Numéro : 2183 - Year : 1992
Balance of the researches and developments relative to a metallic ship structure welding flexible unit
J.-C. MASSON, Directeur des Services Techniques de l'Institut de Recherches de la Construction Navale (IRCN)
The Flexible Welding Unit -hereafter called UFS for "Unité Flexible de Soudage" -is a naval R&D programme which spreaded over some 8 years and under which it was planned to develop a pilot unit - the whole facility and the robot itself -for welding ship structure sub-assemblies open at their upper part.
This programme, led by IRCN and carried out in sometimes difficult technological conditions, was an ambitious one from the very start and allowed to reach significant and decisive results such as :
Interest and merits of its concepts, and especially of offline programming starting from a 3D CAD model, and a seam tracking system with a video camera and laser diode ;
Interest of introducing the topological geometric and functional data required for welding as upstream of the process development as possible, with a view improving accuracy, reliability and repetitiveness ;
Accuracy required for torch centering with the tracking system not in operation ;
Definition of welding parameters ranges: speed, intensity, positions ;
Automatic shifting of weld beads from one block to the other ;
Determination of basic elements for a future welding unit prototype.
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