DEVELOPMENT OF A ROBOTIC COMPLEX FOR HYBRID PLASMA-ARC WELDING OF THIN-WALLED STRUCTURES

摘要

The objective of this work is development of a complex of equipment and technology of hybrid consumable electrode plasma-arc welding with coaxial wire feed for structures from steels and aluminium alloys 5-12 mm thick, using industrial robots. Mathematical modeling of processes in the arc in hybrid plasma-arc welding was the basis for selection of welding mode parameters allowing for mutual influence of the column of nonconsumable electrode constricted arc and consumable electrode arc, which enabled defining technical requirements to welding current power sources. Proceeding from mathematical and physical modeling of the process of hybrid welding, a complex of equipment and basic technologies were developed for robotic welding of thin-walled structures from steels and aluminium alloys. Developed system of complex control anabled synchronizing the functioning of two welding sources and auxiliary equipment with movements of an anthropomorphic industrial robot for realization of a stable process of hybrid consumable electrode plasma-arc welding. Application of this welding process allowed reducing electrode metal consumption by 40%, compared to consumable electrode pulsed-arc welding at comparable speeds. Here, the level of longitudinal deflection of welded samples at hybrid process application was 3 times smaller, compared to the process of consumable electrode pulsed-arc welding.