Towards automatic welding on construction sites: A flexible robotic system for multi-layer welding

Abstract:
In order to cope with the shortage of skilled welders in the general construction industry, and with the unattractive task of multi-layer welding, we developed a system to automate multi-layer welding processes as required in skyscraper construction. Our work consists of the design of a robot system capable to perform this task and the implementation of corresponding software for its operation. For the welding process, we develop an offline adaptive programming approach using the open source software ROS and MoveIt. Furthermore, we conducted experiments to determine a suitable welding parameter set that satisfies the requirements given through the automation and its application in the skyscraper construction. We validated the functionality of the robot system in lab experiments and thus proved the applicability of our automation approach. Further development and extension of the system’s capabilities can be expected.