CAD integrated automatic recognition of weld paths

Abstract

In this paper, a CAD integrated method is proposed for automatic recognition of potential weld locations in large assembly structures predominantly comprised of weld joints. The intention is to reduce the total man-hours spent on manually locating, assigning, and maintaining weld-related information throughout the product life cycle. The method utilizes spatial analysis of extracted stereolithographic data in combination with available CAD functions to determine whether the accessibility surrounding a given intersection edge is sufficient for welding. To demonstrate the method, a system is developed in Siemens NX using their NXOpen Python API. The paper presents the application of the method to real-life use cases in varying complexity in cooperation with industrial partners. The system is able to correctly recognize almost all weld lines for the parts considered within a few minutes. Some exceptions are known for particular intersection lines located deep within notched joints and geometries weldable through sequential assembly, which are left as a subject to further works.

Automatic Welding-Robot Programming Based on PPR Models

“…The knowledge base in the CAD-based programming eld is extended by proposing a general framework for programming of welding robots based on data extracted from CAD systems compliant with the ISO 2553:2019 standard, adding to the work conducted by Tran et al [41,42] and Mohammed et al [40]. Unlike feature recognition algorithms, the proposed method makes use of the annotations which the design engineers must add to CAD models and therefore, further input from robotics engineers is not necessary to program the locations of the weldments and motion parameters of the welding-robot.…”

“…To obtain reliable information for ARP purposes, Tran et al use a composed implementation using information obtained both from STEP les with ISO Standard 2553:2019 annotations, and feature recognition tools [41]. The annotations present in the STEP les are created by Tran et al using the tools available in the Siemens NX CAD system [39].…”

“…Moreover, as shown in the related work presented above, information encapsulated in both the product and process domain can be stored in modern CAD le formats. While research similar with the one made by Tran et al [41,42] and by Mohammed et al [40] offer examples on how data can be extracted directly from CAD models to program welding robots, a research gap is identi ed in the lack of a general approach for extracting relevant information from CAD systems compliant with the ISO 2553:2019 standard. The approach presented in this paper and the proposed theoretical concept addresses CAD software compliant with the ISO 2553:2019 standard independent of the supplier.…”

Construction and Simulation of a Computer-Aided Education Platform for Smart Music Classrooms based on the Internet of Things

“…With the acceleration of the restructuring and optimization of manufacturing enterprises, the business of the enterprise presents a trend of group management: decentralized design and manufacturing, centralized procurement and management. Tran et al [3] believed that solving the problems of remote application in foreign offices, remote application of outsourcing processing manufacturers, remote process signing of branch plants, and remote information release of workshops have brought huge challenges to traditional information management methods.…”

Digital Integration for Automatic Programming of Welding Robots

“…(Legoff and Hascoet 1998) are using a feature extraction method based on calculations of surface normals, surface intersections and tangents, from which the weldment type and geometry is inferred. The emergence of the "standard for the exchange of product model data" (STEP), ISO 10303, enables feature recognition algorithms to directly access the geometrical elements of the CAD models by accessing the hierarchical structure provisioned by the STEP format allows the detection of intersections between solid bodies (Tran et al 2021;Kiani and Saeed 2019;Kuss et al 2017). Any CAD model, no matter what the CAD system which it was developed in is, can be converted into the STEP format.…”