Coordinated Stationary Tracking for Cylindrical Welding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional stationary tracking methods for robotic welding of cylindrical parts face challenges in coordinating motion, leading to difficulties in setup and inefficiencies due to the need for recalculating robot movements and positioner speeds for each new part geometry, especially when multiple passes with staggered positions are required.
Innovation Solution
A method of coordinated stationary tracking that determines translational offsets relative to the cylindrical part's geometry, allowing the welding torch to maintain a consistent position during rotation, enabling efficient application of offsets and simplifying the welding process for multiple passes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional stationary tracking methods are used with offsets stored relative to the welding robot base, then the welding robot can perform welding operations, but the welding robot must start and stop at the same position for each pass which severely limits the use when multiple welding passes are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the welding robot base called a 'virtual base' that rotates with the positioner robot. This virtual base serves as a rotating reference frame that maintains consistent angular relationships with the cylindrical part throughout rotation, allowing offset storage relative to this virtual reference rather than the stationary physical base. This copying approach enables multiple passes with staggered positions while maintaining operational flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a rotational dimension by creating a virtual base that rotates in sync with the positioner robot. This adds a temporal-rotational dimension to the offset storage system, transforming static offsets relative to a fixed base into dynamic offsets relative to a rotating virtual base. This dimensional change enables the system to handle multiple welding passes with different start positions effectively.
2Manufacturing precision
If offsets are determined relative to the welding robot base in traditional stationary tracking, then the tracking can be performed, but recalculating robot move time and positioner rotational speed is required for each new part geometry
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual base acts as a rotating reference frame that preserves angular relationships between the welding robot and the cylindrical part. By storing offsets relative to this virtual base rather than recalculating from the physical base for each part, the system maintains tracking accuracy while eliminating repeated setup recalibration, thus reducing time loss.
3Manufacturing precision
If coordinated motion between welding robot and positioner robot is used, then welding tracking can compensate for part geometry variations, but the system complexity increases due to motion coordination requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual base creates a simplified reference frame that rotates with the positioner, allowing offsets to be stored and applied without complex real-time motion coordination calculations. This copying approach maintains the ability to compensate for geometry variations while reducing system complexity by decoupling the offset storage from the physical robot base movements.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for performing coordinated stationary tracking during a welding operation performed on a cylindrical part includes mounting a cylindrical part on a rotating arm having a central rotational axis and directing a welding torch to a weld position wherein the welding torch is directed toward an initial weld joint position. The rotating arm is rotated about the central rotational axis thereof to provide relative movement between the cylindrical part and the welding torch when the welding torch is positioned at the weld position. During the rotating of the rotating arm the welding torch remains substantially stationary while a tracking sensor of the welding robot periodically determines geometric information of the cylindrical part based on a rotational position of the rotating arm. The geometric information regarding the cylindrical part is then used to determine vertical and lateral offsets to be applied to the welding torch relative to the weld position.