Welding Robot Teaching System with Automatic Wire Length Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current teaching methods for welding robots require high operator expertise and time to accurately position the welding wire without curving it, and often necessitate the use of a teaching jig, which can be complex and lead to positional discrepancies.
Innovation Solution
A teaching system that includes a robot with a welding torch, a protruding length acquisition section, a wire feeding device, a contact detection section, and a control section to automatically adjust the welding wire's length and the robot's position to match a predetermined length, allowing for automatic feeding and rewinding of the wire to accurately teach the welding path without a jig.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If an operator manually positions the robot to a teaching position using a teach pendant or hand guide method, then the welding path can be taught, but a high degree of expertise and a lot of time are required, and the welding wire may be curved due to unexpected force
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-positioning of the welding wire tip to the workpiece surface through automatic control. The robot automatically moves closer to the workpiece, detects contact, and adjusts position without requiring manual operator intervention for precise positioning, thus reducing both time and expertise requirements while maintaining accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The contact detection section provides real-time feedback on whether the welding wire tip has contacted the workpiece. This feedback loop allows the control section to automatically adjust the robot's position and wire feeding, enabling precise positioning without manual intervention and significantly reducing teaching time
2Reliability
If the welding wire is curved during teaching, then the teaching can continue, but the robot must be separated from the workpiece, the wire must be fed and cut, and the welding wire needs to be set again, increasing the number of human-hours necessary for teaching
Solution Approach 1:
The control section prevents wire curving by controlling the robot to stop before the welding wire becomes curved. The system monitors wire position and workpiece contact, and automatically adjusts positioning to maintain proper wire tension and alignment, preventing the need for wire replacement and maintaining high teaching efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual mechanical positioning with automated control. The control section automatically manages robot movement, wire feeding, and positioning based on contact detection, eliminating the need for manual wire handling and replacement, thus improving both reliability and productivity
3Reliability
If a teaching jig is used to avoid welding wire curving, then wire stability is improved, but the teaching jig needs to be separately prepared which is complicated, and the position taught may be different from the actual position of the welding wire tip
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and eliminates the need for external teaching jigs by integrating wire position control directly into the robot control system. The contact detection section and control section work together to maintain wire stability and accuracy without requiring separate teaching fixtures, thus reducing system complexity while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The robot control system performs multiple functions: it controls robot movement, manages wire feeding, detects contact, and positions the welding wire tip accurately. This multi-functional approach replaces the need for specialized teaching jigs, simplifying the overall system while maintaining wire stability and positioning accuracy
Data Source
AI summary
A teaching system rewinds a welding wire in accordance with a detection that a tip of a welding wire contacts a teach subject, and feeds the welding wire in accordance of a non-detection that the tip of the welding wire contacts the teach subject. Furthermore, the teaching system, if a current protruding length of the welding wire is less than a predetermined length, moves a robot in a direction away from the teach subject, and, if the current protruding length is greater than the predetermined length, moves the robot in a direction closer to the teach subject. The teaching system, if a determination that the current protruding length is equal to the predetermined length, stops feeding and rewinding of the welding wire and stops the robot, and stores a stop position of the robot as a teaching position.