A welding device, process and method for curved panels of a ship

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of welding device, process and method of ship curved surface panel, device includes welding robot, its body can be adsorbedly connected in the panel of one side of weld, body is connected with welding torch by clamping mechanism;Wire feeding mechanism is used to transport the welding wire required when welding torch is welded;Welding power supply is electrically connected to welding robot and wire feeding mechanism;And control unit is communicatively connected to welding robot, wire feeding mechanism and welding power supply.Sensing unit is provided on welding robot, sensing unit is communicatively connected to control unit, and when ship curved surface panel is welded, control unit is based on the sensing data of sensing unit Real-time adjustment welding data including welding current, voltage, speed, swing amplitude, frequency, dwell time.The present disclosure can effectively improve the current ship curved surface panel in the welding process, lack of automated welding scheme, resulting in curved surface panel than the welding efficiency of flat panel is low, and the problem of poor welding quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of welding technology for curved panel panels, and more particularly to a welding apparatus, process and method for welding curved panel panels for ships. Background Technology

[0002] In shipbuilding and steel structure welding, traditional automated butt welding equipment primarily achieves welding motion control by laying rigid tracks. This type of equipment is divided into two categories: mechanically automated welding and fully automated welding. Limitations of rigid track equipment: Most existing automated welding equipment relies on rigid track installation, which is only suitable for welds on straight steel plates and cannot be laid on curved steel plates, resulting in extremely poor adaptability to curved structures.

[0003] The automation of flexible track equipment is insufficient: Although flexible tracks can partially adapt to curved surface welds with small linearity and gentle slope, the supporting equipment at present are all mechanical automatic welding equipment, which can only realize automatic movement and swing in the length direction of the weld. The adjustment of welding process parameters and the movement of the welding gun in the width direction still need to be manually controlled, and fully automated welding cannot be achieved.

[0004] Currently, the curved outer plates and weld paths of ships are mostly irregular curves. On the one hand, flexible tracks have limited adaptability to complex curved surfaces, resulting in a narrow range of applications. On the other hand, for curved welds with significant variations in path straightness, the industry still uses CO2 semi-automatic welding, leading to a high dependence of welder skill levels on weld quality.

[0005] Among them, mechanical automatic welding equipment requires manual monitoring of the lateral movement of the welding torch and process parameters during the welding process, which is significantly affected by subjective factors, resulting in unstable welding quality. Semi-automatic welding relies entirely on manual operation, which leads to high labor intensity and fatigue for operators, and the welding efficiency is significantly lower than that of straight welds.

[0006] It is evident that existing technologies still suffer from problems such as rigid track equipment being unable to adapt to curved surfaces, insufficient automation in flexible track equipment, and unstable efficiency and quality of manual welding. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a welding device, process, and method for curved surface panels of ships, which can solve the above-mentioned problems existing in the prior art.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution: On the one hand, this disclosure provides a welding apparatus for curved surface panels of ships, which includes: A welding robot whose body can be attached to a panel on one side of the weld seam. The body is connected to a welding torch through a clamping mechanism that can move in the X, Y, and Z directions and rotate around the Y axis. The wire feeding mechanism is used to feed the welding wire required for welding with the welding gun; The welding power source is electrically connected to the welding robot and the wire feeding mechanism; and The control unit is communicatively connected to the welding robot, the wire feeding mechanism, and the welding power source. The welding robot is equipped with a sensing unit, and the sensing data that the sensing unit can acquire includes weld groove data, weld tracking data, weld pool monitoring data, equipment position and attitude data, and welding torch positioning data. The sensing unit is communicatively connected to the control unit, and when the curved surface panels of the ship are being welded, the control unit adjusts the welding data, including welding current, voltage, speed, oscillation amplitude, frequency, and dwell time, in real time based on the sensing data of the sensing unit.

[0009] In one embodiment, the welding robot is connected to an adsorption-type mobile chassis for driving the welding robot to move on the panel, and the adsorption-type mobile chassis is connected to a plurality of rotatable magnetic adsorption wheels.

[0010] In one embodiment, the clamping mechanism includes a clamping part and a servo system for driving the clamping part to perform X, Y, and Z direction movements and rotation about the Y axis, and the servo system is communicatively connected to the control unit.

[0011] In one embodiment, the control unit adjusts the position of the welding torch in real time by querying a preset welding torch positioning data-actual position lookup table based on the welding torch positioning data, so that the arc ignition position of the welding torch is located at the center of the weld to be welded.

[0012] In one embodiment, the control unit adjusts the walking path of the welding robot to be consistent with the weld seam by querying a preset weld seam tracking data-robot position correction value lookup table based on the weld seam tracking data.

[0013] In one embodiment, the control unit detects the longitudinal and lateral angles of the welding torch relative to the horizontal plane in real time based on the device position and attitude data, and generates welding torch correction commands based on the above data. The correction command is used to adjust the welding torch or the swing center of the welding torch to be at the center of the current weld seam, while ensuring that the walking path of the welding robot is consistent with the weld seam. In the case of a single weld bead, the position of the welding torch or the swing center of the welding torch coincides with the center of the weld bead and the geometric center of the weld groove. In the case of multiple weld passes, the position of the weld pass or the swing center of the welding torch does not coincide with the geometric center of the weld bevel.

[0014] In one embodiment, the control unit obtains the number and distribution data of weld beads required in the actual welding process based on the weld pool monitoring data and a preset weld pool monitoring data-weld bead number distribution comparison table.

[0015] In one embodiment, the welding power source is a digital power source, and digital transmission is used between it and the welding robot and the control unit; The arc characteristics of the welding power source support arc tracking for both solid welding wire and flux-cored welding wire, and it also has a contact sensing function.

[0016] On the other hand, this disclosure provides a welding process for a welding apparatus for ship curved panel as described above, comprising: Single-sided welding with ceramic backing using flux-cored welding wire; Set up the V-shaped groove required for welding, wherein the groove angle of the V-shaped groove is 35°-60°, the gap range is 4-16mm, and the groove blunt edge is 0-1mm. If the plate thickness difference is ≤3mm, the groove is not beveled. If the plate thickness difference is >3mm, it is beveled at a ratio of 1:4. The required welding plates are fixed by positioning code plates, and the positioning code plates are set on the back of the V-shaped bevel. An arc-extinguishing plate is provided at the end of the weld. The thickness of the arc-extinguishing plate is ≤ ±2 mm different from the thickness of the base material of the weld. The arc-extinguishing plate is flush with the back of the weld. Clean the front and back sides of the V-shaped bevel and the area within 30mm on both sides to expose the metal. The welding robot is connected to the arc-starting plate, and an arc-starting weld is welded at the port of the formal weld before the root weld is welded. Welding of ship curved surface panels based on preset welding logic sequence and welding parameters.

[0017] Furthermore, this disclosure also provides a welding method for using the welding apparatus for ship curved panel as described above, comprising: Position the welding robot on one side of the weld seam to be welded. Enable the weld seam tracking and movement function of the welding robot so that the welding robot can automatically adjust its position during movement and ensure that the distance between the robot body and the weld seam remains consistent at all times. Select the appropriate adaptive process adjustment program for the welding robot based on the material of the weld. Pre-scan the weld to obtain the geometric information of the V-groove; After the V-groove scanning is completed, the automatic positioning function of the welding torch is turned on, and the position of the welding torch is adjusted so that the position of the welding torch coincides with the center of the weld bead. The welding equipment is started to weld, and after the current weld is completed, the robot is driven to automatically return to the arc starting point to rescan and weld the next weld until the weld is completed.

[0018] The beneficial effects of this application are as follows: 1. By equipping the automatic welding equipment with a weld seam tracking device and a bevel information acquisition device, the mismatch between the automatic welding equipment's travel path and the trajectory of the curved weld seam on the ship is resolved, addressing the matching issue. Simultaneously, the welding torch automatically adjusts its position during the welding process, meeting the hardware requirements for automated curved weld seam welding.

[0019] 2. Welding process parameters are adjusted adaptively via a program. The program automatically adjusts process parameters based on real-time bevel geometry, welding position information, and weld pool condition. It supports modifications and optimizations to the process adjustment program, thereby enabling automated welding of curved weld seams on ships.

[0020] 3. Corresponding welding process requirements for the equipment were established, and methods for improving and optimizing process parameter adjustment procedures were proposed. This supports the establishment and optimization of adaptive adjustment procedures for process parameters of different base materials and welding materials, expanding the scope of application. Automated welding technology reduces the labor intensity of welding operations, enabling one person to operate multiple machines, thus reducing enterprise labor costs. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The present application will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a welding device for curved surface panels of a ship according to the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the control unit and sensing unit of a welding device for curved surface panels of a ship according to the present invention; Figure 3 This is a structural schematic diagram of the bevel geometry information in a welding device for curved ship panels according to the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the welding gun position of a welding device for a curved surface panel of a ship according to the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the welding process of a welding device for a curved panel of a ship according to the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the bevel joint structure of the flux-cored wire welding process in the welding device for the welding of curved steel panels of a ship according to the present invention. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the flux-cored wire process plate thickness difference treatment structure of a welding device for welding curved steel panels of a ship according to the present invention. Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the arc-extinguishing plate installation structure of the welding process of the welding device for the curved surface panel of a ship according to the present invention. Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the arc-starting weld of the welding process of a welding device for a curved panel of a ship according to the present invention; Figure 10 This diagram illustrates the welding sequence of the curved panel seam in the welding process of a welding device for a ship curved panel according to the present invention. Figure 11 This diagram illustrates the welding sequence of a single curved weld seam in the welding process of a welding device for curved steel panels of a ship, according to the present invention. Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the welding torch angle in the welding process of a welding device for a curved surface panel of a ship according to the present invention. Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the module flow of a welding method for a welding device for curved splicing panels of a ship according to the present invention.

[0023] In the picture: 10. Welding wire; 11. Arc ignition and extinguishing plate; 100. Welding robot; 110. Clamping mechanism; 111. Welding torch; 120. Magnetic adsorption wheel; 200. Wire feeding mechanism; 300. Welding power supply; 400. Control unit; 500. Sensing unit. Detailed Implementation

[0024] To make the technical problems solved by this application, the technical solutions adopted, and the technical effects achieved clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application are further described in detail below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0025] In the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "connected," "linked," and "fixed" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0026] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature being directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0027] Please see Figures 1 to 4 This disclosure provides a welding apparatus for curved surface panels of ships, comprising a welding robot 100, a wire feeding mechanism 200, a welding power source 300, and a control unit 400. The welding power source 300 is electrically connected to the welding robot 100 and the wire feeding mechanism 200, providing power to both during operation. The control unit 400 is communicatively connected to the welding robot 100, the wire feeding mechanism 200, and the welding power source 300. The control unit 400 can at least regulate the working state of the welding robot 100, the wire feeding speed of the wire feeding mechanism 200, and the power supply of the welding power source 300. Through the systematic regulation of the welding robot 100, the wire feeding mechanism 200, and the welding power source 300 by the control unit 400, the welding quality of the curved surface panels is improved. For example, the control unit 400 can preset and store welding process parameters such as moving speed, wire feeding speed, and welding current for different curved surface panels, achieving standardized operation, reducing process debugging time, and adapting to the batch welding needs of multi-specification curved surface components in shipbuilding.

[0028] Specifically, the welding robot 100 has a body that can be attached to a panel on one side of the weld seam, and the welding robot can move along the path of the weld seam. The speed and direction of the welding robot 100's movement on the panel can be controlled by the control unit 400.

[0029] In one embodiment, the welding robot 100 is driven by an adsorption-type mobile chassis. This chassis ensures that the robot adheres to the surface of the panel and is movable, enabling movement along the weld seam trajectory.

[0030] Specifically, the adsorption-type mobile chassis uses a servo motor to drive the magnetic adsorption wheels 120 to rotate, enabling the robot to move along the weld seam. By adjusting the speed difference between each wheel, the steering action can be precisely controlled, allowing the robot to maintain equidistant movement within the curved weld seam. For example, the power source uses a servo motor, which is communicatively connected to the control unit 400. Each magnetic adsorption wheel 120 is individually controlled; by adjusting the speed of each magnetic adsorption wheel 120 through the control unit 400, the welding robot 100 can be driven to move on the panel while also being steered. When the weld seam on the flat plate is curved, the welding robot 100 can maintain a constant distance from the weld seam. Simultaneously, each magnetic adsorption wheel 120 is individually controlled by a servo motor; by adjusting the speed difference between the wheels, the welding robot 100 can flexibly steer, enabling it to move precisely along the curved weld seam and maintain an equidistant posture, effectively solving the tracking problem caused by the complexity of curved weld seam trajectories and improving the fit of the welding trajectory.

[0031] It is important to note that, in order to ensure the stable movement of the welding robot 100 on the panel, the magnetic adsorption wheel 120 must have a magnetic adsorption capacity of no less than 130 kg at room temperature, and the magnetic force must decrease by no less than 30% at 150℃. This ensures that the welding robot 100 remains firmly attached to the panel surface during the high-temperature welding process, preventing displacement or detachment due to insufficient adsorption force, and guaranteeing the safety and continuity of the welding process.

[0032] Furthermore, a welding torch 111 is connected to the main body of the welding robot 100 via a clamping mechanism 110 capable of moving in the X, Y, and Z directions and rotating around the Y-axis. The welding torch 111 holds the welding wire 10 required for welding. The clamping mechanism 110 includes a clamping part and a servo system for driving the clamping part to move in the X, Y, and Z directions and rotate around the Y-axis. This servo system is communicatively connected to the control unit 400. The welding torch 111 is connected to the servo system via the clamping part. During the actual welding process, the control unit 400 adjusts the working states of different modules of the servo system to adjust the specific positions of the clamping part and the welding torch 111, thereby ensuring that the welding torch 111 is in a preset welding position relative to the weld seam.

[0033] Specifically, the clamping mechanism 110 supports three-axis linear motion (X, Y, Z) and Y-axis rotation (tilt angle adjustment), enabling the welding torch 111 to precisely adapt to the spatial angle changes of curved weld seams in three-dimensional space. For example, when the weld seam is saddle-shaped or hyperboloid, the servo system can adjust the tilt angle and height of the welding torch 111 in real time to ensure that the welding wire 10 and the molten pool maintain the optimal welding posture, such as a 45° wire feeding angle, avoiding insufficient penetration or weld bead offset due to posture deviation.

[0034] Understandably, through four-degree-of-freedom coordinated motion, the welding torch 111 can be adjusted in real time along the normal direction of the curved weld seam, always maintaining a constant vertical distance from the weld seam. For example, in welding curved surfaces with varying curvature, the control unit 400 drives the clamping part to perform a combined "translation" and "rotation" action through a servo system, stabilizing the distance between the nozzle of the welding torch 111 and the weld seam within a preset standard range, thereby improving arc stability and deposition efficiency.

[0035] For example, the servo system used to drive the gripping part to perform X, Y, and Z direction movements and rotation around the Y axis can adopt a serial or parallel robotic arm structure. Serial robotic arms have the advantage of a large workspace and are suitable for surfaces with large curvature; the closed-loop structure of parallel robotic arms can provide ≥200N of anti-interference stiffness, reduce end effector jitter by 50%, and is more suitable for high-precision welding.

[0036] Specifically, when using a four-degree-of-freedom parallel robotic arm, its closed-loop structure can provide ≥200N of anti-interference stiffness, reducing end effector jitter by 50% compared to a serial structure. In high-frequency vibration environments such as hull section hoisting operations during the welding of curved ship panels, the parallel mechanism can effectively suppress position fluctuations of the welding torch 111, ensuring trajectory accuracy under harsh working conditions such as all-position welding.

[0037] Meanwhile, the servo system can switch between series and parallel modes depending on the complexity of the weld. For example, for large-curvature surfaces such as the outer plate of the bulbous nose, the large workspace characteristics of the series robotic arms are utilized. For small-curvature complex welds such as the connection of bulkhead ribs, the system switches to a parallel structure to improve rigidity, achieving the dual requirements of "spatial coverage" and "precision assurance".

[0038] Furthermore, the clamping part includes at least one clamping cavity, and the welding torch 111 is disposed in the clamping cavity within the clamping part. The welding torch 111 is relatively fixed to the clamping part, and its position can be adjusted synchronously with the servo system.

[0039] Specifically, the clamping cavity is equipped with a pneumatic / hydraulic locking device with a locking force of ≥50N and pressure feedback function. When an accidental collision is detected during the welding process, the control system can automatically trigger the locking redundancy protection to prevent the welding torch 111 from falling off and causing a safety accident. It is especially suitable for high-altitude welding scenarios in ship section lifting operations.

[0040] Please see Figure 1 In one embodiment, the wire feeding mechanism 200 is used to feed the welding wire 10 required for welding by the welding torch 111. Through the wire feeding mechanism 200, the welding wire 10 in the welding torch 111 can be kept stably supplied at all times during the actual welding process.

[0041] It should be noted that the cable length between the wire feeding mechanism 200 and the welding torch 111 should not be less than 40 meters to ensure that the welding torch 111 can cover the welding position throughout the entire ship welding process.

[0042] Furthermore, the wire feeding mechanism 200 may employ Lincoln Electric's Invertec V series wire feeding equipment. It features advanced inverter technology, high energy efficiency, and ease of maintenance. For example, in this embodiment, the V350-PRO model wire feeding equipment may be used, which possesses intelligent welding characteristics and can automatically adjust welding parameters according to material thickness, improving welding efficiency and finished product quality. Simultaneously, it can provide effective wire 10 feeding support during the actual welding process of this device.

[0043] In one embodiment, the welding power source 300 is electrically connected to the welding robot 100 and the wire feeding mechanism 200. The welding power source 300 can be used to provide a stable electric arc for the welding robot 100 during the welding process, and at the same time provide power for the movement of the welding robot 100 and the wire feeding operation of the wire feeding mechanism 200.

[0044] Specifically, the welding power supply 300 has a built-in arc sensor with a sampling frequency of ≥10kHz, which can collect arc voltage fluctuations in real time and automatically compensate for arc length changes through a fuzzy control algorithm. For example, in the case of a misalignment of up to 2mm on curved panels, the power supply can dynamically adjust the voltage by ±3V to maintain the arc length at a stable 3-5mm, preventing incomplete fusion defects caused by arc length fluctuations and reducing spatter by more than 40% compared to traditional analog power supplies.

[0045] The welding power source 300 is a digital power source that communicates with the welding robot 100 and the control unit 400 via digital signals. Compared to traditional analog signals, digital transmission enables millisecond-level responses to parameters such as current, voltage, and wire feed speed, effectively avoiding interference and delays. The system can dynamically adjust parameters based on real-time conditions such as arc stability and molten pool morphology, reducing welding defects such as spatter and porosity, and improving weld uniformity. For example, when the welding robot 100 experiences a slight deviation in its welding trajectory, the welding power source 300 can immediately receive instructions from the control unit 400 and synchronously adjust its current output to avoid weld misalignment caused by uneven heat distribution.

[0046] Furthermore, the welding power source 300 is connected to the welding robot 100, wire feeding mechanism 200, etc., via a unified digital communication protocol such as EtherCAT, Modbus, Profinet, etc., forming a "real-time closed-loop control system". For example, when the welding robot 100 moves to a corner, the control unit 400 sends a deceleration signal to the welding power source 300, and the power source automatically reduces the current to prevent overheating and collapse at the corner. And when the wire feeding mechanism 200 detects blockage of the welding wire 10, it immediately triggers the power supply to stop via a digital signal to prevent equipment damage.

[0047] The welding power supply 300 optimizes arc characteristics for different types of welding wire (solid / flux-cored). Through dynamic current waveform adjustment, it compensates for arc penetration under varying surface curvature. For example, when welding Invar steel, it uses a "low-frequency pulse + arc stiffness enhancement" mode. For instance, when welding Invar steel for LNG ships using solid welding wire 10, the power supply uses a "low-frequency pulse + arc stiffness enhancement" mode to ensure uniform arc penetration under double-curvature surfaces. When welding cruise ship bulkheads with flux-cored welding wire, the power supply automatically switches to a "waveform oscillation + slag spreading optimization" mode, improving weld aesthetics by 50% and reducing manual grinding workload. Furthermore, the contact sensing technology enables vision-free positioning. The power supply incorporates contact sensing capabilities, detecting the weld start position through short-circuit retraction, eliminating the need for additional visual sensors. In scenarios involving large tolerances (±3mm) in ship curved panel assembly, it can automatically correct the welding start point. For example, when welding the curved surface of the ball nose, the robot scans the panel edge using contact sensing to generate offset compensation, reducing the welding torch positioning time from 20 seconds using traditional visual recognition to 5 seconds, unaffected by strong light or spatter.

[0048] In one embodiment, a sensing unit 500 is also connected to the welding robot 100. The sensing unit 500 can be used to acquire sensing data obtained by the welding robot 100 during the actual welding process. By analyzing and processing the sensing data, the control unit 400 can monitor the working status of the welding robot 100 and the welding status of the curved panels of the ship in real time. At the same time, based on the above status, the control unit 400 makes corresponding adjustments to the position trajectory of the welding robot 100 and the welding parameters of the welding torch 111.

[0049] Furthermore, the sensing unit 500 can acquire sensing data including weld bevel data, weld tracking data, weld pool monitoring data, equipment position and attitude data, and welding torch positioning data. It is important to note that the sensing unit 500 includes pre-scanning sensors such as laser structured light and real-time tracking sensors such as a vision camera. The sensing unit 500 can pre-scan to acquire bevel geometry information and monitor the welding status in real time, forming a dual closed-loop control of "pre-planning - real-time correction". Therefore, when welding curved steel panels for ships, the control unit 400 adjusts welding data, including welding current, voltage, speed, oscillation amplitude, frequency, and dwell time, in real time based on the sensing data from the sensing unit 500.

[0050] The sensing unit 500 may include weld bevel data sensors, weld tracking data sensors, weld pool monitoring data sensors, equipment position and attitude data sensors, and welding torch positioning data sensors. However, it is not limited to these; different types of sensors can be determined based on actual data acquisition needs.

[0051] For example, in one embodiment, the weld bevel data sensor may employ a laser line structured light sensor or other types of sensors. The laser line structured light sensor scans the weld bevel to acquire three-dimensional contour data, including at least the gap, misalignment, and angle. The control unit 400 automatically generates welding path compensation amounts using a bevel feature recognition algorithm. When a misalignment of 1.5mm is detected, the system automatically adjusts the welding torch 111 offset by 0.8mm and increases the welding current by 5%, ensuring good root fusion and improving bevel adaptability by 90% compared to traditional manual prediction processes.

[0052] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 3 The specific data for weld bevels may include the bevel surface width W, the root bevel gap G or the width of the lower surface of the filler layer C, the bevel angle α, the bevel plate thickness difference or misalignment a, the steel plate thickness T or the unwelded thickness δ.

[0053] In one embodiment, the welding torch positioning data sensor may allow acquisition via contact sensing, laser scanning, or visual image sensing.

[0054] For example, the welding torch positioning data can be obtained using a visual imaging sensor, which can acquire the specific position data of the weld in real time. Based on the position data of the welding torch 111 itself, the control unit 400 can adjust the position of the welding torch 111 in real time by querying a preset welding torch positioning data-actual position lookup table, so that the arc initiation position of the welding torch 111 is located at the center of the weld to be welded.

[0055] Alternatively, a 12-megapixel industrial camera can be used in conjunction with a laser crosshair projector to construct a composite positioning model combining "2D vision + 3D structured light". The control unit 400 uses a feature point matching algorithm to convert the pixel coordinates of the weld edge into a three-dimensional position in the world coordinate system, ensuring that the deviation between the arc ignition point of the welding torch 111 and the weld center is ≤0.2mm. For example, in welding 5mm thick stainless steel curved panels, visual positioning can correct the ±1mm positioning error of manual scribing, improving the accuracy of the arc ignition position by 80%. Alternatively, a dynamically calibrated visual sensor for assembly error compensation can be used, supporting an "online calibration-real-time compensation" mechanism. When a misalignment of ≥2mm is detected in the panel assembly, the offset compensation amount of welding torch 111 is automatically generated. For example, in the segmented welding of the curved surface of the nose of a cruise ship, a 1.8mm assembly gap was corrected by visual positioning, causing welding torch 111 to automatically offset by 1.2mm and adjust welding parameters, avoiding incomplete fusion defects caused by arc initiation position deviation, and effectively improving the first-pass welding qualification rate. Alternatively, it allows for the use of surface-adaptive visual imaging sensors with no risk of contact damage. These sensors do not require physical contact with the workpiece, thus avoiding the indentation damage to ultra-thin plates caused by traditional contact-based positioning. For example, in the welding of curved surfaces in LNG carrier cargo tanks, a visual sensor can scan the weld seam close to the curved surface. Combined with the surface reconstruction algorithm of the control unit 400, it generates a positioning trajectory that conforms to the hyperbolic surface, which is more efficient than contact-based positioning and eliminates the risk of workpiece damage.

[0056] Meanwhile, it also allows for the installation of infrared filters and air-cooled heat dissipation structures to ensure stable operation in high-temperature environments. Its vision sensor can maintain normal operation at a distance of 1.5m from the welding heat source. For example, during continuous welding operations, even if the temperature around the welding torch 111 rises to 120°C, the vision system can still acquire images at a frequency of 30fps, ensuring that the positioning accuracy does not decrease under high temperatures and solving the problem of mechanical deformation of traditional contact sensors at high temperatures.

[0057] Understandably, the welding torch 111 positioning sensor can update the weld position data in real time during the movement of the welding robot 100. Based on the latest feedback, the control unit 400 adjusts the trajectory of the welding torch 111 at 5ms intervals. For example, at a corner with a curvature radius of 80mm, a trajectory correction speed of 0.3mm / s is achieved, ensuring that the welding torch 111 always moves along the weld centerline, reducing the dynamic error by 60% compared to static positioning.

[0058] Meanwhile, the multi-condition vision mode intelligent switching incorporates three image processing algorithms: "strong light mode," "shadow mode," and "reflective light mode." The sensor can automatically identify the lighting conditions of the welding environment. When the image is overexposed due to strong arc light, dynamic aperture adjustment is activated to ensure clear identification of the weld edge. When welding in the shadow area of ​​the chamber, the laser supplementary light is activated, so that visual positioning is not affected by light fluctuations, increasing the positioning success rate from 80% of the traditional method to 99.5%.

[0059] In one embodiment, the welding robot 100 provided in this disclosure has a weld seam tracking function. The control unit 400 adjusts the position of the welding robot 100 in real time through weld seam tracking data to ensure that the walking path of the welding robot 100 and the trajectory of the weld seam are consistent.

[0060] Specifically, the control unit 400 uses weld seam tracking data to query a preset correction value lookup table and adjusts the robot's walking path to ensure that it is consistent with the weld seam trajectory.

[0061] The system allows for the use of fused sensing employing laser structured light and a vision camera. The control unit 400 analyzes weld seam tracking data at a 10ms cycle, driving the robot to perform 3D position correction. As an example, in welding an S-shaped surface with a curvature radius of 50mm, the system can achieve a tracking speed response of 0.5mm / s, ensuring that the deviation between the center of the welding torch 111 and the weld seam is always ≤0.2mm, effectively improving the accuracy compared to traditional mechanical tracking.

[0062] Alternatively, in one implementation, a three-dimensional model of the weld is constructed using laser scanning before welding by combining pre-scan trajectory planning with dynamic compensation, and the control unit 400 generates a pre-planned path. During welding, real-time tracking data is compared with the pre-planned data, automatically correcting trajectory deviations caused by workpiece thermal deformation. In a case study of welding a cargo tank on an LNG ship, this mechanism controlled the cumulative error of a 20-meter-long double-curvature weld to within 1.5mm, reducing deviation by 80% compared to no tracking technology.

[0063] In one embodiment, the welding robot 100 is also connected to a position and attitude sensor, which can be used to acquire the position and attitude of the welding torch 111 in space during welding. Based on the device position and attitude data acquired by the position and attitude sensor, the control unit 400 detects in real time the longitudinal and lateral angles of the welding torch 111 relative to the horizontal plane at the current position, and adjusts the position of the welding torch 111 based on the device position and attitude data.

[0064] Specifically, the relative posture of the welding torch 111 to the curved surface is calculated in real time by the posture sensor, and the control unit 400 drives the servo system to perform a compound action of "translation" and "rotation" to ensure that the welding torch 111 is always perpendicular to the normal direction of the curved surface.

[0065] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 4 In a single weld pass, the position of the welding torch 111 or the center of its oscillation coincides with the center of the weld pass and the geometric center of the weld bevel. In a multi-pass weld pass, the position of the weld pass or the center of its oscillation coincides with the geometric center of the weld bevel.

[0066] Specifically, in a single-pass welding scenario, the oscillation center of the welding torch 111 can be locked to coincide with the geometric center of the weld groove through the position data. For example, when a single pass welding is used for an 8mm carbon steel butt weld, the oscillation amplitude of the welding torch 111 automatically matches the groove width, so that the deposited metal is filled evenly, thereby reducing the defect rate. In multi-pass welding scenarios, the offset of the weld can be planned based on the pose data. For example, when welding multiple layers and multiple passes of a 12mm thick plate, the control unit 400 dynamically adjusts the posture of the welding gun 111 according to the position of each layer of weld, so that the center of the second layer of weld is offset from the first layer by 2.5mm, avoiding incomplete fusion between layers and improving welding efficiency.

[0067] Furthermore, the control unit 400 also allows for the preset posture-parameter linkage optimization model, which establishes a mapping relationship between "welding torch tilt angle - welding current - wire feed speed". For example, when the tilt angle of the overhead welding posture is >75°, the current can be automatically reduced by 10% and the wire feed speed increased by 5% to prevent the molten pool from sagging. When the tilt angle of the horizontal welding posture is 45°, the oscillation frequency can be synchronously adjusted from 3Hz to 5Hz to improve the distribution of deposited metal, effectively improving the forming qualification rate of all-position welding.

[0068] In one embodiment, the control unit 400 can obtain the number and distribution data of weld beads required in the actual welding process based on the weld pool monitoring data and according to a preset weld pool monitoring data-weld bead number distribution comparison table.

[0069] Meanwhile, based on the sensing data acquired by the aforementioned sensing unit 500, the control unit 400 can further adjust the welding parameters of the welding process, including welding current, voltage, speed, oscillation amplitude, frequency, and dwell time. This further ensures that the welding robot 100 maintains optimal welding parameters during the welding of curved panels.

[0070] Furthermore, the system allows for the use of infrared thermal imaging and high-speed visual fusion technology to extract in real time the dimensions of the molten pool, including length, width, and depth, as well as the temperature field distribution and metal flow state. The control unit 400 can automatically generate the number and distribution scheme of weld beads by matching the molten pool characteristics with a preset process model. For example, when welding an 8mm carbon steel curved surface, if the molten pool depth exceeds the single-pass welding threshold, the system automatically plans two layers of weld beads. The first layer uses a high current, such as 220A, for deep penetration welding, and the second layer uses a low current, such as 180A, for cover welding, which greatly reduces welding time compared to a fixed weld bead process. When an abnormal crystallization rate of the aluminum alloy molten pool is detected, the weld bead offset is automatically increased by 1.5mm to avoid incomplete fusion between layers, thereby improving the pass rate of multi-pass welding.

[0071] Furthermore, the control unit 400 establishes real-time mapping relationships such as "molten pool temperature - current" and "molten pool width - oscillation amplitude". For example, when the molten pool temperature exceeds the welding threshold, the current is automatically reduced by 10% and the pulse frequency is increased by 5Hz to prevent burn-through. And when the molten pool width fluctuates by more than 15%, the oscillation amplitude is adjusted synchronously to ensure uniform weld formation, making the parameter adjustment response time less than 5ms, which effectively improves efficiency compared to manual intervention.

[0072] Please see Figures 5 to 12 This disclosure also provides a welding process for a welding apparatus for ship curved panel using any of the above embodiments, comprising: Step S10: Select flux-cored wire with ceramic backing for single-sided welding.

[0073] Low-hydrogen flux-cored welding wires with diameters of 1.2-1.6 mm (such as E501T-1) can be used, matched with alumina-based ceramic backing. The gas-slag combined protection of the flux-cored welding wire enables all-position welding, while the groove design of the ceramic backing can form a forced-formed weld on the back, solving the problem of welding on the back of curved panels.

[0074] Step S20: Set the V-shaped groove required for welding. The groove angle of the V-shaped groove is 35°-60°, the gap range is 4-16mm, and the blunt edge of the groove is 0-1mm. If the plate thickness difference is ≤3mm, the groove is not beveled. If the plate thickness difference is >3mm, beveling is performed at a ratio of 1:4.

[0075] Step S30: Fix the panels to be welded using positioning code plates, with the positioning code plates positioned on the back of the V-shaped bevel. Specifically, a combination of magnetic positioning code plates and mechanical clamps is permissible, with the code plate positions automatically planned according to the curvature distribution of the curved surface. For example, the code plate spacing is ≤300mm on flat surfaces and ≤200mm on curved surfaces, thereby reducing panel deformation.

[0076] Step S40: An arc-extinguishing plate 11 is provided at the end of the weld. The thickness of the arc-extinguishing plate 11 is ≤ ±2 mm different from the thickness of the base material of the weld, and the arc-extinguishing plate 11 is flush with the back of the weld.

[0077] Step S50: Clean the front and back surfaces of the V-shaped bevel and the area within 30mm on both sides to expose the metal. High-pressure air and a wire brush can be used in combination for cleaning. The cleaning area on the front extends to 50mm on both sides of the bevel (originally 30mm), and the back is cleaned to the area where the backing is pasted. For special materials such as stainless steel, use acetone to wipe away oil stains, ensuring the surface roughness Ra of the welded area is ≤12.5μm, increasing the fusion line strength by 15%.

[0078] Step S60: Adsorb the welding robot 100 onto the surface of the panel and position it in the area of ​​the arc initiation and extinguishing plate 11. Before the formal root pass welding, weld a 50-80mm arc initiation weld at the start of the weld for parameter adjustment and preheating of the base material.

[0079] Step S70: Weld the ship's curved surface panels based on the preset welding logic sequence and welding parameters.

[0080] Please see Figure 10 and Figure 11 It is important to note that in the actual welding process, when there are both end joints and edge joints in the curved surface panel assembly, the end joints should be welded first, followed by the edge joints. If construction conditions are limited and the above principle cannot be followed, a 300mm gap should be left on both sides of the weld intersection for final welding. When the lowest point of the curved surface weld is inside the weld, welding should be carried out from the lowest point of the weld outwards to both sides.

[0081] Please see Figure 12 Different parameter adjustment rules are established for each type of steel and welding material, including the deposition rate of welding wire 10, and the adjustment range and step size of welding process parameters for each welding position and molten pool. The program calculation parameters are modified to establish adaptive adjustment programs for different steels and welding materials, enabling adaptive adjustment of bevel parameters. The welding robot 100 switches between different adjustment programs using different parameter packages.

[0082] Please refer to Table 1 for welding torch angles. Table 1

[0083] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 13 This disclosure also provides a welding method for a ship curved panel using any of the above-described welding apparatuses, comprising: First, the welding robot 100 is positioned on one side of the weld seam to be welded. In actual operation, it can be moved to the weld seam side manually or by crane.

[0084] Secondly, the weld seam tracking movement function of the welding robot 100 is activated, enabling the welding robot 100 to automatically adjust its position during movement and ensuring that the distance between the robot body and the weld seam remains consistent at all times. The weld seam tracking movement function is independently driven by the magnetic adsorption wheel 120, stabilizing the distance between the robot body and the weld seam within a preset range. During double-curvature surface welding, the system adjusts the rotation speed of the magnetic adsorption wheel 120 in real time to ensure that the robot moves along the normal direction of the weld seam.

[0085] Furthermore, the appropriate adaptive process adjustment program for the welding robot 100 is selected based on the material of the weld.

[0086] Furthermore, the geometric information of the V-groove is obtained by scanning the weld seam in advance. It should be noted that there is a certain distance between the welding torch 111 of the welding robot 100 and the weld seam tracking sensor. In order to ensure the integrity of the weld seam information, the geometric information of the groove needs to be obtained by scanning the weld seam in advance. The advance scanning distance should not be less than 500mm.

[0087] Furthermore, after the V-shaped bevel scanning is completed, the automatic positioning function of the welding torch 111 is activated, and the position of the welding torch 111 is adjusted so that the position of the welding torch 111 coincides with the center of the weld.

[0088] Finally, the welding equipment is started, and after the current weld is completed, the robot is driven to automatically return to the arc starting point to rescan and weld the next weld, until the weld is completed.

[0089] In summary, this disclosure provides a welding apparatus, process, and method for curved weld plates on ships. By equipping the weld seam tracking device and bevel information acquisition equipment, it solves the mismatch problem between the travel path of the automatic welding equipment and the trajectory of the curved weld seam on the ship. Simultaneously, the welding torch 111 automatically adjusts its position during the welding process, meeting the hardware requirements for automation of curved weld seams.

[0090] Welding process parameters are adjusted adaptively via a program that automatically adjusts the parameters based on real-time bevel geometry, welding position information, and weld pool condition. The program supports modifications and optimizations to the process adjustment program, thereby enabling automated welding of curved weld seams on ships.

[0091] Simultaneously, corresponding welding process requirements for the equipment were established, and methods for improving and optimizing process parameter adjustment procedures were proposed. This supports the establishment and optimization of adaptive adjustment procedures for process parameters of different base materials and welding materials, expanding the scope of application. Automated welding technology reduces the labor intensity of welding operations, enabling one person to operate multiple machines, thereby reducing enterprise labor costs.

[0092] In the description herein, it should be understood that the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and other orientations or positional relationships are used only for ease of description and simplification of operation, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used merely for descriptive distinction and have no special meaning.

[0093] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "an embodiment," "example," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example.

[0094] Furthermore, it should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative style of the specification is merely for clarity. Those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0095] The technical principles of this application have been described above with reference to specific embodiments. These descriptions are merely for explaining the principles of this application and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this application in any way. Based on this explanation, those skilled in the art can readily conceive of other specific embodiments of this application without inventive effort, and these embodiments will all fall within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A welding device for curved surface panels of ships, characterized in that, include: A welding robot (100) has its body adsorbably attached to a panel on one side of the weld seam. The body is connected to a welding torch (111) via a clamping mechanism (110) capable of moving in the X, Y, and Z directions and rotating around the Y-axis. A wire feeding mechanism (200) is used to feed the welding wire (10) required for welding by the welding torch (111). A welding power source (300) is electrically connected to the welding robot (100) and the wire feeding mechanism (200). A control unit (400) is communicatively connected to the welding robot (100), the wire feeding mechanism (200), and the welding power source (300). The robot (100) is equipped with a sensing unit (500). The sensing data that the sensing unit (500) can acquire includes weld groove data, weld tracking data, weld pool monitoring data, equipment position and attitude data, and welding torch positioning data. The sensing unit (500) is communicatively connected to the control unit (400). When welding curved panels of a ship, the control unit (400) adjusts welding data, including welding current, voltage, speed, oscillation amplitude, frequency, and dwell time, in real time based on the sensing data of the sensing unit (500). The control unit (400) adjusts the welding data based on the welding torch positioning data. According to the data, by querying a preset welding torch positioning data-actual position lookup table, the position of the welding torch (111) is adjusted in real time so that the arc starting position of the welding torch (111) is located at the center of the weld to be welded; the control unit (400) adjusts the walking path of the welding robot (100) to be consistent with the weld by querying a preset weld tracking data-robot position correction value lookup table based on the weld tracking data; the control unit (400) detects the longitudinal and lateral angles of the welding torch (111) relative to the horizontal plane in real time based on the equipment position and attitude data, and adjusts the longitudinal angle data accordingly. The welding torch (111) correction command is generated based on the lateral angle data. The correction command is used to adjust the welding torch (111) or the swing center of the welding torch (111) to be at the center of the current weld, while ensuring that the walking path of the welding robot (100) is consistent with the weld. In the case of a single weld pass, the position of the welding torch (111) or the swing center of the welding torch (111) coincides with the center of the weld pass and the geometric center of the weld bevel. In the case of multiple weld passes, the position of the welding torch (111) or the swing center of the welding torch (111) does not coincide with the geometric center of the weld bevel.

2. The welding device for curved steel panels of ships according to claim 1, characterized in that, The welding robot (100) is connected to an adsorption-type mobile chassis for driving the welding robot (100) to move on the curved splice plate of the ship. The adsorption-type mobile chassis is connected to a plurality of rotatable magnetic adsorption wheels (120).

3. The welding apparatus for curved steel panels of ships according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping mechanism (110) includes a clamping part and a servo system for driving the clamping part to perform X, Y, Z direction movements and rotation around the Y axis, and the servo system is communicatively connected to the control unit (400).

4. The welding apparatus for curved steel panels of ships according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control unit (400) obtains the number and distribution data of weld beads required in the actual welding process based on the welding pool monitoring data and according to the preset welding pool monitoring data-weld bead number distribution comparison table.

5. The welding apparatus for curved steel panels of ships according to claim 1, characterized in that, The welding power source (300) adopts a digital power source and uses digital transmission with the welding robot (100) and control unit (400); the arc characteristics of the welding power source (300) support arc tracking of solid welding wire (10) and flux-cored welding wire (10) and have contact sensing function.

6. A welding process using the welding apparatus for ship curved panel assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, include: Single-sided welding with ceramic backing and flux-cored wire is used. A V-groove is prepared for welding, with a groove angle of 35°-60°, a gap range of 4-16mm, and a blunt edge of 0-1mm. If the plate thickness difference is ≤3mm, no beveling is required; if the plate thickness difference is >3mm, beveling is performed at a ratio of 1:

4. Positioning plates are used to fix the plates to be welded, and these positioning plates are positioned on the back of the V-groove. An arc-extinguishing plate is placed at the end of the weld. (11) The thickness of the arc-extinguishing plate (11) is ≤ ±2mm different from the thickness of the base material of the weld, and the arc-extinguishing plate (11) is flush with the back of the weld; clean the attachments on the front and back sides and within 30mm on both sides of the V-shaped groove, and expose the metal bright; connect the welding robot (100) to the arc-extinguishing plate (11), and weld a section of arc-starting weld at the port of the formal weld before welding the root weld; weld the ship curved panel based on the preset welding logic sequence and welding parameters.

7. A welding method using the welding apparatus for ship curved panel as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, include: Set the welding robot (100) on one side of the weld to be welded; turn on the weld tracking and movement function of the welding robot (100) so that the welding robot (100) can automatically adjust its position during the movement and ensure that the distance between the robot body and the weld is always consistent; select the corresponding adaptive process adjustment program of the welding robot (100) according to the material of the weld; scan the weld in advance to obtain the geometric information of the V-shaped groove; after the V-shaped groove scanning is completed, turn on the automatic positioning function of the welding gun (111) and adjust the position of the welding gun (111) so that the position of the welding gun (111) coincides with the center of the weld; start the welding equipment to weld, and after the current weld is completed, drive the robot to automatically return to the arc starting point, rescan and weld the next weld until the weld is completed.

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