Automatic Welding Control Using a State Variable Model.
Abstract
Although automatic welders have existed commercially for at least the past ten years, they have proved inadequate to fulfill the needs of current shipbuilding, marine structure and major pipeline manufacturing contractors. The recent Alaskan pipeline construction program where hundreds of skilled manual welding craftsmen were sought out and sent to our most northern state is a good example. The development of a reliable and adaptable automatic welding process capable of rapidly producing good weldments is considered to be a primary requirement of today's industry. Presented here is a description of the process variables encountered in the Gas Tungsten Arc and the Gas Metal Arc Welding processes; the description emphasis is placed on the variable interdependence which occurs in these processes. From these variable relationships, a ninth order non-linear state variable description of the Gas Metal Arc process is developed using nine first order non-linear differential relations. Further definition of the exact nature of these relations will permit the development of a second generation automatic welder which will be a dramatic improvement over existing machines. This work is believed to be the first attempt to apply modern control theory to welding.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1979
- Accession Number
- ADA110610
Entities
People
- William V. Moody
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School