• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.35 no.11
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• pp.1491-1497
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• 2011

One of the primary concerns in the design of welding devices is how to reduce the distance error between the welding path and the torch, especially when the path has a combination of circular and linear parts. This study investigated a mechanism for reducing the tracking error in the tangent area of a circular and linear path. A portable welding device, called a carriage, has been designed for a specific welding path by considering the distance error deviation. This welding carriage for vertical cover plate welding consists of a rail, a welding torch and the carriage body itself.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.246-254
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• 2016

Thick-shell welding for super-sized oil storage tanks is currently done manually, which causes deterioration in quality and a lack of uniformity due to frequent rewelding. The limitations of the external environment must also be considered for manual welding. This paper describes the development of a carriage system for automatic vertical welding to increase reliability, reduce cost, and enhance productivity. The system consists of a welding platform, carriage device, and control unit, which were conceptually designed according to design specifications and manufactured with modular parts. In addition, the structure was analyzed for safety and to predict design problems in advance, and the results are reflected in reviewing the design. To evaluate the performance of the system, a tensile test, bending test, and weld time test were carried out, and the results were satisfactory. The time required for automatic weld was greatly improved by more than 87%, compared to the manual welding time.

• International Journal of Korean Welding Society
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.34-38
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• 2003

It has been used many kinds of horizontal butt-welding methods at block-to-block erection stage in shipbuilding companies. For examples, some companies use conventional FCAW process with one side or both sides groove joint welding, others use carriage with torch holder type mechanized welding method. Although lots of efforts were done until now, some problems in quality and productivity still remain in ship's hull welding. In this study, we have attempted to raise productivity and quality on horizontal position of welding with following 3 items. 1) Prepare groove condition with no root gap for making easy fit-up work. 2) Develop improved MAG (100% $CO_2$ gas shielding) welding process with solid wire for making sound root bead from one side. 3) Develop and apply quite new automatic welding carriage. The stability of new welding process was confirmed by conducting mechanical tests of weldments to verify the soundness of weldments.

• Journal of the Institute of Convergence Signal Processing
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.338-344
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• 2010

Both ends of welding line are often closed by wall in the welding of ship blocks. In this research, seam tracking sensing system for butt welding in the condition with wall was developed. Seam tracking sensing system measures position of carriage from wall and detects root-pass of welding line. The system consists of the laser displacement sensors and ultrasonic sensors. The laser displacement sensor reciprocal1y rotates by the motor and measures a distance from laser sensor to the welding material. The ultrasonic sensor measures a distance between welding system and walls. The distance measured by the ultrasonic sensor is used to get X(driving) position and to determine initial and end point of the weld line. Y(weaving) and Z(height) of the weld line are obtained by the distance measured by the laser displacement sensor and the orientation of the sensor. The sensing system includes the controller that is independent from the welding carriage. The seam tracking sensing system is attached to both side of welding carriage so that interference between welding torch and sensing system can be avoided during the welding. And both side sensing system minimize dead zone. Finally, developed sensing system was adhered to welding carriage and verified usefulness by experiments.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.425-429
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• 2002

It has been used many kinds of horizontal butt-welding methods at block-to-block erection stage in shipbuilding companies. For examples, some companies use conventional FCA W process with one side or both sides groove joint welding, others use carriage with torch holder type mechanized welding method. Although lots of efforts were done until now, some problems in quality and productivity still remain in ship's hull welding. In this study, we have attempted to raise productivity and quality on horizontal position of welding with following 3 items. 1) Prepare groove condition with no root gap for making easy fit-up work. 2) Develop improved MAG (100% $CO_2$ gas shielding) welding process with solid wire for making sound root bead from one side. 3) Develop and apply quite new automatic welding carriage. The stability of new welding process was confirmed by conducting mechanical tests of weldments to verify the soundness of weldments.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2012.10a
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• pp.199-200
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• 2012

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.438-443
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• 2006

The probe type sensor using strain gauges was used to track a container box's seam in this paper. A strain gauge has a property which the specific resistance is changed by varying of the sectional area and length when tensile and compressive stresses are generated at the strain gauge. We designed the automatic seam tracking device by attaching the probe type strain gauge sensor, motor driving slide, encorder to check the moving distance and interface card connected MPU upside the speed controllable carriage. The folded work piece for a container box is made to examine whether the device can track the seam automatically or not. Seam tracking experiments were done by changing the carriage moving speed at 300. 400. 500. 600[mm/min] each as the voltage of side track was 2.5[V]. We compared and analyzed the sampling data which is obtained by output voltage of strain gauge sensor and rotary encorder pulse every 100 [m/s]. The welding experiments were performed by using $CO_2$ welding machine about the carriage moving speed that has good seam tracking condition in the seam tracking experiments above. And we compared the seam tracking status.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.412-417
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• 2002

In manufacturing of ships, problems to be solved are improvement of productivity and stabilization of quality due to the shortage of skilled workers. Working environment, in particular welding environment, is also to be improved. One solution among these problems is to rationalize and automate these working. This paper is focused on the welding automation technologies in shipbuilding industry. The features of shipbuilding in the aspect of automation are described, and the main welding robot systems to be developed by SRI are introduced in each working stages.

• Journal of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.548-555
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• 2014

As a considerable, experimental approach, an Auto-carriage type of $CO_2$ welding machine and a MIG(Metal Inert Gas) welding robot under inert gas atmosphere were utilized in order to realize Al 5083 welding applied to hull and relevant components of green Al leisure ships. This study aims at investigating the effect of welding conditions(current, voltage, welding speed, etc) on thermal deformation that occurs as welding operation and tensile characteristics after welding, by using Al 5083, non-ferrous material, applied to manufacturing of co-environmental Al leisure ships. With respect to welding condition to minimize the thermal deformation, 150A and 16V at the wire-feed rate of 6mm/sec were acquired in the process of welding Al 5083 through an auto carriage type of $CO_2$ welding feeder. As to tensile characteristics of Al 5083 welding through a MIG welding robot, most of tensile specimens showed the fracture behavior on HAZ(Heat Affected Zone) located at the area joined with weld metal, except for some cases. Especially, for the case of the Al specimen with 5mm thickness, 284.62MPa of tensile strength and 11.41% of elongation were obtained as an actual allowable tensile stress-strain value. Mostly, after acquiring the optimum welding condition, the relevant welding data and technical requirements might be provided for actual welding operation site and welding procedure specification(WPS).

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 2003.05a
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• pp.138-139
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• 2003

This paper describes the control system which was designed and implemented for a new automatic welding equipment. The system has the self diagnostic function which facilitates maintenance and repairs, and also has the network function via which the welding task data call be transmitted and the welding process data can be monitored.