In the past 20 years, with the development of digital, automation, computer, mechanical design technology, and the importance of welding quality, automatic welding has developed into an advanced manufacturing technology.
Automated welding equipment is playing an increasingly important role in various industrial applications, and the range of applications is rapidly expanding.
In modern industrial production, the mechanization and automation of the welding production process is an inevitable trend in the modernization of the welding mechanism manufacturing industry.
Types of automatic welding equipment
According to the degree of automation, automated welding equipment can be divided into the following three categories:
- Rigid automatic welding equipment
Rigid automated welding equipment can also be referred to as primary automated welding equipment, most of which are designed in accordance with the principles of open loop control.
Although the entire welding process is automatically completed by the welding equipment, the feedback of the welding parameters during the welding process cannot be closed-loop feedback system, and the possible deviations cannot be randomly corrected.
- Adaptive control automatic welding equipment
Adaptively controlled welding equipment is a highly automated welding equipment.
It is equipped with sensors and electronic detection lines to automatically guide and track the weld trajectory, and implement closed-loop feedback control of the main welding parameters.
The entire welding process will be completed automatically according to preset procedures and process parameters.
- Intelligent automatic welding equipment
It utilizes a variety of advanced sensing components such as vision sensors, tactile sensors, auditory sensors and laser scanners, and with computer software systems.
The database and expert system have the functions of identification, judgment, real-time detection, calculation, automatic programming, welding parameter storage and automatic generation of welding record files.
The composition of automated welding equipment
- Welding power
The output power and welding characteristics should be matched to the proposed welding process and equipped with an interface to the main controller.
- Wire feeder and its control and speed control system
For wire feeder with higher speed control accuracy requirements, its control circuit should add speed feedback.
- Welding machine head uses its moving mechanism
It consists of welding head, welding head support frame, and hanging carriage.
For precision welding head mechanism, the drive system should use servo motor with encoder
- Weldment movement or displacement mechanism
Such as welding roller frame, head and tail frame turning machine, rotary platform and positioner.
The precision moving position mechanism should be driven by a servo motor.
- Weldment clamping mechanism
- The main controller
Also known as system controller, it is mainly used for linkage control of each component, control of welding procedure, setting of main welding parameters, adjustment and display.
Control functions such as troubleshooting and man-machine dialogue can be expanded as necessary.
- Computer software
Commonly used computer software in welding equipment are: programming software, functional software.
Process method software and expert systems, etc.
- Welding head guiding or tracking mechanism
Arc voltage automatic controller, welding gun yoke and monitoring system
- Auxiliary device
Such as wire feeding system, circulating water cooling system, flux recovery conveyor, wire support, cable hose and drag chain structure, mechanism design, electrical control design.
- Welding robot
Also known as the robot arm, it is an important part of automated welding equipment.
Its main tasks include: welding, cutting, thermal spraying, handling, etc.
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