Magnetic Crawling Welding Robot for Flat and Curved Structures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current welding robots are inadequate for performing welding operations on large and medium-sized flat or curved structural members, such as steel storage tanks and hulls, due to high labor intensity, poor working environments, and the need for skilled workers, resulting in inconsistent quality and low productivity.
Innovation Solution
A crawling welding robot equipped with wheel-tracked walking mechanisms, an adjustable magnetic adhesion module, and advanced welding and tracking systems, allowing it to autonomously crawl and weld on various surfaces without guides, adjust magnetic force, and ensure precise weld seam tracking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual welding operation is performed on large and medium-sized structural members, then welding can be carried out, but high labor intensity and low productivity result
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical welding operations with an automated crawling robot system. The robot equipped with welding guns, sensors, and control systems performs welding tasks autonomously, eliminating the need for manual labor while significantly improving productivity and reducing labor intensity.
Solution Approach 2:
The crawling robot is designed to be self-propelled and self-positioning using tracked walking mechanisms and sensor feedback systems. It autonomously navigates to welding positions, maintains proper welding posture, and performs operations without continuous human intervention, achieving self-service operation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If articulated welding robots are used, then automation is achieved, but they cannot perform welding on large and medium-sized flat or curved structural members
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a crawling robot with tracked walking mechanisms that can dynamically adapt to different welding positions and orientations. The robot can crawl on flat surfaces, curved surfaces, and vertical walls, adjusting its posture and position in real-time to match the workpiece geometry, thereby achieving high adaptability without sacrificing productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The crawling robot is designed as a universal welding system capable of performing welding operations on various types of structural members including flat plates, curved surfaces, and vertical walls. It integrates multiple welding guns, sensing systems, and propulsion mechanisms into a single platform that can handle diverse welding tasks.
3Reliability
If multiple workers cooperate for welding operations, then complex welding tasks can be performed, but welding quality cannot be ensured due to multiple affecting factors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates sensor systems that continuously monitor welding parameters, position, and quality in real-time. The collected data is fed back to the control system, which automatically adjusts welding parameters to maintain consistent quality. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures reliable and consistent welding results without the variability introduced by multiple human operators.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces multiple human workers with a single automated robot system that performs all welding operations. This substitution eliminates the coordination complexity and quality variability associated with manual multi-worker operations, ensuring consistent welding quality through automated control.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The robot significantly reduces auxiliary welding time, enhances productivity, and ensures high-quality welding on large and medium-sized structural members with high adaptability to different environments, achieving accurate weld seam tracking and efficient operation on both flat and curved surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
a crawling welding robot, comprising an adjustable magnetic adhesion module
Data Source
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AI summary
A crawling welding robot, including an adjustable magnetic adhesion module (9), wheel-tracked walking mechanisms (2), a crawler frame (1), and a welding load device (11), wherein the welding load device (11) is disposed on the crawler frame (1); the wheel-tracked walking mechanisms (2) are disposed at two opposite ends of the crawler frame (1) for supplying power for crawling of the crawler frame (1); and the adjustable magnetic adhesion module (9) is disposed on the crawler frame (1) and disposed between the two wheel-tracked walking mechanisms (2). The crawling welding robot is enabled by the wheel-tracked walking mechanisms (2) to crawl without rails or guides, has a large weldable range, can move on the surfaces of large and medium-sized flat or curved structural members to be welded, can vertically crawl on the wall, and can perform a welding operation when moving either forward or backward, so that the welding of the large and medium-sized structural members at all positions is achieved, the auxiliary welding time can be significantly reduced, and the production efficiency is high; the magnitude of the magnetic adhesion force is adjusted by the adjustable magnetic adhesion module (9), so that the crawling welding robot can crawl on a flat plate and a curved plate with large curvature and has high adaptability to the working environment.