Automated generation of weld path trajectories

Abstract

AUTOGEN is software that automates the planning and compiling of control programs for robotic welding of ship structure. It works by evaluating computer representations of the ship design and the manufacturing plan, identifying and characterizing each weld, constructing the robot motions necessary to accomplish the welds, and determining the correct assignment of process control values. AUTOGEN generates robot control programs automatically, without manual intervention. Most ship structure assemblies are unique or at best manufactured only a few times. Accordingly, the high cost inherent in all previous methods of preparing complex control programs has made robot welding of ship structures economically unattractive to the United States shipbuilding industry. AUTOGEN eliminates the cost of creating robot control programs. With programming costs eliminated, capitalization of robots to weld ship structure becomes economically viable. Robot welding of ship structures result in reduced ship costs, uniform product quality and enhanced worker safety Sandia National Laboratories and Northrop Grumman Ship Systems worked with the National Shipbuilding Research Program to develop a means of automated path and process generation for robotic welding. This effort resulted In the AUTOGEN program, which has successfully demonstrated automated path generation and robot control. Although the current implementation of AUTOGEN is optimized for welding applications, the path and process planning capability has applicability to a number of industrial applications, including painting, riveting, and adhesive delivery