Abstract
An interface system was developed to offer the welding capability to a robot controller which had not any embedded function for arc welding before, and also an arc sensor algorithm was proposed for weld seam tracking of the welding robot. For the interface system between the robot controller and welding equipments, data communication software and interface connections were composed. The interface system was mae to correspond welding condition, correction data, operation sequence and current status with the robot controller by mutual had shaking and digital signal transfer. Graphic user interface program developed under the environment of windows made it easy to monitor data communication and operation status, and to control welding and sensing sequence. Arc sensing algorithm proposed in this study to compensate torch position error was based on a fuzzy logic with the variables of current difference and current differenced change at torch weaving extremities. The developed interface system could be successfully implemented in between welding equipments and the robot controller, and showed normal status and exact function in data and signal communication between the systems. The whole robot welding system was then examined to verify its welding and seam tracking capabilities in horizontal fillet, vertical fillet, and 3-dimensional fillet weldment. The experiments revealed sound weld bead shapes and also good seam tracing results.
