• Laser Solutions
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.17-23
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• 2010

It is very important to track a complicate weld seam for the welding automation. Very recently, laser vision sensor becomes a useful sensing tool to find the seams. Until now, however studies of welding automation using a laser vision sensor, focused on either image processing or feature recognition from CCD camera. Even though it is possible to use a simple algorithm for tracking a simple seam, it is extremely difficult to develop a seam-tracking algorithm when the seam is more complex. To overcome these difficulties, this study introduces a simulation system to develop the seam tracking algorithm. This method was verified experimentally to reduce the time and effort to develop the seam tracking algorithm, and to implement the sensing device.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.31 no.11
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• pp.1007-1013
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• 2014

In this study to improve the productivity, advantage Tandem circumferential weld process of seam tracking system was applied for the laser vision sensor. Weld geometry scanning laser vision sensor and PLC control unit are used to scan correct positioning of welding torch when the program is implemented so that it can correctly track the welding line. The welding experiment was conducted to evaluate the performance of laser vision seam tracking sensor in tandem welding process. The seam tracking several experiments was to determine the reliability of the system, welding experiments relatively good quality welding bead was confirmed. Furthermore, the PLC program for seam tracking was used to confirm the validity of the application of tandem welding process according to the benefits of increased productivity, which is expected to contribute to national competitiveness.

• Laser Solutions
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.19-24
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• 2009

Because of its fast and precise welding performance, laser welding is becoming a new excellent welding method. However, the precise focusing and robust seam tracking are required to apply laser welding to the practical fields. In order to laser weld a type of T joint like a circular pipe on a square pipe, which could be met in the three dimensional structure such as an aluminum space frame, a visual sensor system was developed for automation of focusing and seam tracking. The developed sensor system consists of a digital CCD camera, a structured laser, and a vision processor. It is moved and positioned by a 2-axis motorized stage, which is attached to a 6 axis robot manipulator with a laser welding head. After stripe-type structured laser illuminates a target surface, images are captured through the digital CCD camera. From the image, seam error and defocusing error are calculated using image processing algorithms which includes efficient techniques handling continuously changed image patterns. These errors are corrected by the stage off-line during welding or teaching. Laser welding of a circular pipe on a square pipe was successful with the vision tracking system by reducing the path positioning and de focusing errors due to the robot teaching or a geometrical variation of specimens and jig holding.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.21 no.7
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• pp.34-41
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• 2003

Weld quality monitoring and seam tracking along the butt-joint lengthwise to the tube axis are studied. The material of tube is 60kg/$\textrm{mm}^2$ grade steel sheet, and the longitudinal butt-joint is shaped by 2 roll bending machine. The tube with a thickness of 1.5mm, diameter of 105.4mm and length of 2000mm is successfully obtained by the $CO_2$ laser welding system equipped with a seam tracker and plasma sensor. Experimental results show that the developed welding system can be used for the precision seam tracking and the real-time monitoring of weld quality, and the laser welded tube can be used for car body md component after tubular hydroforming.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.2701-2706
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• 2003

This paper describes weld seam tracking and error compensation methods of automatic plasma arc welding system designed for the corrugation panel that consists of a linear section and a curved section with various curvatures. Realizing automatic welding system, we are faced with two problems. One is a precise seam tracking and the other is an arc length control. Due to the complexity of the panel shape, it is difficult to find a seam and operate a torch manually in the welding process. So, laser vision sensor for seam tracking is equipped for sensing the seam position and controlling the height of a torch automatically. To attain more precise measurement of an arc length, we measure the 3D shape of the panel and analyze error factors according to the various panel states and caused errors are predicted through the welding process. Using that result, compensation algorithm is added to that of arc length control and real time error compensation is achieved. The result shows that these two methods work effectively.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.1506-1511
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• 2003

This paper describes an automatic weld seam tracking method of plasma arc welding system designed for the corrugation panel that consists of a linear section and a curved section with various curvatures. Due to the complexity of the panel shape, it is difficult to find a seam and operate a torch manually in the welding process. So, the laser vision sensor for seam tracking is designed for sensing the seam position and controlling a torch automatically. To achieve precise seam tracking, the design of sensor head, image simulation, and calibration are carried out. Through a series of experiment result, compensation algorithm is added and real time error compensation is achieved. The experiment result shows that this vision sensor works effectively. It will provide more precise welding performance and convenience to the operator.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 1996.04a
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• pp.680-684
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• 1996

Welding systems cannot adapt to changes in the joint geometry which may occur due to a variety of reason. Automatic seam tracking technigue is essential to adjust the welding torch position in real time as it moves along the seam. Automatic tracking system must keep the welding speed constant unrelation to the change of the welding path. Therefore, the information from the laser displacement sensor must be converted into the input to operate the X-Y table and to rotate the desired torch position by proposed algorithm. In this research, laser displacement sensor is used as a seam finder in the automatic tracking system. X-Y moving table manipulated by ac servo motor controls the position and velocity of the torch-and-sensor part. DC motor controls the position and velocity of the torch. X-Y table controls the position of sensor and relative position of torch is controlled by dc motor which is mounted at sensor-and-torch part. Sensor is always ahead of torch to preview the weld line. From the experimental results, we could see the possiblity that the laser displacement sensor can be used as a seam finder in welding process and that the seam tracking system controlled by proposed algorithm is well done.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.24 no.10
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• pp.64-74
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• 2007

Because of the size and environment in the shipbuilding process, the portable type robot is required for the automatic seam tracking. For this reason, the structure of laser sensor should be considered in the initial design step and the coordinate transformation between welding robot and laser sensor, which is joint finder, must be identified exactly and the real time tracking algorithm based on these consideration could be developed. In this research, laser displacement sensor in which its structure is laser beam's vertical projection, is developed to recognize the location of weld joint. In practical applications, however, images of weld joints are often degraded because of the surface specularity or spatter. To overcome the problem, the constrained joint finding algorithm is proposed. In the approach of coordinate conversion rule for the visual feedback control among welding torch, robot body and laser sensor is applied by the same reference point method. In the real time seam tracking algorithms we propose constrained sampling method which uses look ahead distance. The RLS(Recursive Least Square) filter is applied to obtain the smooth tracking path from the sensitive edge data. From the experimental results, we could see the possibility that the developed laser sensor with proposed processing algorithm and real time seam tracking method can be used as a welding under the shipbuilding condition.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.932-935
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• 2005

Three dimensional laser welding technology for light car body is studied. A robot, a seam tracking system and 4kW CW Nd:YAG laser are used for three dimensional robot laser welding system. The Laser system is used 4kW Nd:YAG laser(HL4006D) of Trumpf and the Robot system is used IRB6400R of ABB. The Seam tracking system is SMRT-20LS of ServoRobot. The welding joint of steel plate are butt and lap joint. The 3-D welding for Non-linear Tailored blank is performed after the observation experiments of bead on plate. Finally, the welding process for non-linear tailored blank and front side member is developed.

• International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.19-23
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• 2005

To minimize the weld defect in manufacturing of the welded tube by using $CO_2$ laser, the monitoring of the welding quality and the seam tracking along the butt-joint lengthwise to the tube axis are studied. The longitudinal butt-joint is shaped from $60kgf/mm^2$ grade steel sheet by 2 roll bending method, and welded by the $CO_2$ laser welding system equipped with the seam tracker and plasma sensor. The laser welded tube has the thickness of 1.5mm, diameter of 105.4mm and length of 2000mm. The precise positioning of the laser beam on the butt-joint to be assembled is obtained within $200{\mu}m$ by the laser vision sensor. The artificial defects in the butt-joint are well observed by the signal of plasma intensity measured from the plasma sensor of UV wavelength range within 400nm. The developed $CO_2$ laser tube welding system has the function of the precision seam tracking and the real-time monitoring of the welding quality. In conclusion, the laser welded tube can be used for manufacturing of automobile chassis and components after hydro-forming.