Development of a Portable Internal Welding Robot for Pipeline Applications

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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.