Elementary Welding Operations for Automatic Robot Programming

Abstract

Abstract Highly-skilled engineers are needed to reprogram a welding-robot upon a new variant or product introduction. This paper addresses the complexity of the welding-robot programming process by proposing and demonstrating the theoretical concept of “elementary welding operation” (EWO). The EWO is a fundamental building block for robot-welding programs containing most of the data necessary to generate a program automatically. The EWO is a descriptive data structure for the welding process, comprehensible by humans and machines. A technical proof of concept is put together and tested. The results indicate that the programming of the welding robot can be automated as part of a one-piece information flow based on a product model. Further development is required to ensure the system can handle complex weldment geometries, multi-pass welding, and proper validation of the robot program upon deployment.