Basic components of welding robots and welding equipment
(1) Welding robot
Mechanical body: The mechanical body of a welding robot is usually composed of multiple joints and connecting rods, with common six axis robots. The flexible rotation of their joints gives the robot a wide range of motion capabilities in three-dimensional space, enabling it to easily reach various complex welding positions and complete diverse welding trajectories such as straight lines, curves, and rings.
Control system: As the "brain" of the robot, the control system undertakes core tasks such as motion trajectory planning, speed control, and attitude adjustment. It receives instructions input by operators through a teaching pendant or offline programming software, converts them into motion control signals for each joint of the robot, and ensures the precise execution of welding tasks by the robot. At the same time, the control system also has the function of communicating with external devices, which can achieve data exchange and collaborative control with welding equipment.
Drive system: The drive system provides power to the joints of the robot, usually using a combination of servo motors and reducers. Servo motors have the characteristics of fast response speed and high control accuracy. They can accurately adjust the output torque and speed according to the instructions of the control system. Gearboxes are used to increase the output torque and decrease the speed to meet the motion requirements of robot joints.
Teaching pendant: Teaching pendant is an important tool for operators to interact with robots. Operators can use a teaching pendant to perform jog operations, guide the robot to a specific position, record this position information, and generate a welding path. At the same time, the teaching pendant is also used to set various parameters of the robot, such as motion speed, acceleration, welding start and end conditions, etc., which facilitates programming, debugging, and real-time monitoring of the robot.
(2) Welding equipment (welding machine)
Welding power supply: Welding power supply is the core component of welding equipment, providing stable electrical energy for the welding process. According to different welding processes, welding power sources can be divided into types such as DC power sources, AC power sources, and pulse power sources. DC power supply is suitable for welding processes that require stable arc and unidirectional current, such as DC argon arc welding; AC power supply is commonly used in welding scenarios with relatively low requirements for arc stability, such as AC manual arc welding; Pulse power supply can precisely control welding heat input through periodic pulse current output, and is suitable for welding of heat sensitive materials and special processes such as thin plate welding.
Wire feeder: The wire feeder is responsible for continuously delivering the welding wire to the welding area at a set speed, ensuring the continuity of the welding process. The wire feeding speed of the wire feeder can be precisely adjusted according to the welding process requirements, and its stability directly affects the welding quality. The common wire feeding methods include wire pushing, wire drawing, and wire pushing. Different wire feeding methods are suitable for different wire diameters, lengths, and welding conditions.
Welding gun: The welding gun is a key tool for transmitting welding current and wire to the workpiece to achieve welding. According to the differences in welding methods, welding guns can be divided into melting electrode gas shielded welding guns, non melting electrode gas shielded welding guns, etc. During the welding process of the melting electrode gas shielded welding gun, an arc is generated between the welding wire and the workpiece through the conductive nozzle at the end of the welding gun, melting the welding wire and filling the weld seam. At the same time, protective gas is sprayed from the welding gun nozzle to protect the welding area from air pollution; The non melting electrode gas shielded welding gun generates an arc between the non melting electrode (such as tungsten electrode) and the welding piece, and uses filler wire or directly melts the edge of the welding piece for welding.
The principle of collaborative work between welding robots and welding equipment
(1) Communication interface and protocol
Communication interface: A reliable communication interface is required for data transmission and control instruction interaction between the welding robot and the welding equipment. Common communication interfaces include RS-232, RS-485, CAN bus, and Ethernet. The RS-232 interface is an early serial communication interface that has the characteristics of simplicity and ease of use, but the transmission distance is relatively short, generally not exceeding 15 meters, and the transmission rate is also relatively low; The RS-485 interface has been improved on the basis of RS-232, supporting multi node connections, with a transmission distance of about 1200 meters and an increased tranHow do welding robots and welding equipment (welding machines) work together?
Basic components of welding robots and welding equipment
(1) Welding robot
Mechanical body: The mechanical body of a welding robot is usually composed of multiple joints and connecting rods, with common six axis robots. The flexible rotation of their joints gives the robot a wide range of motion capabilities in three-dimensional space, enabling it to easily reach various complex welding positions and complete diverse welding trajectories such as straight lines, curves, and rings.
Control system: As the "brain" of the robot, the control system undertakes core tasks such as motion trajectory planning, speed control, and attitude adjustment. It receives instructions input by operators through a teaching pendant or offline programming software, converts them into motion control signals for each joint of the robot, and ensures the precise execution of welding tasks by the robot. At the same time, the control system also has the function of communicating with external devices, which can achieve data exchange and collaborative control with welding equipment.
Drive system: The drive system provides power to the joints of the robot, usually using a combination of servo motors and reducers. Servo motors have the characteristics of fast response speed and high control accuracy. They can accurately adjust the output torque and speed according to the instructions of the control system. Gearboxes are used to increase the output torque and decrease the speed to meet the motion requirements of robot joints.
Teaching pendant: Teaching pendant is an important tool for operators to interact with robots. Operators can use a teaching pendant to perform jog operations, guide the robot to a specific position, record this position information, and generate a welding path. At the same time, the teaching pendant is also used to set various parameters of the robot, such as motion speed, acceleration, welding start and end conditions, etc., which facilitates programming, debugging, and real-time monitoring of the robot.
(2) Welding equipment (welding machine)
Welding power supply: Welding power supply is the core component of welding equipment, providing stable electrical energy for the welding process. According to different welding processes, welding power sources can be divided into types such as DC power sources, AC power sources, and pulse power sources. DC power supply is suitable for welding processes that require stable arc and unidirectional current, such as DC argon arc welding; AC power supply is commonly used in welding scenarios with relatively low requirements for arc stability, such as AC manual arc welding; Pulse power supply can precisely control welding heat input through periodic pulse current output, and is suitable for welding of heat sensitive materials and special processes such as thin plate welding.
Wire feeder: The wire feeder is responsible for continuously delivering the welding wire to the welding area at a set speed, ensuring the continuity of the welding process. The wire feeding speed of the wire feeder can be precisely adjusted according to the welding process requirements, and its stability directly affects the welding quality. The common wire feeding methods include wire pushing, wire drawing, and wire pushing. Different wire feeding methods are suitable for different wire diameters, lengths, and welding conditions.
Welding gun: The welding gun is a key tool for transmitting welding current and wire to the workpiece to achieve welding. According to the differences in welding methods, welding guns can be divided into melting electrode gas shielded welding guns, non melting electrode gas shielded welding guns, etc. During the welding process of the melting electrode gas shielded welding gun, an arc is generated between the welding wire and the workpiece through the conductive nozzle at the end of the welding gun, melting the welding wire and filling the weld seam. At the same time, protective gas is sprayed from the welding gun nozzle to protect the welding area from air pollution; The non melting electrode gas shielded welding gun generates an arc between the non melting electrode (such as tungsten electrode) and the welding piece, and uses filler wire or directly melts the edge of the welding piece for welding.