Welding the century of information technology

摘要

The increasing impact of microelectronics and information technology on welding engineering and the design of products and processes changed substantially approaches towards higher levels in productivity, weld quality, flexibility, functional and operational precision and cost-effectiveness. Synergetic interaction between various engineering disciplines are required to meet the technical and technological challenges of the future. In this context special consideration should be given to a multidiscipliary approach called "mechatronics". In its fundamental form mechatronics provides a synergetic combination of traditional engineering disciplines such as mechanics, electronics and computer science. Mechatronics is most obvious in the field of robotics. Therefore, the paper intends to give a brief survey of recent advances and practical applications on mechatronics and robotics in modem welding engineering. The approaches presented have been developed in context of the introduction of advanced robotics and information technology into modem welding fabrication. They shall provide an extensive understanding of present-day technical standards and new trends in this area.