Industries
Carpano Equipment, an Italian industrial company with a strong focus on innovation specializing in the manufacture of welding systems, asked Eoptis to develop a non-contact optical system that would guide the welding torch along the path of the joint. The tech company therefore developed a 3D scanning solution based on laser profile sensing that’s mounted on the welding torch capturing the joint profiles and transmitting profile data 10 times per second with a resolution of 0.1 mm to the machine’s PLC to manage the torch movement, which in some installations is controlled by Cartesian axis systems and in others by collaborative robots.
Such a solution, which continuously provides the coordinates of the welding torch while correcting its trajectory, can be useful when the workpiece has been positioned manually by the operator and therefore there is a positioning tolerance, or when it is necessary to track the weld joint because the workpiece is highly irregular.
Developing the joint tracking system required overcoming several challenges. The first challenge was the high temperatures generated both by the solution towards the outside and by the welding torch towards the profilometer, which was addressed by integrating air cooling into the system’s mechanics. Another significant challenge was eliminating the strong glare generated by the torch; Eoptis chose to use image processing techniques such as high dynamic range (HDR) and the integration of specially designed optical filters into the system. Furthermore, the joint tracker had to be as light and compact as possible in order to be integrated, for example, into collaborative robots where, unlike when the solution is moved on Cartesian axis systems, space is limited.
Finally, Eoptis had to protect the optics from welding spatter: the issue was addressed with a small mechanical mount that can hold a standard disposable microscope slide (Carpano Equipment provides its customers with the entire system, including a kit of 200 slides, with the slide replaced daily).
Developing this solution required Eoptis to apply its specialized expertise in optics, metrology, mechanics, and machine vision.
An optical joint tracker provides multiple benefits. Its non-contact design eliminates friction and prevents scratching of the metal surface. The system also supports intelligent tracking by recognizing the specific joint type and following only the relevant path. This results in higher process efficiency and improved machining accuracy.
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