Development of a Portable Internal Welding Robot for Pipeline Applications

目前的工业焊接机器人是巨大的、固定的串联机械手，其中的工件必须被转移到机器人的工作站。对于管道缝焊来说，这是一项不可能完成的任务，因为管道内部空间有限，而传统机器人对操作空间的要求很高。因此，即使由专业焊工手工焊接，管道内缝焊也可能很难正确进行。该方案的目标是开发新一代便携式管道内缝焊机器人。合作伙伴组织，宝石焊接，管道制造和涂层有限公司，是加拿大管道焊接、缠绕和特种涂层领域的领先公司。根据合作伙伴的经验和研究，市场对一种新的机器人设备敞开了大门，这种设备可以用于不同的管道尺寸，不笨重，而且经济。该项目的目的是开发一种具有新型夹持和引导系统的新型机器人机构，使机器人能够安全地安装在管道内，并能够在焊缝上平稳而准确地移动焊枪。建议的焊接机器人将在最大限度地减少操作员干扰的情况下提高焊接质量，这将有助于通过减少安装时间和劳动时间来降低运营成本，同时保持高质量的焊接。所提出的焊接机器人还可以在最小操作员干扰的情况下提供均匀的焊缝。该项目将通过扩大与移动机器人管道焊接相关的工业和学术领域的知识范围，为HQP在机器人和自动化的多学科领域提供良好的培训环境。该公司和SFU团队拥有专业知识和资源，使这次合作在开发一种新型机器人焊接系统方面取得成功，该系统可以在进行拟议的研发活动后由公司进行商业化。为此，公司将通过提供现金和实物捐助，积极参与拟议的研发活动。

Current industrial welding robots are huge and stationary serial manipulators in which workpieces have to be transferred to the robot's workstation. This is an impossible task for pipeline seam welding due to the limited space inside the pipe and high operational space required by conventional robots. As a result, internal seam welding in a pipe can be extremely difficult to perform correctly, even when done manually by a professional welder. The objective of this proposal is to develop a new generation of portable welding robots dedicated for pipeline internal seam welding. The partner organization, Jewel Welding, Pipe-Fab & Coatings LTD, is a leading Canadian company in pipeline welding, spooling, and specialty-coatings. Based on the experience and studies conducted by the partner, the market is wide open for a new robotic device that can be used for different pipe sizes, is not bulky, and is economical. The aim of this project is to develop a novel robotic mechanism with a novel holding and guiding system that would allow the robot to be mounted safely inside pipelines and be able to move the welding torch smoothly and accurately on the seam. The proposed welding robot will improve weld quality with minimum operator interference, which will help in lowering operational costs by decreasing the setup time and labor hours while maintaining a high-quality weld. The proposed welding robot can further provide a uniform weld bead with minimum operator interference. The project will provide an excellent environment for training HQP in the multidisciplinary area of robotics and automation by expanding the boundaries of knowledge both in the industrial and academic fields related to mobile robotics pipeline welding. The company and SFU team have the expertise and resources to make this collaboration a success in terms of developing a novel robotic welding system that can be commercialized by the company after the proposed R&D activity has been conducted. To this end, the company will actively participate in the proposed R&D activity by providing cash and in-kind contributions.