Principle of Laser Seam Tracking
The principle of the laser seam tracking system is based on laser triangulation measurement. The system emits a laser beam onto the weld seam, receives the reflected light through a high-quality optical system, and projects it onto an imaging matrix. By calculating the reflected light information, the three-dimensional position data of the weld seam is obtained. The system corrects deviations between the welding gun and the weld seam in real-time, accurately guiding the welding gun for automatic welding, achieving intelligent seam tracking. This improves welding precision and efficiency, especially suitable for large workpieces or large-scale automated welding production.
Application in Corrugated Sheets
Corrugated sheets, also known as profiled sheets, are products formed by machining sheet metal into various waveforms. Compared to sheets of the same thickness, the strength of corrugated sheets can be increased by 10 to 30 times. Therefore, in applications where product weight is strictly controlled, such as aerospace, shipbuilding, containers, truck bodies, and highway guardrails, the use of corrugated sheets has greatly increased.
Challenges in Welding Corrugated Sheets
Data Collection Challenges
For current mechanical automation technology, the most difficult aspect in the application of automated welding is data collection. From the perspective of automated welding, both data aggregation and technical optimization of mechanized manufacturing present considerable difficulties. Since data extraction technology is crucial for realizing automation technology, the collection and organization of data should be a top priority.
Quality Challenges Due to Multiple Variables in Welding Process
During the implementation process, automated welding still relies on welding robot prototypes. For the current mechanized manufacturing industry, the design and production of large-scale mechanized robots require substantial human, material, and financial resources. Therefore, during the design process, factory budget allocation presents significant challenges.
Implementing large-scale welding automation involves attention to many complex variables, including many human factors such as welding process selection, positioning, and deformation handling. Reducing these variables is quite challenging.
ATINY Solutions
By using laser displacement sensors to collect weld seam positions in real-time and processing the data via an industrial control computer, the real-time position of the weld seam is fed back to the PLC. Unlike point-type sensors that can only provide feedback at specific points, the full waveform scan provides real weld seam positions. In practical welding, point-type sensors can only initiate arcs at the troughs of the waves, while line-type displacement sensors can initiate arcs at any position (except for corner positions).
Application Case Video
To address the welding challenges of corrugated sheets, the ATINY laser seam tracking system offers an effective solution. Below is an application case of its use in the automated welding of corrugated sheets.
On the production line, the laser seam tracker scans the weld seam area of the corrugated sheet in real-time, transmitting the collected image data to the control system. The control system uses image processing algorithms to extract the accurate position and shape information of the weld seam, adjusting the position and parameters of the welding equipment accordingly.
The successful application of the ATINY laser seam tracking system in the automated welding of corrugated sheets fully demonstrates the advantages of laser seam tracking technology, solving many challenges in corrugated sheet welding, and improving welding efficiency and quality. With continuous technological advancements, laser seam tracking systems will play an increasingly important role in more fields and application scenarios, providing strong support for industrial automation and intelligent manufacturing.
