A gas, which flows between a welding device and work pieces while the work pieces are welded together, has large influence on the welding. A sensor device includes a sensor unit and a container that includes a housing case (i.e., housing portion) and a shielding member (i.e., shielding portion). The shielding member is attached to the housing case, and shields radiation heat directed toward the lower surface of the housing case among radiation heat generated while the work pieces W are welded together. The shielding member is inclined with respect to a flow direction of a gas passing through an outlet port for detection of a second gas flow channel so that the gas discharged from the outlet port for detection is blown to the shielding member and thus flows to a side opposite to the side where the work pieces W are to be welded together.

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.

A control system for regulating an additive manufacturing process of an additive manufacturing apparatus, the apparatus configured to add metal to a substrate by means of metal deposition. The apparatus comprises: a nozzle for output of a metal strip, the nozzle configured to be arranged at a distance from the substrate, and configured to move relative the substrate in XYZ-axes via a position actuator. The apparatus further comprises a heat source configured to melt the metal strip into a weld pool on the substrate, and an electrical power source configured to supply current via the metal strip 20 to the substrate. The control system is configured maintain process stability, during the deposition of a layer of metal, via: determining electrical conductance between the metal strip and the substrate by measuring at least one electrical property of the supplied current; determining the difference between the determined electrical conductance, and a desired electrical conductance; and, adjusting at least one of: the substrate to nozzle distance, the speed of the nozzle movement relative the substrate, the amount of supplied current, the heat provided by the heat source, and/or the rate of output of the metal strip, based on the difference between the determined conductance and the desired conductance.

A method for preparing an automated welding method for a welding process moves a welding torch with a consumable welding wire during a movement phase at a positioning speed from an actual to a desired start position of a welding seam, and bridges the distance of the welding wire end from the workpiece during a creep phase. The creep phase is at least partially carried out during the movement phase. The wire is moved toward the workpiece at a first specified forward feed speed until a first wire end-workpiece contact is detected, moved away from the workpiece after first contact detection and then recurrently moved away from the workpiece, and the contact is interrupted again upon detection of further contacts, and the movement of the welding wire towards the workpiece and movement away from the workpiece after the contact is repeated until the start position is reached.

A robotic electric arc welding system includes a welding torch, a welding robot configured to manipulate the welding torch during a welding operation, a robot controller operatively connected to the welding robot to control weaving movements of the welding torch along a weld seam and at a weave frequency and weave period, and a welding power supply operatively connected to the welding torch to control a welding waveform, and operatively connected to the robot controller for communication therewith. The welding power supply is configured to sample a plurality of weld parameters during a sampling period of the welding operation and form an analysis packet, and process the analysis packet to generate a weld quality score, wherein the welding power supply obtains the weave frequency or the weave period and automatically adjusts the sampling period for forming the analysis packet based on the weave frequency or the weave period.

A method for thermal processing of a workpiece uses a thermal processing machine. The method includes the following steps carried out in an automated manner: setting up the processing machine by producing contact between the processing tool and the workpiece and recording the spatial position of a workpiece surface, positioning the processing tool at a predetermined first and second distance from the workpiece surface and recording the associated signal values of the distance sensor as first and second measured values, and calibrating the distance controller which includes determining a height derivative of the distance sensor signal and an amplification factor for the signal of the distance sensor taking in account the first measured value, the second measured value, the first distance and the second distance; positioning the processing tool at a predetermined working distance from the workpiece surface with the inclusion of the amplification factor; and thermally processing the workpiece.

A fusion welding device includes: a robot arm; a fusion welding hand attached to the robot arm and including a fusion welding head for fusing and joining together workpieces while being separated from the workpieces; a support provided to the fusion welding hand and abutting on the workpieces; a force sensor for detecting a force and a moment exerted, through the support, by the workpieces; and a control section configured to control motion of the robot arm in accordance with parameters calculated from a signal outputted from the force sensor.

An example welding apparatus includes a welding power source configured to output current between a consumable electrode and a workpiece; a feeding apparatus configured to move the consumable electrode toward the workpiece; and circuitry. The circuitry is configured to: control the welding power source to repeat a sequence including: outputting a positive peak current from the workpiece to the consumable electrode during a positive peak period; outputting a first base current between the consumable electrode and the workpiece during a first base period following the positive peak period, an absolute value of the first base current being less than the positive peak current; and outputting a negative peak current from the consumable electrode to the workpiece during a negative peak period following the first base period, an absolute value of the negative peak current being greater than the absolute value of the first base current. The circuitry is further configured to control the feeding apparatus to move the consumable electrode close to the workpiece so as to temporarily short circuit the consumable electrode and the workpiece during the first base period.

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 welding system includes one or more sensing devices used to detect and/or determine a position and/or orientation of a welding tool (e.g., a welding torch). The welding tool may be tracked to determine (and/or calibrate) a shape of a welding joint and/or a path of the welding joint. The welding system may determine a virtual line representative of the welding joint. The welding tool may be tracked (and/or the virtual line used) to determine (and/or provide feedback relating to) various welding parameters, including at least a work angle of the welding tool, and/or a travel angle of the welding tool.