The invention discloses a 
programming-free 
welding robot and a control method. The 
welding robot comprises a 
welding torch, an illuminator, 
servo motors, encoders, a 
wrist, a 
forearm, an upper arm, an engine base, a turntable, a pillar, a base, a 
grating ruler, a computer and drivers, wherein the 
servo motor V is arranged inside the pillar, and a gear is connected onto the shaft of the 
servo motor V and meshed with the rack of the base provided with the 
grating ruler; the turntable at the upper end of the pillar is connected with the servo motor IV; the engine base and the upper arm, the upper arm and the 
forearm, as well as the 
forearm and the 
wrist are connected through the servo motors respectively; the 
welding torch, the illuminator and an 
optical switch are arranged at the front end of the 
wrist; each 
encoder is mounted on the corresponding servo motor; the drivers and the encoders are connected with the computer. According to the invention, the welding 
robot is manually moved to perform the whole set of operations such as moving, welding and returning, and the computer studies and saves all the motion tracks of the welding robot and then copies and inherits the motion tracks, so that the whole process including starting, moving, aligning, welding and returning can be completed; the difficulty that a robot is needed to be programmed is solved, the automatic welding can be implemented, and the operating efficiency and the welding quality are improved.