A dynamic handheld torch head for a plasma cutting or welding operation is disclosed. The system for controlling the handheld torch includes a handle and a torch head disposed at the handle; a power supply; and a processor disposed at the power supply and/or the torch. The power supply may be configured to provide power to the torch to initiate a processing operation. The processor may be configured to determine an arc voltage between the torch head and a workpiece during the processing operation, and determine a distance between the torch head the workpiece based on the determined arc voltage.

Some examples include a computing device that receives optical signal information based on respective optical signals received through a plurality of optical fibers during a welding operation. For example, the plurality of optical fibers may be positioned to receive electromagnetic radiation from a weld area during the welding operation. The computing device may compare the optical signal information corresponding to a first one of the optical fibers with the optical signal information corresponding to a second one of the optical fibers. Based at least partially on the comparing, the computing device may determine whether at least one of a weld geometry or a welding arc is irregular. The computing device may perform at least one action based on determining that at least one of the weld geometry or the welding arc is irregular.

A weld system includes: a robot control module configured to actuate a robot and move a welder along a joint of metal workpieces during welding, the welder being attached to the robot; a weld control module configured to, during the welding, apply power to the welder, supply a shield gas, and supply electrode material; a vision sensor configured to, during the welding, optically measure distances between the vision sensor and locations, respectively, on an outer surface of a weld bead created along the joint by the welder; and a weld module configured to: determine a strength of the weld bead at a location based on: the distances at the location along the joint; and at least one parameter from at least one of the robot control module during the welding, the weld control module during the welding, and a sensor configured to capture data of the welding during the welding.

A system and method to correct for height error during a robotic additive manufacturing process. One or both of an output current, output voltage, output power, output circuit impedance and a wire feed speed are sampled during an additive manufacturing process when creating a current layer. A plurality of instantaneous contact tip-to-work distances (CTWD's) are determined based on at least one or both of the output current, output voltage, output power, output circuit impedance and the wire feed speed. An average CTWD is determined based on the plurality of instantaneous CTWD's. A correction factor is generated, based on at least the average CTWD, which is used to compensate for any error in height of the current layer.

A one-side submerged arc welding method includes setting: a welding speed transition section, in which welding is performed such that a welding speed is lowered from a welding speed of main welding to a welding speed being 80% or less of the welding speed of main welding; and a low welding speed section, in which welding is performed at a welding speed being 80% or less of the welding speed of main welding. A length of the welding speed transition section is set to be more than 200 mm and 1,000 mm or less. The low welding speed section is set as a section from a position of 100 mm or more and less than 1,000 mm in front of the end part of the steel plates to the end part.

A robot controller includes a contact detection unit that detects contact of a welding wire protruding from a welding torch with a welding target, an override-value adjustment unit that sets and changes an override value for increasing or decreasing an operating speed of the robot from a predetermined speed, and a control unit which receives an operation signal from a teaching operation device and that controls the robot according to the operation signal at the operating speed based on the override value which is set by the override-value adjustment unit. When the contact of the welding wire with the welding target is detected by the contact detection unit, the control unit temporarily stops the robot, and the override-value adjustment unit decreases the override value.

Disclosed is a welding system configured to perform additive manufacturing, particularly a welding system to achieve a stable a laser metal deposition with hot wire process by controlling the contact point between the welding wire and the workpiece. For example, the resistance of the stick-out wire is measured and the measured resistance is converted to a distance signal, which can then be used for comparison to a desired distance. The distance between the contact tip and the workpiece can then be adjusted based on the comparison. The present disclosure also relates to using a constant enthalpy system to determine and control the contact tip to workpiece distance.

A tip attachment is disclosed. The tip attachment may an attachment body including a recess to fit on or in a tip of a device during programming of a robotic device. The attachment body may be structured such that the attachment body defines a set of angles of the tip during the programming of the robotic device. The recess may be sized such that the recess defines a distance between the tip and a workpiece during the programming of the robotic device.

Embodiments of systems and methods for supporting weld quality across a manufacturing environment are disclosed. One embodiment includes a manufacturing cell supporting welding of a sequence of welds to manufacture a workpiece. The manufacturing cell includes robotic welding equipment to make robotic welds as at least a portion of manufacturing a workpiece. The manufacturing cell also includes non-robotic welding equipment configured to allow a human operator to make non-robotic welds as at least a portion of manufacturing the workpiece. The manufacturing cell further includes a weld sequence controller configured to control timing associated with making the robotic welds and the non-robotic welds as a sequence of welds to manufacture the workpiece.

A method for producing an additively manufactured object includes melting and solidifying a filler metal to form weld beads and depositing the weld beads adjoining each other, thereby forming a weld-bead layer, and repeatedly depositing a next weld-bead layer on the formed weld-bead layer to conduct additive manufacturing. The method includes a bead formation step of forming a new weld bead so as to fill a recess formed by at least three of the already formed weld beads, in a cross-section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the weld beads.