Page 189 - Welding Robots Technology, System Issues, and Applications
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What’s Next?
In general terms, actual robot controllers have good programming languages
although with limited programming tools, which makes the possibility of
incorporating remote computer systems very interesting. In fact, this procedure
enables the user/programmer to benefit from the advanced programming and
analysis tools available for personal computers. This also fits very well with the
need to distribute software to the various components of the system, since actual
manufacturing tasks (and welding tasks in particular) are generally very complex
and require the intervention of several different components: intelligent sensors,
robot controllers, computers, software packages, PLCs, etc.. This book covered the
majority of these aspects, with enough detail, pursuing the basic objective of
showing the actual state-of-the-art about welding processes, sensors and systems
used to implement robotic welding applications.
Nevertheless, robotic welding remains a very complex task which requires more
from the robots and related systems.
Robots need to be cheaper, faster, lighter and much easier to program.
These objectives highlight the standardization of the mechanical and computer
platforms used when building robots, as a way to reduce cost and to have robots
sharing parts with the other computer systems available on the market.
Furthermore, the above-mentioned objectives also highlight the programming
languages, on the human-machine software and hardware interfaces, on the robot
controllers, etc. And also on the need to better observe and correct in real-time the
welding process, which means a better understanding of the welding processes and
smarter welding sensors, easier to interface and program.
Moreover, using a robot to execute the welding craft is still a challenge, mainly
because the new welding processes (like rapid arc and laser welding) require more
efficient systems with higher-levels of adaptability.
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