servo-controlled system.
The indexing type system is for economic models and is commonly actuated by
pneumatic and AC motors. This type of system is usually controlled by signals for
target position with constant speed. The servo-controlled type system is for speed
and direction. This can be an expensive system since it has a complex structure
with servo motors, worm gear reducers, and encoders or resolvers. However, the
servo-controlled type system has higher accuracy and variable speed control in
both directions of rotation. Errors are compensated for by feedback control.
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Safety
An arc welding robot system should be on a firm foundation so that any vibrations
will not produce a shaking effect on the system. Also, the emergency switch
button (with colors of yellow and red) should be located at a position that is easily
accessible. The switch should stop the robot without shutting off the power.
There should also be a safety fence to protect the work force from spatter and arc
flash.
For safety, the robot operator should have a rigorous training on robot speed,
working range, emergency stopping, and functions of teach pendant. The training
should also provide the operator with the opportunity to become familiar with
the robot system. While designing the robot system, sufficient time for system
modification and operator training is indispensable. Also, obstacles inside the
working area of the operator should be eliminated and the system should be
designed so that the welding is perfomed at a safe distance from the operator.
For this purpose, a manipulator should be designed with dual stations with
safeguards so that the operator can work safely on loading and unloading. This
will also increase productivity.
After the system is designed, installed, and tested, all the detailed information in
the design process should be documented and transferred to the operator.
Important Functions of an Arc Welding Robot
The Robot Program
(A) Programming Method. First generation robots were programmed by manual
operation. However, in modern technology, there are four common methods for
robot programming; namely:
(i) Programming by a Teach Pendant. The operator uses a dedicated teach
pendant for robot teaching and program editing. Teaching is carried out for the
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tool center point (TCP) and the LCD display panel is adopted for menu guide. It is
easy to use but restricted in application and extension. A teach pendant is the
most popular device in robot programming.
A Robot Teach Pendant.
(ii) Programming by Manual Lead-Through. A well trained welding expert will hold
the holder near the torch and program by manual lead-through. This was
common in first generation robots, however, in modern technology, this is only
used for spray painting robots.
(iii) Programming by a Robot Language. The robot is programmed by a program
language using a monitor and a keyboard. There exist several command, motion,
and operation level languages. Commonly used robots can take advantage of a
broad range of motion level languages. The operation level language only
describes the final goal of the process, and the sequence of motion and data are
generated automatically. This programming method still remains very much in the
research stage.
(iv) Programming by a Simulator. A graphic simulation is performed and it is
translated into the language of the robot. This is also referred to as off-line
programming.
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(B) Welding Data. Welding data is special data of parameters that are used for the
welding process. The welding data is composed of start data, main data, end data,
and weaving data.
Start data generates arc start data and stabilizes electric power. Start data
contains the following parameters:
- Ignition voltage and current.
- Gas preflow time. The time between shield gas flow and arc start.
- Hot start voltage and current: To stabilize the arc in the first stage.
- Restrike amplitude: Minor change in the position of the torch to start the are.
- Restrike cross time: Time to stay in the restrike position.
- Arc welding start maximum time. The robot stops the process if the arc does not
start in this time interval.
Main data contains the following parameters for the actual welding process:
- Welding voltage.
- Welding current.
- Welding speed.
For higher productivity, the welding speed should be increased to the maximum
value. At the end of the welding process there are craters, or cracks, that may be
the cause of welding defects. Therefore, several parameters for appropriate finish
are required.
These parameters include:
- End voltage and current.
- Gas postflow time.
- Cool time.
- Fill time.
A large work piece, to be welded with large penetration repetitive welding,
demands a long time and requies a motion plan to the weld start position.
Carrying out this type of welding in one pass is possible due to weaving. Weaving
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has various patterns such as zig-zag, V-shape, triangular, and wrist weaving . Wrist
weaving uses only the sixth-axis of the robot and enables weaving in a narrow
space where weaving with the lower arms of the robot is impossible. Also, it is
useful when high frequency weaving is necessary. However, there is an error in
the weaving height. Therefore, small amplitude weaving is recommended.
Coordinates and Interpolation
(A) Coordinates. Typically, there are five types of coordinate systems in robotics;
namely:
- A World coordinate system.
- A Base coordinate system.
- A Hand coordinate system (a mechanical interface coordinate system).
- A Tool coordinate system.
- A Goal coordinate system.
These five types of coordinate systems for a typical robot.
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The Five Types of Coordinate Systems.
The world coordinate system is the reference coordinate system for the other
four types of coordinates. The world coordinate system relates the coordinate
systems in a work cell where robots and other peripheral devices exist. The base
coordinate system is the coordinate system for the robot. The hand coordinate
system is at the face of the robot endeffector where tools are attached. The tool
coordinate system is at the tip of the torch and defines the Tool Center Point
(TCP) and the Tool Center Line (TCL). When several tools are used, it is convenient
to define a TCP for each tool. There are many advantages associated with defining
the different types of coordinate systems, for example:
- Easy manual operation of a robot.
- Easy management of the tool data.
- Easy position data manipulation for work pieces of similar geometry.
- Easy application of offline programming.
(B) Interpolation Control Function. Robot path programming is based on
interpolation technique. Basically, the interpolation is carried out either in joint
space or Cartesian space. For more details, readers may refer to robotics text
book. We introduce four techniques directly related to industrial application.
This is the simplest and fastest interpolation technique. Point to point
interpolation commands the TCP to move from one point to another regardless of
the intermediate path. This technique is good when there are no obstacles in
between. When there is an obstacle it may be avoided by defining intermediate
via points. Linear segments with parabolic blends. When a constant speed
trajectory in the world coordinate system is needed, this interpolation technique
is used. At the beginning, the speed linearly increases and near the end, the speed
linearly decreases. Minimum time trajectory This technique seeks the minimal
time trajectory between two positions. The trajectory is obtained for maximal
acceleration and deceleration and is called bang-bang trajectory. Interpolation for
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weaving. When weaving is used for thick work piece welding, paths for weaving
are calculated based on basic welding path.
Cooperation with a Peripheral Device
(A) External Axis Control. External axis control is used for peripheral devices such
as manipulators, columns, tracks, and gantries which need analog signals for a
servo motor or actuator control.
(B) Functions for Off-Line Programming. The final goal of an automated system is
unmanned operation. Therefore, a higher level computer, or a controller, should
be able to control the system. The higher level computer shown in Fig. 17 not only
controls a system at the lower level but also stores data with larger memory
storage playing the role of backup memory.
A Higher Level Computer and the Robots.
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