Automated Welding Laser Seam Tracker

June 30, 2011

Servo-Robot has released its newest AUTO-TRAC/PWP™ laser vision seam tracking system.

It can be installed on new equipment or as a retrofit to existing welding machines that are manually operated or use mechanical probing for guidance.  The heart of the system is the high-speed digital laser camera head. It has a large field of view combined with high resolution that allows this system to handle products from thin sheet metal to 50-mm-thick steel.

Applications of this system include:

• Weld joint validation. Validates that the joint fit-up meets the weld procedure requirement before welding is allowed to start, which reduces rework and scrap creation.
• Real-time adaptation to part. Compensates within process capability for joint variability, including excessive gap , to make an acceptable weld.
• Real-time weld inspection. Inspects with a camera located behind the welding torch or by using a second-pass scan.
• Automatic joint location. Automatically searches for the weld joint, even if the joint is outside the camera’s field of view.

In addition to seam tracking, the system has the ability to monitor the entire welding process, providing data for Six Sigma operations. Information collected includes part fit-up variability, system uptime, and productivity metrics. 

For more information, visit www.servorobot.com.