The Novosibirsk State Technical University (NETI) is developing intelligent programing technologies for industrial manipulators for robotic welding of metals. With the help of computer vision and a laser sensor, the technology being developed will allow you to perform the work of a programmer and thus simplify the automation of welding operations in industrial enterprises.
Today, there are more than 1,200 known applications of robotic manipulators in the industry, and welding is one of them. Robotic welding has several significant advantages. An industrial robot can work nonstop around the clock, which significantly increases production productivity. The robot can work with welding seams with difficult access. In addition, high quality and speed of production operations are ensured, while welding seams do not require additional post-processing. All of the above very quickly pays off investments in welding robotics, in some cases in 5-6 months, on average about a year. However, there are objective reasons for the low rate of introduction of manipulators in welding operations.
"The peculiarity of the welding process is that the robot will cook exactly according to the trajectory that the programmer set for it. Therefore, it is necessary to comply with several requirements for this process: the blanks must be of the same quality and, they should be positioned and fixed in a specific position. Failure to comply with these requirements may lead to marriage. Welding robots are used when you need to make a large series of parts, and if you need to make a small or medium series, you will need a programmer to reconfigure the robot.
At the moment, we are working on a program that, thanks to computer vision and a laser sensor, will allow us to accurately determine the location of the part and make changes to the welding trajectory by a robot without human intervention. A 3D model of the product with an indication of the seam trajectory will be loaded into the computer. Next, you will need to place and fix the workpiece on the desktop, after which the robot will be able to start welding. Thus, it will be possible to switch to small—scale welding without having to call a programmer every time," said Roman Chernukhin, head of the Laboratory of Industrial Robotics at NSTU-NETI.
The laboratory of industrial robotics was opened at NSTU-NETI in 2021. It consists of three sets, each of which is equipped with a specialized KUKA manipulator. The first set (robotic MIG-MAG welding cell) allows you to work out various welding operations; the second manipulator performs milling operations for products made of polymers, aluminum alloys, and wood; and the third set (universal robotic cell) is designed to handle logistical operations (warehousing, palletizing, sorting, etc.), equipped with technical vision.