Table Of ContentAlso published on behalf of the International Institute of Welding
WELDING IN THE WORLD /
LE SOUDAGE DANS LE
MONDE
Journal of the International Institute of
Welding
Revue de I'lnstitut International de la Soudur^
Editors/Redacteurs en chef: P D BOYD,
Secretary-General of the IIW, 54 Princes Gate,
Exhibition Road, London SW72PL, UK and
H P GRANJON, Secretaire Scientifique et
Technique de HIS, 32 Boulevard de la
Chapelle, Paris 18e, France
The journal serves to publish the A selection of papers
increasing number of technical reports, Results of the cooperative programme on
recommendations and draft standards electron beam welding of aluminium alloy
emanating from the technical AI-Zn-Mg1,COMMISSIONIVOFTHEIIW.
commissions of the IIW. The technical Distortion of welds in thick cylinders in
commissions of the IIW constitute narrow gap MIG-welding, M OHSAWA et
permanent and international centres for al.
the study of different aspects of welding The interaction between deformation
technology. The journal is bilingual, all stresses and the monochromatism of the
material being published in both English radiation on the mottling effect in
and French. radiographs of welded austenitic steels
and aluminium alloys, J CHARLIER.
Topics covered by the journal include High power electron beam welding of thick
authoritative reports on: steel plates — method for eliminating
Processes, welding equipment and beam deflection caused by residual
consumables magnetism, H KIHARAef a/.
Joining, cutting and surfacing by thermal Application of the hot spot concept to
processes fatigue life prediction, K IIDA.
Arc and resistance welding The application of eddy currents in weld
Flux and gas shielded electrical welding testing, P HOLLER etal.
processes Influence of the deoxidation of structural
Inspection and behaviour of materials and steel on weld metal properties,
welded assemblies N E HANNERZ.
Testing, measurement and control of Non destructive testing of thermally
welds sprayed coatings by thermography and
Fundamentals of design and fabrication holographic interferometry, COMMISSION
for welding I OF THE IIW.
Health and safety An up-to-date review on reheat cracking,
ADHOOGE&AVINCKIER.
Subscription Information Postweld heat treatments of stainless
Six issues per annum (Volume 23) steels and nickel alloys in thick section,
Annual subscription (1985) US$60.00 COMMISSION IX OF THE IIW.
Two-year rate (1985/86) US$114.00
Subscriptions may also be ordered through any
of the Member Societies of the International
Institute of Welding.
AUTOMATION AND
ROBOTISATION IN WELDING
AND ALLIED PROCESSES
Proceedings of the International Conference held at Strasbourg, France, 2-3 September 1985, under the auspices of
the International Institute of Welding
AUTOMATISATION ET
ROBOTISATION EN SOUDAGE
ET TECHNIQUES CONNEXES
Communications presentees a la Conference Internationale tenue a Strasbourg, France les 2 et 3 septembre 1985
sous les auspices de I'lnstitut International de la Soudure
Published on behalf of the International Institute of Welding
Edite au nom de I'lnstitut International de la Soudure
bylpar
PERGAMON PRESS
OXFORD • NEW YORK • TORONTO • SYDNEY • FRANKFURT
U.K. Pergamon Press Ltd., Headington Hill Hall,
Oxford 0X3 OBW, England
U.S.A. Pergamon Press Inc., Maxwell House, Fairview Park,
Elmsford, New York 10523, U.S.A.
CANADA Pergamon Press Canada Ltd., Suite 104,
150 Consumers Road, Willowdale, Ontario M2J1P9, Canada
AUSTRALIA Pergamon Press (Aust.) Pty. Ltd., P.O. Box 544,
Potts Point, N.S.W. 2011, Australia
FEDERAL REPUBLIC Pergamon Press GmbH, Hammerweg 6,
OF GERMANY D-6242 Kronberg-Taunus, Federal Republic of Germany
Copyright © 1985 International Institute of Welding
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means: electronic, electrostatic,
magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without permission in
writing from the copyright holders.
First edition 1985
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Automation and robotisation in welding and allied processes: proceedings of
the international conference held at Strasbourg, France, 2-3 September 1985
under the auspices of the International Institute of Welding=Automatisation et
robotisation en soudage et techniques connexes: communications presentees
a la conference Internationale tenue a Strasbourg, France les 2 et 3 Septembre
1985 sous les auspices de I'lnstitute International de la Soudure.
1. Welding—Automation
I. International Institute of Welding
671.5'2 TS227.2
ISBN 0-08-032533-5
In order to make this volume available as economically and as rapidly as possible the
author's typescripts have been reproduced in their original forms. This method
unfortunately has its typographical limitations but it is hoped that they in no way distract
the reader.
Printed in Great Britain by A. Wheaton 8 Co ltd, Exeter
Other Pergamon Titles of Interest
ASHBY& BROWN Perspectives in Creep Fracture
CARLSSON Mechanical Behaviour of Materials, 2 Vols. (ICM 4)
COMINS& CLARK Specialty Steels and Hard Materials
COUDURIER Fundamentals of Metallurgical Processes, 2nd Edition
FROST &ASHBY Deformation-Mechanism Maps
HAASEN Decomposition of Alloys - the Early Stages
HEARN Mechanics of Materials, 2 Vols.
HULL Introduction to Dislocations, 3rd Edition
The Physics of Welding
Underwater Welding
Welding of Tubular Structures
KAZAKOV Diffusion Bonding of Materials
MASUBUCHI Analysis of Welded Structures
MCQUEEN Strength of Metals & Alloys (ICSMA 7)
MORGAN Tinplate & Modern Canmaking Technology
NIKU-LARI Advances in Surface Treatments, Volumes 1 & 2
OSGOOD Fatigue Design, 2nd Edition
PARKIN & FLOOD Welding Craft Practice
REID Metal Forming and Impact Mechanics
SHEWARD High Temperature Brazing in Controlled Atmospheres
TAIT&GARRETT Fracture & Fracture Mechanics: Case Studies
VALLURI Advances in Fracture Research, 6 Vols. (ICF6)
Pergamon Journals of Related Interest
(Free specimen copies gladly sent on request)
Acta Metallurgies
Automatica
Canadian Metallurgical Quarterly
Computers and Structures
Engineering Fracture Mechanics
Fatigue & Fracture of Engineering Materials & Structures
International Journal of Impact Engineering
Materials Research Bulletin
Metals Forum
Robotics & Computer-integrated Manufacturing
Scripta Metallurgies
Welding in the World
PREFACE
Lorsqu'iLs adopterent, en septembre 1982, a L'AssembLee annueLLe de L'HS
a LjubLjana (YougosLavie), La resoLution qui proposait La Conference Inter-
nationaLe qui fait L'objet du present recueiL, Les membres de La Commission
XII "Procedes de soudage eLectrique avec protection gazeuse et par fLux"
etaient Loin d'imaginer que Leur President, Le Docteur A-A. Smith, ne vivrait
pas cette Conference, qu'iL avait ardemment souhaitee- En effet, notre ami est
decede en decembre 1984 apres une Longue et douLoureuse maLadie qui L'a meme
prive de participer a La preparation de La Conference.
La carriere du Docteur Smith a ete entierement consacree au soudage, pLus
particuLierement au soudage en atmosphere gazeuse. ELLe s'est derouLee au
WeLding Institute, dans L'industrie du materieL de soudage et aupres des
organismes de La Communaute Europeenne. IL a fait partie durant de Longues
annees de La DeLegation du Royaume-Uni aupres de L'lIS, ou sa competence
technique et son sens du contact Lui ont vaLu d'etre appeLe en 1980 a La
presidence de La Commission XII, qu'iL a marquee de sa personnaLite souriante
et efficace en etabLissant, pour cette Commission, une structure de travaiL
a La mesure des extraordinaires deveLoppements que connaissent Les procedes
de soudage dont eLLe s'occupe. Cette structure fait une pLace de choix a
L'automatisation et a La robotique qui, des Longtemps, ont retenu L'attention
du Dr. Smith- C'est sous son egide que La presente Conference va se tenir et,
pensons-nous, deboucher sur de nouveLLes actions au sein de L'lIS.
Ses amis de L'lIS, en particuLier Les membres de La Commission XII, se
desoLent d'avoir perdu Arthur Smith mais ont Le sentiment de poursuivre son
oeuvre en pLacant cette Conference sous son egide.
H. GRANJON
Secretaire Scientifique et Technique
PREFACE
When the members of Commission XII "Flux and gas shielded electrical welding
processes" adopted in September 1982 at the Annual Assembly of the IIW held
in Ljubljana (Yugoslavia) the resolution proposing the International Confe-
rence, which is the subject of the present volume, they were far from thinking
that their Chairman, Dr. A.A. Smith, would not live to participate in this
Conference, of which he had been one of the keenest advocates. Arthur Smith
died in December 1934 after a long and painful illness which prevented him
from taking part in the preparation of the Conference.
The career of Dr. Smith was entirely devoted to welding, more particularly
gas-shielded welding. He worked in the Welding Institute, in the welding
equipment industry and in conjunction with various bodies within the European
Community. For many years he was a member of the United Kingdom delegation to
the IIW where his technical competence and his gift for personal relations
conspired to make him in 1980 the choice for the chairmanship of Commission
XII, in which he left the mark of his cheerful and efficient personality by
creating for the Commission a working structure adequate to the prodigious
development of the welding processes within its terms of reference. This
structure highlights automation and robotics which, for many years, had
attracted the interest of Dr. Smith. It is under his aegis that the present
Conference will be held and will, we are confident, open up new lines of
action within the IIW.
His friends in the IIW and, in particular, the members of Commission XII,
feel keenly the loss of Arthur Smith but, in placing this Conference under
his aegis, they feel they are continuing his good work.
H. 6RANJ0N
Scientific and Technical Secretary
Aspects de la Mecanisation de I'Automatisation et de
TUtilisation de Robots en Soudage
F. Eichhorn
Institut fiir Schweisstechnische Fertigungsverfahren, D-5100 Aachen, Pontstrasse 49, Federal Republic of Germany
RESUME
Etude des facteurs techniques, economiques et humains Lies a La mecanisation
et a L'automatisation en soudage a L'arc et par resistance.
MOTS-CLES
Suiveur de joint
Robots
Facteur humain
Etude economique
Soudage a L'arc
Soudage par resistance
INTRODUCTION
En ce qui concerne Les techniques modernes de fabrication, Les notions
d'"automatisation" et de "robotisation" suscitent dans La societe d'aujourd'hui
Les sentiments Les pLus divers. Pour Les uns, ce sont des symboLes du progres
technique destines a ameLiorer Les conditions de vie, pour Les autres, eLLes
caracterisent un stade d'evoLution technique qui rempLace Le travaiL de
L'homme et Le rend superfLu. Ce sentiment confus d'etre Livre a une technique
toute puissante fait peur a L'individu, et iL n'est pas rare que cette peur
se voie renforcee par Les informations subjectives communiquees par La presse,
La radio et La teLevision. CeLa vaut done La peine de se pencher d'une
maniere objective sur ces questions en se rapportant aux faits, pour pouvoir
en evaLuer Les possibiLites et Les dangers. IL nous faudra tenir compte des
aspects humains, sociaux, techniques et economiques de La mecanisation et de
son stade de deveLoppement Le pLus pousse, a savoir L'automatisation basee
sur L'utiLisation de robots industrieLs.
2
Aspects of the Mechanisation, Automation and
Utilisation of Robots in Welding
F. Eichhorn
Institut fur Schweisstechnische Fertigungsverfahren der Rheinisch-Westfalischen Technischen Hochschuie Aachen, Pontstrasse 49,
5100 Aachen, Federal Republic of Germany
SUMMARY
Study of technical, economic and human factors relating to mechanisation and
automation in arc and resistance welding.
KEYWORDS
Joint following equipment
Robots
Human factor
Economic study
Arc welding
Resistance welding
3
DEFINITIONS DE NOTIONS
Comme dans Les diverses nations industrieLLes ont cours des definitions tres
variees des differents stades de La mecanisation jusqu'a L'automatisation et
particuLierement de La notion de "robot", U est tout d'abord necessaire
d'eLucider dans queL sens devront etre empLoyees Les notions evoquees dans
cet expose- En ceLa, j'adopte Les concepts qui ont cours en ALLemagne
(1, 3).
Par "Mecanisation",, nous devons comprendre Le rempLacement partieL ou compLet
d'un travaiL manueL par une instaLLation ou une machine, par consequent un
processus de substitution d'un travaiL mecanique humain par des moyens
techniques.
Le degre de mecanisation va de La prise en charge de fonctions isoLees
jusqu'a La mecanisation totaLe pour LaqueLLe La fabrication est entierement
effectuee par La machine- Si en pLus de ceLa, c'est La machine qui assure
egaLement La mise en pLace et L'evacuation de La piece a usiner, aLors nous
parLerons d'"Automatisation".
En ce qui concerne Le procecte de soudage a L'arc, qui est Le pLus repandu, ceLa
impLique une repartition en :
1- Soudage manueL par Le soudeur a L'arc au moyen d'une baguette-eLectrode.
Toutes Les fonctions sont regLees et executees manueLLement et surveiLLees
par Le soudeur.
2. Soudage a mecanisation partieLLe, au cours duqueL pour Le soudage continu,
apres Le regLage des parametres de soudage, Le depLacement de La source de
chaLeur, c'est-a-dire de La tete de soudage Le Long du joint, est effectue
manueLLement et surveiLLe par Le soudeur. L'aLimentation eventueLLe a
L'empLacement du joint de produits consommabLes (gaz de protection, par
exempLe) est effectuee mecaniquement. Pour Le soudage par fusion par
points, Le depLacement manueL est rempLace par Le positionnement manueL
de L'appareiL a souder sur L'empLacement ponctueL ou Les deux parties a
souder se superposent.
3. Soudage a mecanisation totaLe* au cours duqueL, par opposition a La meca-
nisation partieLLe, Le depLacement de La source de chaLeur, c'est-a-dire
de La tete de soudage Le Long du joint, est effectue et eventueLLement
controLe mecaniquement. On peut dire La meme chose en ce qui concerne
Le positionnement de L'appareiL a souder a L'empLacement du joint dans
Le cas du soudage par fusion par points.
4- Soudage automatise Lorsque, dans Le cas d'un processus de soudage a
mecanisation totaLe, La mise en pLace des pieces a assembLer sur La
machine a souder et Leur evacuation Lorsqu'eLLes sont soudees s'effectuent
aussi mecaniquement.
Comme Le soudage est une technique de montage au moyen d'assembLages indis-
sociabLes de materiaux, Les processus de manipuLation jouent ici un roLe
tout a fait particuLier, surtout en ce qui concerne Les constructions im-
portantes. Si La manipuLation des pieces ou des outiLs n'est pas seuLement
effectuee manueLLement, on peut, conformement a La Fig. 2, faire une dis-
tinction entre Les manipuLateurs a commande manueLLe et synchrone, comme
on en utiLise par exempLe pour Les appareiLs d'extraction ou pour Les
4
INTRODUCTION
With respect to modern fabrication techniques, the notions of "automation"
and "robotisation" give rise to mixed feelings in today's social conditions.
For some, they symbolise technical progress which will improve living
conditions; for others, they characterise a stage in technical evolution in
which human work is replaced and made superfluous. This vague feeling, of
being handed over to an all-powerful technical progression, frightens the
individual, and this fear is often intensified by subjective information
from the press, radio and television. It is therefore worthwhile to study
objectively these matters in the light of the facts, in order to estimate
the possibilities and the dangers involved. Account must be taken of the
human, social, technical and economic aspects of mechanisation and of its
most advanced stage of development, i.e. automation based on the use of
industrial robots.
DEFINITIONS OF THE CONCEPTS
Since in the various industrial nations very diverse definitions are
accepted for the several stages of mechanisation up to automation, and
particularly the concept of the robot, it is first necessary to clarify the
sense in which the concepts mentioned in this paper will be employed. For
this purpose I shall adopt those definitions accepted in Germany (1)(3).
By "MECHANISATION" we should understand the partial or complete replacement
of manual work by a piece of equipment or machine; consequently
mechanisation is a process of substituting technical means for mechanical
human work.
The degree of mechanisation extends from the performance of isolated
functions up to full mechanisation wherewith fabrication is carried out
entirely by machine. If, in addition, the machine is also responsible for
bringing in and taking out the part to be manufactured, we can then speak of
"AUTOMATION".
With regard to arc welding, which is the most widespread process, this
divides into:
manual welding by an arc welder using a stick electrode. All the
operations are controlled, executed and supervised by the welder.
partially mechanised (semi-automatic) welding in which for continuous
welding (after the welding parameters have been set), the movement of
the heat source, that is to say the welding head, along the joint is
carried out and controlled manually. At the joint the supply of
consumables (for example shielding gas) is effected mechanically. For
spot welding, manual welding is replaced by manual positioning of the
welding equipment at the point where the two parts to be welded are
superposed.
fully mechanised welding in which, unlike partial mechanisation, the
movement of the heat source, that is to say the welding head, along the
joint is carried out and controlled mechanically. The same can be said
in spot welding for positioning the welding equipment at the joint.
5
