Cogntive Robotized Multipass Welding

The industrial robot has an important role in the automation of the manufacturing industry. However, there are still many heavy, demanding working tasks in the industry, that it would be of big advantage to robotize eg. heavy, multipass welding and grinding. Unfortunately, working tasks like these are outsourced to low cost countries with less strict requirements on the working environment, instead of being solved by new industrial robot technology. This, even though the robot could release a considerable part of the hidden potential for productivity growth, is due to the fact the valuable part of the manual work is only in the range of only 20% of the entire working time. Successful robotization of heavy multipass processes requires technological solutions that are in the interface between process understanding, robot control, information technology and advanced man-machine communication. This is because of the sometimes, considerable unstructured environment due to geometrical tolerances and unpredictable welding process. Conventional industrial robot technology has included sensors to solve this in multipass welding. This is giving satisfactory results in some cases. However, when the workpieces are voluminous, additional control of the robot is needed to ensure high welding quality. In CoRoWeld, a human welder will have the overall control of the welding process during the robot's welding operation. He will work with a virtual presence environment enabled by multi-modal communication between him and the robot system, to be able to interactively monitor and control the welding process and compensate for unforeseen geometrical tolerances of the workpiece. The project will include "Design for manufacturing" and ?Fully Digitized Weld? programming with a sub-set of improved processes within design of welding grooves, collision control (parameters and welding equipment/robot arm design), work-piece fixation and alignment, welding parameters and issues, formal certification of welding process and welders, EHS optimization and test- and production cell optimization. CoRoWeld, is intended to be a Technology Umbrella for industrial robotization, and is intended to provide important contribution to robotization in mechanical industry, foundries, offshore industry, suppliers of ships equipment and even the furniture industry.

The industrial robot has an important role in the automation of the manufacturing industry. However, there are still many heavy, requiring working tasks in the industry, that it would be of big advantage to robotize eg. heavy, multipass welding and grinding. Unfortunately, working tasks like these, are outsourced to low cost countries with less strickt requirements to the working environment, instead of being solved by new industrial robot technology. This, even though the robot could release a considerable part of the hidden potential for productivity growth, due to the fact the valuable part of the manual work is only in the range of only 20% of the entire working time. Successful robotization of heavy multipass processes, requires technological solutions that are on the interface between process understanding, robot control, information technology and advanced man-machine communication. This is because of the sometimes, considerable unstructured environment due to geometrical tolerances and enpredictale welding process Conventional industrial robot technology, has included sensor to solve this in multipass welding. This is giving satisfactory results in some cases. However, when the workpieces are voluminous, additional control of the robot is needed to ensure high welding quality. In CoRoWeld, a human welder will have the overall control of the welding process during the robot's welding operation. He will work with a virtual presence environment enabled by multi-modal communication between him and the robot system, to be able to interactively monitor and control the welding process and compensate for unforessen geometrical tolerances of the workpiece. CoRoWeld, is intended to a Technology Umbrella for industrial robotization, and is intended to provide important contribution to robotization in mechanical industry, foundries, offshore industry, suppliers of ships equipment and even furniture industry.