Welding Robot Collision-Free Path Optimization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xuewu Wang

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Reasonable welding path has a significant impact on welding efficiency, and a collision-free path should be considered first in the process of welding robot path planning. The shortest path length is considered as an optimization objective, and obstacle avoidance is considered as the constraint condition in this paper. First, a grid method is used as a modeling method after the optimization objective is analyzed. For local collision-free path planning, an ant colony algorithm is selected as the search strategy. Then, to overcome the shortcomings of the ant colony algorithm, a secondary optimization is presented to improve the optimization performance. Finally, the particle swarm optimization algorithm is used to realize global path planning. Simulation results show that the desired welding path can be obtained based on the optimization strategy.

Study on Intelligent Control of Metal Filling System by Welding Robots in the Open Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Fu

2014-08-01

Full Text Available robot model of three-arm and five-degree freedom plus large scope of traversing welding was established, and decoupling of models of “large scope of traversing”, “triangle movement of two arms” and “spherical movement of one arm” was realized. The model of “triangle movement of two arms ”is able to use geometrical calculation to solve the kinematics inverse problem , avoid the multiplicity, improve the calculation speed, eliminate the blind spots of the motions of welding gun of welding robot, and simplify the kinematic pair of kinematic mechanism for the arc filling strategy during welding travelling of robot. Binocular stereo vision camera was used to detect the edges of welds, and laser array sensor was used to detect the amount of metal filling of welds. In completely open conditions, feedback was fused based on sensor data to realize the welding tracking control by welding robot.

Sensor development and integration for robotized laser welding

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Iakovou, D.

2009-01-01

Laser welding requires fast and accurate positioning of the laser beam over the seam trajectory. The task of accurate positioning of the laser tools is performed by robotic systems. It is therefore necessary to teach the robot the path it has to follow. Seam teaching is implemented in several ways:

Research on Kinematic Trajectory Simulation System of KUKA Arc Welding Robot System

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Min

2017-10-01

In this paper, the simulation trajectory simulation of KUKA arc welding robot system is realized by means of VC platform. It is used to realize the teaching of professional training of welding robot in middle school. It provides teaching resources for the combination of work and study and integration teaching, which enriches the content of course teaching.

Sensor based robot laser welding - based on feed forward and gain sceduling algorithms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Henrik John

2001-01-01

A real-time control system forlaser welding of thick steel plates are developed and tested in a industrial environment. The robotic execution of the laser welding process is based on measure weld joint geometry and impirically established welding procedures. The influence of industrial production...

Experience and Applications Up-date: Automation of Arc-Welding Operations Using Robot-Technology; Experiencia y actualizacion de las aplicaciones: automatizacion de las operaciones de soldadura utilizando tecnologia robotica

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Teubel, G

1997-12-31

In a short introduction, the important criteria for the correct choice of a robot cell, taking into account the given application, are highlighted. Furthermore, important hints are listed in terms of management decisions. The second chapter shows the main features of a welding robot cell in line with the present state of the art and describes some new developments with the aim of extending the arc-welding system to new applications such as flame cutting and beveling. The third chapter as centre piece gives an overall view of a brand new network control with many outstanding features for the users of arc-welding robots. the fourth and last chapter shows a recent realisation of a highly sophisticated F.M.S. system for welding, in random sequence, different large and heavy components. (Author) 1 ref.

Welding mechanization in shipyard CIM; Zosen ni okeru yosetsu no jidoka robot ka CIM ka

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miyazaki, T. [Hitachi Zosen Corp., Osaka (Japan)

1997-12-01

This paper explains development and examples of application of automated welding devices from a viewpoint of an element technology constituting computer integrated manufacturing (CIM), based on the history of modernization of shipyards that has been achieved to date. In the first step of promoting the modernization, elevating cutting accuracy in the uppermost stream process was thought a starting point of rationalization. What have been achieved therefrom are adoption of the most advanced NC plasma cutting machine, and improvement in the computer aided system for the cutting machines. In addition, a twenty-electrode line welder has been developed, which does not create angle deformation in welding longerons, and can be operated even by unskilled workers. The welder has successfully realized a construction method in which robots can be applied more easily. Further developments have been made on a robot to weld cells, advanced CAD/CAM operation techniques which are linked with data from design, an automatic one-side welding device which can achieve a speed 2.5 times greater than by conventional devices, and an automation device for three-dimensionally bent blocks, whose automation has been regarded difficult. 11 figs., 1 tab.

Strength analysis and optimization of welding robot mechanism in emergency stop state

OpenAIRE

Zdeněk Poruba; Jiří Podešva; Ondřej František; Martin Fusek; Robert Brázda; Marek Sadílek

2016-01-01

The contribution deals with the strength analysis and optimization of the welding robot mechanism in emergency stop state. The common operational positioning of the welding robot is characterized by smooth course of speeds in the time. The resulting load does not differ significantly from the static loading. However the safety requirements given by the norm require the ability of emergency stop function. Since the course of speed in time is rather steep the higher values of acceleration and t...

Remote machining and robotic welding in a proton cyclotron

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cameron, W; Mark, C

1984-09-01

Increasing residual radiation in the TRIUMF meson research facility cyclotron at the University of British Columbia has required development of a remotely operable industrial robot cutting and vacuum tight welding capabili

Robotic system for orbital welding of pipes; Sistema robotizado para soldagem orbital de dutos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bracarense, Alexandre Queiroz; Lima, II, Eduardo Jose; Torres, Guilherme Fortunato; Ramalho, Frederico [Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil); Felizardo, Ivanilza; Zanon, Gislaine Pires [ROTECH Tecnologia Robotica Ltda., Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil)

2004-07-01

This work presents the robotic system projected for orbital welding of pipelines of oil and gas. The system consists of a controller (microcomputer), that allows the execution of all the referring tasks to the welding in an autonomous way, and two manipulates, to what are coupled the welding torches that are connected to a welding power source with double wire feeders. With this system, GMA W process is used to execute the root pass, while FCA W process, besides the GMA W, is used for the filling and finishing passes. The system has four degrees of freedom, allowing the control of stick out, travel speed, torch angle and positioning. Besides these, the arc voltage and and welding current are also controlled during the process. Knowing that for each welding position (plane, vertical up and down and over head) a great group of parameters must be used, several tests were accomplished. With these values a controlled variation could be accomplished in an uninterrupted way when welding position changes, getting the increase of the productivity and also the quality of the weld performed by a robotic system. (author)

Robotic and automatic welding development at the Marshall Space Flight Center

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, C. S.; Jackson, M. E.; Flanigan, L. A.

1988-01-01

Welding automation is the key to two major development programs to improve quality and reduce the cost of manufacturing space hardware currently undertaken by the Materials and Processes Laboratory of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. Variable polarity plasma arc welding has demonstrated its effectiveness on class 1 aluminum welding in external tank production. More than three miles of welds were completed without an internal defect. Much of this success can be credited to automation developments which stabilize the process. Robotic manipulation technology is under development for automation of welds on the Space Shuttle's main engines utilizing pathfinder systems in development of tooling and sensors for the production applications. The overall approach to welding automation development undertaken is outlined. Advanced sensors and control systems methodologies are described that combine to make aerospace quality welds with a minimum of dependence on operator skill.

Strength analysis and optimization of welding robot mechanism in emergency stop state

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zdeněk Poruba

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The contribution deals with the strength analysis and optimization of the welding robot mechanism in emergency stop state. The common operational positioning of the welding robot is characterized by smooth course of speeds in the time. The resulting load does not differ significantly from the static loading. However the safety requirements given by the norm require the ability of emergency stop function. Since the course of speed in time is rather steep the higher values of acceleration and thus higher excitation force is expected. The dynamical simulation performed describes the response of the robot mechanism in the form of stress course in time, quantifies the peak values of the stress caused by the dynamical component of loading and highlights the potential risks associated with this phenomenon.

FUZZY REGRESSION MODEL TO PREDICT THE BEAD GEOMETRY IN THE ROBOTIC WELDING PROCESS

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

B.S. Sung; I.S. Kim; Y. Xue; H.H. Kim; Y.H. Cha

2007-01-01

Recently, there has been a rapid development in computer technology, which has in turn led todevelop the fully robotic welding system using artificial intelligence (AI) technology. However, therobotic welding system has not been achieved due to difficulties of the mathematical model andsensor technologies. The possibilities of the fuzzy regression method to predict the bead geometry,such as bead width, bead height, bead penetration and bead area in the robotic GMA (gas metalarc) welding process is presented. The approach, a well-known method to deal with the problemswith a high degree of fuzziness, is used to build the relationship between four process variablesand the four quality characteristics, respectively. Using these models, the proper prediction of theprocess variables for obtaining the optimal bead geometry can be determined.

Truss Assembly and Welding by Intelligent Precision Jigging Robots

Science.gov (United States)

Komendera, Erik; Dorsey, John T.; Doggett, William R.; Correll, Nikolaus

2014-01-01

This paper describes an Intelligent Precision Jigging Robot (IPJR) prototype that enables the precise alignment and welding of titanium space telescope optical benches. The IPJR, equipped with micron accuracy sensors and actuators, worked in tandem with a lower precision remote controlled manipulator. The combined system assembled and welded a 2 m truss from stock titanium components. The calibration of the IPJR, and the difference between the predicted and the truss dimensions as-built, identified additional sources of error that should be addressed in the next generation of IPJRs in 2D and 3D.

A development of an automated ultrasonic TOFD inspection system using an welding line tracing robot

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Hyun; Song, Sung Jin; Lee, Kang Won; Kim, Young Jin; Woo, Jong Sik

2006-01-01

Large scaled ships, manufactured inside of the country, should be passed welding inspection and painting film inspection. Normally, these kind of inspections are conducted by human inspectors manually, although it cause industrial disasters such as falling accidents and diving accidents frequently. In addition, Ship makers are not to give a full trust to shipowners because manual inspections cannot be conducted all over the welding parts. So, in this study we developed an automated ultrasonic TOFD inspection system using an welding line tracing robot. This system, controlled by an inspector at a remote field, can inspect welding parts of ship outer panel both under water and in air. In this paper we present the developed robot and ultrasonic TOFD inspection system and the inspection result.

A development of an automated ultrasonic TOFD inspection system using an welding line tracing robot

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Hyun; Song, Sung Jin; Lee, Kang Won; Kim, Young Jin; Woo, Jong Sik

2006-01-01

Large scaled ships, manufactured inside of the country, should be passed welding inspection and painting film inspection. Normally, these kind of inspections are conducted by human inspectors manually, although it cause industrial disasters such as falling accidents and diving accidents frequently. In addition, Ship makers are not to give a full trust to ship owners because manual inspections cannot be conducted all over the welding parts. So, in this study we developed an automated ultrasonic TOFD inspection system using an welding line tracing robot. This system, controlled by an inspector at a remote field, can inspect welding parts of ship outer panel both under water and in air. In this paper we present the developed robot and ultrasonic TOFD inspection system and the inspection result.

Robust Control of Welding Robot for Tracking a Rectangular Welding Line

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manh Dung Ngo

2008-11-01

Full Text Available This paper highlights a welding robot (WR for its end effector to track a rectangular welding line (RWL. The WR includes five actuators which use a DC motor as a power source. Two controllers are proposed to control the WR's end effector: a main controller and a servo controller. Firstly, based on WR's kinematic equations and its feedback errors using backstepping method the main controller is proposed to design the reference-inputs for the WR's actuators in order that the WR's end effector tracks the RWL. Secondly, based on the dynamic equation of WR's actuator, the servo controller is designed using an active disturbance rejection control method. Finally, a control system incorporated with the main controller and the servo controllers make the WR's end effector robustly track a RWL in the presence of the modeling uncertainty and disturbances during the welding process. In experiment, the main controller which has a function as a master of the control system links to the five servo controllers which have a function as a slave via I2C communication. The effectiveness of the proposed control system is proven through the simulation and experimental results.

Robust Control of Welding Robot for Tracking a Rectangular Welding Line

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manh Dung Ngo

2006-09-01

Full Text Available This paper highlights a welding robot (WR for its end effector to track a rectangular welding line (RWL. The WR includes five actuators which use a DC motor as a power source. Two controllers are proposed to control the WR's end effector: a main controller and a servo controller. Firstly, based on WR's kinematic equations and its feedback errors using backstepping method the main controller is proposed to design the reference-inputs for the WR's actuators in order that the WR's end effector tracks the RWL. Secondly, based on the dynamic equation of WR's actuator, the servo controller is designed using an active disturbance rejection control method. Finally, a control system incorporated with the main controller and the servo controllers make the WR's end effector robustly track a RWL in the presence of the modeling uncertainty and disturbances during the welding process. In experiment, the main controller which has a function as a master of the control system links to the five servo controllers which have a function as a slave via I2C communication. The effectiveness of the proposed control system is proven through the simulation and experimental results.

Adaptive control of penetration and joint following for robotic GTA welding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bahram Mir Sadeghi; Hishamuddin Jamaludin; Iskandar Baharin

1997-01-01

A statistical-based method for adaptive control of weld pool penetration and joint following in Tungsten Inert Gas Welding as an approach to process and trajectory control of robotic GTA welding has been designed and simulated. Welding process parameters such as: base current and time, pulse current and time, electrode tip to work piece distance, filler travelling speed, torch speed and work piece thickness were used for finding the equations which describe the interrelationship between the aforementioned variables and penetration depth as well as bead width. The calculation of these equations was developed from the statistical regression analysis of 80 welds deposited using various combinations of welding parameters. For monitoring of the work piece thickness variations, an ultrasonic device was used. In order to control the weld trajectory, a CCD camera was also used. The results showed that the misalignment of the progressive heat affected zone which is adjacent to the weld puddle can be detected, and used for control of the weld trajectory. Also, it was found that scanning of a certain region of the captured image in front of the weld puddle decreases the data processing time drastically

Design of the Intersector Welding Robot for vacuum vessel assembly and maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, L.; Dagenais, J.-F.; Daenner, W.; Maisonnier, D.

2000-01-01

Next Step Fusion Devices require on-site (field weld) joining of sectors of the thick-walled vacuum vessel for structural and vacuum integrity. EFDA (European Fusion Development Agreement) is supporting an R and D programme to investigate processes for assembly of the vacuum vessel and to carry out cutting, re-welding and inspection for remote sector replacement, forming part of the overall VV/blanket research effort. In order to direct the process end-effectors along the field joint zone, a track-mounted Intersector Welding Robot (IWR) on a mock-up of a region of the vacuum vessel has been designed and is described in this paper. A rail-mounted hexapod type robot offers six axes of motion over a limited work envelope with high payload to robot weight ratio. A solution to the production of reduced pressure local vacuum is the installation of short, lightweight segments bolted to each other and the vessel wall. The various process heads can be mounted using end-effectors of special design. To minimise the supply and interface problems for the IWR prototype, its motion control and electronic systems will be embedded locally. A laser scan with camera forms the on-line seam tracking capability to compensate for rail and seam deviations

Remote machining and robotic welding in a proton cyclotron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cameron, W.; Mark, C.

1984-01-01

Increasing residual radiation in the TRIUMF meson research facility cyclotron at the University of British Columbia has required development of a remotely operable industrial robot cutting and vacuum tight welding capability for modification and updating of vacuum tank access ports, and for possible repairs of leaks or holes in the vacuum tank periphery

A robotic platform for laser welding of corneal tissue

Science.gov (United States)

Rossi, Francesca; Micheletti, Filippo; Magni, Giada; Pini, Roberto; Menabuoni, Luca; Leoni, Fabio; Magnani, Bernardo

2017-07-01

Robotic surgery is a reality in several surgical fields, such as in gastrointestinal surgery. In ophthalmic surgery the required high spatial precision is limiting the application of robotic system, and even if several attempts have been designed in the last 10 years, only some application in retinal surgery were tested in animal models. The combination of photonics and robotics can really open new frontiers in minimally invasive surgery, improving the precision, reducing tremor, amplifying scale of motion, and automating the procedure. In this manuscript we present the preliminary results in developing a vision guided robotic platform for laser-assisted anterior eye surgery. The robotic console is composed by a robotic arm equipped with an "end effector" designed to deliver laser light to the anterior corneal surface. The main intended application is for laser welding of corneal tissue in laser assisted penetrating keratoplasty and endothelial keratoplasty. The console is equipped with an integrated vision system. The experiment originates from a clear medical demand in order to improve the efficacy of different surgical procedures: when the prototype will be optimized, other surgical areas will be included in its application, such as neurosurgery, urology and spinal surgery.

Rapid prototyping using robot welding : process description

OpenAIRE

Ribeiro, António Fernando; Norrish, John

1997-01-01

Rapid Prototyping is a relatively recent technique to produce component prototypes for industry in a much shorter period of time, since the time to market a product is essential to its success. A new Rapid Prototyping process which uses metal as the raw material had been under development at Cranfield University in the last few years. The process uses a Gas Metal Arc fusion welding robot which deposits successive layers of metal in such way that it forms a 3D solid component. Firstly, a CAD s...

Evaluation of Distortion in Welding Unions of 304 Stainless Steel with Elliptic Trajectory Using a Welding Robot

Science.gov (United States)

Carrasco-González, L. A.; Hurtado-Delgado, E.; Reyes-Valdés, F. A.

The aim of this investigation is to evaluate the distortions generated in welding unions of stainless steel 304 by effect of the welding temperature and the microestructural changes. The joint design is a 100 × 100 mm steel plate of 3 mm thickness. The plate was joined to a tube of 50 mm diameter and 2 mm thickness, which has a defined angular cut; therefore, the trajectory followed by the seam has an elliptic form. Temperature data acquisition was developed by type K thermocouples, placed in pairs at 0°, 90°, 180° and 270° along the welding trajectory and connected to a data acquisition device yo obtain the measures to generate time-temperature plots. The welding process was executed by a KUKA ®; KR16 welding robot with an integrated GMAW (Gas metal arc welding) process where the input parameters of voltage, wire feed and travel speed are set to constant. The distortion of the work piece was measured using a laser scanning technique that generates a point cloud with the VXelements TM software for comparison between the pre and post-weld condition. Microstructural evaluation was performed on transversal sections of the seam, at the mentioned angles for correlation.

Intelligent Control of Welding Gun Pose for Pipeline Welding Robot Based on Improved Radial Basis Function Network and Expert System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jingwen Tian

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Since the control system of the welding gun pose in whole-position welding is complicated and nonlinear, an intelligent control system of welding gun pose for a pipeline welding robot based on an improved radial basis function neural network (IRBFNN and expert system (ES is presented in this paper. The structure of the IRBFNN is constructed and the improved genetic algorithm is adopted to optimize the network structure. This control system makes full use of the characteristics of the IRBFNN and the ES. The ADXRS300 micro-mechanical gyro is used as the welding gun position sensor in this system. When the welding gun position is obtained, an appropriate pitch angle can be obtained through expert knowledge and the numeric reasoning capacity of the IRBFNN. ARM is used as the controller to drive the welding gun pitch angle step motor in order to adjust the pitch angle of the welding gun in real-time. The experiment results show that the intelligent control system of the welding gun pose using the IRBFNN and expert system is feasible and it enhances the welding quality. This system has wide prospects for application.

Study on Laser Welding Process Monitoring Method

OpenAIRE

Knag , Heeshin

2017-01-01

International audience; In this paper, a study of quality monitoring technology for the laser welding was conducted. The laser welding and the industrial robotic systems were used with robot-based laser welding systems. The laser system used in this study was 1.6 kW fiber laser, while the robot system was Industrial robot (pay-load : 130 kg). The robot-based laser welding system was equipped with a laser scanner system for remote laser welding. The welding joints of steel plate and steel plat...

Study on Laser Welding Process Monitoring Method

OpenAIRE

Heeshin Knag

2016-01-01

In this paper, a study of quality monitoring technology for the laser welding was conducted. The laser welding and the industrial robotic systems were used with robot-based laser welding systems. The laser system used in this study was 1.6 kW fiber laser, while the robot system was Industrial robot (pay-load : 130 kg). The robot-based laser welding system was equipped with a laser scanner system for remote laser welding. The welding joints of steel plate and steel plate coated with zinc were ...

IMPROVEMENT OF WELDED CONNECTIONS WITH SIDE LAP WELDS BY REDISTRIBUTION OF ALL-WELD METAL ALONG LENGTHS AND CROSS-SECTIONS THEREOF USING MECHANIZED AND ROBOTIC WELDING SYSTEMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pavlov Evgeniy Igorevich

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Experimental study of bearing capacity of samples of two series performed by semiautomatic welding in CO2 on the axis, and by robotic welding machine in mixture (CO2 + Ar, is presented. Welds of constant cross section, welds with extended leg on end sections, and welds in the form of two dowels on end sections were performed. Efficiency of pilot samples of the first series (with extended leg on end sections by way of a smooth transition defined by the ratio of weld metal volume to a crushing load reaches 28 % relative to samples with a leg constant as per length. Samples of the first series with an extended leg on end sections also showed efficiency increased to 17 %. According to the second series samples test results, the exceeding of bearing capacity of the samples performed with an extended leg on end sections by 24 % in comparison with the samples with a leg of constant cross section was determined. Samples of the second series performed in the form of two dowels on end sections demonstrated the exceeding of the relative bearing capacity by 42 % in comparison with the samples with a continuous leg of constant cross-section.

Coating application procedure qualification for internal girth weld using a robot device

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koebsch, Andre; Cunha, Bruno Rocha Marques da; Barreto, Eduardo Chave; Nunes, Erik Barbosa; Solymossy, Victor [PETROBRAS S.A., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2009-12-19

This year PETROBRAS complete 55 years old filling up our country of energy necessary to support our development. Some oil fields, especially from the northeast region, has being had their production decrease by their ageing. In order to have their live protracted some retrieval technical has being used. For example we can mention gas lift, production water injection, CO{sub 2} injection and so on. The produced water even treated has an elevated tenor of chloride, acid ph, presence of organics acids, H{sub 2}S and no O{sub 2}. The water became too corrosive by those characteristics. Due to it an anti corrosive coating application is demanded on the pipe internal surface and on the girth weld. The pipes are coated in a coating plant and it has a qualified coating procedure. Therefore an application of anti corrosive coating is demanded on the girth weld after the pipe welding. To accomplish this job an application procedure was developed using a robot. The PETROBRAS' Engineer witnesses the PQT of this procedure aiming to guarantee the applied coating quality. This paper will show the PQT results and a basic description of the robot operation. (author)

Study on robot motion control for intelligent welding processes based on the laser tracking sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Bin; Wang, Qian; Tang, Chen; Wang, Ju

2017-06-01

A robot motion control method is presented for intelligent welding processes of complex spatial free-form curve seams based on the laser tracking sensor. First, calculate the tip position of the welding torch according to the velocity of the torch and the seam trajectory detected by the sensor. Then, search the optimal pose of the torch under constraints using genetic algorithms. As a result, the intersection point of the weld seam and the laser plane of the sensor is within the detectable range of the sensor. Meanwhile, the angle between the axis of the welding torch and the tangent of the weld seam meets the requirements. The feasibility of the control method is proved by simulation.

Machine for welding solar cell connections

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lorans, D.Y.

1977-08-09

A machine for welding a connection wire over a solar cell electrode is described which comprises a base, a welding mount for the solar cell which is supported on the base, means for holding the solar cell on the welding mount, welding electrodes, means to lower the welding electrodes over the solar cell and the connection wire superimposed thereon, means for applying electric current pulses to said welding electrodes. It is characterized by the fact that it further comprises means for imparting to said mount an alternating transverse movement in relation to said base before and during the welding operation.

Sensor controlled robotic welding for nuclear applications. Annual progress report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chin, B.A.; Madsen, N.H.; Goodling, J.S.

1986-01-01

Significant accomplishments towards the development of an adaptive robotic welding system have been made during the first eight months of the project. The project is currently within budget and on schedule. Accomplishments were both scientific and programmatic in form. A list of the scientific accomplishments follows: demonstrated that the thermal profiles generated for intentionally induced defects during the welding process are similar in steel, aluminum and stainless steel. The conclusion is therefore that infrared sensing is applicable to the welding of over 90% of all materials used in the energy industry. Completed design and testing of a first generation communication system used to transfer information from the infrared camera to the computer in a near real time form. This demonstrates that information can be obtained, sorted, transferred and received in a time frame consistent with on-line process control. Demonstrated rudimentary seam tracking using infrared sensing and closed loop logic routines. A linear relationship exists between measured peak surface temperature and depth of penetration. Similarily, a linear relationship exists between measured infrared width and weld bead width. These relations suggest that penetration parameters may be controlled using surface measurements as obtained by infrared thermography

Advances in solar cell welding technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chidester, L.G.; Lott, D.R.

1982-09-01

In addition to developing the rigid substrate welded conventional cell panels for an earlier U.S. flight program, LMSC recently demonstrated a welded lightweight array system using both 2 x 4 and 5.9 x 5.9 cm wraparound solar cells. This weld system uses infrared sensing of weld joint temperature at the cell contact metalization interface to precisely control weld energy on each joint. Modules fabricated using this weld control system survived lowearth-orbit simulated 5-year tests (over 30,000 cycles) without joint failure. The data from these specifically configured modules, printed circuit substrate with copper interconnect and dielectric wraparound solar cells, can be used as a basis for developing weld schedules for additional cell array panel types.

Dynamic modelling, identification and simulation of industrial robots – for off-line programming of robotised laser welding –

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Waiboer, R.R.

2007-01-01

Robotised laser welding is an innovative joining technique which is increasingly finding applications, especially in the automotive industry. In order to reduce the time needed to prepare and programthe laser welding robot, off-line programming systems are used. The off-line programming systems

Minimum Time Path Planning for Robotic Manipulator in Drilling/ Spot Welding Tasks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qiang Zhang

2016-04-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a minimum time path planning strategy is proposed for multi points manufacturing problems in drilling/spot welding tasks. By optimizing the travelling schedule of the set points and the detailed transfer path between points, the minimum time manufacturing task is realized under fully utilizing the dynamic performance of robotic manipulator. According to the start-stop movement in drilling/spot welding task, the path planning problem can be converted into a traveling salesman problem (TSP and a series of point to point minimum time transfer path planning problems. Cubic Hermite interpolation polynomial is used to parameterize the transfer path and then the path parameters are optimized to obtain minimum point to point transfer time. A new TSP with minimum time index is constructed by using point-point transfer time as the TSP parameter. The classical genetic algorithm (GA is applied to obtain the optimal travelling schedule. Several minimum time drilling tasks of a 3-DOF robotic manipulator are used as examples to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Automatic monitoring of vibration welding equipment

Science.gov (United States)

Spicer, John Patrick; Chakraborty, Debejyo; Wincek, Michael Anthony; Wang, Hui; Abell, Jeffrey A; Bracey, Jennifer; Cai, Wayne W

2014-10-14

A vibration welding system includes vibration welding equipment having a welding horn and anvil, a host device, a check station, and a robot. The robot moves the horn and anvil via an arm to the check station. Sensors, e.g., temperature sensors, are positioned with respect to the welding equipment. Additional sensors are positioned with respect to the check station, including a pressure-sensitive array. The host device, which monitors a condition of the welding equipment, measures signals via the sensors positioned with respect to the welding equipment when the horn is actively forming a weld. The robot moves the horn and anvil to the check station, activates the check station sensors at the check station, and determines a condition of the welding equipment by processing the received signals. Acoustic, force, temperature, displacement, amplitude, and/or attitude/gyroscopic sensors may be used.

Novel Robot Solutions for Carrying out Field Joint Welding and Machining in the Assembly of the Vacuum Vessel of ITER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pessi, P.

2009-01-01

It is necessary to use highly specialized robots in ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) both in the manufacturing and maintenance of the reactor due to a demanding environment. The sectors of the ITER vacuum vessel (VV) require more stringent tolerances than normally expected for the size of the structure involved. VV consists of nine sectors that are to be welded together. The vacuum vessel has a toroidal chamber structure. The task of the designed robot is to carry the welding apparatus along a path with a stringent tolerance during the assembly operation. In addition to the initial vacuum vessel assembly, after a limited running period, sectors need to be replaced for repair. Mechanisms with closed-loop kinematic chains are used in the design of robots in this work. One version is a purely parallel manipulator and another is a hybrid manipulator where the parallel and serial structures are combined. Traditional industrial robots that generally have the links actuated in series are inherently not very rigid and have poor dynamic performance in high speed and high dynamic loading conditions. Compared with open chain manipulators, parallel manipulators have high stiffness, high accuracy and a high force/torque capacity in a reduced workspace. Parallel manipulators have a mechanical architecture where all of the links are connected to the base and to the end-effector of the robot. The purpose of this thesis is to develop special parallel robots for the assembly, machining and repairing of the VV of the ITER. The process of the assembly and machining of the vacuum vessel needs a special robot. By studying the structure of the vacuum vessel, two novel parallel robots were designed and built; they have six and ten degrees of freedom driven by hydraulic cylinders and electrical servo motors. Kinematic models for the proposed robots were defined and two prototypes built. Experiments for machine cutting and laser welding with the 6-DOF robot were

Novel Robot Solutions for Carrying out Field Joint Welding and Machining in the Assembly of the Vacuum Vessel of ITER

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pessi, P.

2009-07-01

It is necessary to use highly specialized robots in ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) both in the manufacturing and maintenance of the reactor due to a demanding environment. The sectors of the ITER vacuum vessel (VV) require more stringent tolerances than normally expected for the size of the structure involved. VV consists of nine sectors that are to be welded together. The vacuum vessel has a toroidal chamber structure. The task of the designed robot is to carry the welding apparatus along a path with a stringent tolerance during the assembly operation. In addition to the initial vacuum vessel assembly, after a limited running period, sectors need to be replaced for repair. Mechanisms with closed-loop kinematic chains are used in the design of robots in this work. One version is a purely parallel manipulator and another is a hybrid manipulator where the parallel and serial structures are combined. Traditional industrial robots that generally have the links actuated in series are inherently not very rigid and have poor dynamic performance in high speed and high dynamic loading conditions. Compared with open chain manipulators, parallel manipulators have high stiffness, high accuracy and a high force/torque capacity in a reduced workspace. Parallel manipulators have a mechanical architecture where all of the links are connected to the base and to the end-effector of the robot. The purpose of this thesis is to develop special parallel robots for the assembly, machining and repairing of the VV of the ITER. The process of the assembly and machining of the vacuum vessel needs a special robot. By studying the structure of the vacuum vessel, two novel parallel robots were designed and built; they have six and ten degrees of freedom driven by hydraulic cylinders and electrical servo motors. Kinematic models for the proposed robots were defined and two prototypes built. Experiments for machine cutting and laser welding with the 6-DOF robot were

Design of parallel intersector weld/cut robot for machining processes in ITER vacuum vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Huapeng; Handroos, Heikki; Kovanen, Janne; Rouvinen, Asko; Hannukainen, Petri; Saira, Tanja; Jones, Lawrence

2003-01-01

This paper presents a new parallel robot Penta-WH, which has five degrees of freedom driven by hydraulic cylinders. The manipulator has a large, singularity-free workspace and high stiffness and it acts as a transport device for welding, machining and inspection end-effectors inside the ITER vacuum vessel. The presented kinematic structure of a parallel robot is particularly suitable for the ITER environment. Analysis of the machining process for ITER, such as the machining methods and forces are given, and the kinematic analyses, such as workspace and force capacity are discussed

Development of a robotic manipulator for orbital welding; Desenvolvimento de um manipulador robotico para a sondagem orbital

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carvalho, Renon Steinbach; Dutra, Jair Carlos [Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianopolis, SC (Brazil). Lab. de Soldagem; Bonacorso, Nelso Gauze [Centro Federal de Educacao Tecnologica de Santa Catarina (CEFET/SC), Florianopolis, SC (Brazil). Lab. da Automacao Hidraulica e Pneumatica (LAHP)

2008-07-01

On the national oil scenario, the pipelines have a high cost, specially on the long time spent on its constructions. Thus, this transaction optimizations become highly attractive. A form of improvement this task is to automate the process of welding. In this context it is interesting the use of a robot manipulator for the orbital welding. In the international market, there are dedicates solutions that meet the restrictions associated mainly with the ease of handling and dimensions. However,since these manipulators use foreign technology this makes the acquisition and maintenance costs high. The project aims to create subsides for greater efficiency in the task of union of pipelines through the development of a robotic manipulator. However it is clear that only the design of such a handler does not guarantee the quality of the root pass. Therefore, it is also being studied the use of the process MIG (Metal Inert Gas), through parametrization of CCC (Short-circuit controlled) in order to have a robust process of welding. The CCC monitors the process of welding and acts when there is detection od short circuit. It is obtained then higher pass from scratch controllability and drastically reduces the amount of spay. (author)

DESIGN OF A WELDING AND INSPECTION SYSTEM FOR WASTE STORAGE CLOSURE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

H.B. Smartt; A.D. Watkins; D.P. Pace; R.J. Bitsoi; E.D. Larsen T.R. McJunkin; C.R. Tolle

2005-01-01

This work reported here was done to provide a conceptual design for a robotic welding and inspection system for the Yucca Mountain Repository waste package closure system. The welding and inspection system is intended to make the various closure welds that seal and/or structurally join the lids to the waste package vessels. The welding and inspection system will also perform surface and volumetric inspections of the various closure welds and has the means to repair closure welds, if required. The system is designed to perform these various activities remotely, without the necessity of having personnel in the closure cell

Problem of quality assurance during metal constructions welding via robotic technological complexes

Science.gov (United States)

Fominykh, D. S.; Rezchikov, A. F.; Kushnikov, V. A.; Ivashchenko, V. A.; Bogomolov, A. S.; Filimonyuk, L. Yu; Dolinina, O. N.; Kushnikov, O. V.; Shulga, T. E.; Tverdokhlebov, V. A.

2018-05-01

The problem of minimizing the probability for critical combinations of events that lead to a loss in welding quality via robotic process automation is examined. The problem is formulated, models and algorithms for its solution are developed. The problem is solved by minimizing the criterion characterizing the losses caused by defective products. Solving the problem may enhance the quality and accuracy of operations performed and reduce the losses caused by defective product

Development and control towards a parallel water hydraulic weld/cut robot for machining processes in ITER vacuum vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Huapeng; Handroos, Heikki; Pessi, Pekka; Kilkki, Juha; Jones, Lawrence

2005-01-01

This paper presents a special robot, able to carry out welding and machining processes from inside the ITER vacuum vessel (VV), consisting of a five degree-of-freedom parallel mechanism, mounted on a carriage driven by two electric motors on a rack. The kinematic design of the robot has been optimised for ITER access and a hydraulically actuated pre-prototype built. A hybrid controller is designed for the robot, including position, speed and pressure feedback loops to achieve high accuracy and high dynamic performances. Finally, the experimental tests are given and discussed

ITER lip seal welding and cutting developments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Levesy, B.; Cordier, J.J.; Jokinen, T. [ITER Organization, Route de Vinon sur Verdon, 13115 Saint Paul Lez Durance (France); Kujanpää, V.; Karhu, M. [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland (Finland); Le Barbier, R. [ITER Organization, Route de Vinon sur Verdon, 13115 Saint Paul Lez Durance (France); Määttä, T. [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland (Finland); Martins, J.P.; Utin, Y. [ITER Organization, Route de Vinon sur Verdon, 13115 Saint Paul Lez Durance (France)

2015-10-15

Highlights: • Different TIG and Laser welding techniques are tested. • Twin spot laser welding techniques is the best. • Limited heat input gives a stable weld pool in all positions. • Penetrations is achieved. • Lip seal welding and cutting with a robotic arm is successfully performed on a representative mock-up. - Abstract: The welded lip seals form part of the torus primary vacuum boundary in between the port plugs and the vacuum vessel, and are classified as Protection Important Component. In order to refurbish the port plugs or the in-vessel components, port plugs have to be removed from the machine. The lip seal design must enable up to ten opening of the vacuum vessel during the life time operation of the ITER machine. Therefore proven, remote reliable cutting and re-welding are essential, as these operations need to be performed in the port cells in a nuclear environment, where human presence will be restricted. Moreover, the combination of size of the components to be welded (∼10 m long vacuum compatible thin welds) and the congested environment close to the core of the machine constraint the type and size of tools to be used. This paper describes the lip seal cutting and welding development programme performed at the VTT Technical Research Centre, Finland. Potential cutting and welding techniques are analyzed and compared. The development of the cutting, TIG and laser welding techniques on samples are presented. Effects of lip seal misalignments and optimization of the 2 welding processes are discussed. Finally, the manufacturing and test of the two 1.2 m × 1 m representative mock-ups are presented. The set-up and use of a robotic arm for the mock-up cutting and welding operations are also described.

ITER lip seal welding and cutting developments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levesy, B.; Cordier, J.J.; Jokinen, T.; Kujanpää, V.; Karhu, M.; Le Barbier, R.; Määttä, T.; Martins, J.P.; Utin, Y.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Different TIG and Laser welding techniques are tested. • Twin spot laser welding techniques is the best. • Limited heat input gives a stable weld pool in all positions. • Penetrations is achieved. • Lip seal welding and cutting with a robotic arm is successfully performed on a representative mock-up. - Abstract: The welded lip seals form part of the torus primary vacuum boundary in between the port plugs and the vacuum vessel, and are classified as Protection Important Component. In order to refurbish the port plugs or the in-vessel components, port plugs have to be removed from the machine. The lip seal design must enable up to ten opening of the vacuum vessel during the life time operation of the ITER machine. Therefore proven, remote reliable cutting and re-welding are essential, as these operations need to be performed in the port cells in a nuclear environment, where human presence will be restricted. Moreover, the combination of size of the components to be welded (∼10 m long vacuum compatible thin welds) and the congested environment close to the core of the machine constraint the type and size of tools to be used. This paper describes the lip seal cutting and welding development programme performed at the VTT Technical Research Centre, Finland. Potential cutting and welding techniques are analyzed and compared. The development of the cutting, TIG and laser welding techniques on samples are presented. Effects of lip seal misalignments and optimization of the 2 welding processes are discussed. Finally, the manufacturing and test of the two 1.2 m × 1 m representative mock-ups are presented. The set-up and use of a robotic arm for the mock-up cutting and welding operations are also described.

A flexible, computer-integrated robotic transfer system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewis, W.I. III; Taylor, R.M.

1987-01-01

This paper reviews a robotic system used to transport materials across a radiation control zone and into a row of shielded cells. The robot used is a five-axis GCA 600 industrial robot mounted on a 50-ft ESAB welding track. Custom software incorporates the track as the sixth axis of motion. An IBM-PC integrates robot control, force sensing, and the operator interface. Multiple end-effectors and a quick exchange mechanism are used to handle a variety of materials and tasks. Automatic error detection and recovery is a key aspect of this system

Automatic monitoring of the alignment and wear of vibration welding equipment

Science.gov (United States)

Spicer, John Patrick; Cai, Wayne W.; Chakraborty, Debejyo; Mink, Keith

2017-05-23

A vibration welding system includes vibration welding equipment having a welding horn and anvil, a host machine, a check station, and a welding robot. At least one displacement sensor is positioned with respect to one of the welding equipment and the check station. The robot moves the horn and anvil via an arm to the check station, when a threshold condition is met, i.e., a predetermined amount of time has elapsed or a predetermined number of welds have been completed. The robot moves the horn and anvil to the check station, activates the at least one displacement sensor, at the check station, and determines a status condition of the welding equipment by processing the received signals. The status condition may be one of the alignment of the vibration welding equipment and the wear or degradation of the vibration welding equipment.

Diffusion welding of ZrO2 solid electrolyte cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schaefer, W.; Schmidberger, R.

1980-01-01

Zirconia based solid-electrolyte-cells can be applied as electrolysis-cells or fuel cells at high temperatures. Scaling up to technical aggregates must be realized by a gastight electrical series-connection of many tubular single cells. A suitable process for connecting single cells is diffusion welding. Starting materials were sintered zirconia-tubes (16 mm diameter, 10 mm length) and gastight interconnecting rings (16 mm diameter, 0.5-2mm length) from gold, platinum or electrically conducting mixed oxides. ZrO 2 -tubes and interconnecting rings were mounted in alternating sequence and diffusion welded under axial pressure at high temperatures. From economic reasons noble metals cannot be used for technical aggregates. The developments were therefore concentrated on the connection with mixed oxides. Optimized welding parameters are: 1400-1500 0 C welding temperature, 2 hours welding time and an axial pressure of approximately 1 Nmm 2 . Up to now gastight tubes consisting of 20 single cells were preparated by diffusion-welding in one step. The process will be further developed for the production of 50-cell-tubes with a total length of about 60 cm. (orig.) [de

Simulation of Welding Distortions in Theory and Practice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Birk-Sørensen, Martin; Kierkegaard, Henning

1997-01-01

by an optimised welding order. Welding test samples prove that the constraint of the sample and the time between each pass in a multipass weld affect the magnitude of distortion. Experiments with welding specimens in the form of butt-and fillet welds have been carried out. They show angular deflections as well......In the last few years the use of robot welding processes has increased significatnly. The programming of the robots has until now mainly focused on high efficiency, i.e.high torch rate time, and hence, minimising the inefficient "travelling" time. Together with developing high-performance welding...... due to cutting and welding and parlty in the form of dimensional variation due to human factors. Measurements have been made of the production line for assemblies. The measurements show that distortions related to the multirobot welding are a factor which can rather easily be controlled...

Electron beam welding of high-purity copper accelerator cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delis, K.; Haas, H.; Schlebusch, P.; Sigismund, E.

1986-01-01

The operating conditions of accelerator cells require high thermal conductivity, low gas release in the ultrahigh vacuum, low content of low-melting metals and an extremely good surface quality. In order to meet these requirements, high-purity copper (OFHC, Grade 1, according to ASTM B 170-82 and extra specifications) is used as structural material. The prefabricated components of the accelerator cells (noses, jackets, flanges) are joined by electron beam welding, the weld seam being assessed on the basis of the same criteria as the base material. The welding procedures required depend, first, on the material and, secondly, on the geometries involved. Therefore experimental welds were made first on standardized specimens in order to study the behaviour of the material during electron beam welding and the influence of parameter variations. The welded joints of the cell design were planned on the basis of these results. Seam configuration, welding procedures and the parameters were optimized on components of original geometry. The experiments have shown that high-quality joints of this grade of copper can be produced by the electron beam welding process, if careful planning and preparation of the seams and adequate containment of the welding pool are assured. (orig.)

Infrared sensing techniques for adaptive robotic welding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, T.T.; Groom, K.; Madsen, N.H.; Chin, B.A.

1986-01-01

The objective of this research is to investigate the feasibility of using infrared sensors to monitor the welding process. Data were gathered using an infrared camera which was trained on the molten metal pool during the welding operation. Several types of process perturbations which result in weld defects were then intentionally induced and the resulting thermal images monitored. Gas tungsten arc using ac and dc currents and gas metal arc welding processes were investigated using steel, aluminum and stainless steel plate materials. The thermal images obtained in the three materials and different welding processes revealed nearly identical patterns for the same induced process perturbation. Based upon these results, infrared thermography is a method which may be very applicable to automation of the welding process

Efficacy of dry-ice blasting in preventive maintenance of auto robotic assemblies

Science.gov (United States)

Baluch, Nazim; Mohtar, Shahimi; Abdullah, Che Sobry

2016-08-01

Welding robots are extensively applied in the automotive assemblies and `Spot Welding' is the most common welding application found in the auto stamping assembly manufacturing. Every manufacturing process is subject to variations - with resistance welding, these include; part fit up, part thickness variations, misaligned electrodes, variations in coating materials or thickness, sealers, weld force variations, shunting, machine tooling degradation; and slag and spatter damage. All welding gun tips undergo wear; an elemental part of the process. Though adaptive resistance welding control automatically compensates to keep production and quality up to the levels needed as gun tips undergo wear so that the welds remain reliable; the system cannot compensate for deterioration caused by the slag and spatter on the part holding fixtures, sensors, and gun tips. To cleanse welding robots of slag and spatter, dry-ice blasting has proven to be an effective remedy. This paper describes Spot welding process, analyses the slag and spatter formation during robotic welding of stamping assemblies, and concludes that the dry ice blasting process's utility in cleansing of welding robots in auto stamping plant operations is paramount and exigent.

Robotics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scheide, A.W.

1983-01-01

This article reviews some of the technical areas and history associated with robotics, provides information relative to the formation of a Robotics Industry Committee within the Industry Applications Society (IAS), and describes how all activities relating to robotics will be coordinated within the IEEE. Industrial robots are being used for material handling, processes such as coating and arc welding, and some mechanical and electronics assembly. An industrial robot is defined as a programmable, multifunctional manipulator designed to move material, parts, tools, or specialized devices through variable programmed motions for a variety of tasks. The initial focus of the Robotics Industry Committee will be on the application of robotics systems to the various industries that are represented within the IAS

Future use of robots in the automotive industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kelly, M P

1982-01-01

The future will see a dramatic increase in the number of robots used in the automotive industry. Well established applications, such as resistance spot welding, will continue to grow in the short term. Longer term, the much wider use of structural adhesives will supplant the spot welding process with robots applying the adhesives. Practical perception systems will enhance robot performance in arc welding, grinding, fettling, seam sealing and assembly operations, leading again to robot growth as vital elements of truly flexible manufacturing systems (FMS). A major robotic impact will be made in automotive paint shops as the need to conserve energy increases. The development of alternative painting materials, offering improved performance will add further impetus. Robotics of the future will progressively move to a CAD/CAM orientated data base, offering off-line programming capability, which together with essential inspection elements, will provide the means for totally automatic manufacture.

Hand-Eye LRF-Based Iterative Plane Detection Method for Autonomous Robotic Welding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sungmin Lee

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a hand-eye LRF-based (laser range finder welding plane-detection method for autonomous robotic welding in the field of shipbuilding. The hand-eye LRF system consists of a 6 DOF manipulator and an LRF attached to the wrist of the manipulator. The welding plane is detected by the LRF with only the wrist's rotation to minimize a mechanical error caused by the manipulator's motion. A position on the plane is determined as an average position of the detected points on the plane, and a normal vector to the plane is determined by applying PCA (principal component analysis to the detected points. In this case, the accuracy of the detected plane is analysed by simulations with respect to the wrist's angle interval and the plane angle. As a result of the analysis, an iterative plane-detection method with the manipulator's alignment motion is proposed to improve the performance of plane detection. For verifying the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed plane-detection method, experiments are carried out with a prototype of the hand-eye LRF-based system, which consists of a 1 DOF wrist's joint, an LRF system and a rotatable plane. In addition, the experimental results of the PCA-based plane detection method are compared with those of the two representative plane-detection methods, based on RANSAC (RANdom SAmple Consensus and the 3D Hough transform in both accuracy and computation time's points of view.

Sensor controlled robotic welding for nuclear power plant operations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chin, B.A.

1989-01-01

The objective of the proposed research is to apply real time monitoring, artificial intelligence and on-line correction to dynamically control the depth of weld penetration and weld integrity during the welding process. Welding is a major technique used in the fabrication, construction and maintenance of power generating and energy conversion systems. In the welding process, fluctuations in process variables lead to weld defects such as lack of penetration, cracks, porosity and undesirable metallurgical structures. This research will apply advanced infrared sensing techniques which have been successfully used in seam tracking to the equally complex problem of weld defect and weld puddle penetration control. Thermal temperature distributions of plates being welded will be dynamically measured during welding using infrared techniques. These temperature distributions will be used to interpret changes in the size and shape of the molten metal pool and the presence of conditions that may lead to defects in the solidified weld. The ultimate result of this research will be the development of machines which are capable of sensing and altering process variables to eliminate defective welds and increase the productivity of the welding process. Successful completion of this proposed research will lead to potential major improvements in the fabrication, construction and maintenance of advanced nuclear reactors and promote increased safety and reliability while decreasing construction costs. 47 refs., 50 figs

Characterization Of Robot Work Cell

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Ronald R.; Paternoster, Vincent Y.; Guthmiller, Wayne A.

1990-01-01

Iterative process of measurement and computation used to characterize work cell of robot, increasing accuracy of mathematical model of work cell. Characterization needed because model used in off-line programming (OLP) to compute paths to control motion of robot. Increases accuracies of model and paths.

Globalization of Japanese steel industry. Part 2. Welding materials; Tekkogyo no kokusaika. 2. Yozai

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aida, I. [Kobe Steel, Ltd., Kobe (Japan)

1995-01-01

This paper mainly discusses the current status and problems of arc welding materials. The domestic production of welding materials has decreased. The recent trend of demand is characterized by the change of form make-up of welding materials. Various technologies for welding materials and their operation in Japan have developed with the progress of steel materials. The high quality and high-grade welding technologies, highly efficient production processes, laborsaving, and robotization have been promoted in various fields. In response to the rapid strong yen, quality and cost have to be further pursued, and amenity and cleanliness of welding have to be realized. The welding technologies have to be developed for large structures, such as ultra high-rise buildings, energy and chemical plants, ships, marine structures, etc. For the welding materials which are applied to robots and robot systems, obstruction factors for the operation have to be removed, which include the unsteady arc, re-arc badness, spattering, wear of chip, slag formation, etc. These measures promote the globalization of welding materials. 17 refs., 4 figs.

A Weld Position Recognition Method Based on Directional and Structured Light Information Fusion in Multi-Layer/Multi-Pass Welding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jinle Zeng

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Multi-layer/multi-pass welding (MLMPW technology is widely used in the energy industry to join thick components. During automatic welding using robots or other actuators, it is very important to recognize the actual weld pass position using visual methods, which can then be used not only to perform reasonable path planning for actuators, but also to correct any deviations between the welding torch and the weld pass position in real time. However, due to the small geometrical differences between adjacent weld passes, existing weld position recognition technologies such as structured light methods are not suitable for weld position detection in MLMPW. This paper proposes a novel method for weld position detection, which fuses various kinds of information in MLMPW. First, a synchronous acquisition method is developed to obtain various kinds of visual information when directional light and structured light sources are on, respectively. Then, interferences are eliminated by fusing adjacent images. Finally, the information from directional and structured light images is fused to obtain the 3D positions of the weld passes. Experiment results show that each process can be done in 30 ms and the deviation is less than 0.6 mm. The proposed method can be used for automatic path planning and seam tracking in the robotic MLMPW process as well as electron beam freeform fabrication process.

A Weld Position Recognition Method Based on Directional and Structured Light Information Fusion in Multi-Layer/Multi-Pass Welding.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Jinle; Chang, Baohua; Du, Dong; Wang, Li; Chang, Shuhe; Peng, Guodong; Wang, Wenzhu

2018-01-05

Multi-layer/multi-pass welding (MLMPW) technology is widely used in the energy industry to join thick components. During automatic welding using robots or other actuators, it is very important to recognize the actual weld pass position using visual methods, which can then be used not only to perform reasonable path planning for actuators, but also to correct any deviations between the welding torch and the weld pass position in real time. However, due to the small geometrical differences between adjacent weld passes, existing weld position recognition technologies such as structured light methods are not suitable for weld position detection in MLMPW. This paper proposes a novel method for weld position detection, which fuses various kinds of information in MLMPW. First, a synchronous acquisition method is developed to obtain various kinds of visual information when directional light and structured light sources are on, respectively. Then, interferences are eliminated by fusing adjacent images. Finally, the information from directional and structured light images is fused to obtain the 3D positions of the weld passes. Experiment results show that each process can be done in 30 ms and the deviation is less than 0.6 mm. The proposed method can be used for automatic path planning and seam tracking in the robotic MLMPW process as well as electron beam freeform fabrication process.

Solar cell fabricated on welded thin flexible silicon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hessmann Maik Thomas

2015-01-01

Full Text Available We present a thin-film crystalline silicon solar cell with an AM1.5 efficiency of 11.5% fabricated on welded 50 μm thin silicon foils. The aperture area of the cell is 1.00 cm2. The cell has an open-circuit voltage of 570 mV, a short-circuit current density of 29.9 mA cm-2 and a fill factor of 67.6%. These are the first results ever presented for solar cells on welded silicon foils. The foils were welded together in order to create the first thin flexible monocrystalline band substrate. A flexible band substrate offers the possibility to overcome the area restriction of ingot-based monocrystalline silicon wafers and the feasibility of a roll-to-roll manufacturing. In combination with an epitaxial and layer transfer process a decrease in production costs can be achieved.

Robotic weld overlay coatings for erosion control

Science.gov (United States)

The erosion of materials by the impact of solid particles has received increasing attention during the past twenty years. Recently, research has been initiated with the event of advanced coal conversion processes in which erosion plays an important role. The resulting damage, termed Solid Particle Erosion (SPE), is of concern primarily because of the significantly increased operating costs which result in material failures. Reduced power plant efficiency due to solid particle erosion of boiler tubes and waterfalls has led to various methods to combat SPE. One method is to apply coatings to the components subjected to erosive environments. Protective weld overlay coatings are particularly advantageous in terms of coating quality. The weld overlay coatings are essentially immune to spallation due to a strong metallurgical bond with the substrate material. By using powder mixtures, multiple alloys can be mixed in order to achieve the best performance in an erosive environment. However, a review of the literature revealed a lack of information on weld overlay coating performance in erosive environments which makes the selection of weld overlay alloys a difficult task. The objective of this project is to determine the effects of weld overlay coating composition and microstructure on erosion resistance. These results will lead to a better understanding of erosion mitigation in CFB's.

Welding process automation in power machine building

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mel'bard, S.N.; Shakhnov, A.F.; Shergov, I.V.

1977-01-01

The level of welding automation operations in power engineering and ways of its enhancement are highlighted. Used as the examples of comlex automation are an apparatus for the horizontal welding of turbine rotors, remotely controlled automatic machine for welding ring joint of large-sized vessels, equipment for the electron-beam welding of steam turbine assemblies of alloyed steels. The prospects of industrial robots are noted. The importance of the complex automation of technological process, including stocking, assemblying, transportation and auxiliary operations, is emphasized

The Dynamics and Sliding Mode Control of Multiple Cooperative Welding Robot Manipulators

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bin Zi

2012-08-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with the design, dynamic modelling and sliding mode control of multiple cooperative welding robot manipulators (MWRMs. The MWRMs can handle complex tasks that are difficult or even impossible for a single manipulator. The kinematics and dynamics of the MWRMs are studied on the basis of the Denavit-Hartenberg and Lagrange method. Following that, considering the MWRM system with nonlinear and unknown disturbances, a non-singular terminal sliding mode control strategy is designed. By means of the Lyapunov function, the stability of the controller is proved. Simulation results indicate that the good control performance of the MWRMs is achieved by the non-singular terminal sliding mode controller, which also illustrates the correctness of the dynamic modelling and effectiveness of the proposed control strategy.

Recent progress in the field of automated welding applied to maintenance activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cullafroz, M.

2004-01-01

Automated and robot welding has 5 advantages compared to manual welding: -) under some conditions the automated circular welding does not require requalification testing as manual welding does, -) welding heads in robots have a reduced size compared to manual gears so they can enter and treat complex piping, -) by using an adequate viewing system the operator can be more than 10 meters away from the welding site which means that the radiation doses he receives is cut by a factor 1.5 to 2, -) whatever the configuration is, the deposition rate in automated welding stays high, the quality standard is steady and the risk of repairing is low, -) a gain in productivity if adequate equipment is used. In general, automated welding requires a TIG welding process and is applied in maintenance activities to: -) the main primary system and other circuits in stainless austenitic steels, -) the main secondary system and other circuits in low-percentage carbon steels, and -) the closure of spent fuel canisters. An application to the repairing of BWR's pipes is shown. (A.C.)

An example of the use of robotics in French nuclear power plants the ISIS robot

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seguy, J.; Thirion, H.

1988-01-01

The authors report how Robotics in French nuclear power plants (NPP) is used to solve maintenance problems. One of the most typical example of the use of robotics in French NPP is the ISIS robot. The first generation of this robot has performed the repair of corroded upper internal structures in Chinon A3 gaz cooled reactor. Two robots of this type have successfully welded more than 200 repair parts in the core without major failure during more than 12,000 hours

Fundamentals and advances in the development of remote welding fabrication systems

Science.gov (United States)

Agapakis, J. E.; Masubuchi, K.; Von Alt, C.

1986-01-01

Operational and man-machine issues for welding underwater, in outer space, and at other remote sites are investigated, and recent process developments are described. Probable remote welding missions are classified, and the essential characteristics of fundamental remote welding tasks are analyzed. Various possible operational modes for remote welding fabrication are identified, and appropriate roles for humans and machines are suggested. Human operator performance in remote welding fabrication tasks is discussed, and recent advances in the development of remote welding systems are described, including packaged welding systems, stud welding systems, remotely operated welding systems, and vision-aided remote robotic welding and autonomous welding systems.

Robot vision

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hall, E.L.

1984-01-01

Almost all industrial robots use internal sensors such as shaft encoders which measure rotary position, or tachometers which measure velocity, to control their motions. Most controllers also provide interface capabilities so that signals from conveyors, machine tools, and the robot itself may be used to accomplish a task. However, advanced external sensors, such as visual sensors, can provide a much greater degree of adaptability for robot control as well as add automatic inspection capabilities to the industrial robot. Visual and other sensors are now being used in fundamental operations such as material processing with immediate inspection, material handling with adaption, arc welding, and complex assembly tasks. A new industry of robot vision has emerged. The application of these systems is an area of great potential

INDUSTRIAL ROBOT REPEATABILITY TESTING WITH HIGH SPEED CAMERA PHANTOM V2511

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jerzy Józwik

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Apart from accuracy, one of the parameters describing industrial robots is positioning accuracy. The parameter in question, which is the subject of this paper, is often the decisive factor determining whether to apply a given robot to perform certain tasks or not. Articulated robots are predominantly used in such processes as: spot weld-ing, transport of materials and other welding applications, where high positioning repeatability is required. It is therefore essential to recognise the parameter in question and to control it throughout the operation of the robot. This paper presents methodology for robot positioning accuracy measurements based on vision technique. The measurements were conducted with Phantom v2511 high-speed camera and TEMA Motion software, for motion analysis. The object of the measurements was a 6-axis Yaskawa Motoman HP20F industrial robot. The results of measurements obtained in tests provided data for the calculation of positioning accuracy of the robot, which was then juxtaposed against robot specifications. Also analysed was the impact of the direction of displacement on the value of attained pose errors. Test results are given in a graphic form.

Report on the actual situations of the commercially applied, industrial robots; Sangyoyo robot ni kansuru kigyo jittai chosa hokokusho

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1991-08-01

Described herein are the actual situations of industrial robots as the FY 1991 questionnaire survey results. The questionnaires were sent to 541 factories, and 74% thereof were recovered. The major machine types fall into categories of manual manipulator, stationary sequence manipulator, remote controlling robot, sequence robot, playback robot, numerically controlling robot and intelligent robot. They are mainly driven by hydraulic, pneumatic, or electrical power. Their mechanism types cover polar coordinate, cylindrical coordinate, rectangular coordinate and articulation types, among others. They are mainly controlled by electronically, electrically (hydraulic or relay), or pneumatically. The major purposes for general works include casting, forging, resin processing, heat treatment, pressing, welding, coating, machining, cutting, assembling, reception/delivery of goods, and testing/inspection. The special works they are in service include those for power/gas/water services, construction works, and research and development. By work step, they are in service, e.g., for loading/unloading goods, palletising/packing goods, supporting, screening, welding, spraying/coating, grinding, clamping, assembling, and riveting. (NEDO)

Models and methods for design and implementation of computer based control and monitoring systems for production cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lynggaard, Hans Jørgen Birk

This dissertation is concerned with the engineering, i.e. the designing and making, of industrial cell control systems. The focus is on automated robot welding cells in the shipbuilding industry. The industrial research project defines models and methods for design and implementation of computer...... through the implementation of two cell control systems for robot welding cells in production at Odense Steel Shipyard.It is concluded that cell control technology provides for increased performance in production systems, and that the Cell Control Engineering concept reduces the effort for providing high...... quality and high functionality cell control solutions for the industry....

Design and Optimal Research of a Non-Contact Adjustable Magnetic Adhesion Mechanism for a Wall-Climbing Welding Robot

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Minghui Wu

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Wall-climbing welding robots (WCWRs can replace workers in manufacturing and maintaining large unstructured equipment, such as ships. The adhesion mechanism is the key component of WCWRs. As it is directly related to the robot's ability in relation to adsorbing, moving flexibly and obstacle-passing. In this paper, a novel non-contact adjustably magnetic adhesion mechanism is proposed. The magnet suckers are mounted under the robot's axils and the sucker and wall are in non-contact. In order to pass obstacles, the sucker and the wheel unit can be pulled up and pushed down by a lifting mechanism. The magnetic adhesion force can be adjusted by changing the height of the gap between the sucker and the wall by the lifting mechanism. In order to increase the adhesion force, the value of the sucker's magnetic energy density (MED is maximized by optimizing the magnet sucker's structure parameters with a finite element method. Experiments prove that the magnetic adhesion mechanism has enough adhesion force and that the WCWR can complete wall-climbing work within a large unstructured environment.

Nd-YAG laser welding of bare and galvanised steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kennedy, S.C.; Norris, I.M.

1989-01-01

Until recently, one of the problems that has held back the introduction of lasers into car body fabrication has been the difficulty of integrating the lasers with robots. Nd-YAG laser beams can be transmitted through fibre optics which, as well as being considerably easier to manipulate than a mirror system, can be mounted on more lightweight accurate robots. Although previously only available at low powers, recent developments in Nd-YAG laser technology mean that lasers of up to 1kW average power will soon be available, coupled to a fibre optic beam delivery system. The increasing usage of zinc coated steels in vehicle bodies has led to welding problems using conventional resistance welding as well as CO 2 laser welding. The use of Nd-YAG lasers may be able to overcome these problems. This paper outlines work carried out at The Welding Institute on a prototype Lumonics 800W pulsed Nd-YAG laser to investigate its welding characteristics on bare and zinc coated car body steels

Mobile robots and remote systems in nuclear applications; Robots moviles y sistemas remotos en aplicaciones nucleares

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Segovia de los Rios, J. A.; Benitez R, J. S., E-mail: armando.segovia@inin.gob.m [ININ, Departamento de Automatizacion e Instrumentacion, Carretera Mexico-Toluca s/n, 52750 Ocoyoacac, Estado de Mexico (Mexico)

2010-07-01

Traditionally, the robots have been used in the industry for the colored to the spray, welding, schemed, assemble and handling of materials. However, these devices have had a deep impact in the nuclear industry where the first objective has been to reduce the exhibition and the personnel contact with radioactive materials. Knowing the utility of the mobile robots and remote systems in nuclear facilities in the world, the Department of Automation and Instrumentation of the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares (ININ) has carried out some researches and applications that they have facilitated the work of the researches and professionals of the ININ involved in the handling of radioactive materials, as the system with monorail for the introduction of irradiated materials in a production cell of Iodine-131 and the robot vehicle for the radioactive materials transport TRASMAR (contraction of Transportacion Asistida de Materiales Radiactivos). (Author)

Automated platform for designing multiple robot work cells

Science.gov (United States)

Osman, N. S.; Rahman, M. A. A.; Rahman, A. A. Abdul; Kamsani, S. H.; Bali Mohamad, B. M.; Mohamad, E.; Zaini, Z. A.; Rahman, M. F. Ab; Mohamad Hatta, M. N. H.

2017-06-01

Designing the multiple robot work cells is very knowledge-intensive, intricate, and time-consuming process. This paper elaborates the development process of a computer-aided design program for generating the multiple robot work cells which offer a user-friendly interface. The primary purpose of this work is to provide a fast and easy platform for less cost and human involvement with minimum trial and errors adjustments. The automated platform is constructed based on the variant-shaped configuration concept with its mathematical model. A robot work cell layout, system components, and construction procedure of the automated platform are discussed in this paper where integration of these items will be able to automatically provide the optimum robot work cell design according to the information set by the user. This system is implemented on top of CATIA V5 software and utilises its Part Design, Assembly Design, and Macro tool. The current outcomes of this work provide a basis for future investigation in developing a flexible configuration system for the multiple robot work cells.

A Novel Robot of Manufacturing Space Solar Cell Arrays

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wu Yuexin

2008-11-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a novel robot employed to manufacture space solar cell arrays. First of all including the mechanical configuration and control system, the architecture of the robot is described. Then the flow velocity field of adhesive in the dispensing needles is acquired based on hydrodynamics. The accurate section form model of adhesive dispensed on the solar cells is obtained, which is essential for the robot to control the uniformity of dispensing adhesive. Finally the experiment validates the feasibility and reliability of the robot system. The application of robots instead of manual work in manufacturing space solar cell arrays will enhance the development of space industry.

A Novel Robot of Manufacturing Space Solar Cell Arrays

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wu Yuexin

2007-03-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a novel robot employed to manufacture space solar cell arrays. First of all including the mechanical configuration and control system, the architecture of the robot is described. Then the flow velocity field of adhesive in the dispensing needles is acquired based on hydrodynamics. The accurate section form model of adhesive dispensed on the solar cells is obtained, which is essential for the robot to control the uniformity of dispensing adhesive. Finally the experiment validates the feasibility and reliability of the robot system. The application of robots instead of manual work in manufacturing space solar cell arrays will enhance the development of space industry.

Automated Fuel Element Closure Welding System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wahlquist, D.R.

1993-01-01

The Automated Fuel Element Closure Welding System is a robotic device that will load and weld top end plugs onto nuclear fuel elements in a highly radioactive and inert gas environment. The system was developed at Argonne National Laboratory-West as part of the Fuel Cycle Demonstration. The welding system performs four main functions, it (1) injects a small amount of a xenon/krypton gas mixture into specific fuel elements, and (2) loads tiny end plugs into the tops of fuel element jackets, and (3) welds the end plugs to the element jackets, and (4) performs a dimensional inspection of the pre- and post-welded fuel elements. The system components are modular to facilitate remote replacement of failed parts. The entire system can be operated remotely in manual, semi-automatic, or fully automatic modes using a computer control system. The welding system is currently undergoing software testing and functional checkout

Regenerative patterning in Swarm Robots: mutual benefits of research in robotics and stem cell biology

Science.gov (United States)

RUBENSTEIN, MICHAEL; SAI, YING; CHUONG, CHENG-MING; SHEN, WEI-MIN

2010-01-01

This paper presents a novel perspective of Robotic Stem Cells (RSCs), defined as the basic non-biological elements with stem cell like properties that can self-reorganize to repair damage to their swarming organization. “Self” here means that the elements can autonomously decide and execute their actions without requiring any preset triggers, commands, or help from external sources. We develop this concept for two purposes. One is to develop a new theory for self-organization and self-assembly of multi-robots systems that can detect and recover from unforeseen errors or attacks. This self-healing and self-regeneration is used to minimize the compromise of overall function for the robot team. The other is to decipher the basic algorithms of regenerative behaviors in multi-cellular animal models, so that we can understand the fundamental principles used in the regeneration of biological systems. RSCs are envisioned to be basic building elements for future systems that are capable of self-organization, self-assembly, self-healing and self-regeneration. We first discuss the essential features of biological stem cells for such a purpose, and then propose the functional requirements of robotic stem cells with properties equivalent to gene controller, program selector and executor. We show that RSCs are a novel robotic model for scalable self-organization and self-healing in computer simulations and physical implementation. As our understanding of stem cells advances, we expect that future robots will be more versatile, resilient and complex, and such new robotic systems may also demand and inspire new knowledge from stem cell biology and related fields, such as artificial intelligence and tissue engineering. PMID:19557691

Regenerative patterning in Swarm Robots: mutual benefits of research in robotics and stem cell biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Rubenstein, Michael; Sai, Ying; Chuong, Cheng-Ming; Shen, Wei-Min

2009-01-01

This paper presents a novel perspective of Robotic Stem Cells (RSCs), defined as the basic non-biological elements with stem cell like properties that can self-reorganize to repair damage to their swarming organization. Self here means that the elements can autonomously decide and execute their actions without requiring any preset triggers, commands, or help from external sources. We develop this concept for two purposes. One is to develop a new theory for self-organization and self-assembly of multi-robots systems that can detect and recover from unforeseen errors or attacks. This self-healing and self-regeneration is used to minimize the compromise of overall function for the robot team. The other is to decipher the basic algorithms of regenerative behaviors in multi-cellular animal models, so that we can understand the fundamental principles used in the regeneration of biological systems. RSCs are envisioned to be basic building elements for future systems that are capable of self-organization, self-assembly, self-healing and self-regeneration. We first discuss the essential features of biological stem cells for such a purpose, and then propose the functional requirements of robotic stem cells with properties equivalent to gene controller, program selector and executor. We show that RSCs are a novel robotic model for scalable self-organization and self-healing in computer simulations and physical implementation. As our understanding of stem cells advances, we expect that future robots will be more versatile, resilient and complex, and such new robotic systems may also demand and inspire new knowledge from stem cell biology and related fields, such as artificial intelligence and tissue engineering.

Robotic arm

Science.gov (United States)

Kwech, Horst

1989-04-18

A robotic arm positionable within a nuclear vessel by access through a small diameter opening and having a mounting tube supported within the vessel and mounting a plurality of arm sections for movement lengthwise of the mounting tube as well as for movement out of a window provided in the wall of the mounting tube. An end effector, such as a grinding head or welding element, at an operating end of the robotic arm, can be located and operated within the nuclear vessel through movement derived from six different axes of motion provided by mounting and drive connections between arm sections of the robotic arm. The movements are achieved by operation of remotely-controllable servo motors, all of which are mounted at a control end of the robotic arm to be outside the nuclear vessel.

Eddy current testing system for bottom mounted instrumentation welds - 15206

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, N.; Ueno, S.; Suganuma, N.; Oodake, T.; Maehara, T.; Kasuya, T.; Ichikawa, H.

2015-01-01

We have demonstrated the scanning of eddy current testing (ECT) probe on the welds area including the nozzle, the J-welds and the buildup welds of the Bottom Mounted Instrumentation (BMI) mock-up using the developed ECT system and procedure. It is difficult to scan the probe on the BMI welds area because the area has a complex curved surface shape and narrow spaces. We made the space coordinates and the normal vectors on the scanning points as the scanning trajectory of probe on the welds area based on the measured results of welds surface shape on the mock-up. The multi-axis robot was used to scan the probe on the welds surface. Each motion axis position of the robot corresponding to each scanning point was calculated by the inverse kinematic algorithm. The BMI mock-up test was performed using the cross coil probe in the differential mode. The artificial stress corrosion cracking and the electrical discharge machining slits given on the mock-up surface were detected. The results show that the ECT can detect a defect of approximately 2.3 mm in length, 0.5 mm in depth and 0.2 mm in width for the BMI welds. From the output voltage of single coil, we estimated that the average and the maximum probe tilt angles on the mock-up surface under scanning were 2.6 degrees and 8.5 degrees, respectively

Automatization and mechanization of welding in nuclear engineering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shul' ma, I E; Kupin, N V

1986-02-01

The state of welding and cladding works, which constitute more than 12% of total labour content of NPP equipment production, is described. Special attention is paid to a considerable part of manual labour in the processes of thermal cutting and welding of joints inside the vessels. The necessity of perspective technology introduction is pointed out. It means, in particular, the introduction of technological complex robotics for automatic welding of pipes with tube plates in heat exchanger, the mechanization of cladding processes for sealing surfaces of locking equipment, facility equipment for the welding of steam generator vessels to bottoms by means of preliminary and concomitant heating devices.

Automatization and mechanization of welding in nuclear engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shul'ma, I.E.; Kupin, N.V.

1986-01-01

The state of welding and cladding works, which constitute more than 12% of total labour content of NPP equipment production, is described. Special attention is paid to a considerable part of manual labour in the processes of thermal cutting and welding of joints inside the vessels. The necessity of perspective technology introduction is pointed out. It means, in particular, the introduction of technological complex robotics for automatic welding of pipes with tube plates in heat exchanger, the mechanization of cladding processes for sealing surfaces of locking equipment, facility equipment for the welding of steam generator vessels to bottoms by means of preliminary and concomitant heating devices

Detailed characterization of welding fumes in personal exposure samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quémerais, B; Mino, James; Amin, M R; Golshahi, H; Izadi, H

2015-01-01

The objective of the project was to develop a method allowing for detailed characterization of welding particles including particle number concentration, size distribution, surface chemistry and chemical composition of individual particles, as well as metal concentration of various welding fumes in personal exposure samples using regular sampling equipment. A sample strategy was developed to evaluate the variation of the collection methods on mass concentration. Samples were collected with various samplers and filters at two different locations using our collection system. The first location was using a robotic welding system while the second was manual welding. Collected samples were analysed for mass concentration using gravimetryand metal concentration using ICP/OES. More advanced analysis was performed on selected filters using X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy to determine surface composition of the particles, and X-Ray Diffraction to determine chemical composition of the fumes. Results showed that the robotic system had a lot of variation in space when the collection system was located close to the weld. Collection efficiency was found to be quite variable depending upon the type of filter. As well, metal concentrations in blank filters were dependent upon the type of filter with MCE presenting with the highest blank values. Results obtained with the XRD and XPS systems showed that it was possible to analyse a small of powdered welding fume sample but results on filters were not conclusive. (paper)

Fatique Resistant, Energy Efficient Welding Program, Final Technical Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Egland, Keith; Ludewig, Howard

2006-05-25

The program scope was to affect the heat input and the resultant weld bead geometry by synchronizing robotic weave cycles with desired pulsed waveform shapes to develop process parameters relationships and optimized pulsed gas metal arc welding processes for welding fatique-critical structures of steel, high strength steel, and aluminum. Quality would be addressed by developing intelligent methods of weld measurement that accurately predict weld bead geometry from process information. This program was severely underfunded, and eventually terminated. The scope was redirected to investigate tandem narrow groove welding of steel butt joints during the one year of partial funding. A torch was designed and configured to perform a design of experiments of steel butt weld joints that validated the feasability of the process. An initial cost model estimated a 60% cost savings over conventional groove welding by eliminating the joint preparation and reducing the weld volume needed.

An underwater robot controls water tanks in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lardiere, C.

2015-01-01

The enterprises Newton Research Labs and IHI Southwest Technologies have developed a robot equipped with sensors to inspect the inside walls (partially) and bottom of water tanks without being obliged to empty them. The robot called 'Inspector' is made up of 4 main components: a chassis with 4 independent steering wheels, a camera video system able to provide a 360 degree view, various non-destructive testing devices such as underwater laser scanners, automated ultra-sound or Foucault current probes and an operation system for both driving the robot and controlling the testing. The Inspector robot has been used to inspect the inside bottom of an operating condensate tank at the Palo Verde nuclear station. The robot was able to check all the welds joining the bottom plates and the welds between the walls and the bottom. The robot is also able to come back to the exact place where a defect was detected during a previous inspection. (A.C.)

Multivariable Frequency Response Functions Estimation for Industrial Robots

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hardeman, T.; Aarts, Ronald G.K.M.; Jonker, Jan B.

2005-01-01

The accuracy of industrial robots limits its applicability for high demanding processes, like robotised laser welding. We are working on a nonlinear exible model of the robot manipulator to predict these inaccuracies. This poster presents the experimental results on estimating the Multivariable

BEAM–TO-COLUMN CONNECTION CALCULATIONS USING ROBOT SOFTWARE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mykhaylo Pashechko

2015-08-01

Full Text Available A beam–to-column connection design and results of engineer calculations using Autodesk’s Robot Structural analysis are shown in the article. Two types of connections, bolted and welded, were calculated. The tensile resistance amounted to 912.74 kN, bending resistance to 100.87 kN·m and effective design capacity of the bolt amounted to 27.69 kN. Normal stress in the weld amounted to σ⊥max = τ⊥max = 72.72 MPa, in the vertical weld to σ⊥= τ⊥= 63.34 MPa and tangent stress amounted to τ|| = 4.37 MPa. The results allowed us to implement minor changes such as increasing the distance between the bolt and the edge and decreasing the size of the fillet welds. The design is fully compliant with the EN 1993-1-8 norm. Using Robot Structural Analysis substantially increased the pace of calculations giving precise and clear outcomes.

Proton-irradiation technology for high-frequency high-current silicon welding diode manufacturing

Science.gov (United States)

Lagov, P. B.; Drenin, A. S.; Zinoviev, M. A.

2017-05-01

Different proton irradiation regimes were tested to provide more than 20 kHz-frequency, soft reverse recovery “snap-less” behavior, low forward voltage drop and leakage current for 50 mm diameter 7 kA/400 V welding diode Al/Si/Mo structure. Silicon diode with such parameters is very suitable for high frequency resistance welding machines of new generation for robotic welding.

A 1993 review of welding in Japan

Science.gov (United States)

1994-07-01

This paper describes a prospect on Japanese welding technologies available in 1993. Amid the increasing research publications on non-ferrous metals as structural materials, publications are also increasing on steel materials as to their fracture and welding mechanics, and structural control. Studies are being made on ceramics with respect to its bonding, interface reaction mechanisms, and mechanical characteristics. The paper describes the progress and improvement in conventional technologies in welding and cutting processes. Especially active is the study on solid face welding such as pressure welding and diffusion. A considerable decrease is seen in reports on thermal spraying. The paper also introduces surface processing and hydrostatic pressure processing as new processing techniques. In the area of welding devices, practical use of arc welding robots has come to near a completion stage. Technological development and cost reduction are indispensable to transfer to visual sensing with a higher intelligence level. With respect to the performance of joints, a large number of research has been reported on welding deformation and residual stress. The paper also dwells on corrosion resistance and welding cracks. Quality assurance, inspection, and related standards are described. Details are given on application of welding to different industrial fields.

Robotic arm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwech, H.

1989-01-01

A robotic arm positionable within a nuclear vessel by access through a small diameter opening and having a mounting tube supported within the vessel and mounting a plurality of arm sections for movement lengthwise of the mounting tube as well as for movement out of a window provided in the wall of the mounting tube is disclosed. An end effector, such as a grinding head or welding element, at an operating end of the robotic arm, can be located and operated within the nuclear vessel through movement derived from six different axes of motion provided by mounting and drive connections between arm sections of the robotic arm. The movements are achieved by operation of remotely-controllable servo motors, all of which are mounted at a control end of the robotic arm to be outside the nuclear vessel. 23 figs

Ultrasonic diagnosis of spot welding in thin plates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, No You; Hong, Min Sung

2005-01-01

Spot welding widely used in automotive and aerospace industries has made it possible to produce more precise and smaller electric part by robotization and systemization of welding process. The quality of welding depends upon the size of nugget between the overlapped steel plates. Recently, the thickness of the steel plates becomes much thinner and hence, it introduces the smaller size of nugget. Therefore, it is necessary to develop the criterion to evaluate the quality of weld in order to obtain the optimal welding conditions for the better performance. In this paper, a thin steel plates, 0.1 mm through 0.3 mm thickness, have been spot-welded at different welding conditions and the nugget sizes are examined by defocused scanning microscopy. The relationships between nugget sizes and weldability have been investigated experimentally. The result of ultrasonic technique shows the good agreement with that of the tensile test.

Mobile robots and remote systems in nuclear applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Segovia de los Rios, J. A.; Benitez R, J. S.

2010-01-01

Traditionally, the robots have been used in the industry for the colored to the spray, welding, schemed, assemble and handling of materials. However, these devices have had a deep impact in the nuclear industry where the first objective has been to reduce the exhibition and the personnel contact with radioactive materials. Knowing the utility of the mobile robots and remote systems in nuclear facilities in the world, the Department of Automation and Instrumentation of the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares (ININ) has carried out some researches and applications that they have facilitated the work of the researches and professionals of the ININ involved in the handling of radioactive materials, as the system with monorail for the introduction of irradiated materials in a production cell of Iodine-131 and the robot vehicle for the radioactive materials transport TRASMAR (contraction of Transportacion Asistida de Materiales Radiactivos). (Author)

Robotic Manufacturing of 18-ft (5.5m) Diameter Cryogenic Fuel Tank Dome Assemblies for the NASA Ares I Rocket

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Ronald E.; Carter, Robert W.

2012-01-01

The Ares I rocket was the first launch vehicle scheduled for manufacture under the National Aeronautic and Space Administration's Constellation program. A series of full-scale Ares I development articles were constructed on the Robotic Weld Tool at the NASA George C. Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The Robotic Weld Tool is a 100 ton, 7- axis, robotic manufacturing system capable of machining and friction stir welding large-scale space hardware. This paper will focus on the friction stir welding of 18-ft (5.5m) diameter cryogenic fuel tank components; specifically, the liquid hydrogen forward dome and two common bulkhead manufacturing development articles.

Proton-irradiation technology for high-frequency high-current silicon welding diode manufacturing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lagov, P B; Drenin, A S; Zinoviev, M A

2017-01-01

Different proton irradiation regimes were tested to provide more than 20 kHz-frequency, soft reverse recovery “snap-less” behavior, low forward voltage drop and leakage current for 50 mm diameter 7 kA/400 V welding diode Al/Si/Mo structure. Silicon diode with such parameters is very suitable for high frequency resistance welding machines of new generation for robotic welding. (paper)

Remote Robotic Cleaning System for Contaminated Hot-Cell Floor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Ki Ho; Park, Jang Jin; Yang, Myung S.; Kwon, Hyo Kjo

2005-01-01

The M6 hot-cell of the Irradiated Material Examination Facility at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) has been contaminated with spent fuel debris and other radioactive waste due to the DUPIC nuclear fuel development processes. As the hot-cell is active, direct human workers' access, even with protection, to the in-cell is not possible because of the nature of the high radiation level of the spent PWR fuel. A remote robotic cleaning system has been developed for use in a highly radioactive environment of the M6 hot-cell. The remote robotic cleaning system was designed to completely eliminate human interaction with hazardous radioactive contaminants. This robotic cleaning system was also designed to remove contaminants or contaminated smears placed or fixed on the floor of the M6 hot-cell by mopping it in a remote manner. The environmental, functional and mechanical design considerations, control system and capabilities of the developed remote robotic cleaning system are presented

Marinization concept for the TRICEPT TR600 robot

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meyer, A.; Aust, E.; Niemann, H.R.; Santos, J.F. dos [GKSS-Forschungszentrum Geesthacht GmbH (Germany). Inst. fuer Materialforschung; Hammerin, R.; Neumann, K.E. [Neos Robotics AB, Taeby (Sweden); Gibson, D. [National Hyperbaric Centre, Aberdeen (United Kingdom)

1998-11-01

The need for automated welding repair systems of marine structures, ship hulls and nuclear installations had lead to an increasing demand for subsea robots. Considering the application of friction welding to perform underwater repairs, a TRICEPT TR600 robot has been identified as the most suitable system to withstand the high reaction forces characteristic of this process. This study reviews initially the research and development work carried out at GKSS to modify and test a Siemens-MANUTEC robot. After a description of the TRICEPT TR600 robot a marinization concept is presented and discussed in detail. Problems of galvanic corrosion in seawater are addressed in a separate chapter. The deflection of the robot in subsea water currents is estimated with a worst-case calculation. (orig.) [Deutsch] Der Wunsch, Roboter auch unter Wasser einsetzen zu koennen, waechst mit steigendem Interesse nach automatisierten Schweissverfahren fuer Reparaturen an marinen Bauwerken, Schiffsruempfen und in Kernenergieanlagen. Fuer den Einsatz von Reibschweissverfahren fuer diese Reparaturen wurde der TRICEPT TR600-Roboter ausgewaehlt, da dieser auch den charakteristisch hohen Prozesskraeften widerstehen kann. Die notwendigen Modifikationen und Pruefungen werden beispielhaft anhand des bei der GKSS modifizierten Siemens-MANUTEC-Roboters vorgestellt. Nach einer Beschreibung des TRICEPT-Roboters werden die notwendigen Umbaumassnahmen detailliert dargestellt und diskutiert. Auf die Problematik der galvanischen Korrosion in Seewasser wird in einem gesonderten Kapitel naeher eingegangen. Zusaetzlich wird eine moegliche Ablenkung des Roboters durch Wasserstroemung ueberschlaegig berechnet. (orig.)

Device for welding a connection line to an electrode of a solar cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lorans, D.Y.

1976-08-05

A method with associated device for welding connection lines to the electrodes of solar cells is described. To improve the weldability of the contacts usually consisting of silver, a weld-receiving device is vibrated with respect to the welding electrode, whereby disturbing surface layers are destroyed with a certain application pressure of the welding electrode. The method shows better results than, for example, a previous chemical cleaning of the contacts and is also more easy to handle.

High quality joining techniques: in-process assurance (IPA) welding system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaihara, Shoichiro [Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

1996-08-01

On July 1, 1995, the Product Liability Law was enforced, and in industrial world, further reliability has been demanded. Recently, accompanying the progress of electronics, the proportion taken by automatic welders and robots increased in welding. By memorizing proper welding conditions, the welding from initial to final passes can be done fully automatically. Also feedback mechanism was equipped to mechanized welders, and the in-process control has become to be feasible. The way of thinking on confirming in process welding quality in arc welding is explained. IPA welding system utilizes the multi-media collecting images and sound, samples the change of welding conditions and the state of arc on a same screen, and monitors the deviation from the range of proper welding conditions. At the time of abnormality, inspector or a computer carries out image diagnosis and welding control, and the system indicates the soundness of welded parts. The basic concept and the flow chart of this system are shown. The experiment of applying the system to arc welding is reported. The correlation of welding phenomena and welding conditions is examined. (K.I.)

High quality joining techniques: in-process assurance (IPA) welding system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaihara, Shoichiro

1996-01-01

On July 1, 1995, the Product Liability Law was enforced, and in industrial world, further reliability has been demanded. Recently, accompanying the progress of electronics, the proportion taken by automatic welders and robots increased in welding. By memorizing proper welding conditions, the welding from initial to final passes can be done fully automatically. Also feedback mechanism was equipped to mechanized welders, and the in-process control has become to be feasible. The way of thinking on confirming in process welding quality in arc welding is explained. IPA welding system utilizes the multi-media collecting images and sound, samples the change of welding conditions and the state of arc on a same screen, and monitors the deviation from the range of proper welding conditions. At the time of abnormality, inspector or a computer carries out image diagnosis and welding control, and the system indicates the soundness of welded parts. The basic concept and the flow chart of this system are shown. The experiment of applying the system to arc welding is reported. The correlation of welding phenomena and welding conditions is examined. (K.I.)

Repair welding and online radiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nuding, W.; Grimm, R.; Link, R.; Schroeder, P.; Schroeder, G.

1990-01-01

The status of a joint project is reported, which is to develop a computerized testing and welding system for repair work in turbine blades. An X-ray radiographic testing device consisting of microfocus tube, manipulator and image processing system, is modified for this purpose so as to offer a greater number of image points scanned for image processing, and to thus achieve a better resolution for reliable detection of even very small defects. The consistency of the X-ray tube performance, which is a pre-requisite for automation, is to be achieved by a wa tercooled, high-duty tube head. The recording of defect coordinates in the repair zone is done for input into a welding robot to be developed by other partners in the project, so as to allow automated welding work. (orig.) [de

A mobile robot with parallel kinematics constructed under requirements for assembling and machining of the ITER vacuum vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pessi, P.; Huapeng Wu; Handroos, H.; Jones, L.

2006-01-01

ITER sectors require more stringent tolerances ± 5 mm than normally expected for the size of structure involved. The walls of ITER sectors are made of 60 mm thick stainless steel and are joined together by high efficiency structural and leak tight welds. In addition to the initial vacuum vessel assembly, sectors may have to be replaced for repair. Since commercially available machines are too heavy for the required machining operations and the lifting of a possible e-beam gun column system, and conventional robots lack the stiffness and accuracy in such machining condition, a new flexible, lightweight and mobile robotic machine is being considered. For the assembly of the ITER vacuum vessel sector, precise positioning of welding end-effectors, at some distance in a confined space from the available supports, will be required, which is not possible using conventional machines or robots. This paper presents a special robot, able to carry out welding and machining processes from inside the ITER vacuum vessel, consisting of a ten-degree-of-freedom parallel robot mounted on a carriage driven by electric motor/gearbox on a track. The robot consists of a Stewart platform based parallel mechanism. Water hydraulic cylinders are used as actuators to reach six degrees of freedom for parallel construction. Two linear and two rotational motions are used for enlargement the workspace of the manipulator. The robot carries both welding gun such as a TIG, hybrid laser or e-beam welding gun to weld the inner and outer walls of the ITER vacuum vessel sectors and machining tools to cut and milling the walls with necessary accuracy, it can also carry other tools and material to a required position inside the vacuum vessel . For assembling an on line six degrees of freedom seam finding algorithm has been developed, which enables the robot to find welding seam automatically in a very complex environment. In the machining multi flexible machining processes carried out automatically by

Comparison of stainless and mild steel welding fumes in generation of reactive oxygen species

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frazer David

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Welding fumes consist of a wide range of complex metal oxide particles which can be deposited in all regions of the respiratory tract. The welding aerosol is not homogeneous and is generated mostly from the electrode/wire. Over 390,000 welders were reported in the U.S. in 2008 while over 1 million full-time welders were working worldwide. Many health effects are presently under investigation from exposure to welding fumes. Welding fume pulmonary effects have been associated with bronchitis, metal fume fever, cancer and functional changes in the lung. Our investigation focused on the generation of free radicals and reactive oxygen species from stainless and mild steel welding fumes generated by a gas metal arc robotic welder. An inhalation exposure chamber located at NIOSH was used to collect the welding fume particles. Results Our results show that hydroxyl radicals (.OH were generated from reactions with H2O2 and after exposure to cells. Catalase reduced the generation of .OH from exposed cells indicating the involvement of H2O2. The welding fume suspension also showed the ability to cause lipid peroxidation, effect O2 consumption, induce H2O2 generation in cells, and cause DNA damage. Conclusion Increase in oxidative damage observed in the cellular exposures correlated well with .OH generation in size and type of welding fumes, indicating the influence of metal type and transition state on radical production as well as associated damage. Our results demonstrate that both types of welding fumes are able to generate ROS and ROS-related damage over a range of particle sizes; however, the stainless steel fumes consistently showed a significantly higher reactivity and radical generation capacity. The chemical composition of the steel had a significant impact on the ROS generation capacity with the stainless steel containing Cr and Ni causing more damage than the mild steel. Our results suggest that welding fumes may cause acute

Evaluation of modular robot system for maintenance tasks in hot cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pagala, Prithvi Sekhar, E-mail: ps.pagala@upm.es [Centre for Automation and Robotics UPM-CSIC (Spain); Ferre, Manuel, E-mail: m.ferre@upm.es [Centre for Automation and Robotics UPM-CSIC (Spain); Orona, Luis, E-mail: l.orona@gsi.de [GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung (Germany)

2014-10-15

Highlights: •Modular robot deployment inside hot cell for remote manipulation evaluated. •Flexible and adaptable system for variety of tasks presented. •Uses in large workspaces and evolving requirements shown. -- Abstract: This work assesses the use of a modular robot system to perform maintenance and inspection tasks such as, remote flexible inspection, manipulation and cooperation with deployed systems inside the hot cell. A flexible modular solution for the inclusion in maintenance operations is presented. The proposed heterogeneous modular robotic system is evaluated using simulations of the prototype across selected robot configuration to perform tasks. Results obtained show the advantages and ability of the modular robot to perform the necessary tasks as well as its ability to adapt and evolve depending on the need. The simulation test case inside hot cell shows modular robot configuration, a two modular arm to perform tele-operation tasks in the workspace and a wheeled platform for inspection collaborating to perform tasks. The advantage of using re-configurable modular robot over conventional robot platforms is shown.

Robotics in space-age manufacturing

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Chip

1991-01-01

Robotics technologies are developed to improve manufacturing of space hardware. The following applications of robotics are covered: (1) welding for the space shuttle and space station Freedom programs; (2) manipulation of high-pressure water for shuttle solid rocket booster refurbishment; (3) automating the application of insulation materials; (4) precision application of sealants; and (5) automation of inspection procedures. Commercial robots are used for these development programs, but they are teamed with advanced sensors, process controls, and computer simulation to form highly productive manufacturing systems. Many of the technologies are also being actively pursued in private sector manufacturing operations.

Indigenous robotics technology in nuclear industries (Paper No. 039)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Challappa, S; Guha, S

1987-01-01

Robots are essential for material handling, stripping, fitting, welding and other operations in a hazardous environment as exits in nuclear industries. Adoptivity of the equipment to environment to carry out remote activity, accuracy of the performance and quality are the primordial considerations for selection of such types of robots. The essential features of a typical robot are described in this paper. As a first step towards development of such a robot, a six-axis multipurpose robot developed in Central Workshops, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, is also described in this paper. (author). 2 figs.

Indigenous robotics technology in nuclear industries (Paper No. 039)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Challappa, S.; Guha, S.

1987-02-01

Robots are essential for material handling, stripping, fitting, welding and other operations in a hazardous environment as exits in nuclear industries. Adoptivity of the equipment to environment to carry out remote activity, accuracy of the performance and quality are the primordial considerations for selection of such types of robots. The essential features of a typical robot are described in this paper. As a first step towards development of such a robot, a six-axis multipurpose robot developed in Central Workshops, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, is also described in this paper. (author). 2 figs

Automation, robotics and remote handling technology in the nuclear fuel cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajagopalan, C.; Venugopal, S.

2013-01-01

Automation and Robotics technology are making significant contributions in almost all fields of engineering and technology and their presence is felt in all spheres of human life. The importance of automation and robotics has increased rapidly in the recent years to cater to the global competitive pressures by the manufacturing industry by utilizing the increased productivity and improved quality this technology offers. Improvement of productivity, quality, profitability and, indeed, survival are the major motivating factors in the implementation of automation and robotics technology in the manufacturing sector. Robots are used extensively in the automotive industry, primarily for welding, painting and material handling applications. The electronics, aerospace, metalworking and consumer goods industries are also major potential robot users. The common uses of robots in industries mostly include the four Ps - Picking, Placing, Packaging and Painting - apart from other industrial routines like assembly and welding. As is the case with industrial tools and machineries, a properly designed robot (for the appropriate task) has almost unlimited endurance with the added benefit of precisions unmatched by human workers. With robot technology as a key element, integrated factory automation systems touch on nearly all types of manufacturing. The productivity and competitiveness in these industries will depend in large part on flexible automation through robotics

Eddy current testing system for bottom mounted instrumentation welds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kobayashi Noriyasu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The capability of eddy current testing (ECT for the bottom mounted instrumentation (BMI weld area of reactor vessel in a pressurized water reactor was demonstrated by the developed ECT system and procedure. It is difficult to position and move the probe on the BMI weld area because the area has complexly curved surfaces. The space coordinates and the normal vectors at the scanning points were calculated as the scanning trajectory of probe based on the measured results of surface shape on the BMI mock-up. The multi-axis robot was used to move the probe on the mock-up. Each motion-axis position of the robot corresponding to each scanning point was calculated by the inverse kinematic algorithm. In the mock-up test, the probe was properly contacted with most of the weld surfaces. The artificial stress corrosion cracking of approximately 6 mm in length and the electrical-discharge machining slit of 0.5 mm in length, 1 mm in depth and 0.2 mm in width given on the weld surface were detected. From the probe output voltage, it was estimated that the average probe tilt angle on the surface under scanning was 2.6°.

Optimization of the A-TIG welding for stainless steels

Science.gov (United States)

Jurica, M.; Kožuh, Z.; Garašić, I.; Bušić, M.

2018-03-01

The paper presents the influence of the activation flux and shielding gas on tungsten inert gas (A-TIG) welding of the stainless steel. In introduction part, duplex stainless steel was analysed. The A-TIG process was explained and the possibility of welding stainless steels using the A-TIG process to maximize productivity and the cost-effectiveness of welded structures was presented. In the experimental part duplex, 7 mm thick stainless steel has been welded in butt joint. The influence of activation flux chemical composition upon the weld penetration has been investigated prior the welding. The welding process was performed by a robot with TIG equipment. With selected A-TIG welding technology preparation of plates and consumption of filler material (containing Cr, Ni and Mn) have been avoided. Specimens sectioned from the produced welds have been subjected to tensile strength test, macrostructure analysis and corrosion resistance analysis. The results have confirmed that this type of stainless steel can be welded without edge preparation and addition of filler material containing critical raw materials as Cr, Ni and Mn when the following welding parameters are set: current 200 A, welding speed 9,1 cm/min, heat input 1,2 kJ/mm and specific activation flux is used.

Papers of the annual welding conference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1981-01-01

Interest will be mainly focussed on structural welding in the fields of vehicle, power generating plant, railway bridge, reactor, tank and pipeline construction as well as energy transmission, energy production and space travel. Also under discussion will be such topical subjects as health and safety and the use of welding robots in the automobile industry, both these topics bearing direct relation to one another, at it is the labour-saving and health aspects which take precedence in both areas and to which medical experts are making valuable contributions to an ever increasing extent. (orig./IHOE) [de

A wall-crawling robot for reactor vessel inspection in advanced reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spelt, P.F.; Crane, C.; Feng, L.; Abidi, M.; Tosunoglu, S.

1994-01-01

A consortium of four universities and the Center for Engineering Systems Advanced Research of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory has designed a prototype wall-crawling robot to perform weld inspection in advanced nuclear reactors. Design efforts for the reactor vessel inspection robot (RVIR) concentrated on the Advanced Liquid Metal Reactor because it presents the most demanding environment in which such a robot must operate. The RVIR consists of a chassis containing two sets of suction cups that can alternately grasp the side of the vessel being inspected, providing both locomotion and steering functions. Sensors include three CCD cameras and a weld inspection device based on new shear-wave technology. The restrictions of the inspection environment presented major challenges to the team. These challenges were met in the prototype, which has been tested in a non-radiation, room-temperature mockup of the robot work environment and shown to perform as expected. (author)

A wall-crawling robot for reactor vessel inspection in advanced reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spelt, P.F.; Crane, C.; Feng, L.; Abidi, M.; Tosunoglu, S.

1994-01-01

A consortium of four universities and the Center for Engineering Systems Advanced Research of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory has designed a prototype wall-crawling robot to perform weld inspection in advanced nuclear reactors. Design efforts for the reactor vessel inspection robot (RVIR) concentrated on the Advanced Liquid Metal Reactor because it presents the most demanding environment in which such a robot must operate. The RVIR consists of a chassis containing two sets of suction cups that can alternately grasp the side of the vessel being inspected, providing both locomotion and steering functions. Sensors include three CCD cameras and a weld inspection device based on new shear-wave technology. The restrictions of the inspection environment presented major challenges to the team. These challenges were met in the prototype, which has been tested in a non-radiation, room-temperature mockup of the robot work environment and shown to perform as expected

IT Systems in Aid of Welding Processes Quality Management in the Automotive Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Restecka M.

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The most important issue for the producers nowadays is to meet the requirements of customers, satisfying their perceived but also the unperceived needs. In order to control the quality of welding processes correctly one must have knowledge of welding drawings, symbols, designs of welded joints, welding procedures, requirements set in codes and standards, also have knowledge of the techniques of inspection and testing connected with the automotive industry. The article shows ways to increase quality in the industry through the use of robotization and computerization. Presented examples and application of IT systems in aid of welding processes quality management in the automotive industry.

Use of robotics in a Radwaste treatment plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leeks, C.W.E.

1991-01-01

A 762 Unimate Puma, clean room standard Robot has been installed and commissioned in the Radwaste Treatment Plant at the Winfrith Technology Centre. The robot interacts with a variety of purpose designed tools and proprietary welding equipment. It performs 13 dedicated tasks in the final closure and health physics operations, before the 500 litre waste drum is despatched from the plant. (author)

Automatic weld joint X-ray inspection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richter, H.U.; Linke, D.; Siems, K.D.; Kruse, H.; Schuetze, E.

1990-01-01

A gantry mounted robotic x-ray inspection unit has been developed for the series testing of small and medium sized welded components (pipe bends and nozzles). The unit features computer controlled positioning of the x-ray tube and x-ray image amplifier. Image quality classes 2 and even 1 could be achieved without difficulty. (author)

Report Summarizing the Effort Required to Initiate Welding of Irradiated Materials within the Welding Cubicle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Frederick, Greg [Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Palo Alto, CA (United States); Sutton, Benjamin J. [Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Palo Alto, CA (United States); Tatman, Jonathan K. [Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Palo Alto, CA (United States); Vance, Mark Christopher [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Smith, Allen W. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Clark, Scarlett R. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Feng, Zhili [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Miller, Roger G. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Chen, Jian [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Tang, Wei [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Hu, Xunxiang [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Gibson, Brian T. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2017-06-01

The advanced welding facility within a hot cell at the Radiochemical Engineering Development Center of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), which has been jointly funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Nuclear Energy, Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program and the Electric Power Research Institute, Long Term Operations Program and the Welding and Repair Technology Center, is in the final phase of development. Research and development activities in this facility will involve direct testing of advanced welding technologies on irradiated materials in order to address the primary technical challenge of helium induced cracking that can arise when conventional fusion welding techniques are utilized on neutron irradiated stainless steels and nickel-base alloys. This report details the effort that has been required since the beginning of fiscal year 2017 to initiate welding research and development activities on irradiated materials within the hot cell cubicle, which houses welding sub-systems that include laser beam welding (LBW) and friction stir welding (FSW) and provides material containment within the hot cell.

Robotic Patterning a Superhydrophobic Surface for Collective Cell Migration Screening.

Science.gov (United States)

Pang, Yonggang; Yang, Jing; Hui, Zhixin; Grottkau, Brian E

2018-04-01

Collective cell migration, in which cells migrate as a group, is fundamental in many biological and pathological processes. There is increasing interest in studying the collective cell migration in high throughput. Cell scratching, insertion blocker, and gel-dissolving techniques are some methodologies used previously. However, these methods have the drawbacks of cell damage, substrate surface alteration, limitation in medium exchange, and solvent interference. The superhydrophobic surface, on which the water contact angle is greater than 150 degrees, has been recently utilized to generate patterned arrays. Independent cell culture areas can be generated on a substrate that functions the same as a conventional multiple well plate. However, so far there has been no report on superhydrophobic patterning for the study of cell migration. In this study, we report on the successful development of a robotically patterned superhydrophobic array for studying collective cell migration in high throughput. The array was developed on a rectangular single-well cell culture plate consisting of hydrophilic flat microwells separated by the superhydrophobic surface. The manufacturing process is robotic and includes patterning discrete protective masks to the substrate using 3D printing, robotic spray coating of silica nanoparticles, robotic mask removal, robotic mini silicone blocker patterning, automatic cell seeding, and liquid handling. Compared with a standard 96-well plate, our system increases the throughput by 2.25-fold and generates a cell-free area in each well non-destructively. Our system also demonstrates higher efficiency than conventional way of liquid handling using microwell plates, and shorter processing time than manual operating in migration assays. The superhydrophobic surface had no negative impact on cell viability. Using our system, we studied the collective migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells and cancer cells using assays of endpoint

A robot-automated work site for repair of the Chinon A3 reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raynal, A.

1987-01-01

In 1982, following degradation due to corrosion of low-carbon steel by carbon dioxide gas, the utility undertook to repair some of the support structures at Chinon A3. This involved consolidation and reinforcing thermocouples and gas monitor pipeworks supports. A welding process was selected and the use of robots became indispensable because of the large number of components to be replaced (200 per outage). Two robots, supplied with tool heads and replacement components from outside the reactor were used. The robots and their servers were coordinated by a central computer and monitored by a closed circuit television system. Each repair operation was performed after ''training'' on a full-scale mockup of the top of the reactor reconstructed from telemetry of the real reactor dimensions. Since becoming operational in June 1986, the robots have accumulated over 20 000 hours of operation and seventy parts have been welded to the reactor. A 3D CAD system has been adapted to simulate the robots and analyse long trajectories in order to reduce robot learning time [fr

Laser welding engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhieh, N. M.; El Eesawi, M. E.; Hashkel, A. E.

2007-01-01

Laser welding was in its early life used mainly for unusual applications where no other welding process would be suitable that was twenty five years ago. Today, laser welding is a fully developed part of the metal working industry, routinely producing welds for common items such as cigarette lighters, which springs, motor/transformer lamination, hermetic seals, battery and pacemaker cans and hybrid circuit packages. Yet very few manufacturing engineering have seriously considers employing lasers in their own operations. Why? There are many reasons, but a main one must be not acquainted with the operation and capabilities of a laser system. Other reasons, such as a relatively high initial cost and a concern about using lasers in the manufacturing environment, also are frequently cited, and the complexity of the component and flexibility of the light delivery system. Laser welding could be used in place of many different standard processes, such as resistance (spot or seam), submerged arc, RF induction, high-frequency resistance, ultrasonic and electronic and electron-beam. while each of these techniques has established an independent function in the manufacturing world, the flexible laser welding approach will operate efficiently and economically in many different applications. Its flexibility will even permit the welding system to be used for other machining function, such as drilling, scribing, sealing and serializing. In this article, we will look at how laser welding works and what benefits it can offer to manufacturing engineers. Some industry observers state that there are already 2,000 laser machine tools being used for cutting, welding and drilling and that the number could reach 30,000 over the next 15 years as manufacturing engineers become more aware of the capabilities of lasers [1). While most laser applications are dedicated to one product or process that involves high-volume, long-run manufacturing, the flexibility of a laser to supply energy to hard

In situ post-weld heat treatment on martensitic stainless steel turbine runners using a robotic induction heating process to control temperature distribution

Science.gov (United States)

Boudreault, E.; Hazel, B.; Côté, J.; Godin, S.

2014-03-01

A new robotic heat treatment process is developed. Using this solution it is now possible to perform local heat treatment on large steel components. Crack, cavitation and erosion repairs on turbine blades and Pelton buckets are among the applications of this technique. The proof of concept is made on a 13Cr-4Ni stainless steel designated "CA6NM". This alloy is widely used in the power industry for modern system components. Given the very tight temperature tolerance (600 to 630 °C) for post-weld heat treatment on this alloy, 13Cr-4Ni stainless steel is very well suited for demonstrating the possibilities of this process. To achieve heat treatment requirements, an induction heating system is mounted on a compact manipulator named "Scompi". This robot moves a pancake coil in order to control the temperature distribution. A simulator using thermal finite element analysis is first used for path planning. A feedback loop adjusts parameters in function of environmental conditions.

In situ post-weld heat treatment on martensitic stainless steel turbine runners using a robotic induction heating process to control temperature distribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boudreault, E; Hazel, B; Côté, J; Godin, S

2014-01-01

A new robotic heat treatment process is developed. Using this solution it is now possible to perform local heat treatment on large steel components. Crack, cavitation and erosion repairs on turbine blades and Pelton buckets are among the applications of this technique. The proof of concept is made on a 13Cr-4Ni stainless steel designated C A6NM . This alloy is widely used in the power industry for modern system components. Given the very tight temperature tolerance (600 to 630 °C) for post-weld heat treatment on this alloy, 13Cr-4Ni stainless steel is very well suited for demonstrating the possibilities of this process. To achieve heat treatment requirements, an induction heating system is mounted on a compact manipulator named S compi . This robot moves a pancake coil in order to control the temperature distribution. A simulator using thermal finite element analysis is first used for path planning. A feedback loop adjusts parameters in function of environmental conditions

Automatized welding equipment for manufacturing steel cells for special buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weikert, F.; Winter, K.P.

1986-01-01

In GDR's nuclear power plant construction, reinforced concrete wall cells are used to construct pressure and full pressure containments for WWER-440 and WWER-1000 reactors, respectively. Welding processes for the prefabrication of steel cells as reinforcement have been automatized in order to increase both labor productivity and quality assurance. 11 figs

Static stiffness modeling of a novel hybrid redundant robot machine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Ming; Wu Huapeng; Handroos, Heikki

2011-01-01

This paper presents a modeling method to study the stiffness of a hybrid serial-parallel robot IWR (Intersector Welding Robot) for the assembly of ITER vacuum vessel. The stiffness matrix of the basic element in the robot is evaluated using matrix structural analysis (MSA); the stiffness of the parallel mechanism is investigated by taking account of the deformations of both hydraulic limbs and joints; the stiffness of the whole integrated robot is evaluated by employing the virtual joint method and the principle of virtual work. The obtained stiffness model of the hybrid robot is analytical and the deformation results of the robot workspace under certain external load are presented.

A direct methanol fuel cell system to power a humanoid robot

Science.gov (United States)

Joh, Han-Ik; Ha, Tae Jung; Hwang, Sang Youp; Kim, Jong-Ho; Chae, Seung-Hoon; Cho, Jae Hyung; Prabhuram, Joghee; Kim, Soo-Kil; Lim, Tae-Hoon; Cho, Baek-Kyu; Oh, Jun-Ho; Moon, Sang Heup; Ha, Heung Yong

In this study, a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) system, which is the first of its kind, has been developed to power a humanoid robot. The DMFC system consists of a stack, a balance of plant (BOP), a power management unit (PMU), and a back-up battery. The stack has 42 unit cells and is able to produce about 400 W at 19.3 V. The robot is 125 cm tall, weighs 56 kg, and consumes 210 W during normal operation. The robot is integrated with the DMFC system that powers the robot in a stable manner for more than 2 h. The power consumption by the robot during various motions is studied, and load sharing between the fuel cell and the back-up battery is also observed. The loss of methanol feed due to crossover and evaporation amounts to 32.0% and the efficiency of the DMFC system in terms of net electric power is 22.0%.

Application of YAG laser processing in underwater welding and cutting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ohwaki, Katsura; Morita, Ichiro; Kojima, Toshio; Sato, Shuichi [Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

2002-09-01

The high-power YAG laser is a new fabrication tool. The laser torch is easy to combine with complex with complex mechanics because of beam delivery through optical fiber. A direct underwater laser welding technology has been developed and applied to the preservation, maintenance and removal of nuclear power plants. For subdividing or removing operations for retirement of plants, the laser cutting properties were confirmed to allow a maximum cutting thickness of 80 mm. For repairing inner surface of stainless steel tanks, an underwater laser welding system using a remote-controlled robot was developed and the high quality of underwater laser welding was confirmed. (author)

Applicability of a track-based multiprocess portable robot to some maintenance tasks in CANDU nuclear plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hazel, B.; Fihey, J.-L.; Laroche, Y.

2000-01-01

Hydro-Quebec has developed a six-axis, track-based, multiprocess robot. This lightweight (30 kg) compact robot travels on a bent track with a radius of curvature ranging from 1 m to infinity (straight track). Standard and tandem wires GMAW, FCAW and Narrow gap TIG welding as well as plasma gouging and cutting, electrical and pneumatic rough and precision grinding, and profile measurement functionalities have been incorporated. A description of this technology an its newly developed functionalities is given in this paper. Since 1995, a number of industrial and R and D projects have been performed using this technology now called the Scompi technology. The main field of application is the in situ repair of hydraulic turbine runners. However some applications have been developed in the nuclear field. One particular development was funded by the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project. Scompi was selected by the ITER US Home Team for a demonstration of remote techniques for welding, cutting and rewelding the 30 m diameter, 17 m high, vacuum vessel. The demonstration involved all position robotic plasma cutting and NG-TIG welding of a 316L, 40 mm thick, double wall. In 1998, two Scompi robots working in tandem performed in York, Pa, the joint welding and cutting of a full scale portion of the vacuum vessel. In 1995, the applicability of the Scompi technology to the repair of the divider plates in the four steam generators at Gentilly-2 was evaluated based on a joint proposal by Ontario Hydro Technologies (now Ontario Power Technologies-OPT) and Hydro-Quebec. A MIG welding procedure was proposed for the horizontal and vertical divider plates welds. A complete simulation of the robot and primary head demonstrated the feasibility of the concept. However, based on cost and scheduling, it was decided to proceed with a manual repair. Nevertheless it is anticipated that this technology will find its niche in the maintenance of Candu reactors. (author)

Applicability of a track-based multiprocess portable robot to some maintenance tasks in CANDU nuclear plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hazel, B.; Fihey, J.-L.; Laroche, Y. [Hydro-Quebec, Varennes, Quebec (Canada)

2000-07-01

Hydro-Quebec has developed a six-axis, track-based, multiprocess robot. This lightweight (30 kg) compact robot travels on a bent track with a radius of curvature ranging from 1 m to infinity (straight track). Standard and tandem wires GMAW, FCAW and Narrow gap TIG welding as well as plasma gouging and cutting, electrical and pneumatic rough and precision grinding, and profile measurement functionalities have been incorporated. A description of this technology an its newly developed functionalities is given in this paper. Since 1995, a number of industrial and R and D projects have been performed using this technology now called the Scompi technology. The main field of application is the in situ repair of hydraulic turbine runners. However some applications have been developed in the nuclear field. One particular development was funded by the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project. Scompi was selected by the ITER US Home Team for a demonstration of remote techniques for welding, cutting and rewelding the 30 m diameter, 17 m high, vacuum vessel. The demonstration involved all position robotic plasma cutting and NG-TIG welding of a 316L, 40 mm thick, double wall. In 1998, two Scompi robots working in tandem performed in York, Pa, the joint welding and cutting of a full scale portion of the vacuum vessel. In 1995, the applicability of the Scompi technology to the repair of the divider plates in the four steam generators at Gentilly-2 was evaluated based on a joint proposal by Ontario Hydro Technologies (now Ontario Power Technologies-OPT) and Hydro-Quebec. A MIG welding procedure was proposed for the horizontal and vertical divider plates welds. A complete simulation of the robot and primary head demonstrated the feasibility of the concept. However, based on cost and scheduling, it was decided to proceed with a manual repair. Nevertheless it is anticipated that this technology will find its niche in the maintenance of Candu reactors. (author)

Robotic Manufacturing of 5.5 Meter Cryogenic Fuel Tank Dome Assemblies for the NASA Ares I Rocket

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Ronald E.

2012-01-01

The Ares I rocket is the first launch vehicle scheduled for manufacture under the National Aeronautic and Space Administration's (NASA's) Constellation program. A series of full-scale Ares I development articles have been constructed on the Robotic Weld Tool at the NASA George C. Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The Robotic Weld Tool is a 100 ton, 7-axis, robotic manufacturing system capable of machining and friction stir welding large-scale space hardware. This presentation will focus on the friction stir welding of 5.5m diameter cryogenic fuel tank components; specifically, the liquid hydrogen forward dome (LH2 MDA), the common bulkhead manufacturing development articles (CBMDA) and the thermal protection system demonstration dome (TPS Dome). The LH2 MDA was the first full-scale, flight-like Ares I hardware produced under the Constellation Program. It is a 5.5m diameter elliptical dome assembly consisting of eight gore panels, a y-ring stiffener and a manhole fitting. All components are made from aluminumlithium alloy 2195. Conventional and self-reacting friction stir welding was used on this article. An overview of the manufacturing processes will be discussed. The LH2 MDA is the first known fully friction stir welded dome ever produced. The completion of four Common Bulkhead Manufacturing Development Articles (CBMDA) and the TPS Dome will also be highlighted. Each CBMDA and the TPS Dome consists of a 5.5m diameter spun-formed dome friction stir welded to a y-ring stiffener. The domes and y-rings are made of aluminum 2014 and 2219 respectively. The TPS Dome has an additional aluminum alloy 2195 barrel section welded to the y-ring. Manufacturing solutions will be discussed including "fixtureless" welding with self reacting friction stir welding.

Precise 3D Lug Pose Detection Sensor for Automatic Robot Welding Using a Structured-Light Vision System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Il Jae Lee

2009-09-01

Full Text Available In this study, we propose a precise 3D lug pose detection sensor for automatic robot welding of a lug to a huge steel plate used in shipbuilding, where the lug is a handle to carry the huge steel plate. The proposed sensor consists of a camera and four laser line diodes, and its design parameters are determined by analyzing its detectable range and resolution. For the lug pose acquisition, four laser lines are projected on both lug and plate, and the projected lines are detected by the camera. For robust detection of the projected lines against the illumination change, the vertical threshold, thinning, Hough transform and separated Hough transform algorithms are successively applied to the camera image. The lug pose acquisition is carried out by two stages: the top view alignment and the side view alignment. The top view alignment is to detect the coarse lug pose relatively far from the lug, and the side view alignment is to detect the fine lug pose close to the lug. After the top view alignment, the robot is controlled to move close to the side of the lug for the side view alignment. By this way, the precise 3D lug pose can be obtained. Finally, experiments with the sensor prototype are carried out to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed sensor.

Virtual reality based support system for layout planning and programming of an industrial robotic work cell.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hwa Jen Yap

Full Text Available Traditional robotic work cell design and programming are considered inefficient and outdated in current industrial and market demands. In this research, virtual reality (VR technology is used to improve human-robot interface, whereby complicated commands or programming knowledge is not required. The proposed solution, known as VR-based Programming of a Robotic Work Cell (VR-Rocell, consists of two sub-programmes, which are VR-Robotic Work Cell Layout (VR-RoWL and VR-based Robot Teaching System (VR-RoT. VR-RoWL is developed to assign the layout design for an industrial robotic work cell, whereby VR-RoT is developed to overcome safety issues and lack of trained personnel in robot programming. Simple and user-friendly interfaces are designed for inexperienced users to generate robot commands without damaging the robot or interrupting the production line. The user is able to attempt numerous times to attain an optimum solution. A case study is conducted in the Robotics Laboratory to assemble an electronics casing and it is found that the output models are compatible with commercial software without loss of information. Furthermore, the generated KUKA commands are workable when loaded into a commercial simulator. The operation of the actual robotic work cell shows that the errors may be due to the dynamics of the KUKA robot rather than the accuracy of the generated programme. Therefore, it is concluded that the virtual reality based solution approach can be implemented in an industrial robotic work cell.

Virtual reality based support system for layout planning and programming of an industrial robotic work cell.

Science.gov (United States)

Yap, Hwa Jen; Taha, Zahari; Dawal, Siti Zawiah Md; Chang, Siow-Wee

2014-01-01

Traditional robotic work cell design and programming are considered inefficient and outdated in current industrial and market demands. In this research, virtual reality (VR) technology is used to improve human-robot interface, whereby complicated commands or programming knowledge is not required. The proposed solution, known as VR-based Programming of a Robotic Work Cell (VR-Rocell), consists of two sub-programmes, which are VR-Robotic Work Cell Layout (VR-RoWL) and VR-based Robot Teaching System (VR-RoT). VR-RoWL is developed to assign the layout design for an industrial robotic work cell, whereby VR-RoT is developed to overcome safety issues and lack of trained personnel in robot programming. Simple and user-friendly interfaces are designed for inexperienced users to generate robot commands without damaging the robot or interrupting the production line. The user is able to attempt numerous times to attain an optimum solution. A case study is conducted in the Robotics Laboratory to assemble an electronics casing and it is found that the output models are compatible with commercial software without loss of information. Furthermore, the generated KUKA commands are workable when loaded into a commercial simulator. The operation of the actual robotic work cell shows that the errors may be due to the dynamics of the KUKA robot rather than the accuracy of the generated programme. Therefore, it is concluded that the virtual reality based solution approach can be implemented in an industrial robotic work cell.

Virtual Reality Based Support System for Layout Planning and Programming of an Industrial Robotic Work Cell

Science.gov (United States)

Yap, Hwa Jen; Taha, Zahari; Md Dawal, Siti Zawiah; Chang, Siow-Wee

2014-01-01

Traditional robotic work cell design and programming are considered inefficient and outdated in current industrial and market demands. In this research, virtual reality (VR) technology is used to improve human-robot interface, whereby complicated commands or programming knowledge is not required. The proposed solution, known as VR-based Programming of a Robotic Work Cell (VR-Rocell), consists of two sub-programmes, which are VR-Robotic Work Cell Layout (VR-RoWL) and VR-based Robot Teaching System (VR-RoT). VR-RoWL is developed to assign the layout design for an industrial robotic work cell, whereby VR-RoT is developed to overcome safety issues and lack of trained personnel in robot programming. Simple and user-friendly interfaces are designed for inexperienced users to generate robot commands without damaging the robot or interrupting the production line. The user is able to attempt numerous times to attain an optimum solution. A case study is conducted in the Robotics Laboratory to assemble an electronics casing and it is found that the output models are compatible with commercial software without loss of information. Furthermore, the generated KUKA commands are workable when loaded into a commercial simulator. The operation of the actual robotic work cell shows that the errors may be due to the dynamics of the KUKA robot rather than the accuracy of the generated programme. Therefore, it is concluded that the virtual reality based solution approach can be implemented in an industrial robotic work cell. PMID:25360663

Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods for parameter estimation of a novel hybrid redundant robot

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Yongbo; Wu Huapeng; Handroos, Heikki

2011-01-01

This paper presents a statistical method for the calibration of a redundantly actuated hybrid serial-parallel robot IWR (Intersector Welding Robot). The robot under study will be used to carry out welding, machining, and remote handing for the assembly of vacuum vessel of International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). The robot has ten degrees of freedom (DOF), among which six DOF are contributed by the parallel mechanism and the rest are from the serial mechanism. In this paper, a kinematic error model which involves 54 unknown geometrical error parameters is developed for the proposed robot. Based on this error model, the mean values of the unknown parameters are statistically analyzed and estimated by means of Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) approach. The computer simulation is conducted by introducing random geometric errors and measurement poses which represent the corresponding real physical behaviors. The simulation results of the marginal posterior distributions of the estimated model parameters indicate that our method is reliable and robust.

On Throughput Maximization in Constant Travel-Time Robotic Cells

OpenAIRE

Milind Dawande; Chelliah Sriskandarajah; Suresh Sethi

2002-01-01

We consider the problem of scheduling operations in bufferless robotic cells that produce identical parts. The objective is to find a cyclic sequence of robot moves that minimizes the long-run average time to produce a part or, equivalently, maximizes the throughput rate. The robot can be moved in simple cycles that produce one unit or, in more complicated cycles, that produce multiple units. Because one-unit cycles are the easiest to understand, implement, and control, they are widely used i...

Beijing international welding fair report. Kokusaika ni ugokidashita chugoku yosetsukai

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1991-07-01

This paper reports the affairs at the Beijing International Scientific Conference for Welding and the International Welding Fair held in May 1991, including visitors{prime} comments on their impression. The Scientific Conference was held for three days in eleven sessions, where 135 theses were presented, most of which were related to high-tech areas including robotization, automation, laser welding and cutting, and ceramic bonding. The total attendance numbered 231 members, including 30 from Germany, 20 from Japan, 17 from Soviet, 7 from Korea, and one each from Finland and Switzerland, plus 150 from China. It was the third meeting for the Scientific Conference, which had the number of attendance jumped from the previous one showing the increased interest by the international welding industry toward China. Exhibits from overseas countries were few, a possible effect from the Tiananmen incident, only three from Japan. Welding machines exhibited by China were those made in or licensed by Japan. Strong impression was felt on the spread in use of CO{sub 2} semi-automatic welding machines. 3 figs.

Effective programming of energy consuming industrial robot systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trnka, K.; Pinter, T.; Knazik, M.; Bozek, P.

2012-01-01

This paper discusses the problem of effective motion planning for industrial robots. The first part dealt with current method for off-line motion planning. In the second part is presented the work done with one of the simulation system with automatic trajectory generation and off-line programming capability [4]. An spot welding process is involved. The practical application of this step strongly depends on the method for robot path optimization with high accuracy, thus, transform the path into a time and energy optimal robot program for the real world, which is discussed in the third step. (Authors)

Novel low-cost vision-sensing technology with controllable of exposal time for welding

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wenzeng; Wang, Bin; Chen, Nian; Cao, Yipeng

2005-02-01

In the process of robot Welding, position of welding seam and welding pool shape is detected by CCD camera for quality control and seam tracking in real-time. It is difficult to always get a clear welding image in some welding methods, such as TIG welding. A novel idea that the exposal time of CCD camera is automatically controlled by arc voltage or arc luminance is proposed to get clear welding image. A set of special device and circuits are added to a common industrial CCD camera in order to flexibly control the CCD to start or close exposal by control of the internal clearing signal of the accumulated charge. Two special vision sensors according to the idea are developed. Their exposal grabbing can be triggered respectively by the arc voltage and the variety of the arc luminance. Two prototypes have been designed and manufactured. Experiments show that they can stably grab clear welding images at appointed moment, which is a basic for the feedback control of automatic welding.

The effect of CO{sub 2} laser beam welded AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel on the viability of fibroblast cells, in vitro

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Köse, Ceyhun, E-mail: ceyhun.kose@gop.edu.tr [Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Gaziosmanpaşa University, Tokat (Turkey); Kaçar, Ramazan, E-mail: rkacar@karabuk.edu.tr [Faculty of Technology Department of Manufacturing Engineering, Karabuk University, Karabuk 78050 (Turkey); Zorba, Aslı Pınar, E-mail: aslipinarzorba@gmail.com [Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Department of Bioengineering Cell Culture and Tissue Engineering, Yıldız Technical University, Istanbul (Turkey); Bağırova, Melahat, E-mail: mbagir@yildiz.edu.tr [Department of Bioengineering Cell Culture and Tissue Engineering, Yıldız Technical University, Istanbul (Turkey); Allahverdiyev, Adil M., E-mail: adil@yildiz.edu.tr [Department of Bioengineering Cell Culture and Tissue Engineering, Yıldız Technical University, Istanbul (Turkey)

2016-03-01

It has been determined by the literature research that there is no clinical study on the in vivo and in vitro interaction of the cells with the laser beam welded joints of AISI 316L biomaterial. It is used as a prosthesis and implant material and that has adequate mechanical properties and corrosion resistance characteristics. Therefore, the interaction of the CO{sub 2} laser beam welded samples and samples of the base metal of AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel with L929 fibroblast cells as an element of connective tissue under in vitro conditions has been studied. To study the effect of the base metal and the laser welded test specimens on the viability of the fibroblast cells that act as an element of connective tissues in the body, they were kept in DMEMF-12 medium for 7, 14, 28 days and 18 months. The viability study was experimentally studied using the MTT method for 7, 14, 28 days. In addition, the direct interaction of the fibroblast cells seeded on 6 different plates with the samples was examined with an inverted microscope. The MTT cell viability experiment was repeated on the cells that were in contact with the samples. The statistical relationship was analyzed using a Tukey test for the variance with the GraphPad statistics software. The data regarding metallic ion release were identified with the ICP-MS method after the laser welded and main material samples were kept in cell culture medium for 18 months. The cell viability of the laser welded sample has been detected to be higher than that of the base metal and the control based on 7th day data. However, the laser welded sample's viability of the fibroblast cells has diminished by time during the test period of 14 and 28 days and base metal shows better viability when compared to the laser welded samples. On the other hand, the base metal and the laser welded sample show better cell viability effect when compared to the control group. According to the ICP-MS results of the main material and

Interactions Between Fibroblast Cells and Laser Beam Welded AISI 2205 Duplex Stainless Steel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ceyhun KÖSE

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Because of their high mechanical strength, excellent corrosion resistance and good weldability, duplex stainless steels are mostly used in industries such as oil, chemistry, petrochemistry, food and occasionally used in medical industry. These properties have enabled us to use duplex stainless steels in biomedical applications recently. Accordingly, duplex stainless steel material can be highly important to examine the toxic effect on the cells. In this study, the effect of the AISI 2205 duplex stainless steels which are joined by CO2 laser beam welding on viability of L929 fibroblast cells has been studied in vitro for the first time. For this aim, the cells were kept in DMEM/F-12 (Thermofisher Scientific 31331-028 medium for 7 days. The viability study was experimentally studied using the MTT (Thiazolyl Blue Tetrazolium Bromide method for 7 days. The cell viability of the laser beam welded sample has been detected to be higher than that of the base metal and the control based on 7th day data. According to the obtained results, it was revealed that laser beam welded and base metal AISI 2205 duplex stainless steel has been found suitable to study for biomedical applications. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.24.2.18006

Implementation of Admittance Control on a Construction Robot using Load Cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bekker, Misha; Pedersen, Rasmus; Bak, Thomas

2018-01-01

Physical human-robot interactions (pHRI) must be safe and should feel natural to the human operator. To this end impedance or admittance control is often employed to relate the force applied by the human to the dynamic behavior of the robot. The robot under consideration in this work uses a load...... cell to sense the externally applied force. This paper presents a practical modeling procedure and implementation of admittance control that specifically deal with the undesired non-linearities caused by the use of a load cell. Experiments are performed on a 1-DoF testbed to validate the work done...

Accuracy analysis of hybrid parallel robot for the assembling of ITER

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang Yongbo [Institute of Mechatronics and Virtual Engineering, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Skinnarilankatu 34, 53850 Lappeenranta (Finland); The State Key Laboratory of Mechanical Transmission, Chongqing University (China); Pessi, Pekka [Institute of Mechatronics and Virtual Engineering, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Skinnarilankatu 34, 53850 Lappeenranta (Finland); Wu Huapeng [Institute of Mechatronics and Virtual Engineering, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Skinnarilankatu 34, 53850 Lappeenranta (Finland)], E-mail: huapeng@lut.fi; Handroos, Heikki [Institute of Mechatronics and Virtual Engineering, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Skinnarilankatu 34, 53850 Lappeenranta (Finland)

2009-06-15

This paper presents a novel mobile parallel robot, which is able to carry welding and machining processes from inside the international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER) vacuum vessel (VV). The kinematics design of the robot has been optimized for ITER access. To improve the accuracy of the parallel robot, the errors caused by the stiffness and manufacture process have to be compensated or limited to a minimum value. In this paper kinematics errors and stiffness modeling are given. The simulation results are presented.

Accuracy analysis of hybrid parallel robot for the assembling of ITER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Yongbo; Pessi, Pekka; Wu Huapeng; Handroos, Heikki

2009-01-01

This paper presents a novel mobile parallel robot, which is able to carry welding and machining processes from inside the international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER) vacuum vessel (VV). The kinematics design of the robot has been optimized for ITER access. To improve the accuracy of the parallel robot, the errors caused by the stiffness and manufacture process have to be compensated or limited to a minimum value. In this paper kinematics errors and stiffness modeling are given. The simulation results are presented.

Efficient Symbolic Task Planning for Multiple Mobile Robots

Science.gov (United States)

2016-12-13

shows a map of the testing environment. S1 and S2 ( green rectangles) are the initial positions of two robots, and G1 and G2 (red ellipses) show their...intelligence, pages 1594–1597. AAAI Press, 2008. [25] Mausam and D. S. Weld . Planning with durative actions in stochastic domains. J. Artif. Intell. Res...JAIR), 31:33–82, 2008. [26] D. McDermott, M. Ghallab, A. Howe, C. Knoblock, A. Ram, M. Veloso, D. Weld , and D. Wilkins. Pddl-the planning domain

The effect of CO2 laser beam welded AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel on the viability of fibroblast cells, in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Köse, Ceyhun; Kaçar, Ramazan; Zorba, Aslı Pınar; Bağırova, Melahat; Allahverdiyev, Adil M

2016-03-01

It has been determined by the literature research that there is no clinical study on the in vivo and in vitro interaction of the cells with the laser beam welded joints of AISI 316L biomaterial. It is used as a prosthesis and implant material and that has adequate mechanical properties and corrosion resistance characteristics. Therefore, the interaction of the CO2 laser beam welded samples and samples of the base metal of AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel with L929 fibroblast cells as an element of connective tissue under in vitro conditions has been studied. To study the effect of the base metal and the laser welded test specimens on the viability of the fibroblast cells that act as an element of connective tissues in the body, they were kept in DMEMF-12 medium for 7, 14, 28 days and 18 months. The viability study was experimentally studied using the MTT method for 7, 14, 28 days. In addition, the direct interaction of the fibroblast cells seeded on 6 different plates with the samples was examined with an inverted microscope. The MTT cell viability experiment was repeated on the cells that were in contact with the samples. The statistical relationship was analyzed using a Tukey test for the variance with the GraphPad statistics software. The data regarding metallic ion release were identified with the ICP-MS method after the laser welded and main material samples were kept in cell culture medium for 18 months. The cell viability of the laser welded sample has been detected to be higher than that of the base metal and the control based on 7th day data. However, the laser welded sample's viability of the fibroblast cells has diminished by time during the test period of 14 and 28 days and base metal shows better viability when compared to the laser welded samples. On the other hand, the base metal and the laser welded sample show better cell viability effect when compared to the control group. According to the ICP-MS results of the main material and laser welded

Waste canister closure welding using the inertia friction welding process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klein, R.F.; Siemens, D.H.; Kuruzar, D.L.

1986-02-01

Liquid radioactive waste presently stored in underground tanks is to undergo a vitrifying process which will immobilize it in a solid form. This solid waste will be contained in a stainless steel canister. The canister opening requires a positive seal weld, the properties and thickness of which are at least equal to those of the canister material. This paper describes the inertia friction welding process and a proposed equipment design concept that will provide a positive, reliable, inspectable, and full thickness seal weld while providing easily maintainable equipment, even though the weld is made in a highly contaminated hot cell. All studies and tests performed have shown the concept to be highly feasible. 2 refs., 6 figs

Remote-welding technique for assembling in-pile IASCC capsule in hot cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawamata, Kazuo; Ishii, Toshimitsu; Kanazawa, Yoshiharu; Iwamatsu, Shigemi; Ohmi, Masao; Shimizu, Michio; Matsui, Yoshinori; Saito, Jun-ichi; Ugachi, Hirokazu; Kaji, Yoshiyuki; Tsukada, Takashi

2006-01-01

In order to investigate behavior of the irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) caused by the simultaneous effects of neutron irradiation and high temperature water environment in such a light water reactor (LWR), it is necessary to perform crack growth tests in an in-pile IASCC capsule irradiated in the Japan Materials Testing Reactor (JMTR). The development of the remote-welding technique is essential for remotely assembling the in-pile IASCC capsule installing the pre-irradiated CT specimens. This report describes a new remote-welding machine developed for assembling the in-pile IASCC capsule. The remote-welding technique that the capsule tube is rotated light under the fixed torch was applied to the machine for the welding of thick and large-diameter tubes. The assembly work of four in-pile IASCC capsules having pre-irradiated CT specimens in the hot cell was succeeded for performing the crack growth test under the neutron irradiation in JMTR. The irradiation test of two capsules has been already finished in JMTR without problems. (author)

Present and future of laser welding machine; Laser yosetsuki no genjo to tenbo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taniu, Y. [Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

1998-04-01

This paper describes recent trends of laser welding machine. For CO2 laser welding machine, seam weld of large diameter weld pipes using a 25 kW-class machine, and plate weld of steel plate using a 45 kW-class machine are reported. For YAG laser welding machine, high-output 5.5 kW-class machines are commercialized. Machines with slab structure of plate-like YAG chrystal have been developed which show high-oscillation efficiency and can be applied to cutting. Machines have been developed in which YAG laser output with slab structure is transmitted through GI fiber. High-speed welding of aluminum alloys can be realized by improving the converging performance. Efficiency of YAG laser can be enhanced through the time-divided utilization by switching the beam transmission path using fiber change-over switch. In the automobile industry, CO2 laser is mainly used, and a system combining CO laser with articulate robot is realized. TIG and MIG welding is often used for welding of aluminum for railway vehicles. It is required to reduce the welding strain. In the iron and steel industry, the productivity has been improved by the laser welding. YAG laser is put into practice for nuclear reactors. 5 refs., 8 figs., 1 tab.

Advanced cutting, welding and inspection methods for vacuum vessel assembly and maintenance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jones, L. E-mail: jonesl@ipp.mgg.de; Alfile, J.-P.; Aubert, Ph.; Punshon, C.; Daenner, W.; Kujanpaeae, V.; Maisonnier, D.; Serre, M.; Schreck, G.; Wykes, M

2000-11-01

ITER requires a 316 l stainless steel, double-skinned vacuum vessel (VV), each shell being 60 mm thick. EFDA (European Fusion Development Agreement) is investigating methods to be used for performing welding and NDT during VV assembly and also cutting and re-welding for remote sector replacement, including the development of an Intersector Welding Robot (IWR) [Jones et al. This conference]. To reduce the welding time, distortions and residual stresses of conventional welding, previous work concentrated on CO{sub 2} laser welding and cutting processes [Jones et al. Proc. Symp. Fusion Technol., Marseilles, 1998]. NdYAG laser now provides the focus for welding of the rearside root and for completing the weld for overhead positions with multipass filling. Electron beam (E-beam) welding with local vacuum offers a single-pass for most of the weld depth except for overhead positions. Plasma cutting has shown the capability to contain the backside dross and preliminary work with NdYAG laser cutting has shown good results. Automated ultrasonic inspection of assembly welds will be improved by the use of a phased array probe system that can focus the beam for accurate flaw location and sizing. This paper describes the recent results of process investigations in this R and D programme, involving five European sites and forming part of the overall VV/blanket research effort [W. Daenner et al. This conference].

Metallography of Battery Resistance Spot Welds

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez, J. E.; Johannes, L. B.; Gonzalez, D.; Yayathi, S.; Figuered, J. M.; Darcy, E. C.; Bilc, Z. M.

2015-01-01

Li-ion cells provide an energy dense solution for systems that require rechargeable electrical power. However, these cells can undergo thermal runaway, the point at which the cell becomes thermally unstable and results in hot gas, flame, electrolyte leakage, and in some cases explosion. The heat and fire associated with this type of event is generally violent and can subsequently cause damage to the surrounding system or present a dangerous risk to the personnel nearby. The space flight environment is especially sensitive to risks particularly when it involves potential for fire within the habitable volume of the International Space Station (ISS). In larger battery packs such as Robonaut 2 (R2), numerous Li-ion cells are placed in parallel-series configurations to obtain the required stack voltage and desired run-time or to meet specific power requirements. This raises a second and less obvious concern for batteries that undergo certification for space flight use: the joining quality at the resistance spot weld of battery cells to component wires/leads and battery tabs, bus bars or other electronic components and assemblies. Resistance spot welds undergo materials evaluation, visual inspection, conductivity (resistivity) testing, destructive peel testing, and metallurgical examination in accordance with applicable NASA Process Specifications. Welded components are cross-sectioned to ensure they are free of cracks or voids open to any exterior surface. Pore and voids contained within the weld zone but not open to an exterior surface, and are not determined to have sharp notch like characteristics, shall be acceptable. Depending on requirements, some battery cells are constructed of aluminum canisters while others are constructed of steel. Process specific weld schedules must be developed and certified for each possible joining combination. The aluminum canisters' positive terminals were particularly difficult to weld due to a bi-metal strip that comes ultrasonically

Ultrasonic Real-Time Quality Monitoring Of Aluminum Spot Weld Process

Science.gov (United States)

Perez Regalado, Waldo Josue

The real-time ultrasonic spot weld monitoring system, introduced by our research group, has been designed for the unsupervised quality characterization of the spot welding process. It comprises the ultrasonic transducer (probe) built into one of the welding electrodes and an electronics hardware unit which gathers information from the transducer, performs real-time weld quality characterization and communicates with the robot programmable logic controller (PLC). The system has been fully developed for the inspection of spot welds manufactured in steel alloys, and has been mainly applied in the automotive industry. In recent years, a variety of materials have been introduced to the automotive industry. These include high strength steels, magnesium alloys, and aluminum alloys. Aluminum alloys have been of particular interest due to their high strength-to-weight ratio. Resistance spot welding requirements for aluminum vary greatly from those of steel. Additionally, the oxide film formed on the aluminum surface increases the heat generation between the copper electrodes and the aluminum plates leading to accelerated electrode deterioration. Preliminary studies showed that the real-time quality inspection system was not able to monitor spot welds manufactured with aluminum. The extensive experimental research, finite element modelling of the aluminum welding process and finite difference modeling of the acoustic wave propagation through the aluminum spot welds presented in this dissertation, revealed that the thermodynamics and hence the acoustic wave propagation through an aluminum and a steel spot weld differ significantly. For this reason, the hardware requirements and the algorithms developed to determine the welds quality from the ultrasonic data used on steel, no longer apply on aluminum spot welds. After updating the system and designing the required algorithms, parameters such as liquid nugget penetration and nugget diameter were available in the ultrasonic data

A mobile robot with parallel kinematics to meet the requirements for assembling and machining the ITER vacuum vessel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pessi, Pekka [Lappeenranta University of Technology, Lappeenranta (Finland)], E-mail: pessi@lut.fi; Wu, Huapeng; Handroos, Heikki [Lappeenranta University of Technology, Lappeenranta (Finland); Jones, Lawrence [EFDA Close Support Unit, Boltzmannstrasse 2, Garching D-85748 (Germany)

2007-10-15

The present paper introduces a mobile parallel robot developed for International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). The task of the robot is to carry out welding and machining processes inside the ITER vacuum vessel. The kinematic design of the robot has been optimized for the ITER access. The kinematic analysis is given in the paper. A virtual prototype of the parallel robot is built. A dynamic behavior of the whole robot is studied by the multi-body system simulation (MBS)

A mobile robot with parallel kinematics to meet the requirements for assembling and machining the ITER vacuum vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pessi, Pekka; Wu, Huapeng; Handroos, Heikki; Jones, Lawrence

2007-01-01

The present paper introduces a mobile parallel robot developed for International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). The task of the robot is to carry out welding and machining processes inside the ITER vacuum vessel. The kinematic design of the robot has been optimized for the ITER access. The kinematic analysis is given in the paper. A virtual prototype of the parallel robot is built. A dynamic behavior of the whole robot is studied by the multi-body system simulation (MBS)

Development of robots for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sasaki, Masayoshi

1982-01-01

In nuclear power plants, the reduction of maintenance time, the reduction of radiation exposure and man-power saving are increasingly required. To achieve these purposes, various remote-controlled devices, such as robots in a broad sense, have been earnestly developed. Of these, three machines for replacing, four devices for inspection, two systems for cleaning, and two equipment for processing are tabulated in this paper. Typical eight machines or equipment are briefly introduced, mainly describing their features or characteristics. Those are: a remotely handling machine for control rod drive mechanism, an automatic refueling machine, an automatic ultrasonic flaw detection system replacing for a manually operated testing system for the welded parts of primary cooling system, an automatic cask washing machine for decontamination, a floor-type remote inspection vehicle for various devices operating inside power plants, a monorail-type remote inspection vehicle for inspection in spaces where floor space is short, and a remote-controlled automatic pipe welding machine for welding operations in a radioactive environment such as replacing the piping of primary cooling system. Most of these devices serves for radiation exposure reduction at the same time. Existing nuclear power plant design assumes direct manual maintenance, which limits the introduction of robots. Future nuclear power plants should be designed on the assumption of automatic remote-controlled tools and devices being used in maintenance work. (Wakatsuki, Y.)

Spot Welding of Honeycomb Structures

Science.gov (United States)

Cohal, V.

2017-08-01

Honeycomb structures are used to prepare meals water jet cutting machines for textile. These honeycomb structures are made of stainless steel sheet thickness of 0.1-0.2 mm. Corrugated sheet metal strips are between two gears with special tooth profile. Hexagonal cells for obtaining these strips are welded points between them. Spot welding device is three electrodes in the upper part, which carries three welding points across the width of the strip of corrugated sheet metal. Spot welding device filled with press and advance mechanisms. The paper presents the values of the regime for spot welding.

The National Shipbuilding Research Program: Evaluation of the Cincinnati Milacron T-3 Robot for Shipbuilding Welding

Science.gov (United States)

1984-01-01

acknowledgement is extended to the members of Welding Panel SP-7 of the SNAME Ship Production Committee, who served as technical advisors in the preparation...Binzel Robo 450. . . . . . 4.4.4.1.3 Hobart WCG 600 . . . . . . 4.4.4.2 Maintenance and Service . . . . . . . 4.4.4.3 Recommendation...Machine Specialties D & F - Welding . . . Torch Binzel Robo 450 - Welding Torch. Hobart WCG - 600 - Welding Torch. Binzel Nozzle Cleaner

Inline-process and quality control of spotwelds of car bodies - ultrasonic sensors integrated in resistance welding electrodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vogt, G.; Rieger, D.; Koehler, C. [Vogt Werkstoffpruefsysteme, Burgwedel (Germany)

2006-07-01

The self-developed inline ultrasonic testing system SPOTline is used for inspection and process control of resistant spot weldings. SPOTline provides with directly into the welding tong integrated ultrasonic sensors a 100% inspection during the welding process. The through transmission and pulse echo signals will be collected, stored and evaluated by means of fuzzy-logic and neuronal network technic. The results will be transmitted online from the spotline-client in the sql-data-base of the server for processing. World-wide SPOTline is the only ultrasonic inspection system, which is working under real production conditions in a network of welding robots. Test with 2 and 3 plates, high strength steels and all coatings demonstrate the accurately identification of discrepant welds. (orig.)

WARRIOR II, a high performance modular electric robot system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Downton, G.C.

1996-01-01

Initially designed for in-reactor welding by the Central Electricity Generating Board, WARRIOR has been developed using the concept of modular technology to become a light-weight, high performance robotic system. Research work on existing machines for in-reactor inspection and repair and heavy duty hydraulic manipulators was progressed in order to develop WARRIOR II, a versatile in-reactor welding system usable at any nuclear power station light enough to be deployed by existing remote handling equipment. WARRIOR II can be significantly reconfigured quickly to pursue different ends. (UK)

Industrial robots in Europe - market, applications and developments

Science.gov (United States)

Schraft, R. D.

1975-01-01

Different companies involving a wide range of products and manufacturing processes were studied to define the requirements for industrial robots. A survey of all such automatic units offered on the world market was made to establish a data base. Principal applications include coating, spot welding, and loading and unloading operations.

Characteristics of AZ31 Mg alloy joint using automatic TIG welding

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Hong-tao; Zhou, Ji-xue; Zhao, Dong-qing; Liu, Yun-teng; Wu, Jian-hua; Yang, Yuan-sheng; Ma, Bai-chang; Zhuang, Hai-hua

2017-01-01

The automatic tungsten-inert gas welding (ATIGW) of AZ31 Mg alloys was performed using a six-axis robot. The evolution of the microstructure and texture of the AZ31 auto-welded joints was studied by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and electron backscatter diffraction. The ATIGW process resulted in coarse recrystallized grains in the heat affected zone (HAZ) and epitaxial growth of columnar grains in the fusion zone (FZ). Substantial changes of texture between the base material (BM) and the FZ were detected. The {0002} basal plane in the BM was largely parallel to the sheet rolling plane, whereas the c-axis of the crystal lattice in the FZ inclined approximately 25° with respect to the welding direction. The maximum pole density increased from 9.45 in the BM to 12.9 in the FZ. The microhardness distribution, tensile properties, and fracture features of the AZ31 auto-welded joints were also investigated.

A Web-Based Integration Procedure for the Development of Reconfigurable Robotic Work-Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paulo Ferreira

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Concepts related to the development of reconfigurable manufacturing systems (RMS and methodologies to provide the best practices in the processing industry and factory automation, such as system integration and web-based technology, are major issues in designing next-generation manufacturing systems (NGMS. Adaptable and integrable devices are crucial for the success of NGMS. In robotic cells the integration of manufacturing components is essential to accelerate system adaptability. Sensors, control architectures and communication technologies have contributed to achieving further agility in reconfigurable factories. In this work a web-based robotic cell integration procedure is proposed to aid the identification of reconfigurable issues and requirements. This methodology is applied to an industrial robot manipulator to enhance system flexibility towards the development of a reconfigurable robotic platform.

Precise Truss Assembly Using Commodity Parts and Low Precision Welding

Science.gov (United States)

Komendera, Erik; Reishus, Dustin; Dorsey, John T.; Doggett, W. R.; Correll, Nikolaus

2014-01-01

Hardware and software design and system integration for an intelligent precision jigging robot (IPJR), which allows high precision assembly using commodity parts and low-precision bonding, is described. Preliminary 2D experiments that are motivated by the problem of assembling space telescope optical benches and very large manipulators on orbit using inexpensive, stock hardware and low-precision welding are also described. An IPJR is a robot that acts as the precise "jigging", holding parts of a local structure assembly site in place, while an external low precision assembly agent cuts and welds members. The prototype presented in this paper allows an assembly agent (for this prototype, a human using only low precision tools), to assemble a 2D truss made of wooden dowels to a precision on the order of millimeters over a span on the order of meters. The analysis of the assembly error and the results of building a square structure and a ring structure are discussed. Options for future work, to extend the IPJR paradigm to building in 3D structures at micron precision are also summarized.

The ISIS operation: Robotics repair work on the CHINON A3 natural uranium, carbon dioxide cooled, graphite moderated reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hilmoine, R.M.E.

1989-01-01

After describing the upper internal support structures of the CHINON A3 reactor, the problems resulting from their degradation due to corrosion and to the difficulties of the ISIS operation are presented here. The repair method is as follows: all tools and repair parts reach the working area by the feeding-pipes drilled through the 7 m thick concrete vessel surrounding the reactor core; the robots handle into the reactor, the tool heads and the repair parts which are automatically positioned and welded around the corroded structure, thus restoring the support of measurement devices. The parts are either linked together or to the existing structure by means of 2 studs of 12 mm in diameter. The different phases to sort out a problem are: in-core topography, reconforming of the full-scale mock-up with the repair area, learning on this mock-up and in-core repair. The technical specificities of the robots used are the following: they have an 11 meter long, 0.22 meter across telescopic mast with jointed arms reaching a radius of 2.7 m. Then the useful load is 70 daN and the repeatability 0.1 mm. Different tool heads can be handled by the robot: telemeter and laser reconstruction: it allows to locate the in core points and to materialize them on the mock-up by a laser crossed-beams locating technique; scouring: it cleans the corroded parts of the structures before welding; welding: it allows the parts handling and the carried studs welding; screwing; tensile test: carried out when the stud welds are defective. A high level computerized control system is organized around a central unit which calculates the displacements of robots and synchronises the actions of different tools by communicating with several local units. A 100,000 hour designing, a 200,000 hour building and assembling and a 450,000 hour operating on working area were necessary to repair 15 out of the 102 corroded structures by fitting and welding 205 repair parts. 10 figs

Laser assisted robotic surgery in cornea transplantation

Science.gov (United States)

Rossi, Francesca; Micheletti, Filippo; Magni, Giada; Pini, Roberto; Menabuoni, Luca; Leoni, Fabio; Magnani, Bernardo

2017-03-01

Robotic surgery is a reality in several surgical fields, such as in gastrointestinal surgery. In ophthalmic surgery the required high spatial precision is limiting the application of robotic system, and even if several attempts have been designed in the last 10 years, only some application in retinal surgery were tested in animal models. The combination of photonics and robotics can really open new frontiers in minimally invasive surgery, improving the precision, reducing tremor, amplifying scale of motion, and automating the procedure. In this manuscript we present the preliminary results in developing a vision guided robotic platform for laser-assisted anterior eye surgery. The robotic console is composed by a robotic arm equipped with an "end effector" designed to deliver laser light to the anterior corneal surface. The main intended application is for laser welding of corneal tissue in laser assisted penetrating keratoplasty and endothelial keratoplasty. The console is equipped with an integrated vision system. The experiment originates from a clear medical demand in order to improve the efficacy of different surgical procedures: when the prototype will be optimized, other surgical areas will be included in its application, such as neurosurgery, urology and spinal surgery.

ROCLA robots repaired after tough times

CERN Multimedia

2004-01-01

The team of five welders and five mechanics, represented by Pascal Mésenge (right) and Fabrice Multon (left), worked during two week-ends to repair the two ROCLA. At the centre, Oliver Boettcher, technical manager for the robot. The two LHC magnet transport robots ROCLA have recently been repaired after cracks were found in the welds of their load-bearing structure. The Safety Commission suspended the use of one robot and limited the operation conditions of the other. These vehicles are used intensively for the transport of the LHC cryodipoles between the test and the assembly facilities SM18 and SMA18. As a consequence, a speedy solution had to be implemented to minimize the potential disruption to the LHC schedule. Appropriate CERN resources were immediately focused on the problem. As soon as TS/MME had designed a reinforced gantry support, the necessary raw material was ordered. Less than 10 days were required to get the two ROCLA robots operating again. This included 2 full weekends, many extra hours a...

Material Properties of Laser-Welded Thin Silicon Foils

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. T. Hessmann

2013-01-01

Full Text Available An extended monocrystalline silicon base foil offers a great opportunity to combine low-cost production with high efficiency silicon solar cells on a large scale. By overcoming the area restriction of ingot-based monocrystalline silicon wafer production, costs could be decreased to thin film solar cell range. The extended monocrystalline silicon base foil consists of several individual thin silicon wafers which are welded together. A comparison of three different approaches to weld 50 μm thin silicon foils is investigated here: (1 laser spot welding with low constant feed speed, (2 laser line welding, and (3 keyhole welding. Cross-sections are prepared and analyzed by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD to reveal changes in the crystal structure at the welding side after laser irradiation. The treatment leads to the appearance of new grains and boundaries. The induced internal stress, using the three different laser welding processes, was investigated by micro-Raman analysis. We conclude that the keyhole welding process is the most favorable to produce thin silicon foils.

Modelling of robotic work cells using agent based-approach

Science.gov (United States)

Sękala, A.; Banaś, W.; Gwiazda, A.; Monica, Z.; Kost, G.; Hryniewicz, P.

2016-08-01

In the case of modern manufacturing systems the requirements, both according the scope and according characteristics of technical procedures are dynamically changing. This results in production system organization inability to keep up with changes in a market demand. Accordingly, there is a need for new design methods, characterized, on the one hand with a high efficiency and on the other with the adequate level of the generated organizational solutions. One of the tools that could be used for this purpose is the concept of agent systems. These systems are the tools of artificial intelligence. They allow assigning to agents the proper domains of procedures and knowledge so that they represent in a self-organizing system of an agent environment, components of a real system. The agent-based system for modelling robotic work cell should be designed taking into consideration many limitations considered with the characteristic of this production unit. It is possible to distinguish some grouped of structural components that constitute such a system. This confirms the structural complexity of a work cell as a specific production system. So it is necessary to develop agents depicting various aspects of the work cell structure. The main groups of agents that are used to model a robotic work cell should at least include next pattern representatives: machine tool agents, auxiliary equipment agents, robots agents, transport equipment agents, organizational agents as well as data and knowledge bases agents. In this way it is possible to create the holarchy of the agent-based system.

Development of remote laser welding technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Soo-Sung; Kim, Woong-Ki; Lee, Jung-Won; Yang, Myung-Seung; Park, Hyun-Soo

1999-01-01

Various welding processes are now available for end cap closure of nuclear fuel element such as TIG(Tungsten Inert Gas) welding, magnetic resistance welding and laser welding. Even though the resistance and TIG welding process are widely used for manufacturing of the commercial fuel elements, it can not be recommended for the remote seal welding of fuel element at PIE facility due to its complexity of the electrode alignment, difficulty in the replacement of parts in the remote manner and its large heat input for thin sheath. Therefore, Nd:YAG laser system using the optical fiber transmission was selected for Zircaloy-4 end cap welding. Remote laser welding apparatus is developed using a pulsed Nd:YAG laser of 500 watt average power with optical fiber transmission. The laser weldability is satisfactory in respect of the microstructures and mechanical properties comparing with the TIG and resistance welding. The optimum operation processes of laser welding and the optical fiber transmission system for hot cell operation in remote manner have been developed. (author)

Device for welding components using ultrasonics, particularly for solar cell contacts and solar cell connections. Vorrichtung zum Verschweissen von Bauteilen unter Verwendung von Ultraschall, insbesondere von Solarzellenkontakten und Solarzellenverbindern

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gochermann, H.

1983-06-23

This is a device for welding components, particularly solar cell contacts and solar cell connections, using an ultrasonic welding device. The ultrasonic welding device has a high frequency generator, an ultrasonic emitter, a transmitter, a sonotrode, a device for accommodating the components and controls. The sonotrode is provided with a circumferential beading acting as the welding disc, which, together with the sonotrode, is rolled over the components by a relative movement. The part of the beading which is tangential to the component introduces ultrasonic energy into the component. The relative movement is made possible by the system of the ultrasonic emitter, transmitter and sonotrode with the surrounding beading being mounted so that it can rotate in a vibration node of the transmitter. (orig.).

Soldadura (Welding). Spanish Translations for Welding.

Science.gov (United States)

Hohhertz, Durwin

Thirty transparency masters with Spanish subtitles for key words are provided for a welding/general mechanical repair course. The transparency masters are on such topics as oxyacetylene welding; oxyacetylene welding equipment; welding safety; different types of welds; braze welding; cutting torches; cutting with a torch; protective equipment; arc…

Systemic immune cell response in rats after pulmonary exposure to manganese-containing particles collected from welding aerosols.

Science.gov (United States)

Antonini, James M; Zeidler-Erdely, Patti C; Young, Shih-Houng; Roberts, Jenny R; Erdely, Aaron

2012-01-01

Welding fume inhalation affects the immune system of exposed workers. Manganese (Mn) in welding fume may induce immunosuppressive effects. The goal was to determine if Mn in welding fume alters immunity by reducing the number of circulating total leukocytes and specific leukocyte sub-populations. Sprague-Dawley rats were treated by intratracheal instillation (ITI) with either a single dose (2.00 mg/rat) or repeated doses (0.125 or 2.00 mg/rat for 7 weeks) with welding fumes that contained different levels of Mn. Additional rats were treated by ITI once a week for 7 weeks with the two doses of manganese chloride (MnCl₂). Bronchoalveolar lavage was performed to assess lung inflammation. Also, whole blood was recovered, and the number of circulating total leukocytes, as well as specific lymphocyte subsets, was determined by flow cytometry. The welding fume highest in Mn content significantly increased lung inflammation, injury, and production of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines compared to all other treatment groups. In addition, the same group expressed significant decreases in the number of circulating CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T-lymphocytes after a single exposure, and significant reductions in the number of circulating total lymphocytes, primarily CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T-lymphocytes, after repeated exposures (compared to control values). Repeated MnCl₂ exposure led to a trend of a reduction (but not statistically significant) in circulating total lymphocytes, attributable to the changes in the CD4⁺ T-lymphocyte population levels. The welding fume with the lower concentration of Mn had no significant effect on the numbers of blood lymphocytes and lymphocyte subsets compared to control values. Evidence from this study indicates that pulmonary exposure to certain welding fumes cause decrements in systemic immune cell populations, specifically circulating T-lymphocytes, and these alterations in immune cell number are not dependent exclusively on Mn, but likely a

Video Game Device Haptic Interface for Robotic Arc Welding

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Corrie I. Nichol; Milos Manic

2009-05-01

Recent advances in technology for video games have made a broad array of haptic feedback devices available at low cost. This paper presents a bi-manual haptic system to enable an operator to weld remotely using the a commercially available haptic feedback video game device for the user interface. The system showed good performance in initial tests, demonstrating the utility of low cost input devices for remote haptic operations.

Evaluation of characterisation techniques for particulate weld fume morphology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sterjovski, Z.; Monaghan, B.J.; Norrish, J.

2009-01-01

An evaluation of three techniques: scanning electron microscopy (SEM); transmission electron microscopy (TEM); and laser diffraction (LD), was carried out to determine the most suitable technique for the particle-size measurement of particulate-welding fume collected during the robotic gas-metal-arc welding (GMAW) of plain-carbon steel. Particulate fume was deposited onto an Al stub positioned at a horizontal distance of 30 mm and a vertical height of 50 mm from the welding arc, and was then prepared for SEM, TEM and LD sizing. Results are presented for paniculate-welding fume collected for three welding voltages (20, 23 and 26 V) and two metal-transfer modes (dip and dip/globular). TEM imaging was found to be the most effective of the three sizing technique as it was able to resolve both fine nano-particles (5 ran diameter) and coarse nano-particles (>100 mn diameter). The TEM approach showed that results determined were reproducible and that the majority of fume particles produced at the welding voltages investigated were less than 40 nm in diameter. SEM (La B6 filament) images were shown to be inadequate for the quantitative-size analysis of paniculate-welding fume due to the limited resolution of the microscope (-40 nm). However. SEM images did confirm that at a welding voltage of 23 V the majority of particle sizes produced were less than 100 nm in diameter, and thus supported the conclusion that the individual fume particles are predominantly in the nanometre size range. LD gave unexpectedly large mean particle sizes and did not detect particles less than 180 run in diameter. It is concluded that the LD technique measures particle agglomerates and/or simultaneously monitors multiple particles in the beam path.

Generation rate of carbon monoxide from CO2 arc welding.

Science.gov (United States)

Ojima, Jun

2013-01-01

CO poisoning has been a serious industrial hazard in Japanese workplaces. Although incomplete combustion is the major cause of CO generation, there is a risk of CO poisoning during some welding operations. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the generation rate of CO from CO2 arc welding under controlled laboratory conditions and estimate the ventilation requirements for the prevention of CO poisoning. Bead on plate welding was carried out with an automatic welding robot on a rolled steel base metal under several conditions. The concentration of emitted CO from the welding was measured by a real-time CO monitor in a well-ventilated laboratory that was free from ambient CO contamination. The generation rate of CO was obtained from the three measurements-the flow rate of the welding exhaust gas, CO concentration in the exhaust gas and the arcing time. Then the ventilation requirement to prevent CO poisoning was calculated. The generation rate of CO was found to be 386-883 ml/min with a solid wire and 331-1,293 ml/min with a flux cored wire respectively. It was found that the CO concentration in a room would be maintained theoretically below the OSHA PEL (50 ppm) providing the ventilation rate in the room was 6.6-25.9 m3/min. The actual ventilation requirement was then estimated to be 6.6-259 m3/min considering incomplete mixing. In order to prevent CO poisoning, some countermeasures against gaseous emission as well as welding fumes should be taken eagerly.

Robotics and remote handling in the nuclear industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1984-01-01

This book presents the papers given at a conference on the use of remote handling equipment in nuclear facilities. Topics considered at the conference included dose reduction, artificial intelligence in nuclear plant maintenance, robotic welding, uncertainty covariances, reactor operation and inspection, reactor maintenance and repair, uranium mining, fuel fabrication, reactor component manufacture, irradiated fuel and radioactive waste management, and radioisotope handling.

WARRIOR II, a high performance modular electric robot system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Downton, G.C.

1996-01-01

A high performance electric robot, WARRIOR, was built for in-reactor welding at the Oldbury nuclear power plant in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s. WARRIOR II has been developed as a lighter, smaller diameter articulated welding robot which can be deployed on its umbilical down a stand pipe for remote docking with the manipulator system which delivers it to its work site. A key feature of WARRIOR II has been the development of a prototype spherical modular joint. The module provides the drive torque necessary to motivate the robot arm, acts as the joint bearing, has standard mechanical interfaces for the limb sections, accurately measures the joint angle and has cable services running through the centre. It can act either as a bend or rotate joint and the interconnecting limb sections need only to be simple tubular sections. A wide range of manipulator configurations to suit the access constraints of particular problems can be achieved with a set of joint modules and limb sections. A general purpose motion controller has also been developed which is capable of kinematically controlling any configuration of WARRIOR II thus contributing to the realisation of the concept of a general purpose tool which can be used over and over again, at short notice, in any situation where a high precision, light weight, versatile manipulator is required. (UK)

Quality status display for a vibration welding process

Science.gov (United States)

Spicer, John Patrick; Abell, Jeffrey A.; Wincek, Michael Anthony; Chakraborty, Debejyo; Bracey, Jennifer; Wang, Hui; Tavora, Peter W.; Davis, Jeffrey S.; Hutchinson, Daniel C.; Reardon, Ronald L.; Utz, Shawn

2017-03-28

A system includes a host machine and a status projector. The host machine is in electrical communication with a collection of sensors and with a welding controller that generates control signals for controlling the welding horn. The host machine is configured to execute a method to thereby process the sensory and control signals, as well as predict a quality status of a weld that is formed using the welding horn, including identifying any suspect welds. The host machine then activates the status projector to illuminate the suspect welds. This may occur directly on the welds using a laser projector, or on a surface of the work piece in proximity to the welds. The system and method may be used in the ultrasonic welding of battery tabs of a multi-cell battery pack in a particular embodiment. The welding horn and welding controller may also be part of the system.

Methodological Aspects of Modelling and Simulation of Robotized Workstations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naqib Daneshjo

2018-05-01

Full Text Available From the point of view of development of application and program products, key directions that need to be respected in computer support for project activities are quite clearly specified. User interfaces with a high degree of graphical interactive convenience, two-dimensional and three-dimensional computer graphics contribute greatly to streamlining project methodologies and procedures in particular. This is mainly due to the fact that a high number of solved tasks is clearly graphic in the modern design of robotic systems. Automation of graphical character tasks is therefore a significant development direction for the subject area. The authors present results of their research in the area of automation and computer-aided design of robotized systems. A new methodical approach to modelling robotic workstations, consisting of ten steps incorporated into the four phases of the logistics process of creating and implementing a robotic workplace, is presented. The emphasis is placed on the modelling and simulation phase with verification of elaborated methodologies on specific projects or elements of the robotized welding plant in automotive production.

Friction welded closures of waste canisters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klein, R.F.

1987-01-01

Liquid radioactive waste presently stored in underground tanks is to undergo a vitrifying process which will immobilize it into a solid form. This solid waste will be contained in a stainless steel canister. The canister opening requires a positive-seal weld, the properties and thickness of which must be at least equal to those of the canister material. All studies and tests performed in the work discussed in this paper have the inertia friction welding concept to be highly feasible in this application. This paper describes the decision to investigate the inertia friction welding process, the inertia friction welding process itself, and a proposed equipment design concept. This system would provide a positive, reliable, inspectable, and full-thickness seal weld while utilizing easily maintainable equipment. This high-quality weld can be achieved even in highly contaminated hot cell

THE FORMATION OF BIMETALLIC CONNECTION IN WELDER DEPOSITION UNDER LASER WELDING WITH THE FILLER WIRE FEED

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. P. Yelistratov

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The metallurgical and technological features of welding deposition in a robotic unit with a semiconductor laser are analyzed. The prospects of using beam with low energy density in the spot heating for applying metallic layers using filler wire are shown. 

Robotic tool positioning process using a multi-line off-axis laser triangulation sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Pinto, T. C.; Matos, G.

2018-03-01

Proper positioning of a friction stir welding head for pin insertion, driven by a closed chain robot, is important to ensure quality repair of cracks. A multi-line off-axis laser triangulation sensor was designed to be integrated to the robot, allowing relative measurements of the surface to be repaired. This work describes the sensor characteristics, its evaluation and the measurement process for tool positioning to a surface point of interest. The developed process uses a point of interest image and a measured point cloud to define the translation and rotation for tool positioning. Sensor evaluation and tests are described. Keywords: laser triangulation, 3D measurement, tool positioning, robotics.

Robotics in the nuclear environment-inspection and repairs inside the primary coolant system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guillet, J.; Marcel Tortolano

2005-01-01

The increase in the lifetime of the power plants and the ageing of materials require the intervention inside the components to carry out controls and possibly repairs in the event of discovered defects. Within this framework, EDF is investigating the feasibility of robotized repairs of the components and pipes of the main primary coolant system of a nuclear power plant. For several years, EDF R and D has engaged projects whose subject of study is the possibility of repairing components such as the main vessel; the pressurizer or the primary coolant pipes with the help of robots and dedicated tools. INTERVENTIONS INSIDE PRIMARY COOLANT PIPES: Studies undertaken by EDF highlighted that certain zones, particularly in pipe connections, can be affected by thermal fatigue which causes crackling defects or crackings. In anticipation of this phenomenon which would affect primary pipes and to avoid their replacements, EDF R and D has been studying the feasibility of examining and repairing these zones using robots. Robotized repair consists in introducing into the pipe while passing by the vessel, a 6 degrees of freedom manipulator mounted on a mobile carrier. This robot implements and carries out the trajectories of the different processes of repair: - Precise localization of the defects, - Elimination (possibly sampling) of the defects by machining, - Control that the defects were eliminated, - Weld metal buildup if the repair cavity is too deep, - Grinding followed by a new control of the surface. These studies and tests were conducted in the laboratory of EDF R and D in Chatou. The sequence of operations included machining by grinding and milling, profilometric control, dye penetrant testing, TIG welding and ultrasonic examinations. The results of the tests, executed on full scale models of components, are satisfactory and show the advantages of robotics compared with classical methods. ROBOTIZED INTERVENTIONS IN THE REACTOR VESSEL: Another difficult issue is the

Temperature profiles induced by a stationary CW laser beam in a multi-layer structure: application to solar cell interconnect welding

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oh, J.E.; Ianno, N.J.; Ahmed, A.U.

1985-01-01

A three-dimensional heat transfer model for heating of a multilayer structure by a stationary Gaussian CW CO/sub 2/ laser beam is developed and applied to solar cell interconnect welding. This model takes into account the temperature dependence of the thermal conductivity and diffusivity as well as free carrier absorption of the incident beam in the silicon where appropriate. Finally, the theoretical temperature profiles are used to determine the weld spot size and these values are compared to results obtained from a simple welding experiment, where excellent agreement is obtained. 18 references, 13 figures.

An Evaluation of Camera Pose Methods for an Augmented Reality System: Application to Teaching Industrial Robots

OpenAIRE

Maidi , Madjid; Mallem , Malik; Benchikh , Laredj; Otmane , Samir

2013-01-01

International audience; In automotive industry, industrial robots are widely used in production lines for many tasks such as welding, painting or assembly. Their use requires, from users, both a good manipulation and robot control. Recently, new tools have been developed to realize fast and accurate trajectories in many production sectors by using the real prototype of vehicle or a generalized design within a virtual simulation platform. However, many issues could be considered in these cases...

Remote Welding, NDE and Repair of DOE Standardized Canisters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eric Larsen; Art Watkins; Timothy R. McJunkin; Dave Pace; Rodney Bitsoi

2006-05-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) created the National Spent Nuclear Fuel Program (NSNFP) to manage DOE’s spent nuclear fuel (SNF). One of the NSNFP’s tasks is to prepare spent nuclear fuel for storage, transportation, and disposal at the national repository. As part of this effort, the NSNFP developed a standardized canister for interim storage and transportation of SNF. These canisters will be built and sealed to American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Section III, Division 3 requirements. Packaging SNF usually is a three-step process: canister loading, closure welding, and closure weld verification. After loading SNF into the canisters, the canisters must be seal welded and the welds verified using a combination of visual, surface eddy current, and ultrasonic inspection or examination techniques. If unacceptable defects in the weld are detected, the defective sections of weld must be removed, re-welded, and re-inspected. Due to the high contamination and/or radiation fields involved with this process, all of these functions must be performed remotely in a hot cell. The prototype apparatus to perform these functions is a floor-mounted carousel that encircles the loaded canister; three stations perform the functions of welding, inspecting, and repairing the seal welds. A welding operator monitors and controls these functions remotely via a workstation located outside the hot cell. The discussion describes the hardware and software that have been developed and the results of testing that has been done to date.

Prediction of Weld Residual Stress of Narrow Gap Welds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Jun Seog; Huh, Nam Su

2010-01-01

The conventional welding technique such as shield metal arc welding has been mostly applied to the piping system of the nuclear power plants. It is well known that this welding technique causes the overheating and welding defects due to the large groove angle of weld. On the other hand, the narrow gap welding(NGW) technique has many merits, for instance, the reduction of welding time, the shrinkage of weld and the small deformation of the weld due to the small groove angle and welding bead width comparing with the conventional welds. These characteristics of NGW affect the deformation behavior and the distribution of welding residual stress of NGW, thus it is believed that the residual stress results obtained from conventional welding procedure may not be applied to structural integrity evaluation of NGW. In this paper, the welding residual stress of NGW was predicted using the nonlinear finite element analysis to simulate the thermal and mechanical effects of the NGW. The present results can be used as the important information to perform the flaw evaluation and to improve the weld procedure of NGW

Robots for hazardous duties: Military, space, and nuclear facility applications. (Latest citations from the NTIS bibliographic database). Published Search

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-09-01

The bibliography contains citations concerning the design and application of robots used in place of humans where the environment could be hazardous. Military applications include autonomous land vehicles, robotic howitzers, and battlefield support operations. Space operations include docking, maintenance, mission support, and intra-vehicular and extra-vehicular activities. Nuclear applications include operations within the containment vessel, radioactive waste operations, fueling operations, and plant security. Many of the articles reference control techniques and the use of expert systems in robotic operations. Applications involving industrial manufacturing, walking robots, and robot welding are cited in other published searches in this series. (Contains a minimum of 183 citations and includes a subject term index and title list.)

Optimization of welding parameters using a genetic algorithm: A robotic arm–assisted implementation for recovery of Pelton turbine blades

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luis Pérez Pozo

2015-11-01

Full Text Available This work presents the operational optimization of a welding operation involving using genetic algorithms. The welding curves correspond to the profile of a blade-shaped Pelton turbine. The procedure involved the development of a series of tests and observation of the parameters that will be controlled during the welding process. After the tests were performed, the samples were prepared for chemical attack, which allowed observation of the penetration, weld area, and dilution. After that, mathematical models were developed that correlate the controllable welding parameters with the aforementioned bead parameters. In those mathematical models, the optimization of the process parameters was performed using genetic algorithms. Specially programmed functions for mutation, reproduction, and initialization processes were written and used in the implemented model. After the optimization process was completed, the results were evaluated through new tests to verify whether the obtained objective functions properly describe the characteristics of the weld. The comparisons showed errors of less than 6%.

Investigation on mechanical properties of welded material under different types of welding filler (shielded metal arc welding)

Science.gov (United States)

Tahir, Abdullah Mohd; Lair, Noor Ajian Mohd; Wei, Foo Jun

2018-05-01

The Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) is (or the Stick welding) defined as a welding process, which melts and joins metals with an arc between a welding filler (electrode rod) and the workpieces. The main objective was to study the mechanical properties of welded metal under different types of welding fillers and current for SMAW. This project utilized the Design of Experiment (DOE) by adopting the Full Factorial Design. The independent variables were the types of welding filler and welding current, whereas the other welding parameters were fixed at the optimum value. The levels for types of welding filler were by the models of welding filler (E6013, E7016 and E7018) used and the levels for welding current were 80A and 90A. The responses were the mechanical properties of welded material, which include tensile strength and hardness. The experiment was analyzed using the two way ANOVA. The results prove that there are significant effects of welding filler types and current levels on the tensile strength and hardness of the welded metal. At the same time, the ANOVA results and interaction plot indicate that there are significant interactions between the welding filler types and the welding current on both the hardness and tensile strength of the welded metals, which has never been reported before. This project found that when the amount of heat input with increase, the mechanical properties such as tensile strength and hardness decrease. The optimum tensile strength for welded metal is produced by the welding filler E7016 and the optimum of hardness of welded metal is produced by the welding filler E7018 at welding current of 80A.

Generation IV SFR Nuclear Reactors: Under Sodium Robotics for ASTRID

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jouan-de-Kervenoael, T.; Rey, F.; Baque, F.

2013-06-01

For non-removable components of the future ASTRID prototype, repair operations will be performed in a gas environment. If the faulty area is located under the sodium free level, the gas-tight system will have to contain the inspection and repair tools and to protect them from the surrounding liquid sodium. Concerning repair tools, the unique laser tool has been selected for future SFRs: the repair scenario for in-sodium structures will first involve removing the sodium (after bulk draining), then machining and finally welding. Concerning conventional tools (brush or gas blower for sodium removal, milling machine for machining and TIG for welding for which its feasibility was demonstrated in the 1990's) are still considered as a back-up solution. The maintenance of future ASTRID nuclear reactor prototype (inspection, repair) will be performed during shut down periods with some robotic carriers which have to be introduced within the main vessel, in primary 200 deg. C sodium coolant with argon gas cover. Inspection campaigns will be 20 days long. These robots (or carriers) will allow bringing inspection and repairing tools up to concerned components and structures. The needed degrees of freedom associated to these operations will be assumed either directly by the carrier itself or by specifics lower end carrier device for accurate local positioning. Several carriers will be designed, well adapted to specific needs: type of maintenance operation and location of inspection and repair sites. Feedback experience was gained during Superphenix SFR operation with the MIR robot which allowed to successfully make the Non Destructive Examination of main vessel welding joints, the carrier being outside bulk sodium. Operating conditions for the ASTRID robots will be harder from those of the MIR robot: temperature ranging from 180 deg. C to 200 deg. C, radiation dose ranging from 105 to 106 Gy, but mainly direct immersion within liquid sodium coolant. At the design phase of

Parental Occupational Exposure to Heavy Metals and Welding Fumes and Risk of Testicular Germ Cell Tumors in Offspring

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Togawa, Kayo; Le Cornet, Charlotte; Feychting, Maria

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Data are scarce on the association between prenatal/preconception environmental exposure and testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT) in offspring. We examined parental occupational exposures to heavy metals and welding fumes in relation to TGCT in offspring in a registry-based case-control ......BACKGROUND: Data are scarce on the association between prenatal/preconception environmental exposure and testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT) in offspring. We examined parental occupational exposures to heavy metals and welding fumes in relation to TGCT in offspring in a registry-based case......-control study (NORD-TEST Study). METHODS: We identified TGCT cases diagnosed at ages 14-49 years in Finland (1988-2012), Norway (1978-2010), and Sweden (1979-2011) through nationwide cancer registries. These cases were individually matched by country and year of birth to controls selected from population...... registries. Information on parental occupations was retrieved from censuses. From this, we estimated prenatal/preconception exposures of chromium, iron, nickel, lead, and welding fumes (all three countries), and cadmium (Finland only) for each parent using job-exposure matrices specifying prevalence (P...

Vision-based Nano Robotic System for High-throughput Non-embedded Cell Cutting.

Science.gov (United States)

Shang, Wanfeng; Lu, Haojian; Wan, Wenfeng; Fukuda, Toshio; Shen, Yajing

2016-03-04

Cell cutting is a significant task in biology study, but the highly productive non-embedded cell cutting is still a big challenge for current techniques. This paper proposes a vision-based nano robotic system and then realizes automatic non-embedded cell cutting with this system. First, the nano robotic system is developed and integrated with a nanoknife inside an environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). Then, the positions of the nanoknife and the single cell are recognized, and the distance between them is calculated dynamically based on image processing. To guarantee the positioning accuracy and the working efficiency, we propose a distance-regulated speed adapting strategy, in which the moving speed is adjusted intelligently based on the distance between the nanoknife and the target cell. The results indicate that the automatic non-embedded cutting is able to be achieved within 1-2 mins with low invasion benefiting from the high precise nanorobot system and the sharp edge of nanoknife. This research paves a way for the high-throughput cell cutting at cell's natural condition, which is expected to make significant impact on the biology studies, especially for the in-situ analysis at cellular and subcellular scale, such as cell interaction investigation, neural signal transduction and low invasive cell surgery.

Engineering models and methods for industrial cell control

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lynggaard, Hans Jørgen Birk; Alting, Leo

1997-01-01

This paper is concerned with the engineering, i.e. the designing and making, of industrial cell control systems. The focus is on automated robot welding cells in the shipbuilding industry. The industrial research project defines models and methods for design and implemen-tation of computer based...... SHIPYARD.It is concluded that cell control technology provides for increased performance in production systems, and that the Cell Control Engineering concept reduces the effort for providing and operating high quality and high functionality cell control solutions for the industry....... control and monitor-ing systems for production cells. The project participants are The Danish Academy of Technical Sciences, the Institute of Manufacturing Engineering at the Technical University of Denmark and ODENSE STEEL SHIPYARD Ltd.The manufacturing environment and the current practice...

Weld Nugget Temperature Control in Thermal Stir Welding

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, R. Jeffrey (Inventor)

2014-01-01

A control system for a thermal stir welding system is provided. The control system includes a sensor and a controller. The sensor is coupled to the welding system's containment plate assembly and generates signals indicative of temperature of a region adjacent and parallel to the welding system's stir rod. The controller is coupled to the sensor and generates at least one control signal using the sensor signals indicative of temperature. The controller is also coupled to the welding system such that at least one of rotational speed of the stir rod, heat supplied by the welding system's induction heater, and feed speed of the welding system's weld material feeder are controlled based on the control signal(s).

Vision-based Nano Robotic System for High-throughput Non-embedded Cell Cutting

Science.gov (United States)

Shang, Wanfeng; Lu, Haojian; Wan, Wenfeng; Fukuda, Toshio; Shen, Yajing

2016-03-01

Cell cutting is a significant task in biology study, but the highly productive non-embedded cell cutting is still a big challenge for current techniques. This paper proposes a vision-based nano robotic system and then realizes automatic non-embedded cell cutting with this system. First, the nano robotic system is developed and integrated with a nanoknife inside an environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). Then, the positions of the nanoknife and the single cell are recognized, and the distance between them is calculated dynamically based on image processing. To guarantee the positioning accuracy and the working efficiency, we propose a distance-regulated speed adapting strategy, in which the moving speed is adjusted intelligently based on the distance between the nanoknife and the target cell. The results indicate that the automatic non-embedded cutting is able to be achieved within 1-2 mins with low invasion benefiting from the high precise nanorobot system and the sharp edge of nanoknife. This research paves a way for the high-throughput cell cutting at cell’s natural condition, which is expected to make significant impact on the biology studies, especially for the in-situ analysis at cellular and subcellular scale, such as cell interaction investigation, neural signal transduction and low invasive cell surgery.

Transition welds in welding of two-ply steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fartushnyj, V.G.; Evsyukov, Yu.G.

1977-01-01

Studied were physico-mechanical properties of welds made by various welding wires of chromium-nickel and nickel-chromium steels in submerged arc welding of double-layer steels with main layer of the VSt.3sp. carbon steel. It is shown that service-reliable structures welded of two-layer steels are obtained by providing the content from 11 to 20 % Ni in the automatically welded transition layer

Lightweight Design and Welding Manufacturing of a Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powered Car’s Chassis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Evangelos Ch. Tsirogiannis

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The development of the chassis for the hydrogen fuel cell powered car has been involved in the designing and manufacturing aspects, while taking into consideration the mass, strength, stiffness, centre of gravity (COG, and manufacturing cost requirements. Towards this direction, a chassis design is proposed employing a space frame structure and constructed by an aluminium alloy with great strength. The structural design has been derived through the lightweight engineering approaches in conjunction with the part consolidation, Design for Assembly (DFA and Design for Manufacture methods. Moreover, it has been performed in compliance with the safety regulations of the Shell Eco Marathon racing competition. The material’s principal characteristics are the great strength, the low mass, as well as the great workability, machinability, and weldability. Following the national and global environmental issues, the recyclable characteristics of the aluminium alloy are an extra asset. Furthermore, the existence of aluminium alloy manufacturers around the fabricating area provides low cost supply and fast delivery benefits. The integration of the fuel cell powered vehicle is obtained through the designing and the manufacturing processes of the chassis and the parts fitted on the chassis. The manufacturing procedures are described thoroughly; mainly consisting of the cutting and welding processes and the assembling of the parts that are fitted on the chassis. Additionally, the proper welding parameters for the custom chassis design are investigated and are selected after deductive reasoning. The quality control of the weld joints is conducted by non-destructive methods (NDT ensuring the required structural properties of the welds. A combination of the selected material, the specific type of the chassis, and the manufacturing processes lead to construction simplicity in a low manufacturing cost by using the existing laboratory equipment. Furthermore, the

Weld controller for automated nuclear service welding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barfield, K.L.; Strubhar, P.M.; Green, D.I.

1995-01-01

B and W Nuclear Technologies (BWNT) uses many different types of weld heads for automated welding in the commercial nuclear service industry. Some weld heads are purchased as standard items, while others are custom designed and fabricated by BWNT requiring synchronized multiaxis motion control. BWNT recently completed a development program to build a common weld controller that interfaces to all types of weld heads used by BWNT. Their goal was to construct a system that had the flexibility to add different modules to increase the capability of the controller as different application needs become necessary. The benefits from having a common controller are listed. This presentation explains the weld controller system and the types of applications to which it has been applied

Modelling of industrial robot in LabView Robotics

Science.gov (United States)

Banas, W.; Cwikła, G.; Foit, K.; Gwiazda, A.; Monica, Z.; Sekala, A.

2017-08-01

Currently can find many models of industrial systems including robots. These models differ from each other not only by the accuracy representation parameters, but the representation range. For example, CAD models describe the geometry of the robot and some even designate a mass parameters as mass, center of gravity, moment of inertia, etc. These models are used in the design of robotic lines and sockets. Also systems for off-line programming use these models and many of them can be exported to CAD. It is important to note that models for off-line programming describe not only the geometry but contain the information necessary to create a program for the robot. Exports from CAD to off-line programming system requires additional information. These models are used for static determination of reachability points, and testing collision. It’s enough to generate a program for the robot, and even check the interaction of elements of the production line, or robotic cell. Mathematical models allow robots to study the properties of kinematic and dynamic of robot movement. In these models the geometry is not so important, so are used only selected parameters such as the length of the robot arm, the center of gravity, moment of inertia. These parameters are introduced into the equations of motion of the robot and motion parameters are determined.

Use of servo controlled weld head for end closure welding

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pathak, S.K.; Setty, D.S.; Rameswara Rao, A.; Hemantha Rao, G.V.S.; Jayaraj, R.N. [Nuclear Fuel Complex, Dept. of Atomic Energy, Hyderabad (India)

2010-07-01

In the PHWR fuel fabrication line resistance welding processes are used for joining various zirconium based alloy components to fuel tube of similar material. The quality requirement of these welding processes is very stringent and has to meet all the product requirements. At present these welding processes are being carried out by using standard resistance welding machines. In the resistance welding process in addition to current and time, force is one of the critical and important parameter, which influences the weld quality. At present advanced feed back type fast response medium frequency weld controllers are being used. This has upslope/down slope, constant and repetitive weld pattern selection features makes this critical welding process more reliable. Compared to weld controllers, squeeze force application devices are limited and normally standard high response pneumatic cylinders are used in the welding process. With this type of devices the force is constant during welding process and cannot be varied during welding process as per the material deformation characteristics. Similarly due to non-availability of feed back systems in the squeeze force application systems restricts the accuracy and quality of the welding process. In the present paper the influence of squeeze force pattern on the weld quality using advanced feed back type servo based force control system was studied. Different squeeze forces were used during pre and post weld heat periods along with constant force and compared with the weld quality. (author)

Welding hazards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, M.A.

1992-01-01

Welding technology is advancing rapidly in the developed countries and has converted into a science. Welding involving the use of electricity include resistance welding. Welding shops are opened in residential area, which was causing safety hazards, particularly the teenagers and children who eagerly see the welding arc with their naked eyes. There are radiation hazards from ultra violet rays which irritate the skin, eye irritation. Welding arc light of such intensity could damage the eyes. (Orig./A.B.)

MicroBioRobots for single cell manipulation

Science.gov (United States)

Sakar, Mahmut Selman

One of the great challenges in nano and micro scale science and engineering is the independent manipulation of biological cells and small man-made objects with active sensing. For such biomedical applications as single cell manipulation, telemetry, and localized targeted delivery of chemicals, it is important to fabricate microstructures that can be powered and controlled without a tether in fluidic environments. These microstructures can be used to develop microrobots that have the potential to make existing therapeutic and diagnostic procedures less invasive. Actuation can be realized using various different organic and inorganic methods. Previous studies explored different forms of actuation and control with microorganisms. Bacteria, in particular, offer several advantages as controllable microactuators: they draw chemical energy directly from their environment, they are genetically modifiable, and they are scalable and configurable in the sense that any number of bacteria can be selectively patterned. Additionally, the study of bacteria inspires inorganic schemes of actuation and control. For these reasons, we chose to employ bacteria while controlling their motility using optical and electrical stimuli. In the first part of the thesis, we demonstrate a biointegrated approach by introducing MicroBioRobots (MBRs). MBRs are negative photosensitive epoxy (SU8) microfabricated structures with typical feature sizes ranging from 1-100 mum coated with a monolayer of the swarming Serratia marcescens . The adherent bacterial cells naturally coordinate to propel the microstructures in fluidic environments which we call Self-Actuation. First, we demonstrate the control of MBRs using self-actuation, DC electric fields and ultra-violet radiation and develop an experimentally-validated mathematical model for the MBRs. This model allows us to to steer the MBR to any position and orientation in a planar micro channel using visual feedback and an inverted microscope. Examples

Robotic vision system for random bin picking with dual-arm robots

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kang Sangseung

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Random bin picking is one of the most challenging industrial robotics applications available. It constitutes a complicated interaction between the vision system, robot, and control system. For a packaging operation requiring a pick-and-place task, the robot system utilized should be able to perform certain functions for recognizing the applicable target object from randomized objects in a bin. In this paper, we introduce a robotic vision system for bin picking using industrial dual-arm robots. The proposed system recognizes the best object from randomized target candidates based on stereo vision, and estimates the position and orientation of the object. It then sends the result to the robot control system. The system was developed for use in the packaging process of cell phone accessories using dual-arm robots.

Robotic multi-well planar patch-clamp for native and primary mammalian cells

Science.gov (United States)

Milligan, Carol J; Li, Jing; Sukumar, Piruthivi; Majeed, Yasser; Dallas, Mark L; English, Anne; Emery, Paul; Porter, Karen E; Smith, Andrew M; McFadzean, Ian; Beccano-Kelly, Dayne; Bahnasi, Yahya; Cheong, Alex; Naylor, Jacqueline; Zeng, Fanning; Liu, Xing; Gamper, Nikita; Jiang, Lin-Hua; Pearson, Hugh A; Peers, Chris; Robertson, Brian; Beech, David J

2009-01-01

Multi-well robotic planar patch-clamp has become common in drug development and safety programmes because it enables efficient and systematic testing of compounds against ion channels during voltage-clamp. It has not, however, been adopted significantly in other important areas of ion channel research, where conventional patch-clamp remains the favoured method. Here we show the wider potential of the multi-well approach with the capability for efficient intracellular solution exchange, describing protocols and success rates for recording from a range of native and primary mammalian cells derived from blood vessels, arthritic joints, and the immune and central nervous systems. The protocol involves preparing a suspension of single cells to be dispensed robotically into 4-8 microfluidic chambers each containing a glass chip with a small aperture. Under automated control, giga-seals and whole-cell access are achieved followed by pre-programmed routines of voltage paradigms and fast extracellular or intracellular solution exchange. Recording from 48 chambers usually takes 1-6 hr depending on the experimental design and yields 16-33 cell recordings. PMID:19197268

Advanced Welding Concepts

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Robert J.

2010-01-01

Four advanced welding techniques and their use in NASA are briefly reviewed in this poster presentation. The welding techniques reviewed are: Solid State Welding, Friction Stir Welding (FSW), Thermal Stir Welding (TSW) and Ultrasonic Stir Welding.

Resistance seam welding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schueler, A.W.

1977-01-01

The advantages and disadvantages of the resistance seam welding process are presented. Types of seam welds, types of seam welding machines, seam welding power supplies, resistance seam welding parameters and seam welding characteristics of various metals

Welding method, and welding device for use therein, and method of analysis for evaluating welds

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aendenroomer, A.J.; Den Ouden, G.; Xiao, Y.H.; Brabander, W.A.J.

1995-01-01

Described is a method of automatically welding pipes, comprising welding with a pulsation welding current and monitoring, by means of a sensor, the variations occurring in the arc voltage caused by weld pool oscillations. The occurrence of voltage variations with only frequency components below 100

Comparison of Welding Residual Stresses of Hybrid Laser-Arc Welding and Submerged Arc Welding in Offshore Steel Structures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreassen, Michael Joachim; Yu, Zhenzhen; Liu, Stephen

2016-01-01

In the offshore industry, welding-induced distortion and tensile residual stresses have become a major concern in relation to the structural integrity of a welded structure. Particularly, the continuous increase in size of welded plates and joints needs special attention concerning welding induced...... residual stresses. These stresses have a negative impact on the integrity of the welded joint as they promote distortion, reduce fatigue life, and contribute to corrosion cracking and premature failure in the weld components. This paper deals with the influence and impact of welding method on the welding...... induced residual stresses. It is also investigated whether the assumption of residual stresses up to yield strength magnitude are present in welded structures as stated in the design guidelines. The fatigue strength for welded joints is based on this assumption. The two welding methods investigated...

Spatial Programming for Industrial Robots through Task Demonstration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jens Lambrecht

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract We present an intuitive system for the programming of industrial robots using markerless gesture recognition and mobile augmented reality in terms of programming by demonstration. The approach covers gesture-based task definition and adaption by human demonstration, as well as task evaluation through augmented reality. A 3D motion tracking system and a handheld device establish the basis for the presented spatial programming system. In this publication, we present a prototype toward the programming of an assembly sequence consisting of several pick-and-place tasks. A scene reconstruction provides pose estimation of known objects with the help of the 2D camera of the handheld. Therefore, the programmer is able to define the program through natural bare-hand manipulation of these objects with the help of direct visual feedback in the augmented reality application. The program can be adapted by gestures and transmitted subsequently to an arbitrary industrial robot controller using a unified interface. Finally, we discuss an application of the presented spatial programming approach toward robot-based welding tasks.

Welding technology transfer task/laser based weld joint tracking system for compressor girth welds

Science.gov (United States)

Looney, Alan

1991-01-01

Sensors to control and monitor welding operations are currently being developed at Marshall Space Flight Center. The laser based weld bead profiler/torch rotation sensor was modified to provide a weld joint tracking system for compressor girth welds. The tracking system features a precision laser based vision sensor, automated two-axis machine motion, and an industrial PC controller. The system benefits are elimination of weld repairs caused by joint tracking errors which reduces manufacturing costs and increases production output, simplification of tooling, and free costly manufacturing floor space.

Kinematic-Kinetic-Rigidity Evaluation of a Six Axis Robot Performing a Task

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Karagulle

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Six axis serial robots of different sizes are widely used for pick and place, welding and various other operations in industry. Developments in mechatronics, which is the synergistic integration of mechanism, electronics and computer control to achieve a functional system, offer effective solutions for the design of such robots. The integrated analysis of robots is usually used in the design stage. In this study, it is offered that the integrated analysis of robots can also be used at the application stage. SolidWorks, CosmosMotion and ABAQUS programs are used with an integrated approach. Integration software (IS is developed in Visual Basic by using the application programming interface (API capabilities of these programs. An ABB-IRB1400 industrial robot is considered for the study. Different trajectories are considered. Each task is first evaluated by a kinematic analysis. If the task is out of the workspace, then the task is cancelled. This evaluation can also be done by robot programs like Robot Studio. It is proposed that the task must be evaluated by considering the limits for velocities, motor actuation torques, reaction forces, natural frequencies, displacements and stresses due to the flexibility. The evaluation is done using kinematic, kinetic and rigidity evaluation charts. The approach given in this work can be used for the optimal usage of robots.

Friction Stir Welding

Science.gov (United States)

Nunes, Arthur C., Jr.

2008-01-01

Friction stir welding (FSW) is a solid state welding process invented in 1991 at The Welding Institute in the United Kingdom. A weld is made in the FSW process by translating a rotating pin along a weld seam so as to stir the sides of the seam together. FSW avoids deleterious effects inherent in melting and promises to be an important welding process for any industries where welds of optimal quality are demanded. This article provides an introduction to the FSW process. The chief concern is the physical effect of the tool on the weld metal: how weld seam bonding takes place, what kind of weld structure is generated, potential problems, possible defects for example, and implications for process parameters and tool design. Weld properties are determined by structure, and the structure of friction stir welds is determined by the weld metal flow field in the vicinity of the weld tool. Metal flow in the vicinity of the weld tool is explained through a simple kinematic flow model that decomposes the flow field into three basic component flows: a uniform translation, a rotating solid cylinder, and a ring vortex encircling the tool. The flow components, superposed to construct the flow model, can be related to particular aspects of weld process parameters and tool design; they provide a bridge to an understanding of a complex-at-first-glance weld structure. Torques and forces are also discussed. Some simple mathematical models of structural aspects, torques, and forces are included.

Numerical analysis of weld pool oscillation in laser welding

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cho, Jung Ho [Chungbuk National University, Cheongju (Korea, Republic of); Farson, Dave F [The Ohio State University, Columbus (United States); Hollis, Kendall; Milewski, John O. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos (United States)

2015-04-15

Volume of fluid (VOF) numerical simulation was used to investigate melt flow and volumetric oscillation of conduction-mode pulsed laser weld pools. The result is compared to high speed video stream of titanium laser spot welding experiment. The total simulation time is 10ms with the first 5 ms being heating and melting under constant laser irradiation and the remaining 5 ms corresponding to resolidification of the weld pool. During the melting process, the liquid pool did not exhibit periodic oscillation but was continually depressed by the evaporation recoil pressure. After the laser pulse, the weld pool was excited into volumetric oscillation by the release of pressure on its surface and oscillation of the weld pool surface was analyzed. The simulation model suggested adjusting thermal diffusivity to match cooling rate and puddle diameter during solidification which is distinguishable from previous weld pool simulation. The frequency continuously increased from several thousand cycles per second to tens of thousands of cycles per second as the weld pool solidified and its diameter decreased. The result is the first trial of investigation of small weld pool oscillation in laser welding although there have been several reports about arc welding.

Alternate Welding Processes for In-Service Welding

Science.gov (United States)

2009-04-24

Conducting weld repairs and attaching hot tap tees onto pressurized pipes has the advantage of avoiding loss of service and revenue. However, the risks involved with in-service welding need to be managed by ensuring that welding is performed in a rep...

Hybrid laser-TIG welding, laser beam welding and gas tungsten arc welding of AZ31B magnesium alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Liming; Wang Jifeng; Song Gang

2004-01-01

Welding of AZ31B magnesium alloy was carried out using hybrid laser-TIG (LATIG) welding, laser beam welding (LBW) and gas tungsten arc (TIG) welding. The weldability and microstructure of magnesium AZ31B alloy welded using LATIG, LBW and TIG were investigated by OM and EMPA. The experimental results showed that the welding speed of LATIG was higher than that of TIG, which was caught up with LBW. Besides, the penetration of LATIG doubles that of TIG, and was four times that of LBW. In addition, arc stability was improved in hybrid of laser-TIG welding compared with using the TIG welding alone, especially at high welding speed and under low TIG current. It was found that the heat affect zone of joint was only observed in TIG welding, and the size of grains in it was evidently coarse. In fusion zone, the equiaxed grains exist, whose size was the smallest welded by LBW, and was the largest by TIG welding. It was also found that Mg concentration of the fusion zone was lower than that of the base one by EPMA in three welding processes

Closing the weld gap with laser/mig hybrid welding process

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bagger, Claus; Olsen, Flemming Ove; Wiwe, Bjarne David

2003-01-01

In this article, laboratory tests are demonstrated that systematically accesses the critical gap distance when welding CMn 2.13 mm steel with a 2.6 kW CO2 laser, combined with a MIG energy source. In the work, the welding speed is varied at gap distances from 0 to 0.8 mm such that the limits...... for obtaining sound welds are identified. The welds are quality assessed according to ISO 13.919-1 and EN25817, transversal hardness measurements are made and the heat input to the workpiece is calculated. The results show that the critical gap is 0.1 mm for a laser weld alone. With hybrid welding, this can...... be increased to 0.6 mm, even at a welding speed of 3.5 m/min. The maximum welding speed with the hybrid process is comparable to laser welding alone, 4.5 m/min. The measured hardness is comparable to MIG welding, and this corresponds to a 33 percent reduction compared to laser welding alone. The heat input...

Heat Control via Torque Control in Friction Stir Welding

Science.gov (United States)

Venable, Richard; Colligan, Kevin; Knapp, Alan

2004-01-01

In a proposed advance in friction stir welding, the torque exerted on the workpiece by the friction stir pin would be measured and controlled in an effort to measure and control the total heat input to the workpiece. The total heat input to the workpiece is an important parameter of any welding process (fusion or friction stir welding). In fusion welding, measurement and control of heat input is a difficult problem. However, in friction stir welding, the basic principle of operation affords the potential of a straightforward solution: Neglecting thermal losses through the pin and the spindle that supports it, the rate of heat input to the workpiece is the product of the torque and the speed of rotation of the friction stir weld pin and, hence, of the spindle. Therefore, if one acquires and suitably processes data on torque and rotation and controls the torque, the rotation, or both, one should be able to control the heat input into the workpiece. In conventional practice in friction stir welding, one uses feedback control of the spindle motor to maintain a constant speed of rotation. According to the proposal, one would not maintain a constant speed of rotation: Instead, one would use feedback control to maintain a constant torque and would measure the speed of rotation while allowing it to vary. The torque exerted on the workpiece would be estimated as the product of (1) the torque-multiplication ratio of the spindle belt and/or gear drive, (2) the force measured by a load cell mechanically coupled to the spindle motor, and (3) the moment arm of the load cell. Hence, the output of the load cell would be used as a feedback signal for controlling the torque (see figure).

Line-feature-based calibration method of structured light plane parameters for robot hand-eye system

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Yuhan; Jing, Fengshui; Tan, Min

2013-03-01

For monocular-structured light vision measurement, it is essential to calibrate the structured light plane parameters in addition to the camera intrinsic parameters. A line-feature-based calibration method of structured light plane parameters for a robot hand-eye system is proposed. Structured light stripes are selected as calibrating primitive elements, and the robot moves from one calibrating position to another with constraint in order that two misaligned stripe lines are generated. The images of stripe lines could then be captured by the camera fixed at the robot's end link. During calibration, the equations of two stripe lines in the camera coordinate system are calculated, and then the structured light plane could be determined. As the robot's motion may affect the effectiveness of calibration, so the robot's motion constraints are analyzed. A calibration experiment and two vision measurement experiments are implemented, and the results reveal that the calibration accuracy can meet the precision requirement of robot thick plate welding. Finally, analysis and discussion are provided to illustrate that the method has a high efficiency fit for industrial in-situ calibration.

LASER WELDING WITH MICRO-JET COOLING FOR TRUCK FRAME WELDING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan PIWNIK

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to analyse the mechanical properties of the weld steel structure of car body truck frames after laser welding. The best welding conditions involve the use of proper materials and alloy elements in steel and filer materials, in addition to welding technology, state of stress and temperature of exploitation. We present for the first time the properties of steel track structures after laser welding with micro-jet cooling. Therefore, good selection of both welding parameters and micro-jet cooling parameters is very important to achieve a proper steel structure. In this study, the metallographic structure, tensile results and impact toughness of welded joints have been analysed in terms of welding parameters.

Forming Completely Penetrated Welded T-joints when Pulsed Arc Welding

Science.gov (United States)

Krampit, N. Yu; Krampit, M. A.; Sapozhkov, A. S.

2016-04-01

The paper is focused on revealing the influence of welding parameters on weld formation when pulsed arc welding. As an experimental sample a T-joint over 10 mm was selected. Welding was carried out in flat position, which required no edge preparation but provided mono-directional guaranteed root penetration. The following parameters of welding were subjected to investigation: gap in the joint, wire feed rate and incline angles of the torch along and across the weld axis. Technological recommendations have been made with respect to pulsed arc welding; the cost price of product manufacturing can be reduced on their basis due to reduction of labor input required by machining, lowering consumption of welding materials and electric power.

Resistance welding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bay, Niels; Zhang, Wenqi; Rasmussen, Mogens H.

2003-01-01

Resistance welding comprises not only the well known spot welding process but also more complex projection welding operations, where excessive plastic deformation of the weld point may occur. This enables the production of complex geometries and material combinations, which are often not possible...... to weld by traditional spot welding operations. Such joining processes are, however, not simple to develop due to the large number of parameters involved. Development has traditionally been carried out by large experimental investigations, but the development of a numerical programme system has changed...... this enabling prediction of the welding performance in details. The paper describes the programme in short and gives examples on industrial applications. Finally investigations of causes for failure in a complex industrial joint of two dissimilar metals are carried out combining numerical modelling...

Cu-Fe welding techniques by electromagnetic and electron beam welding processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Satendra; Saroj, P.C.; Kulkarni, M.R.; Sharma, A.; Rajawat, R.K.; Saha, T.K.

2015-01-01

Electromagnetic welding being a solid state welding process has been found suitable for welding Copper and Iron which are conventionally very tricky. Owing to good electrical conductivity of both copper and iron, they are best suited combination for EM welding. For the experimental conditions presented above, 1.0 mm wall thickness of Cu tube was lap welded to Fe disc. A heavy duty four disc stainless steel coil was used for electromagnetic welding of samples. MSLD of the welded samples indicated leak proof joints. Metallographic examination of the welds also revealed defect free interfaces. Electron beam welding is also a non-conventional welding process used for joining dissimilar materials. Autogenous welding of the above specimen was carried out by EBW method for the sake of comparison. A characterization analysis of the above mentioned joining processes will be discussed in the paper. (author)

Deconvoluting the Friction Stir Weld Process for Optimizing Welds

Science.gov (United States)

Schneider, Judy; Nunes, Arthur C.

2008-01-01

In the friction stir welding process, the rotating surfaces of the pin and shoulder contact the weld metal and force a rotational flow within the weld metal. Heat, generated by the metal deformation as well as frictional slippage with the contact surface, softens the metal and makes it easier to deform. As in any thermo-mechanical processing of metal, the flow conditions are critical to the quality of the weld. For example, extrusion of metal from under the shoulder of an excessively hot weld may relax local pressure and result in wormhole defects. The trace of the weld joint in the wake of the weld may vary geometrically depending upon the flow streamlines around the tool with some geometry more vulnerable to loss of strength from joint contamination than others. The material flow path around the tool cannot be seen in real time during the weld. By using analytical "tools" based upon the principles of mathematics and physics, a weld model can be created to compute features that can be observed. By comparing the computed observations with actual data, the weld model can be validated or adjusted to get better agreement. Inputs to the model to predict weld structures and properties include: hot working properties ofthe metal, pin tool geometry, travel rate, rotation and plunge force. Since metals record their prior hot working history, the hot working conditions imparted during FSW can be quantified by interpreting the final microstructure. Variations in texture and grain size result from variations in the strain accommodated at a given strain rate and temperature. Microstructural data from a variety of FSWs has been correlated with prior marker studies to contribute to our understanding of the FSW process. Once this stage is reached, the weld modeling process can save significant development costs by reducing costly trial-and-error approaches to obtaining quality welds.

Effects of Fusion Tack Welds on Self-Reacting Friction Stir Welds

Science.gov (United States)

Nunes, A. C., Jr.; Pendleton, M. L.; Brooke, S. A.; Russell, C. K.

2012-01-01

In order to know whether fusion tack welds would affect the strength of self-reacting friction stir seam welds in 2195-T87 aluminum alloy, the fracture stresses of 144 tensile test coupons cut from 24 welded panels containing segments of friction stir welds were measured. Each of the panels was welded under unique processing conditions. A measure of the effect of the tack welds for each panel was devised. An analysis of the measures of the tack weld effect supported the hypothesis that fusion tack welds do not affect the strength of self-reacting friction stir welds to a 5% level of confidence.

Residual stress reduction in the penetration nozzle weld joint by overlay welding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, Wenchun; Luo, Yun; Wang, B.Y.; Tu, S.T.; Gong, J.M.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Residual stress reduction in penetration weld nozzle by overlay welding was studied. • The overlay weld can decrease the residual stress in the weld root. • Long overlay welding is proposed in the actual welding. • Overlay weld to decrease residual stress is more suitable for thin nozzle. - Abstract: Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in the penetration nozzle weld joint endangers the structural reliability of pressure vessels in nuclear and chemical industries. How to decrease the residual stress is very critical to ensure the structure integrity. In this paper, a new method, which uses overlay welding on the inner surface of nozzle, is proposed to decrease the residual stresses in the penetration joint. Finite element simulation is used to study the change of weld residual stresses before and after overlay welding. It reveals that this method can mainly decrease the residual stress in the weld root. Before overlay welding, large tensile residual stresses are generated in the weld root. After overlay weld, the tensile hoop stress in weld root has been decreased about 45%, and the radial stress has been decreased to compressive stress, which is helpful to decrease the susceptibility to SCC. With the increase of overlay welding length, the residual stress in weld root has been greatly decreased, and thus the long overlay welding is proposed in the actual welding. It also finds that this method is more suitable for thin nozzle rather than thick nozzle

Welding processes handbook

CERN Document Server

Weman, Klas

2011-01-01

Offers an introduction to the range of available welding technologies. This title includes chapters on individual techniques that cover principles, equipment, consumables and key quality issues. It includes material on such topics as the basics of electricity in welding, arc physics, and distortion, and the weldability of particular metals.$bThe first edition of Welding processes handbook established itself as a standard introduction and guide to the main welding technologies and their applications. This new edition has been substantially revised and extended to reflect the latest developments. After an initial introduction, the book first reviews gas welding before discussing the fundamentals of arc welding, including arc physics and power sources. It then discusses the range of arc welding techniques including TIG, plasma, MIG/MAG, MMA and submerged arc welding. Further chapters cover a range of other important welding technologies such as resistance and laser welding, as well as the use of welding techniqu...

Welding Curriculum.

Science.gov (United States)

Alaska State Dept. of Education, Juneau. Div. of Adult and Vocational Education.

This competency-based curriculum guide is a handbook for the development of welding trade programs. Based on a survey of Alaskan welding employers, it includes all competencies a student should acquire in such a welding program. The handbook stresses the importance of understanding the principles associated with the various elements of welding.…

LASER WELDING WITH MICRO-JET COOLING FOR TRUCK FRAME WELDING

OpenAIRE

Jan PIWNIK; Bożena SZCZUCKA-LASOTA; Tomasz WĘGRZYN; Wojciech MAJEWSKI

2017-01-01

The aim of this paper is to analyse the mechanical properties of the weld steel structure of car body truck frames after laser welding. The best welding conditions involve the use of proper materials and alloy elements in steel and filer materials, in addition to welding technology, state of stress and temperature of exploitation. We present for the first time the properties of steel track structures after laser welding with micro-jet cooling. Therefore, good selection of both welding paramet...

Chatter suppression methods of a robot machine for ITER vacuum vessel assembly and maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Huapeng; Wang, Yongbo; Li, Ming; Al-Saedi, Mazin; Handroos, Heikki

2014-01-01

Highlights: •A redundant 10-DOF serial-parallel hybrid robot for ITER assembly and maintains is presented. •A dynamic model of the robot is developed. •A feedback and feedforward controller is presented to suppress machining vibration of the robot. -- Abstract: In the process of assembly and maintenance of ITER vacuum vessel (ITER VV), various machining tasks including threading, milling, welding-defects cutting and flexible hose boring are required to be performed from inside of ITER VV by on-site machining tools. Robot machine is a promising option for these tasks, but great chatter (machine vibration) would happen in the machining process. The chatter vibration will deteriorate the robot accuracy and surface quality, and even cause some damages on the end-effector tools and the robot structure itself. This paper introduces two vibration control methods, one is passive and another is active vibration control. For the passive vibration control, a parallel mechanism is presented to increase the stiffness of robot machine; for the active vibration control, a hybrid control method combining feedforward controller and nonlinear feedback controller is introduced for chatter suppression. A dynamic model and its chatter vibration phenomena of a hybrid robot is demonstrated. Simulation results are given based on the proposed hybrid robot machine which is developed for the ITER VV assembly and maintenance

Chatter suppression methods of a robot machine for ITER vacuum vessel assembly and maintenance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Huapeng; Wang, Yongbo, E-mail: yongbo.wang@lut.fi; Li, Ming; Al-Saedi, Mazin; Handroos, Heikki

2014-10-15

Highlights: •A redundant 10-DOF serial-parallel hybrid robot for ITER assembly and maintains is presented. •A dynamic model of the robot is developed. •A feedback and feedforward controller is presented to suppress machining vibration of the robot. -- Abstract: In the process of assembly and maintenance of ITER vacuum vessel (ITER VV), various machining tasks including threading, milling, welding-defects cutting and flexible hose boring are required to be performed from inside of ITER VV by on-site machining tools. Robot machine is a promising option for these tasks, but great chatter (machine vibration) would happen in the machining process. The chatter vibration will deteriorate the robot accuracy and surface quality, and even cause some damages on the end-effector tools and the robot structure itself. This paper introduces two vibration control methods, one is passive and another is active vibration control. For the passive vibration control, a parallel mechanism is presented to increase the stiffness of robot machine; for the active vibration control, a hybrid control method combining feedforward controller and nonlinear feedback controller is introduced for chatter suppression. A dynamic model and its chatter vibration phenomena of a hybrid robot is demonstrated. Simulation results are given based on the proposed hybrid robot machine which is developed for the ITER VV assembly and maintenance.

Thermal Stir Welding: A New Solid State Welding Process

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, R. Jeffrey

2003-01-01

Thermal stir welding is a new welding process developed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. Thermal stir welding is similar to friction stir welding in that it joins similar or dissimilar materials without melting the parent material. However, unlike friction stir welding, the heating, stirring and forging elements of the process are all independent of each other and are separately controlled. Furthermore, the heating element of the process can be either a solid-state process (such as a thermal blanket, induction type process, etc), or, a fusion process (YG laser, plasma torch, etc.) The separation of the heating, stirring, forging elements of the process allows more degrees of freedom for greater process control. This paper introduces the mechanics of the thermal stir welding process. In addition, weld mechanical property data is presented for selected alloys as well as metallurgical analysis.

Hexavalent chromium content in stainless steel welding fumes is dependent on the welding process and shield gas type.

Science.gov (United States)

Keane, Michael; Stone, Samuel; Chen, Bean; Slaven, James; Schwegler-Berry, Diane; Antonini, James

2009-02-01

Occupational exposure to welding fumes is a known health hazard. To isolate elements in stainless steel welding fumes with high potential for adverse health outcomes, fumes were generated using a robotic gas metal arc system, using four shield gases of varying oxygen content. The objective was to measure Cr(VI) concentrations in a broad spectrum of gas metal arc welding processes, and identify processes of exceptionally high or low Cr(VI) content. The gases used were 95% Ar/5% O(2), 98% Ar/2% O(2), 95% Ar/5%CO(2), and 75% He/25% Ar. The welder was operated in axial spray mode (Ar/O(2), Ar/CO(2)), short-circuit (SC) mode (Ar/CO(2) low voltage and He/Ar), and pulsed axial-spray mode (98% Ar/2% O(2)). Results indicate large differences in Cr(VI) in the fumes, with Ar/O(2) (Pulsed)>Ar/O(2)>Ar/CO(2)>Ar/CO(2) (SC)>He/Ar; values were 3000+/-300, 2800+/-85, 2600+/-120, 1400+/-190, and 320+/-290 ppm respectively (means +/- standard errors for 2 runs and 3 replicates per run). Respective rates of Cr(VI) generation were 1.5, 3.2, 4.4, 1.3, and 0.46 microg/min; generation rates were also calculated in terms of microg Cr(VI) per metre of wire used. The generation rates of Cr(VI) increased with increasing O(3) concentrations. Particle size measurements indicated similar distributions, but somewhat higher >0.6 microm fractions for the short-circuit mode samples. Fumes were also sampled into 2 selected size ranges, a microspatter fraction (>or=0.6 microm) and a fine (welding type and shield gas type, and this presents an opportunity to tailor welding practices to lessen Cr(VI) exposures in workplaces by selecting low Cr(VI)-generating processes. Short-circuit processes generated less Cr(VI) than axial-spray methods, and inert gas shielding gave lower Cr(VI) content than shielding with active gases. A short circuit He/Ar shielded process and a pulsed axial spray Ar/O(2) process were both identified as having substantially lower Cr(VI) generation rates per unit of wire used relative

Sustainability of Welding Process through Bobbin Friction Stir Welding

Science.gov (United States)

Sued, M. K.; Samsuri, S. S. M.; Kassim, M. K. A. M.; Nasir, S. N. N. M.

2018-03-01

Welding process is in high demand, which required a competitive technology to be adopted. This is important for sustaining the needs of the joining industries without ignoring the impact of the process to the environment. Friction stir welding (FSW) is stated to be benefitting the environment through low energy consumption, which cannot be achieved through traditional arc welding. However, this is not well documented, especially for bobbin friction stir welding (BFSW). Therefore, an investigation is conducted by measuring current consumption of the machine during the BFSW process. From the measurement, different phases of BFSW welding process and its electrical demand are presented. It is found that in general total energy in BFSW is about 130kW inclusive of all identified process phases. The phase that utilise for joint formation is in weld phase that used the highest total energy of 120kWs. The recorded total energy is still far below the traditional welding technology and the conventional friction stir welding (CFSW) energy demand. This indicates that BFSW technology with its vast benefit able to sustain the joining technology in near future.

Enabling high speed friction stir welding of aluminum tailor welded blanks

Science.gov (United States)

Hovanski, Yuri

Current welding technologies for production of aluminum tailor-welded blanks (TWBs) are utilized in low-volume and niche applications, and have yet to be scaled for the high-volume vehicle market. This study targeted further weight reduction, part reduction, and cost savings by enabling tailor-welded blank technology for aluminum alloys at high-volumes. While friction stir welding (FSW) has traditionally been applied at linear velocities less than one meter per minute, high volume production applications demand the process be extended to higher velocities more amenable to cost sensitive production environments. Unfortunately, weld parameters and performance developed and characterized at low to moderate welding velocities do not directly translate to high speed linear friction stir welding. Therefore, in order to facilitate production of high volume aluminum FSW components, parameters were developed with a minimum welding velocity of three meters per minute. With an emphasis on weld quality, welded blanks were evaluated for post-weld formability using a combination of numerical and experimental methods. Evaluation across scales was ultimately validated by stamping full-size production door inner panels made from dissimilar thickness aluminum tailor-welded blanks, which provided validation of the numerical and experimental analysis of laboratory scale tests.

Vibration Suppression for Improving the Estimation of Kinematic Parameters on Industrial Robots

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Alejandro Elvira-Ortiz

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Vibration is a phenomenon that is present on every industrial system such as CNC machines and industrial robots. Moreover, sensors used to estimate angular position of a joint in an industrial robot are severely affected by vibrations and lead to wrong estimations. This paper proposes a methodology for improving the estimation of kinematic parameters on industrial robots through a proper suppression of the vibration components present on signals acquired from two primary sensors: accelerometer and gyroscope. A Kalman filter is responsible for the filtering of spurious vibration. Additionally, a sensor fusion technique is used to merge information from both sensors and improve the results obtained using each sensor separately. The methodology is implemented in a proprietary hardware signal processor and tested in an ABB IRB 140 industrial robot, first by analyzing the motion profile of only one joint and then by estimating the path tracking of two welding tasks: one rectangular and another one circular. Results from this work prove that the sensor fusion technique accompanied by proper suppression of vibrations delivers better estimation than other proposed techniques.

Modelling cooperation of industrial robots as multi-agent systems

Science.gov (United States)

Hryniewicz, P.; Banas, W.; Foit, K.; Gwiazda, A.; Sekala, A.

2017-08-01

Nowadays, more and more often in a cell is more than one robot, there is also a dual arm robots, because of this cooperation of two robots in the same space becomes more and more important. Programming robotic cell consisting of two or more robots are currently performed separately for each element of the robot and the cell. It is performed only synchronization programs, but no robot movements. In such situations often placed industrial robots so they do not have common space so the robots are operated separately. When industrial robots are a common space this space can occupy only one robot the other one must be outside the common space. It is very difficult to find applications where two robots are in the same workspace. It was tested but one robot did not do of movement when moving the second and waited for permission to move from the second when it sent a permit - stop the move. Such programs are very difficult and require a lot of experience from the programmer and must be tested separately at the beginning and then very slowly under control. Ideally, the operator takes care of exactly one robot during the test and it is very important to take special care.

The Influence of Friction Stir Weld Tool Form and Welding Parameters on Weld Structure and Properties: Nugget Bulge in Self-Reacting Friction Stir Welds

Science.gov (United States)

Schneider, Judy; Nunes, Arthur C., Jr.; Brendel, Michael S.

2010-01-01

Although friction stir welding (FSW) was patented in 1991, process development has been based upon trial and error and the literature still exhibits little understanding of the mechanisms determining weld structure and properties. New concepts emerging from a better understanding of these mechanisms enhance the ability of FSW engineers to think about the FSW process in new ways, inevitably leading to advances in the technology. A kinematic approach in which the FSW flow process is decomposed into several simple flow components has been found to explain the basic structural features of FSW welds and to relate them to tool geometry and process parameters. Using this modelling approach, this study reports on a correlation between the features of the weld nugget, process parameters, weld tool geometry, and weld strength. This correlation presents a way to select process parameters for a given tool geometry so as to optimize weld strength. It also provides clues that may ultimately explain why the weld strength varies within the sample population.

Robot Work Platform for Large Hot Cell Deactivation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

BITTEN, E.J.

2000-01-01

The 324 Building, located at the Hanford Site near Richland, Washington, is being deactivated to meet state and federal cleanup commitments. The facility is currently in its third year of a nine-year project to complete deactivation and closure for long-term surveillance and maintenance. The 324 building contains large hot cells that were used for high-radiation, high-contamination chemical process development and demonstrations. A major obstacle for the 324 deactivation project is the inability to effectively perform deactivation tasks within highly radioactive, contaminated environments. Current strategies use inefficient, resource intensive technologies that significantly impact the cost and schedule for deactivation. To meet mandated cleanup commitments, there is a need to deploy rapid, more efficient remote/robot technologies to minimize worker exposure, accelerate work tasks, and eliminate the need for multiple specialized tool design and procurement efforts. This paper describes the functions and performance requirements for a crane-deployed remote/robot Work Platform possessing full access capabilities. The remote/robot Work Platform will deploy commercially available off-the-shelf tools and end effectors to support Project cleanup goals and reduce overall project risk and cost. The intent of this system is to maximize the use of off-the-shelf technologies that minimize additional new, unproven, or novel designs. This paper further describes procurement strategy, the selection process, the selected technology, and the current status of the procurement and lessons learned. Funding, in part, has been provided by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science and Technology, Deactivation and Decommissioning Focus Area

Automatic orbital GTAW welding: Highest quality welds for tomorrow's high-performance systems

Science.gov (United States)

Henon, B. K.

1985-01-01

Automatic orbital gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) or TIG welding is certain to play an increasingly prominent role in tomorrow's technology. The welds are of the highest quality and the repeatability of automatic weldings is vastly superior to that of manual welding. Since less heat is applied to the weld during automatic welding than manual welding, there is less change in the metallurgical properties of the parent material. The possibility of accurate control and the cleanliness of the automatic GTAW welding process make it highly suitable to the welding of the more exotic and expensive materials which are now widely used in the aerospace and hydrospace industries. Titanium, stainless steel, Inconel, and Incoloy, as well as, aluminum can all be welded to the highest quality specifications automatically. Automatic orbital GTAW equipment is available for the fusion butt welding of tube-to-tube, as well as, tube to autobuttweld fittings. The same equipment can also be used for the fusion butt welding of up to 6 inch pipe with a wall thickness of up to 0.154 inches.

Influence of Welding Process and Post Weld Heat Treatment on Microstructure and Pitting Corrosion Behavior of Dissimilar Aluminium Alloy Welds

Science.gov (United States)

Venkata Ramana, V. S. N.; Mohammed, Raffi; Madhusudhan Reddy, G.; Srinivasa Rao, K.

2018-03-01

Welding of dissimilar Aluminum alloy welds is becoming important in aerospace, shipbuilding and defence applications. In the present work, an attempt has been made to weld dissimilar aluminium alloys using conventional gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) and friction stir welding (FSW) processes. An attempt was also made to study the effect of post weld heat treatment (T4 condition) on microstructure and pitting corrosion behaviour of these welds. Results of the present investigation established the differences in microstructures of the base metals in T4 condition and in annealed conditions. It is evident that the thickness of the PMZ is relatively more on AA2014 side than that of AA6061 side. In FS welds, lamellar like shear bands are well noticed on the top of the stir zone. The concentration profile of dissimilar friction stir weld in T4 condition revealed that no diffusion has taken place at the interface. Poor Hardness is observed in all regions of FS welds compared to that of GTA welds. Pitting corrosion resistance of the dissimilar FS welds in all regions was improved by post weld heat treatment.

A control system for uniform bead in fillet arc welding on tack welds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jae Woong; Lee, Jun Young

2008-01-01

Positioning a workpiece accurately and preventing weld distortion, tack welding is often adopted before main welding in the construction of welded structures. However, this tack weld deteriorates the final weld bead profile, so that the grinding process is usually performed for a uniform weld bead profile. In this study, a control system for uniform weld bead is proposed for the fillet arc welding on tack welds. The system consists of GMA welding machine, torch manipulator, laser vision sensor for measuring the tack weld size and the database for optimal welding conditions. Experiments have been performed for constructing the database and for evaluating the control capability of the system. It has been shown that the system has the capability to smooth the bead at the high level of quality

Torque Measurement of Welding of Endplug-Endplate using Multi-pin Remote Welding System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koo, Dae-Seo; Kim, Soo-Sung; Park, Geun-Il; Lee, Jung-Won; Song, Kee-Chan [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

2006-07-01

As fuel bundles in PHWR irradiates, inner pressure in claddings of fuel rods increases owing to outer pressure and fission products of nuclear fissions. Because of leak possibility of welding between cladding and end plug, this welding part connects with safety of nuclear fuel rods. Because of importance of this welding part, weldability of end plug-cladding of nuclear fuel rods is continually researched. Welding method for research and commercialization is classified as melting, solid type welding or resistance welding. End plug cladding welding of nuclear fuel rods in PHWR takes advantage of resistance upset butt welding using multicycle mode. This method makes weld flash and shapes re-entrant corner owing to welding heat due to resistivity, contact resistance of cladding-end plug, and inelasticity deformation due to pressure. Welding part between cladding and end plug receives stresses and makes small cracks. In this study, remote welding system for multi-pin assembly was designed, fabricated and welding specimens of end plug-endplate were made using electrical resistance method. The torques of welding between end plug and endplate were measured. These results on welding current, pressure of main electrode and pressure of branch electrode were analyzed. Weldability between end plug and endplate was confirmed through metallographic examinations. In the future, optimal welding examinations due to welding current, welding pressure and welding time will be performed to improve weldability of end plug-endplate.

Pulsed infrared thermography for assessment of ultrasonic welds

Science.gov (United States)

McGovern, Megan E.; Rinker, Teresa J.; Sekol, Ryan C.

2018-03-01

Battery packs are a critical component in electric vehicles. During pack assembly, the battery cell tab and busbar are ultrasonically welded. The properties of the welds ultimately affect battery pack durability. Quality inspection of these welds is important to ensure durable battery packs. Pack failure is detrimental economically and could also pose a safety hazard, such as thermal runaway. Ultrasonic welds are commonly checked by measuring electrical resistance or auditing using destructive mechanical testing. Resistance measurements are quick, but sensitive to set-up changes. Destructive testing cannot represent the entire weld set. It is possible for a weak weld to satisfy the electrical requirement check, because only sufficient contact between the tabs and busbar is required to yield a low resistance measurement. Laboratory techniques are often not suitable for inline inspection, as they may be time-consuming, use couplant, or are only suitable for coupons. The complex surface geometry also poses difficulties for conventional nondestructive techniques. A method for inspection of ultrasonic welds is proposed using pulsed infrared thermography to identify discrepant welds in a manufacturing environment. Thermal measurements of welds were compared to electrical and mechanical measurements. The heat source distribution was calculated to obtain thermal images with high temporal and spatial resolution. All discrepant welds were readily identifiable using two thermographic techniques: pixel counting and the gradient image. A positive relationship between pixel count and mechanical strength was observed. The results demonstrate the potential of pulsed thermography for inline inspection, which can complement, or even replace, conventional electrical resistance measurements.

Advantages of new micro-jet welding technology on weld microstructure control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan PIWNIK

2013-01-01

Full Text Available An innovative apparatus to welding process with micro-jet cooling of the weld made it possible to carry out technological tests, which have proved theoretical considerations about this problem. This project gives real opportunities for professional development in the field of welding with controlling the parameters of weld structure. These tests have proved that the new micro-jet technology has the potential for growth. It may be great achievement of welding technology in order to increase weld metal strength. The new technology with micro-jet cooling may have many practical applications in many fields, for example such as in the transport industry or to repair damaged metal elements. The advantages of the new device over the traditional system are the ability to control the structure of the weld, the weld mechanical performance increases and improve the quality of welded joints.

Study on laser welding of austenitic stainless steel by varying incident angle of pulsed laser beam

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Nikhil; Mukherjee, Manidipto; Bandyopadhyay, Asish

2017-09-01

In the present work, AISI 304 stainless steel sheets are laser welded in butt joint configuration using a robotic control 600 W pulsed Nd:YAG laser system. The objective of the work is of twofold. Firstly, the study aims to find out the effect of incident angle on the weld pool geometry, microstructure and tensile property of the welded joints. Secondly, a set of experiments are conducted, according to response surface design, to investigate the effects of process parameters, namely, incident angle of laser beam, laser power and welding speed, on ultimate tensile strength by developing a second order polynomial equation. Study with three different incident angle of laser beam 89.7 deg, 85.5 deg and 83 deg has been presented in this work. It is observed that the weld pool geometry has been significantly altered with the deviation in incident angle. The weld pool shape at the top surface has been altered from semispherical or nearly spherical shape to tear drop shape with decrease in incident angle. Simultaneously, planer, fine columnar dendritic and coarse columnar dendritic structures have been observed at 89.7 deg, 85.5 deg and 83 deg incident angle respectively. Weld metals with 85.5 deg incident angle has higher fraction of carbide and δ-ferrite precipitation in the austenitic matrix compared to other weld conditions. Hence, weld metal of 85.5 deg incident angle achieved higher micro-hardness of ∼280 HV and tensile strength of 579.26 MPa followed by 89.7 deg and 83 deg incident angle welds. Furthermore, the predicted maximum value of ultimate tensile strength of 580.50 MPa has been achieved for 85.95 deg incident angle using the developed equation where other two optimum parameter settings have been obtained as laser power of 455.52 W and welding speed of 4.95 mm/s. This observation has been satisfactorily validated by three confirmatory tests.

Evolution of microstructure in laser welding of SS304L

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Santosh; Kushwaha, R.P.; Viswanadham, C.S.; Dey, G.K.

2009-01-01

Laser welding is an important joining process and its application in industries is growing rapidly. One can produce laser welds over a wide range of process parameters and this offers very good opportunity for producing microstructure of different morphology and scales in the weldment. Weld beads have been produced on 5 mm thick plates of SS304L using CW Nd-YAG laser. Laser power was varied in 200 W to 1000 W range and welding speed was varied in 100 mm/mm to 1000 mm/mm. This resulted in weld beads of different morphology. Microstructure of the weld beads was examined on the cross-section as well as in the axial direction using optical microscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) to study evolution of the microstructure in the weldment. Microstructure was cellular and cellular-dendritic with grains growing from the fusion line towards the centerline. In the central region, cellular growth along the welding direction was observed. The cell size was found to increase with increasing laser power and decreasing welding speed. The findings are presented in this paper. (author)

TECHNOLOGICAL ISSUES IN MECHANISED FEED WIG/TIG WELDING SURFACING OF WELDING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

BURCA Mircea

2016-09-01

manual welding tests in the light of using the process for welding surfacing being known that in such applications mechanised operations are recommended whenever possible given the latter strengths i.e. increased productivity and quality deposits. The research also aims at achieving a comparative a study between wire mechanised feed based WIG manual welding and the manual rod entry based manual welding in terms of geometry deposits, deposits aesthetics, operating technique, productivity, etc . In this regard deposits were made by means of two welding procedures, and subsequently welding surfacing was made with the optimum values of the welding parameters in this case.

Soft computing in advanced robotics

CERN Document Server

Kobayashi, Ichiro; Kim, Euntai

2014-01-01

Intelligent system and robotics are inevitably bound up; intelligent robots makes embodiment of system integration by using the intelligent systems. We can figure out that intelligent systems are to cell units, while intelligent robots are to body components. The two technologies have been synchronized in progress. Making leverage of the robotics and intelligent systems, applications cover boundlessly the range from our daily life to space station; manufacturing, healthcare, environment, energy, education, personal assistance, logistics. This book aims at presenting the research results in relevance with intelligent robotics technology. We propose to researchers and practitioners some methods to advance the intelligent systems and apply them to advanced robotics technology. This book consists of 10 contributions that feature mobile robots, robot emotion, electric power steering, multi-agent, fuzzy visual navigation, adaptive network-based fuzzy inference system, swarm EKF localization and inspection robot. Th...

Welding Penetration Control of Fixed Pipe in TIG Welding Using Fuzzy Inference System

Science.gov (United States)

Baskoro, Ario Sunar; Kabutomori, Masashi; Suga, Yasuo

This paper presents a study on welding penetration control of fixed pipe in Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding using fuzzy inference system. The welding penetration control is essential to the production quality welds with a specified geometry. For pipe welding using constant arc current and welding speed, the bead width becomes wider as the circumferential welding of small diameter pipes progresses. Having welded pipe in fixed position, obviously, the excessive arc current yields burn through of metals; in contrary, insufficient arc current produces imperfect welding. In order to avoid these errors and to obtain the uniform weld bead over the entire circumference of the pipe, the welding conditions should be controlled as the welding proceeds. This research studies the intelligent welding process of aluminum alloy pipe 6063S-T5 in fixed position using the AC welding machine. The monitoring system used a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera to monitor backside image of molten pool. The captured image was processed to recognize the edge of molten pool by image processing algorithm. Simulation of welding control using fuzzy inference system was constructed to simulate the welding control process. The simulation result shows that fuzzy controller was suitable for controlling the welding speed and appropriate to be implemented into the welding system. A series of experiments was conducted to evaluate the performance of the fuzzy controller. The experimental results show the effectiveness of the control system that is confirmed by sound welds.

Design of the reactor vessel inspection robot for the advanced liquid metal reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spelt, P.F.; Crane, C.; Feng, L.; Abidi, M.; Tosunoglu, S.

1994-01-01

A consortium of four universities and Oak Ridge National Laboratory designed a prototype wall-crawling robot to perform weld inspection in an advanced nuclear reactor. The restrictions of the inspection environment presented major challenges to the team. These challenges were met in the prototype, which has been tested in a mock non-hostile environment and shown to perform as expected, as detailed in this report

Constraint optimization model of a scheduling problem for a robotic arm in automatic systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristiansen, Ewa; Smith, Stephen F.; Kristiansen, Morten

2014-01-01

are characteristics of the painting process application itself. Unlike spot-welding, painting tasks require movement of the entire robot arm. In addition to minimizing intertask duration, the scheduler must strive to maximize painting quality and the problem is formulated as a multi-objective optimization problem....... The scheduling model is implemented as a stand-alone module using constraint programming, and integrated with a larger automatic system. The results of a number of simulation experiments with simple parts are reported, both to characterize the functionality of the scheduler and to illustrate the operation...... of the entire software system for automatic generation of robot programs for painting....

Versatile Friction Stir Welding/Friction Plug Welding System

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Robert

2006-01-01

A proposed system of tooling, machinery, and control equipment would be capable of performing any of several friction stir welding (FSW) and friction plug welding (FPW) operations. These operations would include the following: Basic FSW; FSW with automated manipulation of the length of the pin tool in real time [the so-called auto-adjustable pin-tool (APT) capability]; Self-reacting FSW (SRFSW); SR-FSW with APT capability and/or real-time adjustment of the distance between the front and back shoulders; and Friction plug welding (FPW) [more specifically, friction push plug welding] or friction pull plug welding (FPPW) to close out the keyhole of, or to repair, an FSW or SR-FSW weld. Prior FSW and FPW systems have been capable of performing one or two of these operations, but none has thus far been capable of performing all of them. The proposed system would include a common tool that would have APT capability for both basic FSW and SR-FSW. Such a tool was described in Tool for Two Types of Friction Stir Welding (MFS- 31647-1), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 30, No. 10 (October 2006), page 70. Going beyond what was reported in the cited previous article, the common tool could be used in conjunction with a plug welding head to perform FPW or FPPW. Alternatively, the plug welding head could be integrated, along with the common tool, into a FSW head that would be capable of all of the aforementioned FSW and FPW operations. Any FSW or FPW operation could be performed under any combination of position and/or force control.

Effect of Welding Parameters on Dilution and Weld Bead Geometry in Cladding

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2007-01-01

The effect of pulsed gas metal arc welding (GMAW) variables on the dilution and weld bead geometry in cladding X65 pipeline steel with 316L stainless steel was studied. Using a full factorial method, a series of experiments were carried out to know the effect of wire feed rate, welding speed, distance between gas nozzle and plate, and the vertical angle of welding on dilution and weld bead geometry. The findings indicate that the dilution of weld metal and its dimension i.e. width, height and depth increase with the feed rate, but the contact angle of the bead decreases first and then increases. Meantime, welding speed has an opposite effect except for dilution. There is an interaction effect between welding parameters at the contact angle. The results also show forehand welding or decreasing electrode extension decrease the angle of contact. Finally,a mathematical model is contrived to highlight the relationship between welding variables with dilution and weld bead geometry.

Fusion welding process

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Kenneth C.; Jones, Eric D.; McBride, Marvin A.

1983-01-01

A process for the fusion welding of nickel alloy steel members wherein a ferrite containing pellet is inserted into a cavity in one member and melted by a welding torch. The resulting weld nugget, a fusion of the nickel containing alloy from the members to be welded and the pellet, has a composition which is sufficiently low in nickel content such that ferrite phases occur within the weld nugget, resulting in improved weld properties. The steel alloys encompassed also include alloys containing carbon and manganese, considered nickel equivalents.

MAG narrow gap welding - an economic way to minimize welding expenses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kast, W.; Scholz, E.; Weyland, F.

1982-01-01

The thicker structural components are, the more important it is to take measures to reduce the volume of the weld. The welding process requiring the smallest possible weld section is the so-called narrow gap process. In submerged arc narrow gap welding as well as in MAG narrow gap welding different variants are imaginable, some of them already in practical use. With regard to efficiency and weld quality an optimum variant of the MAG narrow gap welding process is described. It constitutes a two wire system in which two wire electrodes of 1.2 mm diameter are arranged one behind the other. In order to avoid lack of fusion, the wire guides are slightly pointed towards each groove face. Thus, by inclining the two arcs burning one behind the other in the direction of weld progress, it is achieved that two separately solidifying weld pools and two beads per layer are simultaneously formed. Welding parameters are selected in such a way that a heat input of 16-20 kJ/cm and a deposition rate of 11-16 kgs/h are obtained. In spite of this comparatively high deposition rate, good impact values are found both in the weld and HAZ (largely reduced coarse-grain zone) which is due to an optimum weld build-up. With the available welding equipment the process can be applied to structural members having a thickness of 40-400 mm. The width of gap is 13 mm (root section) with a bevel angle of 1 0 . As filler metal, basic flux-cored wires are used which, depending on the base metal to be welded and the required tensile properties, can be of the Mn-, MnMo-, MnCrMo-, MnNi-, or MnNiMo-alloyed types. (orig.)

Advanced Welding Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Robert J.

2010-01-01

Some of the applications of advanced welding techniques are shown in this poster presentation. Included are brief explanations of the use on the Ares I and Ares V launch vehicle and on the Space Shuttle Launch vehicle. Also included are microstructural views from four advanced welding techniques: Variable Polarity Plasma Arc (VPPA) weld (fusion), self-reacting friction stir welding (SR-FSW), conventional FSW, and Tube Socket Weld (TSW) on aluminum.

WELDING METHOD

Science.gov (United States)

Cornell, A.A.; Dunbar, J.V.; Ruffner, J.H.

1959-09-29

A semi-automatic method is described for the weld joining of pipes and fittings which utilizes the inert gasshielded consumable electrode electric arc welding technique, comprising laying down the root pass at a first peripheral velocity and thereafter laying down the filler passes over the root pass necessary to complete the weld by revolving the pipes and fittings at a second peripheral velocity different from the first peripheral velocity, maintaining the welding head in a fixed position as to the specific direction of revolution, while the longitudinal axis of the welding head is disposed angularly in the direction of revolution at amounts between twenty minutas and about four degrees from the first position.

Friction stir welding tool and process for welding dissimilar materials

Science.gov (United States)

Hovanski, Yuri; Grant, Glenn J; Jana, Saumyadeep; Mattlin, Karl F

2013-05-07

A friction stir welding tool and process for lap welding dissimilar materials are detailed. The invention includes a cutter scribe that penetrates and extrudes a first material of a lap weld stack to a preselected depth and further cuts a second material to provide a beneficial geometry defined by a plurality of mechanically interlocking features. The tool backfills the interlocking features generating a lap weld across the length of the interface between the dissimilar materials that enhances the shear strength of the lap weld.

Syllabus in Trade Welding.

Science.gov (United States)

New York State Education Dept., Albany. Bureau of Secondary Curriculum Development.

The syllabus outlines material for a course two academic years in length (minimum two and one-half hours daily experience) leading to entry-level occupational ability in several welding trade areas. Fourteen units covering are welding, gas welding, oxyacetylene welding, cutting, nonfusion processes, inert gas shielded-arc welding, welding cast…

Latest MIG, TIG arc-YAG laser hybrid welding systems for various welding products

Science.gov (United States)

Ishide, Takashi; Tsubota, Shuho; Watanabe, Masao

2003-03-01

Laser welding is capable of high-efficiency low-strain welding, and so its applications are started to various products. We have also put the high-power YAG laser of up to 10 kW to practical welding use for various products. On the other hand the weakest point of this laser welding is considered to be strict in the welding gap aiming allowance. In order to solve this problem, we have developed hybrid welding of TIG, MIG arc and YAG laser, taking the most advantages of both the laser and arc welding. Since the electrode is coaxial to the optical axis of the YAG laser in this process, it can be applied to welding of various objects. In the coaxial MIG, TIG-YAG welding, in order to make irradiation positions of the YAG laser beams having been guided in a wire or an electrode focused to the same position, the beam transmitted in fibers is separated to form a space between the separated beams, in which the laser is guided. With this method the beam-irradiating area can be brought near or to the arc-generating point. This enables welding of all directions even for the member of a three-dimensional shape. This time we carried out welding for various materials and have made their welding of up to 1 mm or more in welding groove gap possible. We have realized high-speed 1-pass butt welding of 4m/min in welding speed with the laser power of 3 kW for an aluminum alloy plate of approximately 4 mm thick. For a mild steel plate also we have realized butt welding of 1m/min with 5 kW for 6 mm thick. Further, in welding of stainless steel we have shown its welding possibility, by stabilizing the arc with the YAG laser in the welding atmosphere of pure argon, and shown that this welding is effective in high-efficiency welding of various materials. Here we will report the fundamental welding performances and applications to various objects for the coaxial MIG, TIG-YAG welding we have developed.

Ultrasonic testing of austenitic welds and its dependency on the welding process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tabatabaeipour, S.M.; Honarvar, F.

2009-01-01

This paper describes the ultrasonic testing of austenitic welds prepared by two different welding processes. The tests were carried out by the ultrasonic Time-of-Flight Diffraction (ToFD) technique. Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) and Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) are the welding processes used for preparing the specimens. Identical artificial defects were implanted in both welds during the welding process. Both specimens were examined by the ToFD technique under similar conditions. Metallographic images were also obtained from the cross sectional plane of both the SMA and GTA welds. These images show that the grain orientation in the two welded specimens are different. D-scan images obtained by the ToFD technique from these welds indicates that inspecting the specimens prepared by the SMAW process is easier than the one made by the GTAW process. The results also show that the D-scan images cannot reveal the small vertical drilled holes implanted in the specimens. (author)

Friction Stir Welding of Tapered Thickness Welds Using an Adjustable Pin Tool

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Glynn; Venable, Richard; Lawless, Kirby

2003-01-01

Friction stir welding (FSW) can be used for joining weld lands that vary in thickness along the length of the weld. An adjustable pin tool mechanism can be used to accomplish this in a single-pass, full-penetration weld by providing for precise changes in the pin length relative to the shoulder face during the weld process. The difficulty with this approach is in accurately adjusting the pin length to provide a consistent penetration ligament throughout the weld. The weld technique, control system, and instrumentation must account for mechanical and thermal compliances of the tooling system to conduct tapered welds successfully. In this study, a combination of static and in-situ measurements, as well as active control, is used to locate the pin accurately and maintain the desired penetration ligament. Frictional forces at the pin/shoulder interface were a source of error that affected accurate pin position. A traditional FSW pin tool design that requires a lead angle was used to join butt weld configurations that included both constant thickness and tapered sections. The pitch axis of the tooling was fixed throughout the weld; therefore, the effective lead angle in the tapered sections was restricted to within the tolerances allowed by the pin tool design. The sensitivity of the FSW process to factors such as thickness offset, joint gap, centerline offset, and taper transition offset were also studied. The joint gap and the thickness offset demonstrated the most adverse affects on the weld quality. Two separate tooling configurations were used to conduct tapered thickness welds successfully. The weld configurations included sections in which the thickness decreased along the weld, as well as sections in which the thickness increased along the weld. The data presented here include weld metallography, strength data, and process load data.

The technology and welding joint properties of hybrid laser-tig welding on thick plate

Science.gov (United States)

Shenghai, Zhang; Yifu, Shen; Huijuan, Qiu

2013-06-01

The technologies of autogenous laser welding and hybrid laser-TIG welding are used on thick plate of high strength lower alloy structural steel 10CrNiMnMoV in this article. The unique advantages of hybrid laser-TIG welding is summarized by comparing and analyzing the process parameters and welding joints of autogenous laser welding laser welding and hybrid laser-TIG welding. With the optimal process parameters of hybrid welding, the good welding joint without visible flaws can be obtained and its mechanical properties are tested according to industry standards. The results show that the hybrid welding technology has certain advantages and possibility in welding thick plates. It can reduce the demands of laser power, and it is significant for lowering the aspect ratio of weld during hybrid welding, so the gas in the molten pool can rise and escape easily while welding thick plates. Therefore, the pores forming tendency decreases. At the same time, hybrid welding enhances welding speed, and optimizes the energy input. The transition and grain size of the microstructure of hybrid welding joint is better and its hardness is higher than base material. Furthermore, its tensile strength and impact toughness is as good as base material. Consequently, the hybrid welding joint can meet the industry needs completely.

Effects of post weld heat treatment and weld overlay on the residual stress and mechanical properties in dissimilar metal weld

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campos, Wagner R.C.; Ribeiro, Vladimir S.; Vilela, Alisson H.F.; Almeida, Camila R.O.; Rabello, Emerson G.

2017-01-01

The object of this work is a dissimilar metal weld (DMW) pipe joint between carbon steel (A-106 Gr B) and stainless steel (A-312 TP316L) pipes and filler metals of Nickel alloy (82/182), which find wide application in the field of chemical, oil, petroleum industries, fossil fuel and nuclear power plant. A lot of the failures that have occurred in dissimilar metal welded are affected greatly by residual stresses. Residual stress is often a cause of premature failure of critical components under normal operation of welded components. Several methods have been tested and developed for removing the tensile residual stresses. The aim of the methods is to reduce the tensile stress state or to create compressive stresses at a predefined area, such as the inner surface of a welded pipe joint. Post weld heat treatment (PWHT) and weld overlay (WOL) are two of the residual stress mitigation methods which reduce the tensile residual stress, create compressive stresses and arrest crack initiation and crack growth. The technique used to substantially minimized or eliminated this failure development in the root weld is the post weld heat treatments (stress relief heat treatment) or the weld overlay. In this work was studied the effectiveness in reducing internal residual stress in dissimilar metal welded pipe joints subjected to post weld heat treatment and weld overlay, measurement by hole-drilling strain-gage method of stress relaxation. Also held was mechanical characterization of the welded pipe joint itself. (author)

Effects of post weld heat treatment and weld overlay on the residual stress and mechanical properties in dissimilar metal weld

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Campos, Wagner R.C.; Ribeiro, Vladimir S.; Vilela, Alisson H.F.; Almeida, Camila R.O.; Rabello, Emerson G., E-mail: wrcc@cdtn.br, E-mail: camilarezende.cr@gmail.com, E-mail: egr@cdtn.br, E-mail: vladimirsoler@hotmail.com, E-mail: ahfv02@outlook.com [Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN/CNEN-MG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil)

2017-07-01

The object of this work is a dissimilar metal weld (DMW) pipe joint between carbon steel (A-106 Gr B) and stainless steel (A-312 TP316L) pipes and filler metals of Nickel alloy (82/182), which find wide application in the field of chemical, oil, petroleum industries, fossil fuel and nuclear power plant. A lot of the failures that have occurred in dissimilar metal welded are affected greatly by residual stresses. Residual stress is often a cause of premature failure of critical components under normal operation of welded components. Several methods have been tested and developed for removing the tensile residual stresses. The aim of the methods is to reduce the tensile stress state or to create compressive stresses at a predefined area, such as the inner surface of a welded pipe joint. Post weld heat treatment (PWHT) and weld overlay (WOL) are two of the residual stress mitigation methods which reduce the tensile residual stress, create compressive stresses and arrest crack initiation and crack growth. The technique used to substantially minimized or eliminated this failure development in the root weld is the post weld heat treatments (stress relief heat treatment) or the weld overlay. In this work was studied the effectiveness in reducing internal residual stress in dissimilar metal welded pipe joints subjected to post weld heat treatment and weld overlay, measurement by hole-drilling strain-gage method of stress relaxation. Also held was mechanical characterization of the welded pipe joint itself. (author)

On use of weld zone temperatures for online monitoring of weld quality in friction stir welding of naturally aged aluminium alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imam, Murshid; Biswas, Kajal; Racherla, Vikranth

2013-01-01

Highlights: • FSWs for 6063-T4 AA are done at different process parameters and sheet thicknesses. • Weld nugget zone and heat affected zone temperatures are monitored for each case. • Microstructural and mechanical characterisation of welds is done in all cases. • Weld ductility is found to be particularly sensitive to weld zone temperatures. • Strong correlation is found between WNZ and HAZ temperatures and weld properties. - Abstract: 6063-T4 aluminium alloy sheets of 3 and 6 mm thicknesses were friction stir butt welded using a square tool pin at a wide range of tool rotational speeds. Properties of obtained welds were characterised using tensile tests, optical micrographs, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. Shape, size, and distribution of precipitates in weld zones, and strength and ductility of welds were seen to directly correlate with peak temperatures in weld nugget and heat affected zones, independent of sheet thickness. In addition, fluctuations in measured temperature profiles, for 3 mm sheets, were seen to correlate with an increase in scatter of weld nugget zone properties for 3 mm sheets. Optimal weld strength and ductility were obtained for peak weld nugget zone temperatures of around 450 °C and corresponding peak heat affected zone temperatures of around 360–380 °C. Results obtained suggest that, at least for naturally aged aluminium alloys, nature of temperature evolution and magnitudes of peak temperatures in weld nugget and heat affected zones provide information on uniformity of properties in weld zones, overaging of heat affected zones, and formation of tunnel defects from improper material mixing at low weld zone temperatures

Comparative microscopic study of human and rat lungs after overexposure to welding fume.

Science.gov (United States)

Antonini, James M; Roberts, Jenny R; Schwegler-Berry, Diane; Mercer, Robert R

2013-11-01

Welding is a common industrial process used to join metals and generates complex aerosols of potentially hazardous metal fumes and gases. Most long-time welders experience some type of respiratory disorder during their time of employment. The use of animal models and the ability to control the welding fume exposure in toxicology studies have been helpful in developing a better understanding of how welding fumes affect health. There are no studies that have performed a side-by-side comparison of the pulmonary responses from an animal toxicology welding fume study with the lung responses associated with chronic exposure to welding fume by a career welder. In this study, post-mortem lung tissue was donated from a long-time welder with a well-characterized work background and a history of extensive welding fume exposure. To simulate a long-term welding exposure in an animal model, Sprague-Dawley rats were treated once a week for 28 weeks by intratracheal instillation with 2mg of a stainless steel, hard-surfacing welding fume. Lung tissues from the welder and the welding fume-treated rats were examined by light and electron microscopy. Pathological analysis of lung tissue collected from the welder demonstrated inflammatory cell influx and significant pulmonary injury. The poor and deteriorating lung condition observed in the welder examined in this study was likely due to exposure to very high levels of potentially toxic metal fumes and gases for a significant number of years due to work in confined spaces. The lung toxicity profile for the rats treated with welding fume was similar. For tissue samples from both the welder and treated rats, welding particle accumulations deposited and persisted in lung structures and were easily visualized using light microscopic techniques. Agglomerates of deposited welding particles mostly were observed within lung cells, particularly alveolar macrophages. Analysis of individual particles within the agglomerates showed that these

Measuring weld heat to evaluate weld integrity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schauder, V., E-mail: schauder@hks-prozesstechnik.de [HKS-Prozesstechnik GmbH, Halle (Germany)

2015-11-15

Eddy current and ultrasonic testing are suitable for tube and pipe mills and have been used for weld seam flaw detection for decades, but a new process, thermography, is an alternative. By measuring the heat signature of the weld seam as it cools, it provides information about weld integrity at and below the surface. The thermal processes used to join metals, such as plasma, induction, laser, and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), have improved since they were developed, and they get better with each passing year. However, no industrial process is perfect, so companies that conduct research in flaw detection likewise continue to develop and improve the technologies used to verify weld integrity: ultrasonic testing (UT), eddy current testing (ET), hydrostatic, X-ray, magnetic particle, and liquid penetrant are among the most common. Two of these are used for verifying the integrity of the continuous welds such as those used on pipe and tube mills: UT and ET. Each uses a transmitter to send waves of ultrasonic energy or electrical current through the material and a receiver (probe) to detect disturbances in the flow. The two processes often are combined to capitalize on the strengths of each. While ET is good at detecting flaws at or near the surface, UT penetrates the material, detecting subsurface flaws. One drawback is that sound waves and electrical current waves have a specific direction of travel, or an alignment. A linear defect that runs parallel to the direction of travel of the ultrasonic sound wave or a flaw that is parallel to the coil winding direction of the ET probe can go undetected. A second drawback is that they don't detect cold welds. An alternative process, thermography, works in a different fashion: It monitors the heat of the material as the weld cools. Although it measures the heat at the surface, the heat signature provides clues about cooling activity deep in the material, resulting in a thorough assessment of the weld's integrity It

The effect of post-welding conditions in friction stir welds: From weld simulation to Ductile Failure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hattel, Jesper Henri; Nielsen, Kim Lau; Tutum, Cem Celal

2012-01-01

software ANSYS, a thermo-mechanical model is employed to predict the thermally induced stresses and strains during welding, while an in-house finite element code is used to study the plastic flow localization and failure in a subsequent structural analysis. The coupling between the two models is made......The post-welding stress state, strain history and material conditions of friction stir welded joints are often strongly idealized when used in subsequent modeling analyses, typically by neglecting one or more of the features above. But, it is obvious that the conditions after welding do influence......, showed the largest influence of the post-welding conditions, even though significant relaxation of the residual stress state was predicted....

Nitrogen And Oxygen Amount In Weld After Welding With Micro-Jet Cooling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Węgrzyn T.

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Micro-jet cooling after welding was tested only for MIG welding process with argon, helium and nitrogen as a shielded gases. A paper presents a piece of information about nitrogen and oxygen in weld after micro-jet cooling. There are put down information about gases that could be chosen both for MIG/MAG welding and for micro-jet process. There were given main information about influence of various micro-jet gases on metallographic structure of steel welds. Mechanical properties of weld was presented in terms of nitrogen and oxygen amount in WMD (weld metal deposit.

A study of weld quality in ultrasonic spot welding of similar and dissimilar metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Sarraf, Z; Lucas, M

2012-01-01

Several difficulties are faced in joining thinner sheets of similar and dissimilar materials from fusion welding processes such as resistance welding and laser welding. Ultrasonic metal welding overcomes many of these difficulties by using high frequency vibration and applied pressure to create a solid-state weld. Ultrasonic metal welding is an effective technique in joining small components, such as in wire bonding, but is also capable of joining thicker sheet, depending on the control of welding conditions. This study presents the design, characterisation and test of a lateral-drive ultrasonic metal welding device. The ultrasonic welding horn is modelled using finite element analysis and its vibration behaviour is characterised experimentally to ensure ultrasonic energy is delivered to the weld coupon. The welding stack and fixtures are then designed and mounted on a test machine to allow a series of experiments to be conducted for various welding and ultrasonic parameters. Weld strength is subsequently analysed using tensile-shear tests. Control of the vibration amplitude profile through the weld cycle is used to enhance weld strength and quality, providing an opportunity to reduce part marking. Optical microscopic examination and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were employed to investigate the weld quality. The results show how the weld quality is particularly sensitive to the combination of clamping force and vibration amplitude of the welding tip.

End-point impedance measurements across dominant and nondominant hands and robotic assistance with directional damping.

Science.gov (United States)

Erden, Mustafa Suphi; Billard, Aude

2015-06-01

The goal of this paper is to perform end-point impedance measurements across dominant and nondominant hands while doing airbrush painting and to use the results for developing a robotic assistance scheme. We study airbrush painting because it resembles in many ways manual welding, a standard industrial task. The experiments are performed with the 7 degrees of freedom KUKA lightweight robot arm. The robot is controlled in admittance using a force sensor attached at the end-point, so as to act as a free-mass and be passively guided by the human. For impedance measurements, a set of nine subjects perform 12 repetitions of airbrush painting, drawing a straight-line on a cartoon horizontally placed on a table, while passively moving the airbrush mounted on the robot's end-point. We measure hand impedance during the painting task by generating sudden and brief external forces with the robot. The results show that on average the dominant hand displays larger impedance than the nondominant in the directions perpendicular to the painting line. We find the most significant difference in the damping values in these directions. Based on this observation, we develop a "directional damping" scheme for robotic assistance and conduct a pilot study with 12 subjects to contrast airbrush painting with and without robotic assistance. Results show significant improvement in precision with both dominant and nondominant hands when using robotic assistance.

Retention Strength of Conical Welding Caps for Fixed Implant-Supported Prostheses.

Science.gov (United States)

Nardi, Diego; Degidi, Marco; Sighinolfi, Gianluca; Tebbel, Florian; Marchetti, Claudio

This study evaluated the retention strength of welding caps for Ankylos standard abutments using a pull-out test. Each sample consisted of an implant abutment and its welding cap. The tests were performed with a Zwick Roell testing machine with a 1-kN load cell. The retention strength of the welding caps increased with higher abutment diameters and higher head heights and was comparable or superior to the values reported in the literature for the temporary cements used in implant dentistry. Welding caps provide a reliable connection between an abutment and a fixed prosthesis without the use of cement.

Welding and cutting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drews, P.; Schulze Frielinghaus, W.

1978-01-01

This is a survey, with 198 literature references, of the papers published in the fields of welding and cutting within the last three years. The subjects dealt with are: weldability of the materials - Welding methods - Thermal cutting - Shaping and calculation of welded joints - Environmental protection in welding and cutting. (orig.) [de

Simplified welding distortion analysis for fillet welding using composite shell elements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mingyu Kim

2015-05-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the simplified welding distortion analysis method to predict the welding deformation of both plate and stiffener in fillet welds. Currently, the methods based on equivalent thermal strain like Strain as Direct Boundary (SDB has been widely used due to effective prediction of welding deformation. Regarding the fillet welding, however, those methods cannot represent deformation of both members at once since the temperature degree of freedom is shared at the intersection nodes in both members. In this paper, we propose new approach to simulate deformation of both members. The method can simulate fillet weld deformations by employing composite shell element and using different thermal expansion coefficients according to thickness direction with fixed temperature at intersection nodes. For verification purpose, we compare of result from experiments, 3D thermo elastic plastic analysis, SDB method and proposed method. Compared of experiments results, the proposed method can effectively predict welding deformation for fillet welds.

Welding Technician

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Ken

2009-01-01

About 95% of all manufactured goods in this country are welded or joined in some way. These welded products range in nature from bicycle handlebars and skyscrapers to bridges and race cars. The author discusses what students need to know about careers for welding technicians--wages, responsibilities, skills needed, career advancement…

Introduction to Welding.

Science.gov (United States)

Fortney, Clarence; Gregory, Mike

This curriculum guide provides six units of instruction on basic welding. Addressed in the individual units of instruction are the following topics: employment opportunities for welders, welding safety and first aid, welding tools and equipment, basic metals and metallurgy, basic math and measuring, and procedures for applying for a welding job.…

Orbital welding technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoeschen, W.

2003-01-01

The TIG (Tungsten-inert gas) orbital welding technique is applied in all areas of pipe welding. The process is mainly used for austenitic and ferritic materials but also for materials like aluminium, nickel, and titanium alloys are commonly welded according to this technique. Thin-walled as well as thick-walled pipes are welded economically. The application of orbital welding is of particular interest in the area of maintenance of thick-walled pipes that is described in this article. (orig.) [de

Welding stresses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poirier, J.; Barbe, B.; Jolly, N.

1976-01-01

The aim is to show how internal stresses are generated and to fix the orders of magnitude. A realistic case, the vertical welding of thick plates free to move one against the other, is described and the deformations and stresses are analyzed. The mathematical model UEDA, which accounts for the elastic modulus, the yield strength and the expansion coefficient of the metal with temperature, is presented. The hypotheses and results given apply only to the instantaneous welding of a welded plate and to a plate welded by a moving electrode [fr

Reduction of Biomechanical and Welding Fume Exposures in Stud Welding.

Science.gov (United States)

Fethke, Nathan B; Peters, Thomas M; Leonard, Stephanie; Metwali, Mahmoud; Mudunkotuwa, Imali A

2016-04-01

The welding of shear stud connectors to structural steel in construction requires a prolonged stooped posture that exposes ironworkers to biomechanical and welding fume hazards. In this study, biomechanical and welding fume exposures during stud welding using conventional methods were compared to exposures associated with use of a prototype system that allowed participants to weld from an upright position. The effect of base material (i.e. bare structural beam versus galvanized decking) on welding fume concentration (particle number and mass), particle size distribution, and particle composition was also explored. Thirty participants completed a series of stud welding simulations in a local apprenticeship training facility. Use of the upright system was associated with substantial reductions in trunk inclination and the activity levels of several muscle groups. Inhalable mass concentrations of welding fume (averaged over ~18 min) when using conventional methods were high (18.2 mg m(-3) for bare beam; 65.7 mg m(-3) for through deck), with estimated mass concentrations of iron (7.8 mg m(-3) for bare beam; 15.8 mg m(-3) for through deck), zinc (0.2 mg m(-3) for bare beam; 15.8 mg m(-3) for through deck), and manganese (0.9 mg m(-3) for bare beam; 1.5 mg m(-3) for through deck) often exceeding the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists Threshold Limit Values (TLVs). Number and mass concentrations were substantially reduced when using the upright system, although the total inhalable mass concentration remained above the TLV when welding through decking. The average diameters of the welding fume particles for both bare beam (31±17 nm) through deck conditions (34±34 nm) and the chemical composition of the particles indicated the presence of metallic nanoparticles. Stud welding exposes ironworkers to potentially high levels of biomechanical loading (primarily to the low back) and welding fume. The upright system used in this study improved exposure

High-Speed Friction-Stir Welding to Enable Aluminum Tailor-Welded Blanks

Science.gov (United States)

Hovanski, Yuri; Upadhyay, Piyush; Carsley, John; Luzanski, Tom; Carlson, Blair; Eisenmenger, Mark; Soulami, Ayoub; Marshall, Dustin; Landino, Brandon; Hartfield-Wunsch, Susan

2015-05-01

Current welding technologies for production of aluminum tailor-welded blanks (TWBs) are utilized in low-volume and niche applications, and they have yet to be scaled for the high-volume vehicle market. This study targeted further weight reduction, part reduction, and cost savings by enabling tailor-welded blank technology for aluminum alloys at high volumes. While friction-stir welding (FSW) has been traditionally applied at linear velocities less than 1 m/min, high-volume production applications demand the process be extended to higher velocities more amenable to cost-sensitive production environments. Unfortunately, weld parameters and performance developed and characterized at low-to-moderate welding velocities do not directly translate to high-speed linear FSW. Therefore, to facilitate production of high-volume aluminum FSW components, parameters were developed with a minimum welding velocity of 3 m/min. With an emphasis on weld quality, welded blanks were evaluated for postweld formability using a combination of numerical and experimental methods. An evaluation across scales was ultimately validated by stamping full-size production door inner panels made from dissimilar thickness aluminum TWBs, which provided validation of the numerical and experimental analysis of laboratory-scale tests.

Estimation of weld nugget temperature by thermography method in resistance projection welding process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Setty, D.S.; Rameswara Roa, A.; Hemantha Rao, G.V.S.; Jaya Raj, R.N.

2008-01-01

In the Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) fuel manufacturing, zirconium alloy appendages like spacer and bearing pads are welded to the thin wall zirconium alloy fuel tubes by using resistance projection welding process. Out of many joining processes available, resistance-welding process is reliable, environment friendly and best suitable for mass production applications. In the fuel assembly, spacer pads are used to get the required inter-element spacing and Bearing pads are used to get the required load-bearing surface for the fuel assembly. Performance of the fuel assembly in the reactor is greatly influenced by these weld joint's quality. Phase transformation from α to β phase is not acceptable while welding these tiny appendages. At present only destructive metallography test is available for this purpose. This can also be achieved by measuring weld nugget temperature where in the phase transformation temperature for zirconium alloy material is 853 o C. The temperature distribution during resistance welding of tiny parts cannot be measured by conventional methods due to very small space and short weld times involved in the process. Shear strength, dimensional accuracy and weld microstructures are some of the key parameters used to measure the quality of appendage weld joints. Weld parameters were optimized with the help of industrial experimentation methodology. Individual projection welding by split electrode concept, and during welding on empty tube firm support is achieved on inner side of the tube by using expandable pneumatic mandrel. In the present paper, an attempt was made to measure the weld nugget temperature by thermography technique and is correlated with standard microstructures of zirconium alloy material. The temperature profiles in the welding process are presented for different welding conditions. This technique has helped in measuring the weld nugget temperature more accurately. It was observed that in the present appendage welding

Influence of Loading Direction and Weld Reinforcement on Fatigue Performance of TIG Weld Seam

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

HUI Li

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The influence of loading direction and weld reinforcement on fatigue performance of TC2 titanium alloy TIG weld seam was investigated via fatigue experiments and SEM fracture observation. The results show that the fatigue life of retaining weld reinforcement specimens is lower than that of removing one in the same weld direction. The fatigue life of oblique weld specimens is higher than that of straight one with the same weld reinforcement treatment. The initiation of removing weld reinforcement specimens' fatigue crack sources is in the hole defect, but the weld reinforcement specimen initiate at the weld toes. During the early stage of fatigue crack propagation, the cracks all grow inside the weld seam metal with obvious fatigue striation. And the fatigue cracks of oblique weld specimens pass through the weld seam into the base with a typical toughness fatigue striation during the last stage of fatigue crack propagation. The dimple of straight weld specimens is little and shallow in the final fracture zone. The oblique weld specimens broke in the base metal area, and the dimple is dense.

Nitrogen And Oxygen Amount In Weld After Welding With Micro-Jet Cooling

OpenAIRE

Węgrzyn T.; Piwnik J.

2015-01-01

Micro-jet cooling after welding was tested only for MIG welding process with argon, helium and nitrogen as a shielded gases. A paper presents a piece of information about nitrogen and oxygen in weld after micro-jet cooling. There are put down information about gases that could be chosen both for MIG/MAG welding and for micro-jet process. There were given main information about influence of various micro-jet gases on metallographic structure of steel welds. Mechanical properties of weld was pr...

A welding system for spent fuel canister lid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suikki, M.; Wendelin, T.

2008-06-01

located in an adjacent auxiliary system room for facilitating maintenance and repair measures. The lid welding chamber has a low contamination risk but, during the presence of a canister in the welding chamber, the welding room must be kept restricted because of a high radiation level. The system is controlled from a fuel handling cell operation control room. Attached to this report is a separate research report, disclosing various heating calculations for the canister's copper overpack. Calculations have been conducted with regard to the effects on the copper overpack from preheating necessary for installing the lid, as well as with regard to the heating of a canister's shell during the actual encapsulation welding. The total cost estimate, without a value added tax, for manufacturing the apparatus amounted 1 551 000 euros, including 242 000 euros for designing costs and 151 000 euros for installation costs. (orig.)

Influence of weld structure on cross-weld creep behavior in P23 steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allen, D.J.; Degnan, C.C. [E.ON Engineering (United Kingdom); Brett, S.J. [RWE npower (United Kingdom); Buchanan, L.W. [Doosan Babcock (United Kingdom)

2010-07-01

A thick section pipe weld in low alloy steel P23 has been characterised by cross-weld creep rupture testing at a range of stresses, together with all-weld-metal and parent material testing, under the auspices of the UK High Temperature Power Plant Forum. The results generally show that the weld metal can be weak when tested in the transverse (cross-weld) orientation, and can fail with limited overall ductility by cracking in the zone of refined weld metal beneath the fusion boundary of the superposed weld bead. However, one specimen showed a much superior performance, which could be understood in terms of its locally more creep resistant weld macrostructure. The implications for P23 performance and weld manufacture are discussed. (orig.)

Welded joints integrity analysis and optimization for fiber laser welding of dissimilar materials

Science.gov (United States)

Ai, Yuewei; Shao, Xinyu; Jiang, Ping; Li, Peigen; Liu, Yang; Liu, Wei

2016-11-01

Dissimilar materials welded joints provide many advantages in power, automotive, chemical, and spacecraft industries. The weld bead integrity which is determined by process parameters plays a significant role in the welding quality during the fiber laser welding (FLW) of dissimilar materials. In this paper, an optimization method by taking the integrity of the weld bead and weld area into consideration is proposed for FLW of dissimilar materials, the low carbon steel and stainless steel. The relationships between the weld bead integrity and process parameters are developed by the genetic algorithm optimized back propagation neural network (GA-BPNN). The particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is taken for optimizing the predicted outputs from GA-BPNN for the objective. Through the optimization process, the desired weld bead with good integrity and minimum weld area are obtained and the corresponding microstructure and microhardness are excellent. The mechanical properties of the optimized joints are greatly improved compared with that of the un-optimized welded joints. Moreover, the effects of significant factors are analyzed based on the statistical approach and the laser power (LP) is identified as the most significant factor on the weld bead integrity and weld area. The results indicate that the proposed method is effective for improving the reliability and stability of welded joints in the practical production.

A study on dynamically reconfigurable robotic systems, 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukuda, Toshio; Kawauchi, Yoshio; Buss, M.; Asama, Hajime.

1990-01-01

The dynamically reconfigurable robotic system (DRRS) is a new kind of robotic system which is able to reconfigurate itself to an optimal structure depending on the purpose and exvironment. To realize this concept, we proposed the CEBOT (cell-structured robot). Communication is needed in the CEBOT system as follows. When cells are separated, a communication master cell needs to know the other cell's function and position and determine the target cell for docking. Mobile cells should be able to coordinate with other mobile cell. When cells are docked, forming a cell structure/module, a master cell should control the bending joint cell and know which cells the construction is composed of. In this paper, we propose a communication protocol for both cases with optical sensor applicable to CEBOT. Some experimental results are shown by realizing the proposed communication method between cells. (author)

Laser Welding Test Results with Gas Atmospheres in Welding Chamber

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joung, Chang-Young; Hong, Jin-Tae; Ahn, Sung-Ho; Heo, Sung-Ho; Jang, Seo-Yun; Yang, Tae-Ho [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-10-15

The weld beads of specimens welded under identical conditions in the helium and argon gas were cleaner, more regular, and steadier than those in a vacuum. The penetration depth of the FZ in the vacuum was much deeper than those in the helium and argon gas. To measure the irradiation properties of nuclear fuel in a test reactor, a nuclear fuel test rod instrumented with various sensors must be fabricated with assembly processes. A laser welding system to assemble the nuclear fuel test rod was designed and fabricated to develop various welding technologies of the fuel test rods to joint between a cladding tube and end-caps. It is an air-cooling optical fiber type and its emission modes are a continuous (CW) mode of which the laser generates continuous emission, and pulse (QCW) mode in which the laser internally generates sequences of pulses. We considered the system welding a sample in a chamber that can weld a specimen in a vacuum and inert gas atmosphere, and the chamber was installed on the working plate of the laser welding system. In the chamber, the laser welding process should be conducted to have no defects on the sealing area between a cladding tube and an end-cap.

Application of CO2 laser beam weld for repair of fuel element of nuclear reactor 'YAYOI'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashimoto, Mitsuo; Yanagi, Hideharu; Sukegawa, Toshio; Saito, Isao; Sasuga, Norihiko; Aizawa, Nagaaki; Miya, Kenzo

1986-01-01

The present studies are to develop CO 2 laser beam welding techniques in order to apply for repoint of nuclear reactor fuel of Fast Neutron Source Reactor YAYOI. For that purpos, many experiments were conduted to obtain various effects of laser welding variables with use of SUS 304 plates, pipes and simulated dumy fuels. These experiments provided us an optimal welding condition through metallurgical observations, non-destructive and mechanical tests. It was found that the laser welds exhibited properties equivalent to those of the base metal, in addition they provided us a favorable system than that of electron beam welds against a cladding of radioactive nuclear fuel in a hot cell. The present paper reports on the characteristics of laser welds, structural analysis of fuel element and a system design of remotely operated devices setting in a hot cell. (author)

Welding of Thin Steel Plates by Hybrid Welding Process Combined TIG Arc with YAG Laser

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Taewon; Suga, Yasuo; Koike, Takashi

TIG arc welding and laser welding are used widely in the world. However, these welding processes have some advantages and problems respectively. In order to improve problems and make use of advantages of the arc welding and the laser welding processes, hybrid welding process combined the TIG arc with the YAG laser was studied. Especially, the suitable welding conditions for thin steel plate welding were investigated to obtain sound weld with beautiful surface and back beads but without weld defects. As a result, it was confirmed that the shot position of the laser beam is very important to obtain sound welds in hybrid welding. Therefore, a new intelligent system to monitor the welding area using vision sensor is constructed. Furthermore, control system to shot the laser beam to a selected position in molten pool, which is formed by TIG arc, is constructed. As a result of welding experiments using these systems, it is confirmed that the hybrid welding process and the control system are effective on the stable welding of thin stainless steel plates.

Hybrid laser-arc welding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hybrid laser-arc welding (HLAW) is a combination of laser welding with arc welding that overcomes many of the shortfalls of both processes. This important book gives a comprehensive account of hybrid laser-arc welding technology and applications. The first part of the book reviews...... the characteristics of the process, including the properties of joints produced by hybrid laser-arc welding and ways of assessing weld quality. Part II discusses applications of the process to such metals as magnesium alloys, aluminium and steel as well as the use of hybrid laser-arc welding in such sectors as ship...... building and the automotive industry. With its distinguished editor and international team of contributors, Hybrid laser-arc welding, will be a valuable source of reference for all those using this important welding technology. Professor Flemming Ove Olsen works in the Department of Manufacturing...

[New welding processes and health effects of welding].

Science.gov (United States)

La Vecchia, G Marina; Maestrelli, Piero

2011-01-01

This paper describes some of the recent developments in the control technology to enhance capability of Pulse Gas Metal Arc Welding. Friction Stir Welding (FSW) processing has been also considered. FSW is a new solid-state joining technique. Heat generated by friction at the rotating tool softens the material being welded. FSW can be considered a green and energy-efficient technique without deleterious fumes, gas, radiation, and noise. Application of new welding processes is limited and studies on health effects in exposed workers are lacking. Acute and chronic health effects of conventional welding have been described. Metal fume fever and cross-shift decline of lung function are the main acute respiratory effects. Skin and eyes may be affected by heat, electricity and UV radiations. Chronic effects on respiratory system include chronic bronchitis, a benign pneumoconiosis (siderosis), asthma, and a possible increase in the incidence of lung cancer. Pulmonary infections are increased in terms of severity, duration, and frequency among welders.

Plug-welding of ODS cladding tube for BOR-60 irradiation. Welding condition setting. Device remodeling and welding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seki, Masayuki; Ishibashi, Fujio; Kono, Syusaku; Hirako, Kazuhito; Tsukada, Tatsuya

2003-04-01

Irradiation test in BOR-60 at RIAR to judge practical use prospect of ODS cladding tube at early stage is planned as Japan-Russia a joint research. RIAR does fuel design of fuel pin used for this joint research. JNC manufactures ODS cladding tube and bar materials (two steel kind of martensite and ferrite), upper endplug production. They are welded by pressurized resistance welding, and are inspected in JNC Tokai, transported to RIAR. And RIAR manufactures vibration packing fuel pin. On the upper endplug welding by pressurized resistance welding method, we worded on the problems such as decision of welding condition by changing the size and crystallization of cladding tube and the design of endplug, and the chucking device remodeling to correspond to the long scale cladding tube welding system (included handling) and of quality assurance method. Especially, use of long scale cladding tube caused problem that bending transformation occurred in cladding tube by welding pressure. However, we solved this problem by shortening the distance of cladding tube colette chuck and pressure receiving, and by putting the sleeve in an internal space of welding machine, losing the bending of cladding tube. Moreover, welding defects were occurred by the difference of an inside state, an inside defect and recrystallization of cladding tube. We solved the problem by inside grinding for the edge of tube, angle beam method by ultrasonic wave, and ultrasonic wave form confirmation. Manufacturing process with long scale cladding tube including heat-treatment to remove combustion return and remaining stress was established besides, Afterwards, welding of ODS cladding tube and upper endplug. As the quality assurance system, we constructed [Documented procedure (referred to JOYO)] based on [Document of the QA plan] by OEC. Welding and inspection were executed by the document procedure. It is thought that the quality assurance method become references for the irradiation test in JOYO in the

Weld analysis and control system

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, Larry Z. (Inventor); Rodgers, Michael H. (Inventor); Powell, Bradley W. (Inventor); Burroughs, Ivan A. (Inventor); Goode, K. Wayne (Inventor)

1994-01-01

The invention is a Weld Analysis and Control System developed for active weld system control through real time weld data acquisition. Closed-loop control is based on analysis of weld system parameters and weld geometry. The system is adapted for use with automated welding apparatus having a weld controller which is capable of active electronic control of all aspects of a welding operation. Enhanced graphics and data displays are provided for post-weld analysis. The system provides parameter acquisition, including seam location which is acquired for active torch cross-seam positioning. Torch stand-off is also monitored for control. Weld bead and parent surface geometrical parameters are acquired as an indication of weld quality. These parameters include mismatch, peaking, undercut, underfill, crown height, weld width, puddle diameter, and other measurable information about the weld puddle regions, such as puddle symmetry, etc. These parameters provide a basis for active control as well as post-weld quality analysis and verification. Weld system parameters, such as voltage, current and wire feed rate, are also monitored and archived for correlation with quality parameters.

Automated control of the laser welding process of heart valve scaffolds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weber Moritz

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Using the electrospinning process the geometry of a heart valve is not replicable by just one manufacturing process. To produce heart valve scaffolds the heart valve leaflets and the vessel have to be produced in separated spinning processes. For the final product of a heart valve they have to be mated afterwards. In this work an already existing three-axes laser was enhanced to laser weld those scaffolds. The automation control software is based on the robot operating system (ROS. The mechatronically control is done by an Arduino Mega. A graphical user interface (GUI is written with Python and Kivy.

Fine tuning of dwelling time in friction stir welding for preventing material overheating, weld tensile strength increase and weld nugget size decrease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mijajlović Miroslav M.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available After successful welding, destructive testing into test samples from Al 2024-T351 friction stir butt welds showed that tensile strength of the weld improve along the joint line, while dimensions of the weld nugget decrease. For those welds, both the base material and the welding tool constantly cool down during the welding phase. Obviously, the base material became overheated during the long dwelling phase what made conditions for creation of joints with the reduced mechanical properties. Preserving all process parameters but varying the dwelling time from 5-27 seconds a new set of welding is done to reach maximal achievable tensile strength. An analytical-numerical-experimental model is used for optimising the duration of the dwelling time while searching for the maximal tensile strength of the welds

Optimum welding condition of 2017 aluminum similar alloy friction welded joints

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsujino R.; Ochi, H. [Osaka Inst. of Tech., Osaka (Japan); Morikawa, K. [Osaka Sangyo Univ., Osaka (Japan); Yamaguchi, H.; Ogawa, K. [Osaka Prefecture Univ., Osaka (Japan); Fujishiro, Y.; Yoshida, M. [Sumitomo Metal Technology Ltd., Hyogo (Japan)

2002-07-01

Usefulness of the statistical analysis for judging optimization of the friction welding conditions was investigated by using 2017 aluminum similar alloy, where many samples under fixed welding conditions were friction welded and analyzed statistically. In general, selection of the optimum friction welding conditions for similar materials is easy. However, it was not always the case for 2017 aluminum alloy. For optimum friction welding conditions of this material, it is necessary to apply relatively larger upset pressure to obtain high friction heating. Joint efficiencies obtained under the optimum friction welding conditions showed large shape parameter (m value) of Weibull distribution as well as in the dissimilar materials previously reported. The m value calculated on the small number of data can be substituted for m value on the 30 data. Therefore, m value is useful for practical use in the factory for assuming the propriety of the friction welding conditions. (orig.)

Dual wire welding torch and method

Science.gov (United States)

Diez, Fernando Martinez; Stump, Kevin S.; Ludewig, Howard W.; Kilty, Alan L.; Robinson, Matthew M.; Egland, Keith M.

2009-04-28

A welding torch includes a nozzle with a first welding wire guide configured to orient a first welding wire in a first welding wire orientation, and a second welding wire guide configured to orient a second welding wire in a second welding wire orientation that is non-coplanar and divergent with respect to the first welding wire orientation. A method of welding includes moving a welding torch with respect to a workpiece joint to be welded. During moving the welding torch, a first welding wire is fed through a first welding wire guide defining a first welding wire orientation and a second welding wire is fed through a second welding wire guide defining a second welding wire orientation that is divergent and non-coplanar with respect to the first welding wire orientation.

TIG welding method and TIG welding device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoneda, Eishi

1998-01-01

The present invention provides a method of TIG welding for members having different heat capacities including a cladding tube and an end plug of a fuel rod to be used, for example, in a reactor, and a device therefor. Namely, in the TIG welding method, the flow rate of a sealed gas to the side of a member having smaller heat capacity is made greater than that on the side of the member having greater heat capacity bordered on the top end of a welding electrode. Since the sealed gas is jetted being localized relative to the welding electrode, arc is restricted in a region of the member having smaller heat capacity and is increased at a region having a larger heat capacity. As a result, the arc is localized, so that the heat input amount to the region having a large heat capacity is increased, and then a plurality of members at the abutting portion are melted uniformly thereby capable of obtaining a uniform molten pool. A bead is formed at the abutting portion thereby capable of obtaining a welded portion with less unevenness and having large strength. (I.S.)

In-Process Detection of Weld Defects Using Laser-Based Ultrasound

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bacher, G.D.; Kercel, S.W.; Kisner, R.A.; Klein, M.B.; Pouet, B.

1999-01-01

Laser-based ultrasonic (LBU) measurement shows great promise for on-line monitoring of weld quality in tailor-welded blanks. Tailor-welded blanks are steel blanks made from plates of differing thickness and/or properties butt-welded together; they are used in automobile manufacturing to produce body, frame, and closure panels. LBU uses a pulsed laser to generate the ultrasound and a continuous wave (CW) laser interferometer to detect the ultrasound at the point of interrogation to perform ultrasonic inspection. LBU enables in-process measurements since there is no sensor contact or near-contact with the workpiece. The authors are using laser-generated plate (Lamb) waves to propagate from one plate into the weld nugget as a means of detecting defects. This paper reports the results of the investigation of a number of inspection architectures based on processing of signals from selected plate waves, which are either reflected from or transmitted through the weld zone. Bayesian parameter estimation and wavelet analysis (both continuous and discrete) have shown that the LBU time-series signal is readily separable into components that provide distinguishing features which describe weld quality. The authors anticipate that, in an on-line industrial application, these measurements can be implemented just downstream from the weld cell. Then the weld quality data can be fed back to control critical weld parameters or alert the operator of a problem requiring maintenance. Internal weld defects and deviations from the desired surface profile can then be corrected before defective parts are produced

Distributed management system of a scanning robot programmed real time in APL language

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liabot, M.-J.

1980-08-01

The aim of this work is to propose an original solution in order to implement the control operating system of a robot designed to travel between the main tank and the safety tank of the SUPERPHENIX reactor for scanning up the welding by ultrasound measurements. The system consists of: - a MITRA mini-computer programmed in APL, that manages the driving unit and defines the scanning strategy (visual unit, cheking board...). - a microprocessor that realizes the connection between the MITRA and the robot on wich the motor commands and the safety fonctions are placed. Such a solution allows to limit input output volume in the MITRA and gives the possibility to program the system in real time in APL language [fr

Robotics, stem cells, and brain-computer interfaces in rehabilitation and recovery from stroke: updates and advances.

Science.gov (United States)

Boninger, Michael L; Wechsler, Lawrence R; Stein, Joel

2014-11-01

The aim of this study was to describe the current state and latest advances in robotics, stem cells, and brain-computer interfaces in rehabilitation and recovery for stroke. The authors of this summary recently reviewed this work as part of a national presentation. The article represents the information included in each area. Each area has seen great advances and challenges as products move to market and experiments are ongoing. Robotics, stem cells, and brain-computer interfaces all have tremendous potential to reduce disability and lead to better outcomes for patients with stroke. Continued research and investment will be needed as the field moves forward. With this investment, the potential for recovery of function is likely substantial.

Experimental investigation on the weld pool formation process in plasma keyhole arc welding

Science.gov (United States)

Van Anh, Nguyen; Tashiro, Shinichi; Van Hanh, Bui; Tanaka, Manabu

2018-01-01

This paper seeks to clarify the weld pool formation process in plasma keyhole arc welding (PKAW). We adopted, for the first time, the measurement of the 3D convection inside the weld pool in PKAW by stereo synchronous imaging of tungsten tracer particles using two sets of x-ray transmission systems. The 2D convection on the weld pool surface was also measured using zirconia tracer particles. Through these measurements, the convection in a wide range of weld pools from the vicinity of the keyhole to the rear region was successfully visualized. In order to discuss the heat transport process in a weld pool, the 2D temperature distribution on the weld pool surface was also measured by two-color pyrometry. The results of the comprehensive experimental measurement indicate that the shear force due to plasma flow is found to be the dominant driving force in the weld pool formation process in PKAW. Thus, heat transport in a weld pool is considered to be governed by two large convective patterns near the keyhole: (1) eddy pairs on the surface (perpendicular to the torch axis), and (2) eddy pairs on the bulk of the weld pool (on the plane of the torch). They are formed with an equal velocity of approximately 0.35 m s-1 and are mainly driven by shear force. Furthermore, the flow velocity of the weld pool convection becomes considerably higher than that of other welding processes, such as TIG welding and GMA welding, due to larger plasma flow velocity.

High productivity mould robotic milling in Al-5083

Science.gov (United States)

Urresti, Iker; Arrazola, Pedro Jose; Ørskov, Klaus Bonde; Pelegay, Jose Angel

2018-05-01

Industrial serial robots were usually limited to welding, handling or spray painting operations until very recent years. However, some industries have already realized about their important capabilities in terms of flexibility, working space, adaptability and cost. Hence, currently they are seriously being considered to carry out certain metal machining tasks. Therefore, robot based machining is presented as a cost-saving and flexible manufacturing alternative compared to conventional CNC machines especially for roughing or even pre-roughing of large parts. Nevertheless, there are still some drawbacks usually referred as low rigidity, accuracy and repeatability. Thus, the process productivity is usually sacrificed getting low Material Removal Rates (MRR), and consequently not being competitive. Nevertheless, in this paper different techniques to obtain increased productivity are presented, though an appropriate selection of cutting strategies and parameters that are essential for it. During this research some rough milling tests in Al-5083 are presented where High Feed Milling (HFM) is implemented as productive cutting strategy and the experimental modal analysis named Tap-testing is used for the suitable choice of cutting conditions. Competitive productivity rates are experienced while process stability is checked through the cutting forces measurements in order to prove the effectiveness of the experimental modal analysis for robotic machining.

Automatization of welding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwabuchi, Masashi; Tomita, Jinji; Nishihara, Katsunori.

1978-01-01

Automatization of welding is one of the effective measures for securing high degree of quality of nuclear power equipment, as well as for correspondence to the environment at the site of plant. As the latest ones of the automatic welders practically used for welding of nuclear power apparatuses in factories of Toshiba and IHI, those for pipes and lining tanks are described here. The pipe welder performs the battering welding on the inside of pipe end as the so-called IGSCC countermeasure and the succeeding butt welding through the same controller. The lining tank welder is able to perform simultaneous welding of two parallel weld lines on a large thin plate lining tank. Both types of the welders are demonstrating excellent performance at the shops as well as at the plant site. (author)

Characterisation of fume from hyperbaric welding operations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ross, John A S; Semple, Sean [Environmental and Occupational Medicine, University of Aberdeen (United Kingdom); Duffin, Rodger [ELEGI Colt Laboratory, University of Edinburgh (United Kingdom); Kelly, Frank [Lung Biology Group, Kings College, University of London (United Kingdom); Seldmann, Joerg; Raab, Andrea, E-mail: j.a.ross@abdn.ac.u [Trace Element Speciation Laboratory, University of Aberdeen (United Kingdom)

2009-02-01

We report preliminary work characterising dust from hyperbaric welding trials carried out at increased pressure in a helium and oxygen atmosphere. Particle size and concentration were measured during welding. Samples for quartz and metal analysis and toxicity assessment were taken from a filter in the local fume extraction system. The residue of dust after metal extraction by nitric acid in hydrogen peroxide predominantly a non-metallic white powder assumed to be dust from welding rod coatings and thermal insulation material. Metallic analysis showed predominantly calcium, from the welding rod coating, and period 4 transition metals such as iron, manganese, magnesium and titanium (inductively coupled mass spectrometry, Agilent 7500c). The presence of zirconium indicated a contribution from grinding. The fume was nanoparticulate in nature with a mean particle diameter of 20-30 nm (MSI Inc WPS 1000XP). It showed an intermediate level of oxidative potential regarding the low-molecular weight respiratory tract lining fluid antioxidants ascorbate and glutathione and caused release of the inflammatory marker IL-8 in a human lung A 549 epithelial cell culture with no indication of cytotoxicity. The study findings have strong implications for the measurement techniques needed to assess fume exposure in hyperbaric welding and the provision of respiratory protection.

Electric arc welding gun

Science.gov (United States)

Luttrell, Edward; Turner, Paul W.

1978-01-01

This invention relates to improved apparatus for arc welding an interior joint formed by intersecting tubular members. As an example, the invention is well suited for applications where many similar small-diameter vertical lines are to be welded to a long horizontal header. The improved apparatus includes an arc welding gun having a specially designed welding head which is not only very compact but also produces welds that are essentially free from rolled-over solidified metal. The welding head consists of the upper end of the barrel and a reversely extending electrode holder, or tip, which defines an acute angle with the barrel. As used in the above-mentioned example, the gun is positioned to extend upwardly through the vertical member and the joint to be welded, with its welding head disposed within the horizontal header. Depending on the design of the welding head, the barrel then is either rotated or revolved about the axis of the vertical member to cause the electrode to track the joint.

A novel weld seam detection method for space weld seam of narrow butt joint in laser welding

Science.gov (United States)

Shao, Wen Jun; Huang, Yu; Zhang, Yong

2018-02-01

Structured light measurement is widely used for weld seam detection owing to its high measurement precision and robust. However, there is nearly no geometrical deformation of the stripe projected onto weld face, whose seam width is less than 0.1 mm and without misalignment. So, it's very difficult to ensure an exact retrieval of the seam feature. This issue is raised as laser welding for butt joint of thin metal plate is widely applied. Moreover, measurement for the seam width, seam center and the normal vector of the weld face at the same time during welding process is of great importance to the welding quality but rarely reported. Consequently, a seam measurement method based on vision sensor for space weld seam of narrow butt joint is proposed in this article. Three laser stripes with different wave length are project on the weldment, in which two red laser stripes are designed and used to measure the three dimensional profile of the weld face by the principle of optical triangulation, and the third green laser stripe is used as light source to measure the edge and the centerline of the seam by the principle of passive vision sensor. The corresponding image process algorithm is proposed to extract the centerline of the red laser stripes as well as the seam feature. All these three laser stripes are captured and processed in a single image so that the three dimensional position of the space weld seam can be obtained simultaneously. Finally, the result of experiment reveals that the proposed method can meet the precision demand of space narrow butt joint.

Investigation into Variations of Welding Residual Stresses and Redistribution Behaviors for Different Repair Welding Widths

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Chiyong; Lee, Hweesueng; Huh, Namsu

2014-01-01

In this study, we investigated the variations in welding residual stresses in dissimilar metal butt weld due to width of repair welding and re-distribution behaviors resulting from similar metal welding (SMW) and mechanical loading. To this end, detailed two-dimensional axi-symmetric finite element (FE) analyses were performed considering five different repair welding widths. Based on the FE results, we first evaluated the welding residual stress distributions in repair welding. We then investigated the re-distribution behaviors of the residual stresses due to SMW and mechanical loads. It is revealed that large tensile welding residual stresses take place in the inner surface and that its distribution is affected, provided repair welding width is larger than certain value. The welding residual stresses resulting from repair welding are remarkably reduced due to SMW and mechanical loading, regardless of the width of the repair welding

Certification of a weld produced by friction stir welding

Science.gov (United States)

Obaditch, Chris; Grant, Glenn J

2013-10-01

Methods, devices, and systems for providing certification of friction stir welds are disclosed. A sensor is used to collect information related to a friction stir weld. Data from the sensor is compared to threshold values provided by an extrinsic standard setting organizations using a certification engine. The certification engine subsequently produces a report on the certification status of the weld.

World Congress on Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering

CERN Document Server

Chen, Shan-Ben; Chen, Xiao-Qi

2015-01-01

The primary aim of this volume is to provide researchers and engineers from both academic and industry with up-to-date coverage of new results in the field of robotic welding, intelligent systems and automation. The book is mainly based on papers selected from the 2014 International Conference on Robotic Welding, Intelligence and Automation (RWIA’2014), held  Oct. 25-27, 2014, at Shanghai, China. The articles show that the intelligentized welding manufacturing (IWM) is becoming an inevitable trend with the intelligentized robotic welding as the key technology. The volume is divided into four logical parts: Intelligent Techniques for Robotic Welding, Sensing of Arc Welding Processing, Modeling and Intelligent Control of Welding Processing, as well as Intelligent Control and its Applications in Engineering.  .

Laser beam welding and friction stir welding of 6013-T6 aluminium alloy sheet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Braun, R.; Dalle Donne, C.; Staniek, G.

2000-01-01

Butt welds of 1.6 mm thick 6013-T6 sheet were produced using laser beam welding and friction stir welding processes. Employing the former joining technique, filler powders of the alloys Al-5%Mg and Al-12%Si were used. Microstructure, hardness profiles, tensile properties and the corrosion behaviour of the welds in the as-welded condition were investigated. The hardness in the weld zone was lower compared to that of the base material in the peak-aged temper. Hardness minima were measured in the fusion zone and in the thermomechanically affected zone for laser beam welded and friction stir welded joints, respectively. Metallographic and fractographic examinations revealed pores in the fusion zone of the laser beam welds. Porosity was higher in welds made using the filler alloy Al-5%Mg than using the filler metal Al-12%Si. Transmission electron microscopy indicated that the β '' (Mg 2 Si) hardening precipitates were dissolved in the weld zone due to the heat input of the joining processes. Joint efficiencies achieved for laser beam welds depended upon the filler powders, being about 60 and 80% using the alloys Al-5%Mg and Al-12%Si, respectively. Strength of the friction stir weld approached over 80% of the ultimate tensile strength of the 6013-T6 base material. Fracture occurred in the region of hardness minima unless defects in the weld zone led to premature failure. The heat input during welding did not cause a degradation of the corrosion behaviour of the welds, as found in continuous immersion tests in an aqueous chloride-peroxide solution. In contrast to the 6013-T6 parent material, the weld zone was not sensitive to intergranular corrosion. Alternate immersion tests in 3.5% NaCl solution indicated high stress corrosion cracking resistance of the joints. For laser beam welded sheet, the weld zone of alternately immersed specimens suffered severe degradation by pitting and intergranular corrosion, which may be associated with galvanic coupling of filler metal and

Process for quality assurance of welded joints for electrical resistance point welding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schaefer, R.; Singh, S.

1977-01-01

In order to guarantee the reproducibility of welded joints of even quality (above all in the metal working industry), it is proposed that before starting resistance point welding, a preheating current should be allowed to flow at the site of the weld. A given reduction of the total resistance at the site of the weld should effect the time when the preheating current is switched over to welding current. This value is always predetermined empirically. Further possibilities of controlling the welding process are described, where the measurement of thermal expansion of the parts is used. A standard welding time is given. The rated course of electrode movement during the process can be predicted and a running comparison of nominal and actual values can be carried out. (RW) [de

Weld nugget formation in resistance spot welding of new lightweight sandwich material

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sagüés Tanco, J.; Nielsen, Chris Valentin; Chergui, Azeddine

2015-01-01

Weldability of a new lightweight sandwich material, LITECOR®, by resistance spot welding is analyzed by experiments and numerical simulations. The spot welding process is accommodated by a first pulse squeezing out the non-conductive polymer core of the sandwich material locally to allow metal......–metal contact. This is facilitated by the use of a shunt tool and is followed by a second pulse for the actual spot welding and nugget formation. A weldability lobe in the time-current space of the second pulse reveals a process window of acceptable size for automotive assembly lines. Weld growth curves...... with experimental results in the range of welding parameters leading to acceptable weld nugget sizes. The validated accuracy of the commercially available software proves the tool useful for assisting the choice of welding parameters....

Residual stress by repair welds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mochizuki, Masahito; Toyoda, Masao

2003-01-01

Residual stress by repair welds is computed using the thermal elastic-plastic analysis with phase-transformation effect. Coupling phenomena of temperature, microstructure, and stress-strain fields are simulated in the finite-element analysis. Weld bond of a plate butt-welded joint is gouged and then deposited by weld metal in repair process. Heat source is synchronously moved with the deposition of the finite-element as the weld deposition. Microstructure is considered by using CCT diagram and the transformation behavior in the repair weld is also simulated. The effects of initial stress, heat input, and weld length on residual stress distribution are studied from the organic results of numerical analysis. Initial residual stress before repair weld has no influence on the residual stress after repair treatment near weld metal, because the initial stress near weld metal releases due to high temperature of repair weld and then stress by repair weld regenerates. Heat input has an effect for residual stress distribution, for not its magnitude but distribution zone. Weld length should be considered reducing the magnitude of residual stress in the edge of weld bead; short bead induces high tensile residual stress. (author)

Robotics at Savannah River

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Byrd, J.S.

1983-01-01

A Robotics Technology Group was organized at the Savannah River Laboratory in August 1982. Many potential applications have been identified that will improve personnel safety, reduce operating costs, and increase productivity using modern robotics and automation. Several active projects are under way to procure robots, to develop unique techniques and systems for the site's processes, and to install the systems in the actual work environments. The projects and development programs are involved in the following general application areas: (1) glove boxes and shielded cell facilities, (2) laboratory chemical processes, (3) fabrication processes for reactor fuel assemblies, (4) sampling processes for separation areas, (5) emergency response in reactor areas, (6) fuel handling in reactor areas, and (7) remote radiation monitoring systems. A Robotics Development Laboratory has been set up for experimental and development work and for demonstration of robotic systems

Handbook of Plastic Welding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Islam, Aminul

The purpose of this document is to summarize the information about the laser welding of plastic. Laser welding is a matured process nevertheless laser welding of micro dimensional plastic parts is still a big challenge. This report collects the latest information about the laser welding of plastic...... materials and provides an extensive knowhow on the industrial plastic welding process. The objectives of the report include: - Provide the general knowhow of laser welding for the beginners - Summarize the state-of-the-art information on the laser welding of plastics - Find the technological limits in terms...... of design, materials and process - Find the best technology, process and machines adaptive to Sonion’s components - Provide the skills to Sonion’s Design Engineers for successful design of the of the plastic components suitable for the laser welding The ultimate goal of this report is to serve...

Boosting Active Contours for Weld Pool Visual Tracking in Automatic Arc Welding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Jinchao; Fan, Zhun; Olsen, Søren Ingvor

2015-01-01

Detecting the shape of the non-rigid molten metal during welding, so-called weld pool visual sensing, is one of the central tasks for automating arc welding processes. It is challenging due to the strong interference of the high-intensity arc light and spatters as well as the lack of robust...... approaches to detect and represent the shape of the nonrigid weld pool. We propose a solution using active contours including an prior for the weld pool boundary composition. Also, we apply Adaboost to select a small set of features that captures the relevant information. The proposed method is applied...... to weld pool tracking and the presented results verified its feasibility....

Transoral robotic surgery for the base of tongue squamous cell carcinoma: a preliminary comparison between da Vinci Xi and Si.

Science.gov (United States)

Alessandrini, Marco; Pavone, Isabella; Micarelli, Alessandro; Caporale, Claudio

2017-09-13

Considering the emerging advantages related to da Vinci Xi robotic platform, the aim of this study is to compare for the first time the operative outcomes of this tool to the previous da Vinci Si during transoral robotic surgery (TORS), both performed for squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) of the base of tongue (BOT). Intra- and peri-operative outcomes of eight patients with early stage (T1-T2) of the BOT carcinoma and undergoing TORS by means of the da Vinci Xi robotic platform (Xi-TORS) are compared with the da Vinci Si group ones (Si-TORS). With respect to Si-TORS group, Xi-TORS group demonstrated a significantly shorter overall operative time, console time, and intraoperative blood loss, as well as peri-operative pain intensity and length of mean hospital stays and nasogastric tube positioning. Considering recent advantages offered by surgical robotic techniques, the da Vinci Xi Surgical System preliminary outcomes could suggest its possible future routine implementation in BOT squamous cell carcinoma procedures.

Analysis of welding distortion due to narrow-gap welding of upper port plug

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biswas, Pankaj; Mandal, N.R.; Vasu, Parameswaran; Padasalag, Shrishail B.

2010-01-01

Narrow-gap welding is a low distortion welding process. This process allows very thick plates to be joined using fewer weld passes as compared to conventional V-groove or double V-groove welding. In case of narrow-gap arc welding as the heat input and weld volume is low, it reduces thermal stress leading to reduction of both residual stress and distortion. In this present study the effect of narrow-gap welding was studied on fabrication of a scaled down port plug in the form of a trapezoidal box made of 10 mm thick mild steel (MS) plates using gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW). Inherent strain method was used for numerical prediction of resulting distortions. The numerical results compared well with that of the experimentally measured distortion. The validated numerical scheme was used for prediction of weld induced distortion due to narrow-gap welding of full scale upper port plug made of 60 mm thick SS316LN material as is proposed for use in ITER project. It was observed that it is feasible to fabricate the said port plug keeping the distortions minimum within about 7 mm using GTAW for root pass welding followed by SMAW for filler runs.

Welding processes handbook

CERN Document Server

Weman, Klas

2003-01-01

Deals with the main commercially significant and commonly used welding processes. This title takes the student or novice welder through the individual steps involved in each process in an easily understood way. It covers many of the requirements referred to in European Standards including EN719, EN 729, EN 729 and EN 287.$bWelding processes handbook is a concise, explanatory guide to the main commercially significant and commonly-used welding processes. It takes the novice welder or student through the individual steps involved in each process in a clear and easily understood way. It is intended to provide an up-to-date reference to the major applications of welding as they are used in industry. The contents have been arranged so that it can be used as a textbook for European welding courses in accordance with guidelines from the European Welding Federation. Welding processes and equipment necessary for each process are described so that they can be applied to all instruction levels required by the EWF and th...

Ultrasonic Stir Welding

Science.gov (United States)

Nabors, Sammy

2015-01-01

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) developed Ultrasonic Stir Welding (USW) to join large pieces of very high-strength metals such as titanium and Inconel. USW, a solid-state weld process, improves current thermal stir welding processes by adding high-power ultrasonic (HPU) energy at 20 kHz frequency. The addition of ultrasonic energy significantly reduces axial, frictional, and shear forces; increases travel rates; and reduces wear on the stir rod, which results in extended stir rod life. The USW process decouples the heating, stirring, and forging elements found in the friction stir welding process allowing for independent control of each process element and, ultimately, greater process control and repeatability. Because of the independent control of USW process elements, closed-loop temperature control can be integrated into the system so that a constant weld nugget temperature can be maintained during welding.

The effects of welded joint characteristics on its properties in HDPE thermal fusion welding

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Hongbin; Peng, Jun

2017-05-01

In this paper, PE100 pipes with the diameter of 200 mm and the thickness of 11.9 mm were used as material. The welded joints were obtained in different welding pressures with the optimal welding temperature of 220∘C. Reheating process on the welded joints with the temperature of 130∘C was carried out. The joints exhibited X-type, and the cause of X-type joints was discussed. The temperature field in the forming process of welded joints was measured, and tensile and bending tests on welded joints were carried out. The fracture surface of welded joints was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and crystallinity calculation was taken by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The mechanism of X-type weld profile effects on welded joints properties was analyzed. It was concluded that the mechanical properties of welded joints decrease with the reduced X distance between lines.

Recent advances in the TIG welding process and the application of the welding of nuclear components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lucas, W.; Males, B.O.

1982-01-01

Recent advances in the field of precision arc welding techniques and infacilities for production of nuclear power plant components arc presented. Of the precision welding techniques, pulsed TIG welding, pulsed plasma arc welding, hot-wire TIG welding, and pulsed inert-gas metal-arc welding. In the field of weld cladding, GMA plasma welding is cited as an alternative to submerged-arc welding with a strip electrode. Transistors and computer-controlled welding systems get a special mention. Applications of TIG welding in the UK are cited, e.g. welding of components for the AGR nuclear power plant and construction of equipment for repair work in feedwater pipes of the MAGNOX reactor. (orig.) [de

WELDING TORCH

Science.gov (United States)

Correy, T.B.

1961-10-01

A welding torch into which water and inert gas are piped separately for cooling and for providing a suitable gaseous atmosphere is described. A welding electrode is clamped in the torch by a removable collet sleeve and a removable collet head. Replacement of the sleeve and head with larger or smaller sleeve and head permits a larger or smaller welding electrode to be substituted on the torch. (AEC)

Welding procedure specification for arc welding of St 52-3N steel plates with covered electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cvetkovski, S.; Slavkov, D.; Magdeski, J.

2003-01-01

In this paper the results of approval welding technology for arc welding of plates made of St 52-3N steel are presented. Metal arc welding with covered electrode is used welding process. Test specimens are butt welded in different welding positions P A , P F , P C and P D . Before start welding preliminary welding procedure was prepared. After welding of test specimens non destructive and destructive testing was performed. Obtained results were compared with standard DIN 17100 which concerns to chemical composition and mechanical properties of base material. It was confirmed that in all cases mechanical properties of welded joint are higher than those of base material, so preliminary welding procedure (pWTS) can be accepted as welding procedure specification WPS for metal arc welding of St52-3N steel. (Original)

Variant selection of martensites in steel welded joints with low transformation temperature weld metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, Masaru; Yasuda, Hiroyuki Y.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► We examined the variant selection of martensites in the weld metals. ► We also measured the residual stress developed in the butt and box welded joints. ► 24 martensite variants were randomly selected in the butt welded joint. ► High tensile residual stress in the box welded joint led to the strong variant selection. ► We discussed the rule of the variant selection focusing on the residual stress. -- Abstract: Martensitic transformation behavior in steel welded joints with low transformation temperature weld (LTTW) metal was examined focusing on the variant selection of martensites. The butt and box welded joints were prepared with LTTW metals and 980 MPa grade high strength steels. The residual stress of the welded joints, which was measured by a neutron diffraction technique, was effectively reduced by the expansion of the LTTW metals by the martensitic transformation during cooling after the welding process. In the LTTW metals, the retained austenite and martensite phases have the Kurdjumov–Sachs (K–S) orientation relationship. The variant selection of the martensites in the LTTW metals depended strongly on the type of welded joints. In the butt welded joint, 24 K–S variants were almost randomly selected while a few variants were preferentially chosen in the box welded joint. This suggests that the high residual stress developed in the box welded joint accelerated the formation of specific variants during the cooling process, in contrast to the butt welded joint with low residual stress

Corrosion resistance of «tube – tubesheet» weld joint obtained by friction welding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

RIZVANOV Rif Garifovich

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Shell-and-tube heat exchangers are widely applied for implementation of various processes at ventures of fuel and energy complex. Cost of production and reliability of heat exchangers of this type is to a wide extent determined by corresponding characteristics of tube bundle, «tube – tubesheet» is its typical joint in particular when welding operations are used in order to attach tubes to tubesheet in addition to expansion. When manufacturing such equipment of heat-resistant chrome-bearing or chromium-molybdenum steels including steel 15H5M, the process of fixed joint manufacturing gets significantly more complicated and costly due to the necessity to use thermal treatment before, during and after welding (this problem is particularly applicable for manufacturing of large-size equipment. One of the options to exclude thermal treatment from manufacturing process is to use «non-arc» welding methods – laser welding, explosion welding as well as friction welding. Use of each of the welding methods mentioned above during production of heat-exchange equipment has its process challenges and peculiarities. This article gives a comparative analysis of weld structure and distribution of electrode potentials of welded joints and parent metal of the joints simulating welding of tube to tubesheet of steel 15H5M using the following welding methods: shielded manual arc welding, tungsten-arc inert-gas welding and friction welding. Comparative analysis of macro- and microstructures of specific zones of the studied welded joints showed that the joints produced by arc welding methods do not exhibit evident inhomogeneity of the structure after application of thermal treatment which is explained by the correctness of thermal treatment. Joints obtained via friction welding are characterized by structural inhomogeneity of the welded joint zone metal microstructure. The ultra-fine-grained structure obtained as a result of friction welding makes it possible to

Piezoresistive pressure sensor array for robotic skin

Science.gov (United States)

Mirza, Fahad; Sahasrabuddhe, Ritvij R.; Baptist, Joshua R.; Wijesundara, Muthu B. J.; Lee, Woo H.; Popa, Dan O.

2016-05-01

Robots are starting to transition from the confines of the manufacturing floor to homes, schools, hospitals, and highly dynamic environments. As, a result, it is impossible to foresee all the probable operational situations of robots, and preprogram the robot behavior in those situations. Among human-robot interaction technologies, haptic communication is an intuitive physical interaction method that can help define operational behaviors for robots cooperating with humans. Multimodal robotic skin with distributed sensors can help robots increase perception capabilities of their surrounding environments. Electro-Hydro-Dynamic (EHD) printing is a flexible multi-modal sensor fabrication method because of its direct printing capability of a wide range of materials onto substrates with non-uniform topographies. In past work we designed interdigitated comb electrodes as a sensing element and printed piezoresistive strain sensors using customized EHD printable PEDOT:PSS based inks. We formulated a PEDOT:PSS derivative ink, by mixing PEDOT:PSS and DMSO. Bending induced characterization tests of prototyped sensors showed high sensitivity and sufficient stability. In this paper, we describe SkinCells, robot skin sensor arrays integrated with electronic modules. 4x4 EHD-printed arrays of strain sensors was packaged onto Kapton sheets and silicone encapsulant and interconnected to a custom electronic module that consists of a microcontroller, Wheatstone bridge with adjustable digital potentiometer, multiplexer, and serial communication unit. Thus, SkinCell's electronics can be used for signal acquisition, conditioning, and networking between sensor modules. Several SkinCells were loaded with controlled pressure, temperature and humidity testing apparatuses, and testing results are reported in this paper.

The Effect of Weld Reinforcement and Post-Welding Cooling Cycles on Fatigue Strength of Butt-Welded Joints under Cyclic Tensile Loading.

Science.gov (United States)

Araque, Oscar; Arzola, Nelson; Hernández, Edgar

2018-04-12

This research deals with the fatigue behavior of butt-welded joints, by considering the geometry and post-welding cooling cycles, as a result of cooling in quiet air and immersed in water. ASTM A-36 HR structural steel was used as the base metal for the shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) process with welding electrode E6013. The welding reinforcement was 1 mm and 3 mm, respectively; axial fatigue tests were carried out to determine the life and behavior in cracks propagation of the tested welded joints, mechanical characterization tests of properties in welded joints such as microhardness, Charpy impact test and metallographic analysis were carried out. The latter were used as input for the analysis by finite elements which influence the initiation and propagation of cracks and the evaluation of stress intensity factors (SIF). The latter led to obtaining the crack propagation rate and the geometric factor. The tested specimens were analyzed, by taking photographs of the cracks at its beginning in order to make a count of the marks at the origin of the crack. From the results obtained and the marks count, the fatigue crack growth rate and the influence of the cooling media on the life of the welded joint are validated, according to the experimental results. It can be concluded that the welded joints with a higher weld reinforcement have a shorter fatigue life. This is due to the stress concentration that occurs in the vicinity of the weld toe.

Distortion Control during Welding

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Akbari Pazooki, A.M.

2014-01-01

The local material expansion and contraction involved in welding result in permanent deformations or instability i.e., welding distortion. Considerable efforts have been made in controlling welding distortion prior to, during or after welding. Thermal Tensioning (TT) describes a group of in-situ

Arc-weld pool interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glickstein, S.S.

1978-08-01

The mechanisms involved in arc-weld pool interactions are extremely complex and no complete theory is presently available to describe much of the phenomena observed during welding. For the past several years, experimental and analytical studies have been undertaken at the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory to increase basic understanding of the gas tungsten arc welding process. These studies have included experimental spectral analysis of the arc in order to determine arc temperature and analytical modeling of the arc and weld puddle. The investigations have been directed toward determining the cause and effects of variations in the energy distribution incident upon the weldment. In addition, the effect of weld puddle distortion on weld penetration was investigated, and experimental and analytical studies of weld process variables have been undertaken to determine the effects of the variables upon weld penetration and configuration. A review of the results and analysis of these studies are presented

Welding electrode for peripheral welds of A-1 reactor pressure vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lakatos, L.

1975-01-01

The properties are outlined of the VUZ-AC1-52 welding electrode used in welding the Bohunice A-1 reactor pressure vessel. The mechanical properties of welded joints after the final thermal treatment are summed up. (J.K.)

Friction Stir Weld Application and Tooling Design for the Multi-purpose Crew Vehicle Stage Adapter

Science.gov (United States)

Alcorn, John

2013-01-01

The Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV), commonly known as the Orion capsule, is planned to be the United States' next manned spacecraft for missions beyond low earth orbit. Following the cancellation of the Constellation program and creation of SLS (Space Launch System), the need arose for the MPCV to utilize the Delta IV Heavy rocket for a test launch scheduled for 2014 instead of the previously planned Ares I rocket. As a result, an adapter (MSA) must be used in conjunction with the MPCV to account for the variation in diameter of the launch vehicles; 5.5 meters down to 5.0 meters. Prior to ight article fabrication, a path nder (test article) will be fabricated to ne tune the associated manufacturing processes. The adapter will be comprised of an aluminum frustum (partial cone) that employs isogrid technology and circumferential rings on each end. The frustum will be fabricated by friction stir welding (FSW) three individual panels together on a Vertical Weld Tool (VWT) at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. Subsequently, each circumferential ring will be friction stir welded to the frustum using a Robotic Weld Tool (RWT). The irregular geometry and large mass of the MSA require that extensive tooling preparation be put into support structures for the friction stir weld. The tooling on the VWT will be comprised of a set of conveyors mounted on pre-existing stanchions so that the MSA will have the ability to be rotated after each of the three friction stir welds. The tooling requirements to friction stir weld the rings with the RWT are somewhat more demanding. To support the mass of the MSA and resist the load of the weld tool, a system of mandrels will be mounted to stanchions and assembled in a circle. The goal of the paper will be to explain the design, fabrication, and assembly of the tooling, to explain the use of friction stir welding on the MSA path nder, and also to discuss the lessons learned and modi cations made in preparation for ight article fabrication

Quantification of Microtexture at Weld Nugget of Friction Stir-Welded Carbon Steel

Science.gov (United States)

Husain, Md M.; Sarkar, R.; Pal, T. K.; Ghosh, M.; Prabhu, N.

2017-05-01

Friction stir welding of C-Mn steel was carried out under 800-1400 rpm tool rotation. Tool traversing speed of 50 mm/min remained same for all joints. Effect of thermal state and deformation on texture and microstructure at weld nugget was investigated. Weld nugget consisted of ferrite + bainite/Widmanstatten ferrite with different matrix grain sizes depending on peak temperature. A texture around ( ϕ 2 = 0°, φ = 30°, ϕ 2 = 45°) was developed at weld nugget. Grain boundary misorientation at weld nugget indicated that continuous dynamic recrystallization influenced the development of fine equiaxed grain structure. Pole figures and orientation distribution function were used to determine crystallographic texture at weld nugget and base metal. Shear texture components D1, D2 and F were present at weld nugget. D1 shear texture was more prominent among all. Large number of high-angle grain boundaries ( 60-70%) was observed at weld nugget and was the resultant of accumulation of high amount of dislocation, followed by subgrain formation.

Nickel-base alloy overlay weld with improved ultrasonic flaw detection by magnetic stirring welding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takashi, Hirano; Kenji, Hirano; Masayuki, Watando; Takahiro, Arakawa; Minoru, Maeda

2001-01-01

Ultrasonic flaw detection is more difficult in Nickel-base alloy welds containing dendrites owing to the decrease ultrasonic transmissibility they cause. The present paper discusses application of magnetic stirring welding as a means for reducing dendrite growth with consequent improvement in ultrasonic transmissibility. Single pass and multi-pass welding tests were conducted to determine optimal welding conditions. By PT and macro observation subsequent to welding was carried out, optimal operation conditions were clarified. Overlay welding tests and UT clearly indicated ultrasonic beam transmissibility in overlay welds to be improved and detection capacity to be greater through application of magnetic stirring welding. Optimal operation conditions were determined based on examination of temper bead effects in the heat affected zone of low alloy steel by application of magnetic stirring welding to the butt welded joints between low alloy and stainless steel. Hardness in this zone of low alloy steel after the fourth layer was less than 350 HV. (author)

Effect of weld spacing on microstructure and mechanical properties of CLAM electron beam welding joints

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhai, Yutao; Huang, Bo, E-mail: aufa0007@163.com; Zhang, Junyu; Zhang, Baoren; Liu, Shaojun; Huang, Qunying

2016-11-15

Highlights: • The welded joints of CLAM steel with different weld spacings have been fabricated with electron beam welding, and a simplified model of CLAM sheet was proposed. • The microstructure and mechanical properties such as microhardness, impact and tensile were investigated at different welding spacing for both conditions of as-welded and post weld heat treatment (PWHT). • The effect of the welding thermal cycle was significantly when the weld spacings were smaller than 4 mm. • When the weld spacing was small enough, the original microstructures would be fragmented with the high heat input. - Abstract: China low activation martensitic (CLAM) steel has been chosen as the primary structural material in the designs of dual function lithium-lead (DFLL) blanket for fusion reactors, China helium cooled ceramic breeder (HCCB) test blanket module (TBM) for ITER and China fusion engineering test reactor (CFETR) blanket. The cooling components of the blankets are designed with high density cooling channels (HDCCs) to remove the high nuclear thermal effectively. Hence, the welding spacing among the channels are small. In this paper, the welded joints of CLAM steel with different weld spacings have been fabricated with electron beam welding (EBW). The weld spacing was designed to be 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 6 mm and 8 mm. The microstructure and mechanical properties such as microhardness, impact and tensile were investigated at different welding spacing for both conditions of as-welded and post weld heat treatment (PWHT). The PWHT is tempering at 740 °C for 120 min. The results showed that the grain size in the heat affected zone (HAZ) increased with the increasing weld spacing, and the joint with small weld spacing had a better performance after PWHT. This work would give useful guidance to improve the preparation of the cooling components of blanket.

Capabilities of infrared weld monitor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanders, P.G.; Keske, J.S.; Leong, K.H.; Kornecki, G.

1997-11-01

A non-obtrusive pre-aligned, solid-state device has been developed to monitor the primary infrared emissions during laser welding. The weld monitor output is a 100-1000 mV signal that depends on the beam power and weld characteristics. The DC level of this signal is related to weld penetration, while AC portions of the output can be correlated with surface irregularities and part misalignment or contamination. Changes in DC behavior are also noted for both full and deep penetration welds. Full penetration welds are signified by an abrupt reduction in the weld monitor output. Bead on plate welds were made on steel, aluminum, and magnesium with both a CW CO{sub 2} laser and a pulsed Nd:YAG laser to explore the relationships between the weld characteristics and the weld monitor output.

Welding overlay analysis of dissimilar metal weld cracking of feedwater nozzle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsai, Y.L.; Wang, Li. H.; Fan, T.W.; Ranganath, Sam; Wang, C.K.; Chou, C.P.

2010-01-01

Inspection of the weld between the feedwater nozzle and the safe end at one Taiwan BWR showed axial indications in the Alloy 182 weld. The indication was sufficiently deep that continued operation could not be justified considering the crack growth for one cycle. A weld overlay was decided to implement for restoring the structural margin. This study reviews the cracking cases of feedwater nozzle welds in other nuclear plants, and reports the lesson learned in the engineering project of this weld overlay repair. The overlay design, the FCG calculation and the stress analysis by FEM are presented to confirm that the Code Case structural margins are met. The evaluations of the effect of weld shrinkage on the attached feedwater piping are also included. A number of challenges encountered in the engineering and analysis period are proposed for future study.

Multi-physics modeling and numerical simulation of weld pool in GTA welding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen, Minh-Chien

2015-01-01

In this work, we develop a 3D physical and numerical model of the GTA (Gas Tungsten Arc) welding process in order to predict, for given welding parameters, useful quantities for the designer of welded assembly: weld bead shape, fluid flow in the weld pool as well as thermal distribution in the work piece. The model is developed in the Cast3M (http://www-cast3m.cea.fr/) finite element software and takes into account the main physical phenomena acting in the work piece and particularly in the weld pool, subject to source terms modeling the arc part of the welding process. A steady solution of this model is thought for and involves the coupling of the nonlinear thermohydraulics and electromagnetic equations together with the displacement of the deformable free surface of the weld pool. A first step in the development consisted in modeling the electromagnetic phenomena with two different numerical methods, in comparing the numerical results obtained with those of the literature and in quantifying the importance of the Lorentz force and the Joule effect compared to the other mechanical and thermal sources by computing power balances. Then, in order to assess the predictive capability of the model, simulations of various welding configurations are performed: variation in the chemical composition of the material, of the welding speed, of the prescribed arc pressure and of the welding positions, which is a focus of this work, are studied. A good agreement is obtained between the results of our model and other experimental and numerical results of the literature. Eventually, a model accounting for metal filling is proposed and its results are discussed. Thus, our complete model can be seen as a solid foundation towards future totally-coupled 3D welding models including the arc and it will be included in WPROCESS the in-house CEA software dedicated to the numerical simulation of welding. (author) [fr

Detecting flaws in welds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woodacre, A.; Lawton, H.

1979-01-01

An apparatus and a method for detecting flaws in welds in a workpiece, the portion of the workpiece containing the weld is maintained at a constant temperature and the weld is scanned by an infra red detector. The weld is then scanned again with the workpiece in contact with a cooling probe to produce a steeper temperature gradient across the weld. Comparison of the signals produced by each scan reveals the existence of defects in the welds. The signals may be displayed on an oscilloscope and the display may be observed by a TV camera and recorded on videotape. (UK)

Multipass autogenous electron beam welding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murphy, J.L.; Mustaleski, T.M. Jr.; Watson, L.C.

1986-01-01

A multipass, autogenous welding procedure was developed for 7.6 mm (0.3 in.) wall thickness Type 304L stainless steel cylinders. The joint geometry has a 1.5 mm (0.06 in.) root-face width and a rectangular stepped groove that is 0.762 mm (0.03 in.) wide at the top of the root face and extends 1.5 mm in height, terminating into a groove width of 1.27 mm which extends to the outside of the 1.27 mm high weld-boss. One weld pass is made on the root, three passes on the 0.762 mm wide groove and three passes to complete the weld. Multipass, autogenous, electron beam welds maintain the characteristic high depth-to-width ratios and low heat input of single-pass, electron beam welds. The increased part distortion (which is still much less than from arc processes) in multipass weldments is corrected by a preweld machined compensation. Mechanical properties of multipass welds compare well with single-pass welds. The yield strength of welds in aluminum alloy 5083 is approximately the same for single-pass or multipass electron beam and gas, metal-arc welds. The incidence and size of porosity is less in multipass electron beam welding of aluminum as compared to gas, metal-arc welds. The multipass, autogenous, electron beam welding method has proven to be a reliable way to make some difficult welds in multilayer parts or in an instance where inside part temperature or weld underbead must be controlled and weld discontinuities must be minimized

Influence of the arc plasma parameters on the weld pool profile in TIG welding

Science.gov (United States)

Toropchin, A.; Frolov, V.; Pipa, A. V.; Kozakov, R.; Uhrlandt, D.

2014-11-01

Magneto-hydrodynamic simulations of the arc and fluid simulations of the weld pool can be beneficial in the analysis and further development of arc welding processes and welding machines. However, the appropriate coupling of arc and weld pool simulations needs further improvement. The tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding process is investigated by simulations including the weld pool. Experiments with optical diagnostics are used for the validation. A coupled computational model of the arc and the weld pool is developed using the software ANSYS CFX. The weld pool model considers the forces acting on the motion of the melt inside and on the surface of the pool, such as Marangoni, drag, electromagnetic forces and buoyancy. The experimental work includes analysis of cross-sections of the workpieces, highspeed video images and spectroscopic measurements. Experiments and calculations have been performed for various currents, distances between electrode and workpiece and nozzle diameters. The studies show the significant impact of material properties like surface tension dependence on temperature as well as of the arc structure on the weld pool behaviour and finally the weld seam depth. The experimental weld pool profiles and plasma temperatures are in good agreement with computational results.

Influence of the arc plasma parameters on the weld pool profile in TIG welding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toropchin, A; Frolov, V; Pipa, A V; Kozakov, R; Uhrlandt, D

2014-01-01

Magneto-hydrodynamic simulations of the arc and fluid simulations of the weld pool can be beneficial in the analysis and further development of arc welding processes and welding machines. However, the appropriate coupling of arc and weld pool simulations needs further improvement. The tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding process is investigated by simulations including the weld pool. Experiments with optical diagnostics are used for the validation. A coupled computational model of the arc and the weld pool is developed using the software ANSYS CFX. The weld pool model considers the forces acting on the motion of the melt inside and on the surface of the pool, such as Marangoni, drag, electromagnetic forces and buoyancy. The experimental work includes analysis of cross-sections of the workpieces, highspeed video images and spectroscopic measurements. Experiments and calculations have been performed for various currents, distances between electrode and workpiece and nozzle diameters. The studies show the significant impact of material properties like surface tension dependence on temperature as well as of the arc structure on the weld pool behaviour and finally the weld seam depth. The experimental weld pool profiles and plasma temperatures are in good agreement with computational results

Numerical weld modeling - a method for calculating weld-induced residual stresses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fricke, S.; Keim, E.; Schmidt, J.

2001-01-01

In the past, weld-induced residual stresses caused damage to numerous (power) plant parts, components and systems (Erve, M., Wesseling, U., Kilian, R., Hardt, R., Bruemmer, G., Maier, V., Ilg, U., 1994. Cracking in Stabilized Austenitic Stainless Steel Piping of German Boiling Water Reactors - Characteristic Features and Root Causes. 20. MPA-Seminar 1994, vol. 2, paper 29, pp.29.1-29.21). In the case of BWR nuclear power plants, this damage can be caused by the mechanism of intergranular stress corrosion cracking in austenitic piping or the core shroud in the reactor pressure vessel and is triggered chiefly by weld-induced residual stresses. One solution of this problem that has been used in the past involves experimental measurements of residual stresses in conjunction with weld optimization testing. However, the experimental analysis of all relevant parameters is an extremely tedious process. Numerical simulation using the finite element method (FEM) not only supplements this method but, in view of modern computer capacities, is also an equally valid alternative in its own right. This paper will demonstrate that the technique developed for numerical simulation of the welding process has not only been properly verified and validated on austenitic pipe welds, but that it also permits making selective statements on improvements to the welding process. For instance, numerical simulation can provide information on the starting point of welding for every weld bead, the effect of interpass cooling as far as a possible sensitization of the heat affected zone (HAZ) is concerned, the effect of gap width on the resultant weld residual stresses, or the effect of the 'last pass heat sink welding' (welding of the final passes while simultaneously cooling the inner surface with water) producing compressive stresses in the root area of a circumferential weld in an austenitic pipe. The computer program FERESA (finite element residual stress analysis) was based on a commercially

Automatic welding of fuel elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Briola, J.

1958-01-01

The welding process depends on the type of fuel element, the can material and the number of cartridges to be welded: - inert-gas welding (used for G2 and the 1. set of EL3), - inert atmosphere arc welding (used for welding uranium and zirconium), - electronic welding (used for the 2. set of EL3 and the tank of Proserpine). (author) [fr

Vision-based weld pool boundary extraction and width measurement during keyhole fiber laser welding

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Masiyang; Shin, Yung C.

2015-01-01

In keyhole fiber laser welding processes, the weld pool behavior is essential to determining welding quality. To better observe and control the welding process, the accurate extraction of the weld pool boundary as well as the width is required. This work presents a weld pool edge detection technique based on an off axial green illumination laser and a coaxial image capturing system that consists of a CMOS camera and optic filters. According to the difference of image quality, a complete developed edge detection algorithm is proposed based on the local maximum gradient of greyness searching approach and linear interpolation. The extracted weld pool geometry and the width are validated by the actual welding width measurement and predictions by a numerical multi-phase model.

Automatic welding machine for piping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshida, Kazuhiro; Koyama, Takaichi; Iizuka, Tomio; Ito, Yoshitoshi; Takami, Katsumi.

1978-01-01

A remotely controlled automatic special welding machine for piping was developed. This machine is utilized for long distance pipe lines, chemical plants, thermal power generating plants and nuclear power plants effectively from the viewpoint of good quality control, reduction of labor and good controllability. The function of this welding machine is to inspect the shape and dimensions of edge preparation before welding work by the sense of touch, to detect the temperature of melt pool, inspect the bead form by the sense of touch, and check the welding state by ITV during welding work, and to grind the bead surface and inspect the weld metal by ultrasonic test automatically after welding work. The construction of this welding system, the main specification of the apparatus, the welding procedure in detail, the electrical source of this welding machine, the cooling system, the structure and handling of guide ring, the central control system and the operating characteristics are explained. The working procedure and the effect by using this welding machine, and the application to nuclear power plants and the other industrial field are outlined. The HIDIC 08 is used as the controlling computer. This welding machine is useful for welding SUS piping as well as carbon steel piping. (Nakai, Y.)

Laser welding to expand the allowable gap in bore welding for ITER blanket hydraulic connection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tanigawa, Hisashi, E-mail: tanigawa.hisashi@jaea.go.jp; Maruyama, Takahito; Noguchi, Yuto; Takeda, Nobukazu; Kakudate, Satoshi

2015-10-15

For application to bore welding of hydraulic connection in the ITER blanket module, laser welding presents the following benefits: low weld heat input is preferred for re-welding of the irradiated material. Its contactless process can intrinsically avoid a failure mode of the tool sticking on the weld. The exact requirements for pipe alignment were assessed in comparison with the assembly tolerance. The groove geometry was modified to expand the allowable initial gap. The groove was machined to be partially thick to obviate the filler wire. First, plates with partially thick grooves were welded to elucidate the preferred groove geometry and welding conditions. With the modified groove, the plates were welded for the initial gap of 1.0 mm. Then the groove geometry and welding conditions were adjusted based on results of pipe welding tests. By application of the additional 0.5-mm-thick and 2.5-mm-wide metal in the groove, pipes with an initial gap of 0.7 mm were welded successfully.

Biological Soft Robotics.

Science.gov (United States)

Feinberg, Adam W

2015-01-01

In nature, nanometer-scale molecular motors are used to generate force within cells for diverse processes from transcription and transport to muscle contraction. This adaptability and scalability across wide temporal, spatial, and force regimes have spurred the development of biological soft robotic systems that seek to mimic and extend these capabilities. This review describes how molecular motors are hierarchically organized into larger-scale structures in order to provide a basic understanding of how these systems work in nature and the complexity and functionality we hope to replicate in biological soft robotics. These span the subcellular scale to macroscale, and this article focuses on the integration of biological components with synthetic materials, coupled with bioinspired robotic design. Key examples include nanoscale molecular motor-powered actuators, microscale bacteria-controlled devices, and macroscale muscle-powered robots that grasp, walk, and swim. Finally, the current challenges and future opportunities in the field are addressed.

Determination of welding parameters for execution of weld overlayer on PWR nuclear reactor nozzles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ribeiro, Gabriela M.; Lima, Luciana I.; Quinan, Marco A.; Schvartzman, Monica M.

2009-01-01

In the PWR reactors, nickel based dissimilar welds have been presented susceptibilities the stress corrosion (S C). For the mitigation the problem a deposition of weld layers on the external surface of the nozzle is an alternative, viewing to provoke the compression of the region subjected to S C. This paper presents a preliminary study on the determination of welding parameters to obtain these welding overlayers. Welding depositions were performed on a test piece welded with nickel 182 alloy, simulating the conditions of a nozzle used in a PWR nuclear power plant. The welding process was the GTAW (Gas Tungsten Arc Welding), and a nickel 52 alloy as addition material. The overlayers were performed on the base metals, carbon steel an stainless steel, changing the welding parameters and verifying the the time of each weld filet. After that, the samples were micro structurally characterized. The macro structures and the microstructures obtained through optical microscopy and Vickers microhardness are presented. The preliminary results make evident the good weld quality. However, a small weld parameters influence used in the base material microstructure (carbon steel and stainless steel). The obtained results in this study will be used as reference in the construction of a mock up which will simulate all the conditions of a pressurizer nozzle of PWR reactor

Grinding Parts For Automatic Welding

Science.gov (United States)

Burley, Richard K.; Hoult, William S.

1989-01-01

Rollers guide grinding tool along prospective welding path. Skatelike fixture holds rotary grinder or file for machining large-diameter rings or ring segments in preparation for welding. Operator grasps handles to push rolling fixture along part. Rollers maintain precise dimensional relationship so grinding wheel cuts precise depth. Fixture-mounted grinder machines surface to quality sufficient for automatic welding; manual welding with attendant variations and distortion not necessary. Developed to enable automatic welding of parts, manual welding of which resulted in weld bead permeated with microscopic fissures.

Welding repair of a dissimilar weld and respective consequences for other German plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brummer, G.; Dauwel, W.; Wesseling, U.; Ilg, U.; Lauer, P.; Widera, M.; Wachter, O.

2002-01-01

During a regular refueling outage in a German nuclear power plant in year 2000, additional non-destructive examinations have been performed on request of the Authority, to fulfill some recommendations of the independent experts with regard to the retrospective application of the Basic Safety Concept for the ferritic main coolant piping of this plant. During these inspections, indications were found in a dissimilar weld between one of the fifteen MCL (main coolant lines) nozzles and the ECC (emergency core cooling) system piping. By means of on-site metallography and laboratory investigations on three boat samples taken from this weld, it could be shown that the indications were due to hot cracking in the surface layer of the weld. In the course of these investigations, at three locations at the circumference of the weld, dis-bonding defects were found between the ferritic base metal of the nozzle and the austenitic weld butter, which has been applied to join the nozzle to the austenitic safe-end. According to the results of the extensive investigations, the dis-bonding occurred during the manufacturing process after stress-relief heat-treatment of the buttering during the welding of the austenitic safe-end to the butter material. There was no evidence for any crack growth during operation of the plant. Due to the large size of the boat-samples, a weld repair was mandatory. This repair has been performed using the so-called temper-bead technique as specified in the ASME Code, without subsequent stress relief heat treatment, using an advanced automatic orbital TIG welding process. The welding has been successfully performed without the need of further repair work. For those dissimilar welds, all other plants, except one, had used Inconel welding material for buttering the ferritic nozzle instead of stainless steel welding metal. For metallurgical reasons, dis-bonding along the fusion line for Inconel buttered dissimilar welds is unlikely to occur. Nevertheless all

EFFECTS OF ELECTRODE DEFORMATION OF RESISTANCE SPOT WELDING ON 304 AUSTENITIC STAINLESS STEEL WELD GEOMETRY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nachimani Charde

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The resistance spot welding process is accomplished by forcing huge amounts of current flow from the upper electrode tip through the base metals to the lower electrode tip, or vice versa or in both directions. A weld joint is established between the metal sheets through fusion, resulting in a strong bond between the sheets without occupying additional space. The growth of the weld nugget (bond between sheets is therefore determined from the welding current density; sufficient time for current delivery; reasonable electrode pressing force; and the area provided for current delivery (electrode tip. The welding current and weld time control the root penetration, while the electrode pressing force and electrode tips successfully accomplish the connection during the welding process. Although the welding current and weld time cause the heat generation at the areas concerned (electrode tip area, the electrode tips’ diameter and electrode pressing forces also directly influence the welding process. In this research truncated-electrode deformation and mushrooming effects are observed, which result in the welded areas being inconsistent due to the expulsion. The copper to chromium ratio is varied from the tip to the end of the electrode whilst the welding process is repeated. The welding heat affects the electrode and the electrode itself influences the shape of the weld geometry.

Research on the Effects of Technical Parameters on the Molding of the Weld by A-TIG Welding

OpenAIRE

Shi, Kai; Pan, Wu

2012-01-01

The effects of welding parameters on the molding of weld by A-TIG welding of a 4mm thickness mild steel plate is studied in the present paper. The results obtained show that: as welding current increases A-TIG welding penetration gets deeper than TIG welding; size and shape of HAZ has remarkable change; A-TIG welding has the narrower weld pool width than TIG welding.

Electron beam welding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwartz, M.M.

1974-01-01

Electron-beam equipment is considered along with fixed and mobile electron-beam guns, questions of weld environment, medium and nonvacuum welding, weld-joint designs, tooling, the economics of electron-beam job shops, aspects of safety, quality assurance, and repair. The application of the process in the case of individual materials is discussed, giving attention to aluminum, beryllium, copper, niobium, magnesium, molybdenum, tantalum, titanium, metal alloys, superalloys, and various types of steel. Mechanical-property test results are examined along with the areas of application of electron-beam welding

Recent developments in pipeline welding practice

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1979-01-01

Fourteen chapters are included: overview of pipeline welding systems and quality assurance, CRC automatic welding system, H.C. Price Co. automatic welding system, semi-automatic MIG-welding process, partial penetration welding of steel pipes for gas distribution, construction procedures and quality control in offshore pipeline construction, welding in repair and maintenance of gas transmission pipelines, British Gas studies of welding on pressurized gas transmission pipelines, hot tapping pipelines, underwater welding for offshore pipelines and associated equipment, radial friction welding, material composition vs weld properties, review of NDT of pipeline welds, and safety assurance in pipeline construction. A bibliography of approximately 150 references is included, arranged according to subject and year.