Original Date: 11/03/1996
Revision Date: 01/18/2007

Modifying the process controls of a welding system tend to be reactive-driven and are usually implemented after a statistically-significant number of defects have occurred. In addition, inspectors typically must take the welding system off-line before testing the quality and integrity of its process. Current work at Oak Ridge Centers for Manufacturing Technology (ORCMT) focuses on Intelligent Welding which integrates the inspection into the manufacturing welding process. By using a real-time assessment of the welding process and enacting the feedback control techniques, the end product’s quality can be improved.

Intelligent Welding focuses on fabricating a quality, first-run, weld-manufactured product with high repeatability. Key challenges include sensing and diagnosing the product’s on-line state; operating in an extremely harsh environment; and the high-speed processing requirements. ORCMT has been investigating optical methods for visualizing and tracking the weld quality during Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW), Electron Beam (EB) Welding, and Laser Beam Welding. Researchers have demonstrated limited control capability with GTAW. ORCMT has also been conducting manufacturing performance tests on wire speed, welding current, and welding voltage sensors for Gas Metal Arc Welding.

ORCMT continues to investigate and develop Intelligent Welding techniques. These techniques hold promise for addressing industry-wide problems associated with post-process defects and low production quality.

For more information see the Point of Contact for this survey.