Objective
Background: A wide ranging survey of SMEs showed a need to reduce fabrication flaws associated with welds. An in-process sensing technique would significantly help control their welding process and reduce weld flaws. At present sensors that monitor the weld from the same side as the weld torch, known as top face sensors, do not meet industry requirements, as they cannot compensate for all of the variations that lead to defective welds. This project will develop a top face sensor capable of adaptive control of industrial fusion welding processes. It will derive control algorithms for TIG, wire fed TIG, MIG/MAG and laser welding operations. The system will be attractive to industry as it is more practicable and economic than sensing from the back of the weld. This innovative approach will use two complementary sensing techniques. Empirically derived algorithms will control the process by monitoring changes in the weld pool width and thermal profile. The sensor system will prevent defects such as inadequate penetration and lack of seam tracking, and reduce the number of flaws caused by joint misalignment, changing section thickness and variable joint gap.
Objectives:
- To develop algorithms for controlling arc and laser welding operations;
- To produce a prototype industrial control system;
- To conduct a series of end user trials;
- To formulate an exploitation strategy Work programme.
The project brings together manufacturers and developers of welding equipment, sensors and weld controllers. The group of end users associated with the project is drawn from a wide range of industries and will aid specification and assessment of the prototype. The first task focuses on the specification of the prototype. The systems for individual welding techniques are developed in parallel with a delay between starting dates so that each can build on the experience gained in preceding tasks. The sensor will be developed for autogenous TIG, wire fed TIG, MIG and laser welding. The same approach will be adopted for each task; process evaluation, development of the control algorithms, construction of a prototype controller and, finally, end- user trials. The basic control system will be similar for each welding process, but the complexity of the monitoring and control algorithms will vary. The tasks are scheduled in order of increasing difficulty.
State of progress: As the project commenced in October 1999, only limited progress has been possible so far. Evaluation trials are underway on alternative cameras including CCD and infrared cameras.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringcontrol systems
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensorsoptical sensors
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticslaser physics
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Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CRS - Cooperative research contractsCoordinator
SL6 6NQ Pinkneys Green - Berks
United Kingdom