Research and experiment on a mobile welding robot for expandable convoluted pipe

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Mechanical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Automated welding robots struggle in unstructured environments, limiting applications in complex steel structures.
• Expandable convoluted pipes (ECPs) present unique welding difficulties due to confined spaces and irregular geometries.
• Manual butt-welding of ECPs is inefficient and labor-intensive.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and analyze a flexible mobile welding robot specifically designed for ECPs.
• To optimize the robot's drive system for reduced power loss and improved efficiency.
• To validate the robot's design and performance through simulation and prototype testing.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of the robot's structure, working principle, and drive system.
• Minimization of drive chain force-velocity angles to enhance power efficiency.
• Transmission modeling, finite element analysis (FEA), and Archard model-based life prediction.
• Virtual simulations and prototype welding tests.

Main Results:

• The robot's design was validated through virtual simulations and prototype welding.
• Satisfactory weld formation was achieved in the prototype tests.
• The robot demonstrated reliability when expanding ECPs with a hydraulic pump, showing no weld cracks.

Conclusions:

• The developed flexible mobile welding robot is a viable solution for welding ECPs.
• The robot's design effectively addresses the challenges of confined spaces and irregular shapes in ECP welding.
• The study confirms the robot's potential for reliable and efficient automated welding in complex infrastructure projects.