Page 4 - HIWT Summer 2013 World of Welding

THE WORLD OF WELDING http://www.welding.org

TEACHING A ROBOT HOW TO WELD

(Continued from page 3)

For operator certification, two (2) years
welding experience and a 1-year diploma
in welding or robotic instruction would
qualify to take the examination.

HIWT GRADUATES MAY PROVIDE
DOCUMENTATION ABOUT THEIR
COMPLETED COURSEWORK AND
AMERICAN WELDING SOCIETY
WILL CREDIT THIS TIME TO THE
EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS OF
AWS D16.4

The shortage of skilled welders remains an
important problem for industry. Automation
can help to mitigate this problem.
Therefore, the need for skilled robotic arc
welding personnel is increasing. Gas metal Heavy plate and multi-pass applications are easy to progrm with optional heavy plate
arc welding (GMAW) is the predominant software.
process used in robotic welding, followed
by the gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) or tungsten inert gas Humvee, the military vehicle that was used extensively in Iraq
(TIG) welding process. At Hobart Institute, these courses are and Afghanistan. Michael Dawson Haggerty, an engineer at
modules of the diploma programs or can be taken separately. Carnegie Mellon, together with Spitfire, a 13-foot-tall, one-
armed welding robot completed the 400 required welds for the
How does the future look for robotic welding? David Bourne space frame at less than 20% of the cost charged by an expert
of Carnegie Mellon University has some interesting ideas. welder team. However, before each job, a welding expert had
Today’s robots typically operate inside fenced off areas to to tune about 20 critical welding parameters such as voltage,
protect nearby workers. According to David Bourne, senior welding speed and weld-wire feed rate, according to David
systems scientist at the Robotics Institute of Carnegie Mellon Bourne. Even if robots can teach themselves how to weld
University, a future generation of robots can operate safely sometime in the future, the original brain behind the program
not only around people, but with people. He sees humans is an experienced, skilled welder! (Source: “My Boss the
cooperating with robots in a team effort whereby sometimes, Robot,” by David Bourne, Scientific American, May 2013.)
the robot instructs the team mate what next steps to take. This Photos courtesy of Miller Electric Manufacturing Co.
concept was successfully tested welding a space frame for a

Outboard positioner (secondary positioning axis) allows the Tab and slot part designs lend themselves to welding automation.
robot to access the bottom of a part.

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