Automated system for laser ultrasonic sensing of weld penetration

摘要

Summary form only given. An online sensor is required forreal-time control of penetration depth in robotic welding. Currently, noonline techniques exist for direct penetration depth measurement. Thedevelopment of a penetration control system will significantly reducethe costs associated with repairing or scrapping defective welds. Laserarray generated ultrasound is a noncontact, nondestructive method thatcan potentially be used to measure weld penetration. This paper willdiscuss the design and implementation of an automated system that wasused to measure the depth of simulated solidified welds. The systemconsists of a laser array generation source and an electromagneticacoustic transducer (EMAT) receiver. Measured penetration results forthe simulated weld is compared with the exact results. Experimentalresults will also be shown for array gain measurements in order todemonstrate the power of the array. This automated system is beingmodified in readiness for use in actual robotic welding