ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Foremost I would like to take this opportunity to thank Department of Mechanical

Engineering, Manipal University Jaipur, for giving an opportunity to take part in the
Internship program in Bharat Heavy Electricals and Limited, which provides a great
opportunity to get exposed to the industry.
Also, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited
Corporate Research and Development Division Hyderabad for providing me an
opportunity to carry out my project.
I would like to express my deep gratitude to Prof. Ram Adhar Dubey, Head of Department
Mechanical Engineering, for always encouraging to think out of box with respect to any
project that we take up, which inherently make us more productive in our work.
I am deeply obliged to my mentor BHEL R&D Hyderabad, Mr.Avinash Patil (Sr.DGM)
for his continuous support, patience, encouragement and stimulating suggestions throughout
the course of my internship and writing of this thesis.
I thank my guide Mr.Hemant Raj Singh, Assistant Professor Department of Mechanical
Engineering for continuously supporting me and providing me with valuable suggestions and
fruitful ideas throughout the course of the project.
I would also like to specially thank Mr. Deepak Sachan (Engineer), Mr. Ravinder Kumar
(Engineer) and all other members of Technology Development Lab BHEL R&D
Hyderabad for their motivation and support without which the project would not be possible.
Finally, yet importantly, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to my beloved parents for
their blessings, my friends for their help and wishes for the successful completion of this
project.

i
 ABSTRACT
Ventilations spacer bars are required on laminations for cooling the stator core of the steam
turbine generator. The existing process in the industry is the ventilation spacer bars are welded
to a lamination sheet using resistance welding (spot welding) process by an operator. The
average time required for welding 110 points of a lamination sheet is 45 minutes for a skilled
labour with the existing process.8 lamination sheets can only be completed for an 8 hour shift
with the existing process .With the increased competition in the market the spot welding
process of these spacer bars on ventilation laminations required to be automated form and can
be best achieved using articulate robots. The main objective of the work is to develop a Robotic
work-cell for automatic spot welding of ventilation spacer bars on lamination sheets for Turbo
Generator of various ratings and thereby increase the productivity and reduce the human effort.
Two methods are adapted for developing the robotic work cell for the spot welding of
ventilation spacer bars. The first one by programming the robot using Manual Teaching method
and the other one by Extracting the Co-ordinates of weld points from the CAD drawing and
programming the robot using the co-ordinates using Visual Basics for Application in Microsoft
Excel.
By developing the work-cell for Automatic Spot Welding of the Ventilation Spacer bars it is
seen that the time taken for the welding process is reduced drastically from 45 minutes to 15
minutes that is the after automating the time taken for welding will be reduced by 66. 67% and
also the production rate will be increased by 300% compared to the existing process.

ii
 CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT..................................................................................................... i
ABSTRACT ...........................................................................................................................ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................... iii
LIST OF FIGURES.............................................................................................................. v
LIST OF TABLES..............................................................................................................vii
ABBREVATIONS ............................................................................................................ viii
1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 1
1.1History of Robotics ............................................................................................................. 1
1.2 Subsystems of a robot ........................................................................................................ 5
1.2.1 Configuration of the robot ......................................................................................... 5
1.2.2. Control Systems ........................................................................................................ 9
1.2.3 Drive ........................................................................................................................ 10
1.3 Important parts of a Robot ............................................................................................. 11
1.4 Robot programming ........................................................................................................ 12
1.5 Application of Robots ...................................................................................................... 14
1.6 Introduction to spot welding process ............................................................................. 14
1.7 Motivation ......................................................................................................................... 17
1.8 Objectives.......................................................................................................................... 18
1.9 Target Specification ......................................................................................................... 19
2.1 Literature Review ............................................................................................................ 20
3.1 Existing process in the Industry ..................................................................................... 24
3.1.1 Lamination sheet...................................................................................................... 24
3.1.2 Manual welding process .......................................................................................... 26
3.2 Approach to the problem ................................................................................................ 27
3.2.1 Robot mounted spot welding gun............................................................................. 28
3.2.2 Stationary spot welding gun .................................................................................... 31
3.3 Experimental Setup ......................................................................................................... 32
3.3.1 Lamination sheet..................................................................................................... 33
3.3.2 Spot welding equipment setup ................................................................................. 33
3.3.3 Specification of Robot used ..................................................................................... 34
3.3.4 Gripper set up .......................................................................................................... 36
3.4 Development of the spot welding process ...................................................................... 36
3.4.1 Manual programming by teaching of the weld points ............................................. 36

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 3.4.2 CAD to PATH Approach ......................................................................................... 44
3.5 Safety in Robotics............................................................................................................. 62
4.1Comparison between existing process and the manually programmed robot ............ 68
4.1.1 Interpretation of the Graphs .................................................................................... 83
4.2 Comparison between manually programmed method and CAD to PATH method .. 84
5.1 Outcome ............................................................................................................................ 87
5.2 Future scope ..................................................................................................................... 89
5.2.1 Path optimization..................................................................................................... 89
5.2.2 Extension of this method to other products ............................................................. 89
REFERENCES ........................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

iv
 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1.1 The first industrial robot UNIMATE 2

Figure 1.2 The Cartesian co-ordinate type robot 6
Figure 1.3 Cylindrical shaped work envelope 7
Figure 1.4 Cylindrical Robot 7
Figure 1.5 Work envelope of a spherical robot 8
Figure 1.6 Jointed-Arm type Robot 9
Figure 1.7 Resistance spot welding process 16
Figure 1.8 Spot welding equipment 17
Figure 3.1 Lamination sheet 25
Figure 3.2 Spacer bars 25
Figure 3.3 Template being used as a reference of the pattern 26
Figure 3.4 Manual welding process 27
Figure 3.5 A pneumatic spot welding gun 28
Figure 3.6 Swivel attached to the robot 30
Figure 3.7 Spot welding gun attached to the Robot 30
Figure 3.8 Stationary welding gun set up 32
Figure 3.9 Marking on the lamination sheet 33
Figure 3.10 Spot welding equipment 34
Figure 3.11 KUKA KR16 Robot 35
Figure 3.12 Holding structure 36
Figure 3.13 Teach pendant 38

Figure 3.14 CAD drawing of lamination sheet 40

Figure 3.15 Sequence of the path followed 41
Figure 3.16 Block diagram of Off-line programming. 48
Figure 3.17 Actual drawing of a lamination sheet 49
Figure 3.18 Drawing redrawn according to the specifications 50
Figure 3.19 The first half of the drawing and the path followed. 51
Figure 3.20 Creating a new data extraction 52
Figure 3.21 Saving the data extraction 53
Figure 3.22 Defining the data source 54

v
Figure 3.23 The selection of objects for data extraction 55
Figure 3.24 Selecting the properties for data extraction 56
Figure 3.25 The position of the weld numbers aquired 56
Figure 3.26 Saving the excel file 57
Figure 3.27 Data exported to excel 58
Figure 3.28 Formatted Data 59
Figure 3.29 The excel sheet for program generation 60
Figure 3.30 The .dat file generated 61
Figure 3.31 The .src file generated 62
Figure 3.32 A robotic work cell with a fence around it. 66
Figure 3.33 Rotating index table 67
Figure 4.1 Graph 1(a) Time vs weld number for operator A and manually 72
taught robot for 1st half of lamination sheet
Figure 4.2 Graph 1(b) Time vs weld number for operator A and manually 75
taught robot for 2nd half of lamination sheet
Figure 4.3 Graph 2(a) Time vs weld number for operator B and manually 79
taught robot for 1st half of lamination sheet
Figure 4.4 Graph 2(b) Time vs weld number for operator B and manually 81
taught robot for 2nd half of lamination sheet
Figure 4.5 Comparison of manually taught and CAD to PATH method 84

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 LIST OF TABLES
Table 4.1 Time taken by the manually taught robot and operator A for first 69
70 weld points
Table 4.2 Time taken by the manually taught robot and operator A for the 73
second half
Table 4.3 Time taken by the manually taught robot and operator B for first 76
70 weld points
Table 4.4 Time taken by the manually taught robot and operator A for the 80
second half

vii
 ABBREVATIONS

AOLP Automated Off-line Programming

CAD Computer Aided Drawing

CAM Computer Aided Manufacturing

CNC Computer Numerical Control

DOF Degrees Of Freedom

EOAT End Of Arm Tool

HRI Human Robot Interface

IEC International Electrotechnical Commission

ISO International Organization for Standardization

KPS Kranendonk Production System

NC Numerical control

PLC Programmable Logic Controller

ROI Rate Of Investment

TCP Tool Centre Point

viii
 CHAPTER 1
Introduction
1. Introduction
Robotics is a general term used to describe the study and the use of robots or the science,
technology, study and the application of robots. The use of robots has become common in
various sectors such as industries, research, entertainment, law enforcement, space, agriculture,
medical, nuclear, military and more. However, more emphasis is laid on industrial robots since
this thesis is centered on its application in spot welding of ventilation spacer bars on lamination
sheets for cooling the stator core of the steam turbine generator.
The ventilation spacer bars are welded to a lamination sheet manually by an operator using
resistance welding (spot welding) process. The welding of the ventilation spacer bars on the
lamination sheet is a tremendous process which involve a lot of human effort. The handling of
the sharp edges and handling the spot welding equipment is even risky for the operator. Even
after this tremendous effort the output is less with the manual welding process. With the
existing process the time required for welding the 110 points on a lamination sheet is around
45 minutes for a skilled labour. That is only 8 lamination sheet can be welded on an 8 hour
shift. In this era where the global market competition is so high and the project completion
targets are becoming stringent, technologies should be implemented to replace human. As
always said, for growth of industries, automation is must and should supersede the mechanical
growth. Where mechanization provides human operators with machinery to assist them along
with the muscular requirements of work, automation decreases the involvement for human
sensory and mental requirements as well. From there the idea of automation of the spot welding
of the ventilation spacer bars on the lamination sheet arises.
This chapter further discusses about the robots, its history, the important parts of a robot,
methods of programming a robot, its application in various field and also about the spot
welding process. It also provides a brief idea about the motivation for doing this project.

1.1 History of Robotics

Word robot was coined by a Czech novelist Karel Capek in 1920. The term robot derives from
the Czech word robota, meaning forced work or compulsory service. A robot is
reprogrammable, multifunctional manipulator designed to move material, parts, tools, or

1
specialized devices through various programmed motions for the performance of a variety of
tasks. In simpler terms, it can be defined as an automatic device that performs functions
normally ascribed to humans or machines.
The first industrial programmable robot named UNIMATE was designed by George Devol
in1954, who coined the term Universal Automation. The first UNIMATE was installed at
General Motors plant to work with heated die-casting machines. In 1978, the Puma
(Programmable Universal Machine for Assembly) robot was developed by Victor Scheinman
at pioneering robot company Unimation with General Motors design support. These robots are
widely used in various organizations such as Nokia Corporation, NASA etc.

Figure 1.1 The first industrial robot UNIMATE

Then the robot industries entered a phase of rapid growth till date. Today, many types of robots
are being developed with newer technologies, which are being used in various industries for
many kinds of work. Few of the milestones in the history of robotics are given below.
1801— J. Jacquard invented the Jacquard loom, a programmable machine for weaving
threats or Yarn into cloth.

2
1805— H. Maillardet constructed a mechanical doll capable of drawing pictures.
1946— American inventor G. C Devol developed a controller device that could record
electrical signals magnetically and play them back to operate a mechanical machine.
1947— The first servo electric powered teleoperator was developed.
1948— A teleoperator was developed incorporating force feedback.
1949— Research on numerically controlled milling machine was initiated.
1951— Development work on teleoperators (remote control manipulators) for handling radio
active materials. Related U.S patents issued to Goertz (1954) and Bergsland (1958).
1954— George Devol designed the first programmable robot.
1956— Joseph Engel Berger, a Columbia University physics student, bought the rights to
Devol’s robot and founds the Unimation Company.
1961—The first Unimate robot was installed in a Trenton, New Jersey plant of General
Motors to tend a die casting machine.
1961—The first robot incorporating force feedback was developed.
1963—The first robot vision system was developed.
1971—The Stanford Arm was developed at Stanford University.
1973—The first robot programming language (WAVE) was developed at Stanford.
1974— Cincinnati Milacron introduced the T3 robot with computer control.
1975— Unimation Inc. registers its first financial profit.
1976— The Remote Center Compliance (RCC) device for part insertion in assembly was
developed at Draper Labs in Boston.
1976— Robot arms were used on the Viking I and II space probes and land on Mars.
1978— Unimation introduces the PUMA robot, based on designs from a General Motors
study.
1979—The SCARA robot design was introduced in Japan
1981—The first direct-drive robot was developed at Carnegie-Mellon University
1982—Fanuc of Japan and General Motors form GM Fanuc to market robots in North-
America.
1983—Adept Technology was founded and successfully markets the direct drive robot.
1986—The underwater robot, Jason, of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, explores
the wreck of the Titanic, found a year earlier by Dr. Robert Barnard.
1988—Staubli Group purchases Unimation from Westinghouse.
1988—The IEEE Robotics and Automation Society was formed.
1993—The experimental robot, ROTEX, of the German Aerospace Agency (DLR) was
3
 flown aboard the space shuttle Columbia and performed a variety of tasks under both
teleoperated and sensor-based offline programmed modes.
1996—Honda unveils its Humanoid robot; a project begun in secret in 1986.
1997—The first robot soccer competition, RoboCup-97, was held in Nagoya, Japan and
draws 40 teams from around the world.
1997—The Sojourner mobile robot travels to Mars aboard NASA’s Mars Pathfinder
Mission.
2001—Sony begins to mass produce the first household robot, a robot dog named Aibo.
2001—The Space Station Remote Manipulation System (SSRMS) was launched in space on
board the space shuttle Endeavor to facilitate continued construction of the space
station.
2001—The first tele-surgery was performed when surgeons in New York performed
laparoscopic gall bladder removal on a woman in Strasbourg, France.
2001—Robots were used to search for victims at the World Trade Centre site after the
September 11thtragedy.
2002—Honda’s Humanoid Robot ASIMO rings the opening bell at the New York Stock
Exchange on February 15th
2003—NASA’s Mars Exploration Rovers launched toward Mars in search of answers
about the history of water on Mars.
2004—The humanoid, Robosapien was created by US robotics physicist and BEAM expert,
Dr.Mark W Tilden.
2005—The Korean Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), created HUBO, and claims
it was the smartest mobile robot in the world. This robot was linked to a computer via
a high speed wireless connection; the computer does all of the thinking for the robot.
2006— Cornell University revealed its "Starfish" robot, a 4-legged robot capable of self
modelling and learning to walk after having been damaged.
2007—TOMY (Japanese toy co. Ltd.) launched the entertainment robot, i-robot, which was a
humanoid bipedal robot that can walk like a human beings and performs kicks and
punches and also some entertaining tricks and special actions under "Special Action
Mode".
2010—To present —Robonaut 2, the latest generation of the astronaut helpers, launched to
the space station aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on the STS-133 mission. It is the first
humanoid robot in space, and although its primary job for now is teaching engineers
how dexterous robots behave in space, the hope is that through upgrades and
4
 advancements, it could one day venture outside the station to help spacewalkers make
repairs or additions to the station or perform scientific work.

1.2 Subsystems of a Robot

An industrial robot is a complex and technical system which consists of multiple subsystems
and always works within a specified robotic workspace. These subsystems individually add up
to the total working of the industrial robot and perform all the carefully defined functions on
its own. The three of the more important subsystems comprises of
a) Configuration of the robot
b) The robotic control system
c) The drives.

1.2.1 Configuration of the Robot

In terms of robotic movement capabilities, there are several robotic configurations. The vast
majority of today’s commercially available robots possess one of the four basic configuration.
I. Cartesian coordinate configuration
II. Cylindrical configuration
III. Polar configuration
IV. Jointed-arm configuration
Cartesian Co-Ordinate type Robot: It is a kind of robot which has a column and another part
called arm. It is also called an x-y-z robot, where x-y-z indicates the different axes along which
the robot can move. The lateral motion is generally along x-axis, longitudinal motion occurs
along y-axis, and vertical motion along z-axis. Thus, the arm has the freedom to move up and
down along z-axis; the arm has the power to slide along its base on the x-axis; and then it can
oscillate to move to and fro along the work area on the y-axis. This type of robot was developed
mainly for arc welding purposes, but it is also suited for many other assembly and industrial
operations.
Typical application of Cartesian co-ordinates include
i. Assembly
ii. Machining operations
iii. Adhesive application
iv. Surface finishing
v. Inspection

5
 vi. Water jet cutting
vii. Welding
viii. Nuclear material handling
ix. Robotic X-ray and neutron radiography
x. Automated CNC lathe loading and operation

Figure 1.2The Cartesian co-ordinate type robot

Cylindrical Co-Ordinate Type Robot: It is one of the variations of the Cartesian robot which
has a part called base and other one called column, where the column is able to rotate about
any radius. It also carries an extending arm which has the freedom to move up and down on
the column anytime to provide more freedom of movement for the system. The cylindrical co-
ordinate robot is mainly designed for handling different machine tools and assembly structures.
Important application of cylindrical co-ordinate robot include
i. Machine loading and unloading
ii. Investment casting
iii. Conveyor pallet transfers
iv. Foundry and forging applications

6
 Figure 1.3 Cylindrical shaped work envelope

Figure 1.4 Cylindrical Robot

Polar Co-Ordinate Type Robot: It is also called the spherical co-ordinate robot which
consists of a part called rotary base, the second part known as elevation pivot, and the third one
called extend-and-retract boom telescope axis. These robots has the feature to work based on
the spherical co-ordinates and thus has much higher flexible working application. The primary
applications of such type of robots are found particularly in spot welding.

7
 Figure 1.5 Work envelope of a spherical robot

Typical application of polar co-ordinate type robot include

i. Machine loading and unloading
ii. Investment casting
iii. Conveyor pallet transfers
iv. Foundry and forging applications

Jointed-Arm Type Robot: It resembles a type of human arm. It usually stands erect on a part
called base. While it can move along the "shoulder" joint, just above the base, it has also the
freedom to rotate on the base. The robot also has the freedom of movement to rotate about its
"elbow" and "wrist" joints. Along with the inclining and bending at the wrist, generally 6
degrees of freedom is obtained from this type of robot. This type of robot is the most popular
form of a robot and has various applications in welding and painting work.
The important application of joint-arm type robot include
i. Automatic assembly
ii. Parts and material handling
iii. Multiple-point light machining operations
iv. In-process inspection
v. Palletizing
vi. Machine loading and unloading
vii. Machine vision
viii. Material cutting

8
 ix. Material removal
x. Thermal coating
xi. Paint and adhesive application
xii. Welding
xiii. Die casting

Figure 1.6 Jointed-Arm type Robot

1.2.2 Control Systems

The control systems of a robot are used to determine its flexibility and efficiency, within the
defined limits which are set prior to the initial structure design.
Requirement of the Control System: The control system provides a sequence, generally
logical sequence for different robots which they are to follow up. The control system provides
all the theoretical position values which are required for each step and thus continuously
measures the actual positioning of the robot during each movement. When the robot functions,
the control system quickly calculates the actual/theoretical/difference, along with other
measured values and the stored data (such as theoretical speeds etc.) and produces actuating
variables which are required to drive the robot.

Different Types of Control Systems are given below

I. The point-to-point type
II. The continuous path

9
Point-to-Point Control System: With this control system, the robot stores the point where it
has to pick up a part and the desired point where it is required to release that in the space. It
then calculates the best path to traverse between the two points which it is required to follow
later. This type of control system is used when initial and final points only matter and are
always repeatable. This control systems work well where loading and unloading applications
is carried out.
Continuous Path Control System: This control system is one in where the robot can be
programmed beforehand to follow a path which is irregular type. In this control system, the
path to be traversed by the robot is represented by a series of large number of points in close
proximity with each other, which are then stored in the memory space of the robot. When the
robot is made to work it exactly follows the same path as it had stored the corresponding co-
ordinates. This can be used for jobs when the robot is required to travel a defined specific path
such as applications like welding and painting.

1.2.3 Drive

The drive of the robot maintains the function to change the supplied power to the grippers into
usable kinetic energy for moving the robot and its positioning. The different types of drives
are:-
I. Electrical
II. Hydraulic
III. Pneumatic

Electrical Drive: Electromechanical drive systems are found in about 20 percent of robots in
today‘s world. These systems are of different types including servo stepper pulse motors.
Electrical energy is converted into mechanical energy in these motors to power the robot for
various applications.
Hydraulic Drive: The most known form of the drive systems which are used widely is the
hydraulic system as hydraulic cylinders and hydraulic motors are generally very sizeable and
transfer high force and power, most importantly with accurate control. A hydraulic actuator
works by changing forces obtained from high pressure hydraulic fluid into usable mechanical
energy which is used for different linear motions and rotation of shafts. The Hydraulic fluid
power is generally cost effective for factors such as short-stroke and straight-line positioning
where high forces are required. This drive system packs enormous power into a small package
but is very safe and resistant to harsh environments.
10
Pneumatic Drive: Pneumatic drive systems are approximately found in about 30 percent of
robots in today's world. Pneumatic drives use compressed air to propel the robots for various
applications. The pneumatically driven robot is very popular these days for most of the machine
shops have compressed air lines in their working areas. Actually, for difficulty in control of
either speed or position or both which are the essential ingredients for any successful robot,
this system is used selectively.

1.3 Important Parts of a Robot

Controller: The controller is the brain of the industrial robotic arm and allows the parts of the
robot to operate together. It works as a computer and allows the robot to also be connected to
other systems. The controller runs a set of instructions written in code called a program. The
program is inputted with a teach pendant.
Teach Pendant: A teach pendant is a device which can be used to control a robot remotely.
Using a teach pendant, someone can work with a robot without being tethered to a fixed
terminal. Several features are included on a typical teach pendant. The device usually has an
emergency stop button, so that operations can be immediately shut down if there is a problem,
as might occur when a robot appears to be malfunctioning. There is also a display which can
be used to see and edit commands, and to look through the history of commands given to the
robot, along with a keyboard for command input. The type of keyboard can vary, depending
on the type of robot the teach pendant is designed to control.
Robot Arms: The robot arms can vary in size and shape. It is the part that position the end
effector. The robotic arm can be outfitted with all sort of end effectors which are suited for a
particular application. With the robot arm the shoulder, elbow, and wrist move and to twist
positions the end effector in the exact right spot.
End Effectors: The end effectors are used to describe the hand or tool that is attached to the
wrist. The end effector represent the special tooling that permits the general purpose robot to
perform a particular application. This special tooling must usually be designed specifically for
the application. End effectors can be divided into two categories: Grippers and Tools. Grippers
would be utilized to grasp an object, usually the work part, and hold it during robot work cycle.
There are variety of holding methods that can be used in addition to the obvious mechanical
means of grasping the part between two or more fingers. These additional methods include the
use of suction cups, magnets, and hooks. A tool would be used as an end effector in application

11
where the robot is required to perform some operation on the work part. These application
includes spot welding, arc welding, spray painting, etc. In each case, the particular tool is
attached to the robot’s wrist to accomplish the application.

1.4 Robot Programming

There are various methods which robots can be programmed to perform a given work cycle.
We divide this programming method into four categories.
a) Manual method
b) Walkthrough method
c) Lead through method
d) Off-line programming

a) Manual Method: This method is not really programming in the conventional sense of the
world. It is more like setting up a machine rather than programming. It is the procedure used
for the simpler robots and involves setting mechanical stops, cams, switches or relays in the
robots control unit. For these low technology robots used for short work cycles (e.g., pick
and place operations), the manual programming method is adequate.
b) Walkthrough Method: In this method the programmer manually moves the robots arm and
hand through the motion sequence of the work cycle. Each movement is recorded into
memory for subsequent playback during production. The speed with which the movements
are performed can usually be controlled independently so that the programmer does not have
to worry about the cycle time during the walk through. The main concern is getting the
position sequence correct. The walk through method would be appropriate for spray painting
and arc welding.
c) Lead through Method: The lead through method makes use of a teach pendant to power
drive the robot through its motion sequence. The teach pendant is usually a small hand held
device with switches and dials to control the robots physical movements. Each motion is
recorded into memory for future playback during work cycle. The lead through method is
very popular among robot programming methods because of its ease and convenience.
Typically, the lead-through method includes the steps of jogging the robot through the
desired path, recording the specific points in robot controller, and utilizing the recorded
points to create movement commands. The robot operator programming a robot using a

12
 lead-through method is responsible for guiding the robot and maintaining the desired
position and orientation of the robot in six degree-of-freedoms (DOFs).
Advantage
I. Easy
II. No special programming skills or training
Disadvantages
I. Not practical for large or heavy robots
II. High accuracy and straight-line movements are difficult to achieve, as are any other
kind of geometrically defined trajectory, such as circular arcs, etc.
III. Difficult to edit out unwanted operator moves
IV. Difficult to incorporate external sensor data
V. Synchronization with other machines or equipment in the work cell is difficult
VI. A large amount of memory is required

d) Off- line Programming: This method involves the preparation of the robot program off-
line, in a manner similar to NC part programming. Off-line robot programming is typically
accomplished on a computer terminal. After the program has been prepared, it is entered in
to the robot memory for use during the work cycle. The advantaged of off-line robot
programming is that the production time of the robot is not lost to delay in teaching the robot
a new task. Programming off-line can be done while the robot is still in production on the
preceding job. This means higher utilization of the robot and the equipment with which it
operates. Another benefit associated with off-line programming is the prospect of
integrating the robot into the factory CAD/CAM data base and information system.

Advantages of using Robots

I. Increased Productivity
II. Increased Flexibility
III. More efficiency
IV. Safety (human, machine and product)
V. Can work in Hazardous environment
VI. Accuracy
VII. Repeatability
VIII. No environmental comfort needed

13
 IX. Continuous work without fatigue and boredom
X. Don’t get mad or don’t have hangovers
XI. No medical insurance or vacations
XII. Scientific Discipline
XIII. Process multiple stimuli simultaneously

1.5 Application of Robots

There are a lot of application for the robots in many fields like medicine, space technology,
underwater, military and security and lot more. The important applications of robots in
industries are given below.
a) Robotic handling operations:-Material handling is the most popular application with 38% of
operational stock of industrial robots worldwide. This includes machine tendering, palatalizing
and various operations for metal machining and plastic molding.
b) Robotic Welding:-This segment mostly includes spot welding and arc welding which is
mainly used by the automotive industry. Spot welding is still more popular than arc welding
but not for long; as arc welding is becoming very popular in the metal industry.
c) Robotic Assembly:-Assembly operations include: fixing, press-fitting, inserting,
disassembling, etc. This category of robotic applications seems to have decreased over the last
few years, even while other robotic applications have increased.
d) Robotic Dispensing:-It is about the robot doing painting, gluing, applying adhesive sealing,
spraying, etc.
e) Robotic Processing:-Processing is not a big segment of industrial robots and this is probably
because a lot of automated machines are available on the market to do specifically these
applications. The main application areas are mechanical, laser and water jet cutting

14
1.6 Introduction to Spot Welding Process
Resistive spot welding is a process in which contacting metal surfaces are joined by the heat
which is obtained by passage of electric current through the bodies to be joined according to
the Joule’s law
H=I²Rt
Where H is heat generated, I is the current and t is the time of current flow.
Work pieces are hold together under the exerted by electrodes. Typically the sheets are in the
0.5 to 3 mm thickness range. The copper is used for electrodes because it has low electrical
resistance and high thermal conductivity. The important steps composed in spot welding
operation are squeezing, welding and holding stage. During the squeezing the weld force is
applied to the work force in order to obtain the appropriate amount of pressure prior to welding.
During welding the electric current passes through the work pieces while the welding force is
maintained generating heat. In the course of holding stage current is switched off and weld
force maintained allowing the weld to forge and cool under pressure. The amount of energy
applied is chosen to match the sheet’s material properties, its thickness and type of electrodes.
Applying too little energy will make a poor weld. Applying too much energy will melt too
much metal, eject molten material, and make a hole rather than a weld. The heat generated
depends basically on the electrical current and time being used and on the electrical resistance
of materials between electrodes. This inter electrodes resistance is composed by five separated
resistances, as is indicated in the figure 1.7 below

Figure 1.7 Resistance spot welding process

15
Resistances R1and R5 are undesirable because they produce heating and consequently
degradation of the electrodes. Resistances R2 and R4 are the resistances of the work-pieces and
they assume particular importance in the final period of the weld. Low resistive materials are
difficult to weld because of reduced heat generated in the pieces. Resistance R3 is the most
important because it determines nugget formation, assuring the establishment of the weld. The
nugget is a volume of melted material that forms in the interface of work pieces with a diameter
similar to that of the electrodes, as is indicated in Figure 1.7. Nugget penetration should be at
least 20% of the thinnest sheet member but not exceeding 80% of the same thickness.
The major advantages of this process are high welding speed and low thermal distortion,
respectively faster and lower than in conventional arc welding processes, suitability for
automation, the need of low skilled operators and the absence of joint preparation or filler
metal. Some limitations of this process are the need for lap joints in thin materials, usually up
to a thickness of 4 mm, the joints are not tight and have low tensile and fatigue strengths.

Welding Equipment
The main welding equipment to consider in resistance spot welding are the welding power
sources and the electrodes.

Figure 1.8 Spot welding equipment

16
Power Source
Spot welding machines are composed basically with an electrical circuit, which provides
welding current, a control circuit that regulates welding current and welding time, and a
mechanical system used to apply welding force. The electrical circuit consists of a step-down
transformer whose secondary circuit includes the electrodes and the work pieces. The
transformer changes the input AC high voltage and low- amperage current, in primary winding
to an AC high-amperage and low voltage current in secondary winding. The electrode clamping
force is applied by hydraulic, pneumatic, magnetic, or mechanical means at a high controlled
velocity in order to prevent premature deformation of electrodes. The high heating and cooling
rates during the weld cycle tends the material clamped by the electrodes expands and contracts
rapidly, but the working pressure must be maintained. When the heated metal undergoes
softening the electrodes must follow-up to maintain enough pressure on the sheet surfaces. If
pressure drops during welding electrode work piece interface resistance increases electrodes
are over heated and may deteriorate. Clamping force can be variable during the cycle. Metals
which have high shrinkage during solidification may need an increase of force to forge nugget
after current passage.

Electrodes
Electrodes should have high electrical and thermal conductivities and must develop low electric
contact resistance in order to prevent deterioration of the work-piece and electrodes. In addition
they must have good strength to resist to deformation and wear at high temperature. They are
made from copper containing alloy elements such as chromium (0.6-0.9%), cobalt (1-2%),
beryllium (0.5%) and zirconium (0.08%). Electrodes should be water cooled at a flow rate
above 4 LPM and separate water circuits must be used for both top and bottom electrodes.

1.7 Motivation
Ventilations spacer bars are required on laminations for cooling the stator core of the steam
turbine generator. The existing process in the industry is the ventilation spacer bars are welded
to a lamination sheet using resistance welding (spot welding) process by an operator. At present
three sizes of spacer bars are being used depending on the generator rating. These spacer bars
are being welded to the lamination sheet manually using a template. For a typical 270 MW set,
40 spacers are to be welded to one lamination sheet. Each spacer bar requires weld tacs at
minimum 3 to maximum 5 locations. The welding has to be taken place at 110 locations.

17
With the existing process, the time required for welding the 110 points of a lamination sheet
is around 45 minutes for a skilled labour. It is a complete labour dependent process. It is only
possible to complete at an average 8 lamination sheets per an 8 hour day shift. Another
important factor is the risk included during the manual handling of the sharp edges of
lamination sheet. It requires a lot of human effort and it can cause accidents while handling
with the spot welding equipment. As it is a complete labour dependent process the quality of
the weld is also dependent on the skill of the labour. The rejection rate of the lamination sheet
is more due to the poor quality of the weld.
By complete automation using a robotic work cell the time will decrease to 15 minutes per job
and it can complete up to 32 jobs a day. The Cycle time will reduce and the quality of the weld
will be improved. The fatigue on operators is also reduces drastically.
In this thesis a robotic work cell is developed for automatic spot welding of the ventilation
spacer bars on the lamination sheet by which the time taken to complete the spot welding of
the spacer bars on the lamination sheet is reduced and thereby increasing production rate.
Two methods for the development of a robotic work cell are discussed in this thesis
a) By manually teaching the weld points and the path to be followed for carrying out the
process.
b)By extracting the co-ordinates of weld points from the CAD drawing and programming
the robot using the co-ordinates using Visual Basic Application.

The following targets can be achieved by the development of an automated robotic work cell
a) A considerable reduce in time for completion of one work piece from 45 minutes to
15 minutes and thereby increase the productivity.
b) Elimination of the manual handling of lamination sheets by the workers and thereby
reducing the risk.
c) Improving the quality of weld joints.
d) Capability enhancement due to automation.
e) Minimizing the product rejection rates.

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1.8 Objectives
a) The main objective of the work is the development of Robotic work-cell for automatic
spot welding of ventilation spacer bars on lamination sheets for Turbo Generator of
ratings 150MW/270MW.

b) The secondary objective of this work is to reduce the human effort and the risk factor
included while handling the lamination sheet and also increase the productivity.

1.9 Target Specification

The significance of the end result will be
a) Complete automation process for the spot welding of the ventilation spacer bars which
is more effective and efficient than the existing process.
b) A considerable reduce in time for completion of one work piece from 45 minutes to
15 minutes and thereby increase the productivity.
c) Elimination of the manual handling of lamination sheets by the workers and thereby
reducing the risk.
d) Improving the quality of weld joints.
e) Capability enhancement due to automation.

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 CHAPTER 2
Literature Review

This chapter discusses about the important research works that are done till now and the present
work that is being carried out in the field of automation of the spot welding process. Various
researchers has developed various methods for the spot welding process using a robot and
various programming techniques are adopted for programming the robot to perform the specific
task.

2.1 Literature Review

In field of Robotics and spot welding using a robot, many research works have been done by
many researchers. Some of the distinguished ones which are relevant and carries basic
information for this thesis have been highlighted briefly.

Mrs Magar J.E and Prof.Shelkikar R.P in their paper on “Implementation of Robots in Spot
Welding Process” an automation technique is proposed, which is intended to partly overcome
the limitations of doing the same work by using manpower. The paper describes control
strategy, which is based on PLC automation and a real time interface to a standard robot
controller. Simulation-based and experimental results are presented and the performance of the
control strategy in various test scenarios are described. They point out that the benefits that
result from the automation of spot welding process by means of robot are improved product
quality, operator safety and better control over production operation. Improved quality is in the
form of more consistent welds, improved safety results because the human is removed, from a
work environment where there are hazards from electrical shocks and burn. [4]

Puran Singh, Anil Kumar, and Mahesh Vashisth in their paper on “Design of a Robotic Arm
with Gripper & End effectors for Spot Welding” gives a detailed study for designing of a
robotic arm with the gripper and end effector for a spot welding process. The paper also gives
a detailed description of calculation of forces for each joint of the robot. They mention that the
robot technology makes the spot welding operation more flexible and time oriented. [6]

20
Zelun Li, Zhicheng Huang, and Youjun Huang in their paper “Design of Spot Welding Robot”
designed the hardware structure and software of spot welding robot. The hardware design
mainly includes the major modules of arm and base; the hardware design includes two parts:
manual mode and automatic mode. Manual mode is generally used for the robot system
installation, commissioning and troubleshooting, and the major modules are controlled by the
start of the corresponding button; automatic mode is mainly used for production stage. The
welding robot uses PLC for controlling; the system runs faster and has a short production cycle.
[8]

In the paper “The need for an in intuitive teaching method for small and medium enterprises”
by R.D. Scharft and Christian Meyer a simple and easy way to program the robot to eliminate
the complex handling and time consuming while programming of robots in small and medium
enterprises is discussed. They propose to use a walk-through attempt to provide a tool for fast
and effective teaching the industrial robots to avoid draw backs such as long time required, and
experience needed to program the robot using lead through and offline programming. An
approach is proposed in which the user guides the robot with a handle that is equipped with a
force torque sensor. The robot moves the actuated by an admittance control strategy. The
trajectory guided by human is recorded and can be replayed. The old idea of teaching the cell
and defiance that prevented the application of this method is discussed and also state that the
problems like human machine interface, the safety of human, and adaptability of trajectory can
be overcome with the state of art technology. [9]

Pedro Neto, J. Norberto Pires, and A. Paulo Moreira in their paper “CAD Based Off-line robot
programming” present a CAD-based system to program a robot from a 3D CAD model,
allowing users with basic CAD skills to generate robot programs off-line, without stopping
robot production. This system works as a real human-robot interface (HRI) where, through the
CAD, the user operates in the real robot. A common 3D CAD package (Autodesk Inventor) is
selected to make the interface between user and robot. They prove the effectiveness of the
proposed method through various experiments. The result obtained shows that system is easy
to use and within minutes an untrained user can set up the system and generate a robot program
for a specific task. And also the time spent in the robot programming task using the proposed
method and time taken to perform the same task using the robot teach pendant is compared and
found out that the time taken by this approach is very less. [10]

21
Florin Girbacia, Mihai Duguleana, and Adrian Stavar in their paper on “Off-line programming
of industrial robots using co-located environments” presents a methodology and a prototype
system for off-line programming of an industrial robot using augmented reality technology.
The system allows to control a virtual model of the industrial robot co-located in the real
environment, planning for collision-free paths, generate robot program and simulate the robot
actions before the real robot perform the task. They claim that this approach proved to be a
powerful visualization tool that offer important advantages to the traditional programming
methods. [11]

In the paper “Automated off-line programming for robotic welding system with high Degree
of Freedom” by Zengxi Pan, Joseph Polden, Nathan Larkin, Stephen van Duin and John
Norrish an automated off-line programming (AOLP) is discussed for eliminating the
complexity of programming for small and medium enterprises in this era of global competition.
They claim that automated offline programming is a software that automatically plans and
programs for a robotic welding system with high Degree of Freedom (DOFs) by taking CAD
model as an input and generate the complete robotic welding code much faster and more
reliably than the online or offline programming. The programming expenses are also reduced
so that it improves the commercial viability for robotics based lean automation for
manufacturing low volume or one-off products, which is common for small to medium
enterprises. It is also mentioned that AOLP is independent of the process to be accomplished,
or any particular robot or process hardware. This provide opportunity for a large domain of
potential application in a variety of industries. [12]

Nathan Larkin, Aleksander Milojevic, Zengxi Pan, Joseph Polden, and John Norrish in their
paper “Off-line programming for short batch robotic welding” describe the development of
an integrated offline welding package (Rinas welding) which makes low volume robotic
welding of complex fabrications and also can act as an alternative to the available packages
which are fairly complex, and treat the geometric programming and welding operation
separately. RinasWeld, which is developed by Kranendonk Productions Systems (KPS), is an
OLP software package developed originally for the shipbuilding industry. It is able to
autonomously generate robot welding programs directly from CAD information with only a
small amount of user input. The software identifies weld seams and generates weld tags and
touch sense calibration points as required. It also plans collision free motion paths, and selects
optimal robot placement within the external axes. By the use of the mentioned methods in this
22
papers they claim that the robot program can be generated cost effectively for low production
volume and also it can be used for applications such as ship building and defense vehicle
fabrication. [13]

J Norberto Piresi, Tiago Godinhol, Klas Nilsson, Mathias Haage, and Christhian Meyer in their
paper “Programming industrial robots using advanced input-output devices: test-case example
using a CAD package and a digital pen based on the Anoto technology” explores the utilization
of digital pens for the task of programming industrial robot manipulators. It is explained in the
paper that a digital pen is a device that stores the user hand writing in a digital format, providing
a mechanism for the user to access the stored data from the computer. They present three
different implementation to assess the digital pen features using different robotic setups. The
results clearly shows that the digital pen based on Anoto technology is very useful and
powerful, being an interesting solution for certain advanced applications involving the task of
programming robotic installation just by making technical drawings on a sheet of paper. [15]

Various research papers are reviewed related to this topic. A variety of process for the spot
welding using process using robots and the programming methods of the robots for the spot
welding process are studied. Most of the research papers are based on the approach of the spot
welding gun mounted on the end of arm tool of the robot and the programming methods used
are found to be complex and time consuming are found to be expensive and is not suitable for
short batch production. In this thesis a new method is presented for the spot welding of the
ventilation spacer bars on lamination sheet which is cost-effective and the programming
method used is also much simpler. The details will be discussed in the following chapters.

23
 CHAPTER 3
Methodology

This Chapter discusses about the existing process in the industry, different approaches for the
automatic spot welding process and also the detailed methodology for the complete automation
of the spot welding of the ventilation spacer bars on the lamination sheet. It also gives the
detailed description of the methods adopted and the programming technique used for the
automated welding process.

3.1 Existing Process in the Industry

During normal generator operation, heat is generated in the copper conductors and the steel
core due to the copper and steel losses. To ensure generator reliable performance, the generated
heat must be removed efficiently. Generator stator cores are constructed by stacking many
layers of magnetic laminations. The ventilation ducts may be inserted between groups of layers
by including spacer bars into the core stack, which allow the cooling of the core during
operation. These spacers must be positioned in such a way to assure tightness of the core during
assembly and operation. The ventilations spacer bars are welded to a lamination sheet using
resistance welding (spot welding) process.

3.1.1 Lamination Sheet

The lamination sheet is made up of Silicon steel, having thickness 0.65mm. The silicon steel
which is also called as electrical steel, silicon electrical steel or lamination steel is a specialty
steel tailored to produce certain magnetic properties, such as small hysteresis area (small
energy dissipation per cycle, or low core loss) and high permeability. The material is usually
manufactured in the form of cold-rolled strips less than 2 mm thick. These strips are
called laminations when stacked together to form a core. Silicon steel is an iron alloy which
may have from zero to 6.5% silicon (Si: 5Fe). Silicon significantly increases the electrical
resistivity of the steel, which decreases the induced eddy currents and narrows the hysteresis
loop of the material, thus lowering the core loss.

24
 Figure 3.1 Lamination sheet

The ventilation spacers are made up of Mild Steel. Mild steel, also known as plain-carbon steel,
is the most common form of steel because its price is relatively low while it provides material
properties that are acceptable for many applications, more so than iron. Mild steel contains
approximately 0.05–0.3% carbon making it malleable and ductile. Mild steel has a relatively
low tensile strength, but it is cheap and malleable. Its surface hardness can be increased
through carburizing.40 spacer bars are used in lamination sheet of a typical 270 MW
generator. Each spacer bar requires weld tacs at minimum 3 locations. There are 110 welding
points. Three sets of spacer bars used according to the length in the lamination sheet. Space
bars

Figure 3.2 Spacer bars

25
3.1.2 Manual Welding Process

The operator keeps the template which is shown in the figure below on the lamination sheet.
The operator then keeps the spacer bars of suitable length in the slots with reference to the
template. This is a time taking process in which the operator have to carefully fit the spacer
bars into appropriate slots in the lamination sheet.

Figure 3.3 Template being used as a reference of the pattern

The location of two holes is same on both the template and lamination sheet, and acts as a
reference. The template and lamination can be moved simultaneously with the help of
mandrels. The mandrels are inserted in the two holes. With the help of these mandrels, the
operator moves the template along with the lamination and ventilation spacers. Initially, he
makes some tac points on each bar. Once tac points are made on all the ventilation spacer bars,
the operator removes the template. Then he manually move the lamination sheet to every
welding positions on the spacer bars. When the operator keeps the spot welding gun point on
the weld point, he operates the spot welding machine using his foot. Once the welding is done
he does a visual inspection and then moves to the lamination sheet to weld the other points.

26
 Figure 3.4 Manual welding process

The process is completely a labour dependent process. It completely depend on the skill of the
worker who is doing the job as it involve manual spot welding. If the worker is highly skilled
he can complete the work faster than a normal worker. But considering the factors like human
fatigue, the working environment etc. the time required for welding a complete lamination is
around 45 minutes on an average. That means a worker can complete only 6-8 such lamination
sheets on an 8 hours shift. The time can reduced to 15 minutes by complete automation using
a robotic work cell, which can complete around 32 jobs for an 8 hours shift. The Cycle time
will reduce and the quality of the weld will be improved and thereby productivity also will be
considerably improved. Another important factor is the risk involved during the manual
handling of the sharp edges of the lamination sheet and the sparks produced during welding
which can be completely eliminated through automation.

3.2 Approach to the Problem

The automation process for welding the ventilation spacer bars on the lamination sheet can be
in done in two different methods.
a) Robot mounted spot welding gun.
b) Stationary spot welding gun.

27
 3.2.1 Robot Mounted Spot Welding Gun

Robot welding is the use of mechanized programmable tools (robots), which completely
automate a welding process by performing both the welding and handling of the part. Robot
welding is commonly used for resistance spot welding and arc welding in high
production applications, such as the automotive industry where complex work profile are
welded. This process comes under the category of fully automatic welding which utilizes a
custom machine or succession of machines to load the work piece, place the part or torch into
position, effect the weld, supervise quality control, and then when the product is finished,
unload it. If necessary, additional final product quality checks can also be designed into the
machine.
The important reasons why the spot welding robots are preferred are
I. Consistent weld quality
II. Accuracy
III. High repeatability
IV. Less wasted material
V. Fast throughput and cycle time
VI. Safer work environment
VII. Good return on investment (ROI)

The spot welding equipment attached with the robot is a bit complex structure. The typical
components of an integrated robotic spot welding cell are:-
a) A welding gun having a pair of opposing welding electrodes either one of which is movable
towards the other to apply a pressure onto a work and away from the other to release the
pressure.

Figure 3.5 A pneumatic spot welding gun

28
 Spot welding guns are normally designed to fit the assembly. Many basic types of guns are
available, the two most commonly used being the direct acting type, generally known as a "C"-
type gun, where the operating cylinder is connected directly to the moving electrode, and
the "X"-type (also known as "Scissors" or "Pinch") where the operating cylinder is remote from
the moving electrode, the force being applied to it by means of a lever arm. C guns are generally
the cheapest and the most commonly used. There are many variations available in each basic
type with regard to the shape and style of the frame and arms, and also the duty for which the
gun is designed with reference to welding pressure and current.

b) A servomotor attached to the welding gun for adjusting the pressure applied to the work
through movement of the movable welding electrode.
The servo motor provides a better welding performance and quality, which is made possible
by the accurate control of servo motor’s position and torque. The welding guns driven by AC
servo motors tend to be mounted on the manipulators of articulate industrial robots and
configured as external axes. They are controlled in a coordinate way with the innate six axes
of the robots. Control instruction send by the servo controller, which is the part of the robot
controller, rive the servo motor at a velocity and torque predefined by the robotic programs.
The position and the velocity of the electrodes are controlled respectively by the quantity and
frequency of the pulse sent, to the motor, with the clamping force between the electrodes
dependent on motor torque.

c) A welding current regulator for adjusting a value of welding current applied through the
opposing electrodes to the work.

d) A weld-interval timer arranged for adjusting at least one weld time interval and weld timing
for the welding current and the pressure both applied to the work.

e) The spot welding swivel: - It is a unit that permits passage of compressed air, cooling water,
electric current and signals through different channels within a single rotating unit. It improves
the safety through reduction of air, electric and water lines.

29
 Figure 3.6 Swivel attached to the robot

Figure 3.7 Spot welding gun attached to the Robot

30
These types of robots are used mainly in used in automobile industries which are used for mass
production of various complex work profiles. Mounting of the spot welding gun on the end of
arm tool of a robot makes it very complex and heavy. Robots with very heavy payloads should
be used for such kinds of application. As the complexity and the size of the robot increase the
cost associated also increases, which makes it not preferable for simple applications which does
not involve any complex work profile. The deciding factor is always the size of the part and
the size of the gun.

3.2.2 Stationary Spot Welding Gun

The largest source of failure in a robot spot welding cell is the weld gun and the cabling (robot
dress) used to operate the gun. The dynamic action of the robot motion can fatigue the robot
dress, causing downtime while the spot welding gun is susceptible to damage from a crash. By
putting the weld gun on a stationary pedestal, the robot dress is minimized as the tool require
to hold the panel uses only air and signal power. The simpler robot dress makes for a more
robust application and more cell uptime.
Another important fact is that when a stationary welding gun is used the complexity of the set
up will be considerably reduced. The robot holds the part and moves the part in the desired
programmed path. The robot has the capacity to move in X, Y, Z and rotatory axis. So for
simple applications which does not involve any complex welding profile a stationary welding
gun set up is the most appropriate method. Moreover the cost of installation of a stationary
welding gun set up is comparatively very less when with spot welding gun attached with the
robot. In this case the cost associated is only with the cost of installing a robot and a welding
equipment. The spot welding equipment can be even pneumatic depending upon the
application.
Out of the two above mentioned methods the most suitable method for the spot welding the
ventilation spacer bars is the one in with a stationary welding gun and the moving robot. In this
application the robot holds the lamination sheet and moves it in the desired programmed path.
The robot move the lamination sheet to the programmed welding points. The spot welding
equipment which is kept stationary carries out the welding. Here the only motion included are
the X, Y and the rotation of the lamination sheet and there is no complex welding profile also.
It is a plane surface with all the weld points nearby.

31
 Figure 3.8 Stationary welding gun set up

The entire weight of the lamination sheet along with the ventilation spacer bars attached to it
and the supporting structure for lamination sheet is less than 40 kg. So for holding this weight
a robot which is having a payload of 60kg is enough considering the weight of the gripper to
hold the lamination sheet. If we are doing this same operation using a spot welding gun
mounted on a robot, the weight of the spot welding equipment itself is very high when
compared with the lamination sheet. So for withstanding that weight a robot which is having
more weight carrying capacity is needed, moreover a lot of accessories which was mentioned
earlier is required for the application. When comparing the cost of both the methods the cost
of the second approach that is the stationary welding equipment and the robot moving the part
is very less, and also the method will be simple. So this is the best approach for the welding of
ventilation spacer bars on lamination sheet.

3.3 Experimental Setup

The design of the robotic work cell has been carried out by creating an experimental set up
which resembles the actual process. The robot was holding the lamination sheet which moves
it to various positions of welding.
The various parts of the experimental set up are given below

32
3.3.1 Lamination Sheet

For the experimental purpose a lamination sheet on which already the spacer bars are welded
is taken. On this lamination sheet the given markings for the number of weld points according
to the size of each spacer bars are done. The specifications for the number of weld points on
each spacer bars are:-
On a spacer bar whose length is more than 500mm should have 4 welding points and those
whose length is less than 500mm should have 3 welding points. The first and last welding point
should leave a gap of 10mm from the end points of the spacer bars and the distance between
the welding points should be same.

Figure 3.9 Marking on the lamination sheet

3.3.2 Spot Welding Equipment Setup

The spot welding equipment is set up using a pneumatically controlled valve which is mounted
on a stand. Air supply is given to the valve using a compressor. A connection is given from the
robot to the pneumatically controlled valve so that its motion also can be controlled using the
teach pendant. The pointer moves up and down with the air pressure which is given through
the compressor. The up and down motion of the pointer acts like that of the spot welding gun.
The pointer is made to come down at the specified weld point and it moves up during the

33
running of the program. So the pointer act like the spot welding gun on the supply of air
pressure.

Figure 3.10 spot welding equipment

3.3.3 Specification of Robot Used

KUKA KR16 packs a lot of power into a small frame. It is an excellent frame for diverse
applications.KR-16 is easily customized. Its compact structure allows for floor, ceiling, and
wall mounting.
General Description
Payload - 16kg
Maximum reach-1610mm
Number of axis- 6
Repeatability- ±0.05mm
Weight-235kg

Robot motion speed

Axis1-192º/sec (3.35rad/sec)

34
Axis2-173º/sec (3.02rad/sec)
Axis1-192º/sec (3.35rad/sec)
Axis1-329º/sec (5.74rad/sec)
Axis1-332º/sec (5.79rad/sec)
Axis1-332º/sec (5.79rad/sec)

Robot motion range

Axis 1-±185º
Axis 2-±35º-155º
Axis 3-±154º-130º
Axis 4-±350º
Axis 5-±130º
Axis 6-±350º

Figure 3.11 KUKA KR16 Robot

35
3.3.4 Gripper Setup

Instead of using an actual gripper for holding the lamination sheet, the sheet is clamped on an
aluminum rod and it is mounted on the end of arm tool of the robot. This act like a gripper
which moves the lamination sheet to various position when the robot moves.

Figure 3.12 Holding structure

3.4 Development of the Spot Welding Process

The experiment is carried by the robot to move the lamination sheet to all the welding points
which are require in actual practice. The movement of the robot from one point to the other is
designed such that the gap of the points should be less in order to decrease the time required.
There are two methods in which the movement of the lamination sheet by the robot from one
point to the other is carried out. They are given below
a) By manually moving the robot to each point and teaching the robot that point.
b) By taking the co-ordinates from the CAD file and feeding it into the teach pendant of
the robot

3.4.1 Manual Programming by Teaching of the Weld Points

Teach Pendant Programming
A teach pendant is a device which can be used to control a robot remotely. Using a teach
pendant, someone can work with a robot without being tethered to a fixed terminal. These
devices are used to control robots in a wide variety of settings, and by people who research and
develop robots. The logic for the program can be generated either using a menu based system
or simply using a text editor but the main characteristics of this method is the means by which

36
 the robot is taught the positional data. The teach pendant with the controls to drive the robot in
a number of different co-ordinate system is used to manually drive the robot to the desired
locations.
These locations are then stored with names that can be used within the robot program. The co-
ordinate systems available on a standard jointed arm robot are given below

a) Joint Co-ordinate System: -In the Joint Coordinate System a position of the robot hand in
space is defined by the angles of rotation of the five joints of the arm. Because of the design of
the arm, positions can be reached through different combinations of these angles, albeit with
different orientations of the hand. This is the coordinate system used by the servo-loops of the
robot controller. It allows for independent control of each joint.
b) World Co-ordinate System: - In the world coordinate system or three dimensional space the
position of the robot hand is defined by values of three Cartesian coordinates: X, Y, and Z. The
directions of these axes are fixed in space. This coordinate system makes positioning the hand
from the teach pendent easier; it makes it possible for the robot to move in concert with other
objects in space.
c) Tool Co-ordinate System: - Similar to the world co-ordinate system but the axes of this one
are attached to the tool center point of the robot and therefore move with it. This system is
especially useful when the tool is near to the work piece.
d) Work-piece Co-ordinate System:-With many robots it is possible to set up a co-ordinate
system at any point within the working area. These can be especially useful where small
adjustments to the program are required as it is easier to make them along a major axis of the
co-ordinate system than along a general line. The effect of this is similar to moving the position
and orientation of the world co-ordinate system.

With a teach pendant, a robot can be programmed remotely, it issue commands to a robot to
tell it to do things, or teach the robot to perform tasks. People can walk alongside the robot as
it is in operation, using the teach pendant to provide the robot with commands and feedback,
and they can also operate the robot from a safe distance. Several features are included on a
typical teach pendant. The device usually has an emergency stop button so that operations can
be immediately shut down if there is a problem, as might occur when a robot appears to be
malfunctioning. There is also a display which can be used to see and edit commands and to
look through the history of commands given to the robot along with a keyboard for command

37
input. The type of keyboard can vary, depending on the type of robot the teach pendant is
designed to control.

Figure 3.13Teach pendant

The hand held nature of a teach pendant can greatly improve the robotics experience by
allowing people a free range of movement around the robot. Rather than having to interface
with the robot directly or having to work with a terminal, the operator can work remotely. This
can increase safety in addition to making robotics work easier. This method of programming
is very simple to use where simple movements are required. It does have the disadvantage that
the robot can be out of production for a long time during reprogramming. While this is not a
problem where robots do the same task for their entire life, this is becoming less common and
some robotic welding systems are performing tasks only a few times before being
reprogrammed.
Here in our application the robot carries out the same work for its entire life time. As the
dimensions of all the lamination sheets which the spacer bars is welded will not be changed,

38
the weld points once taught is not to change for the entire life time except in the case of robot
maintenance or some other technical errors. So teaching the weld points by manually using a
teach pendent is valid for this application.

Teaching the Weld Points Using the Teach Pendant:-

In this method each and every point in the lamination sheet which are to be welded are taught
to the robot by manually moving the robot using the teach pendant. Once the robot is moved
to the specified point, the X axis value Y axis value Z axis value and also the A,B and C values
which are the angles of Z,Y and X axis respectively automatically saved in the specified
program. The point will be saved in the memory of the robot. The program will be saved in the
robot memory as same names but with two different extensions, one as an .SRC file and other
as .DAT file. The .SRC file contains executable codes. The .DAT files is where variables are
stored. When a new motion point on the teach pendant is created the command to move that
point is recorded in the .SRC file, and the actual location of that points (XYZ ABC, Tool, Base,
Speed, Acceleration, Approximation etc.) are stored in .DAT file.
The weld point are taught to the robot in the T1 mode that is the manual reduced velocity mode.
While teaching the weld points to the robot the operator should carefully examine the exact
location of the points in the lamination sheet. For getting the accurate location of the points
operator should examine the points from a very close distance that is the operator should stand
inside the safe-guarded area of the robot. As the operator is standing very close to the robot the
chances of accidents are also high. So the teaching should be carried out compulsorily in the
T1 mode which has a maximum speed of only 250mm/sec. The operator can suddenly stop the
robot using the emergency switch as the speed in this mode is very less.

39
 Figure 3.14 CAD drawing of lamination sheet

The above shown is the CAD drawing of a lamination sheet on which the welding points of
the spacer bars are marked. The figure shows the 110 welding points of the spacer bars on the
lamination sheet. The robot is manually moved using the teach pendant using the world co-
ordinate system and each welding point is made in contact with the experimental spot welding
gun. That point is taught to the robot and the co-ordinates of that point are saved in the robot
memory. Once a point is taught that position will be saved and it can be used whenever needed.
Like each and every point that is from point 1 to point 110 should be taught to the robot by
manually moving it using teach pendant. Special care should be taken care while teaching each
and every point. A slight deviation in the marking of the weld point in the spacer bars or slight
error while the teaching of the point will cause deviation in the actual point and the point where
robot moves the lamination sheet to.
The sequence in which the motion of robot from one point to the other also should be
considered. The sequence generated should be such that

40
 I. The travelling time of the robot should be less.
II. The distance between the points should be as less as possible
III. The time taken to complete the job should be minimum.

The appropriate sequence is generated on considering all this factors.

Figure 3.15 Sequence of the path followed

The above mentioned figure shows the sequence in which the welding points are taught to the
robot. The robot was manually moved using the teach pendant in the above sequence. The
lamination sheet is divided into the first half and the second half. After completing the first half
the lamination sheet is rotated by the robot and then the second half points are taught. Rotating
of the lamination sheet is done because as the spot gun equipment is fixed, the lamination sheet
may collide with the spot welding experimental set up while welding some points. To avoid
this the lamination sheet is divided into the first half and the second half and after completing
the first half the sheet is made to rotate and the welding continuous. In the figure above the
path which is shown in orange color is the first half and the one which is shown in red is the

41
second half. While teaching the point the robot will start from a home position which is
predefined and then it will start as point P1, P2 and so on till P110. The points will be taught
in LINEAR mode in the teach pendant. The rotation of the lamination sheet also should be
mentioned while teaching the points. Rotating should be carefully done as there are chances
for collision of the lamination sheet with the other parts in the working environment.

Programming of the Robot

After teaching all the points the next step is to write the programming logic and implement for
working of the experimental setup of the spot welding gun. The pointer is attached to the end
of the controlling valve to which air supply is provided using a compressor. The valve should
open and close at the desired time to touch the points in the lamination sheet which resembles
the spot welding operation.
The program file after teaching all the points will be like
INT
PTP HOME Vel =100% DEFAULT
LIN P1 Vel = 2m/s CPDAT7 Tool[5]:WP Base[1]:impeller extTCP
LIN P2 Vel = 2m/s CPDAT8 Tool[5]:WP Base[1]:impeller extTCP
LIN P3 Vel = 2m/s CPDAT9 Tool[5]:WP Base[1]:impeller extTCP
LIN P4 Vel = 2m/s CPDAT10 Tool[5]:WP Base[1]:impeller extTCP
LIN P5 Vel = 2m/s CPDAT11 Tool[5]:WP Base[1]:impeller extTCP
LIN P6 Vel = 2m/s CPDAT12 Tool[5]:WP Base[1]:impeller extTCP
LIN P7 Vel = 2m/s CPDAT13 Tool[5]:WP Base[1]:impeller extTCP
LIN P8 Vel = 2m/s CPDAT14 Tool[5]:WP Base[1]:impeller extTCP
LIN P9 Vel = 2m/s CPDAT15 Tool[5]:WP Base[1]:impeller extTCP
LIN P10 Vel = 2m/s CPDAT16 Tool[5]:WP Base[1]:impeller extTCP
.
.
.
.
.
LIN P1O9 Vel = 2m/s CPDAT116 Tool[5]:WP Base[1]:impeller extTCP
LIN P110 Vel = 2m/s CPDAT117 Tool[5]:WP Base[1]:impeller extTCP
PTP HOME Vel =100% DEFAULT
END
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A logic should be applied to the program for making the opening and closing of the pointer
which is attached to the controlling valve. The logic allows the pointer to move down at every
welding point and touch the marked point which is to be welded in actual. When moving from
that point to other point the pointer should move upwards other vice it will disturb the other
spacer bars. The air supply from the compressor allows the up and down movement of the
pointer. This motion is controlled by a logic which is included in the program. The
programming is directly done through the teach pendant of the Robot.

The logic used in the program is

DEF SUBPR()
$OUT[5]=TRUE
WAIT TIME=0.5 SEC
$OUT[5]=FALSE
WAIT TIME=0.5 SEC
END

Using this logic the tool[5] which is the pointer comes down and go up and the wait time is
given 0.5 sec seconds for this. This logic is defined by a subprogram SUBPR() and this is
called at each manually taught welding point .When the lamination sheet is moved to the
position of the weld point the pointer comes down and touch the point which has to be welded
and wait there for 0.5 seconds then the pointer moves up. The 0.5 second time is the time
require to spot weld the spacer bar in the actual case. By considering this the logic is made.
After completing one point the pointer moves up before it goes to the other point. This prevent
the collision of the tool with the spacebars which will disturb the position of the spacer bars.
After every point before moving to the next point SUBPR() which is defined previously in the
program will be called which is shown below

INT PTP HOME Vel =100% DEFAULT

$TIMER[1]=0
$TIMER_STOP[1]= FALSE
$OUT [5]= FALSE
LIN P2 Vel = 2m/s CPDAT8 Tool[5]:WP Base[1]:impeller extTCP
43
SUBPR()
LIN P3 Vel = 2m/s CPDAT9 Tool[5]:WP Base[1]:impeller extTCP
SUBPR()
.
.
.
LIN P3 Vel = 2m/s CPDAT9 Tool[5]:WP Base[1]:impeller extTCP
SUBPR()
INT PTP HOME Vel =100% DEFAULT
$TIMER_STOP[1]= TRUE
END

This is how the program works. By running the program a complete process which shows the
welding of the complete 110 points in the first half and second half is obtained. It takes around
330 minutes to teach the robot all the weld points. By running this program the time taken to
weld the entire welding points is 163 seconds including the time needed to rotate the part also.
That is it requires just 1.6 seconds to complete a weld.

3.4.2 CAD to PATH Approach

CAD based Off-line Programming

Traditional industrial robot programming using the robot teach pendant is a tedious and time-
consuming task that requires technical expertise. In fact manual teach methods are often time
consuming and imprecise. But still the teach pendant continues to be the common robot input
device that gives access to all functionalities provided by the robot (jogging the manipulator,
producing and editing programs, etc.). In the last few years the robot manufacturers have made
great efforts to make user-friendly teach pendants implementing ergonomic design concepts,
more intuitive user interfaces, colour touch screens with graphical interfaces, a 3D joystick, a
6D mouse and developing a wireless teach pendant. Nevertheless it is still difficult for an
untrained worker to operate with a robot teach pendant. The teach pendants are not intuitive to
use and require a lot of user experience, besides being big and heavy. These all difficulties
which are experienced by programming a robot using a teach pendant lead to new and more
intuitive ways for people to interact with robots are required to make robot programming easier.
Over the past few years computer-aided design (CAD) packages are becoming more powerful
and accessible. CAD-based solutions related to the Human Robot interface problem have been
44
 common. A unified treatment of CAD and robot programming methods may involve very
important advances in versatility and autonomy of the platform, in other words, product design
and robot programming can be integrated seamlessly. It is explored the most suitable way to a
user represent robot motion in a CAD drawing, how to automatically extract it from drawings,
make the mapping between the virtual and the real scenario and automatically generate robot
programs.
CAD technology has become economically attractive and easy to work with so that today there
are millions of companies worldwide using it to design and model their products. While the
prices of CAD packages have decreased their features and functionalities are upgraded, with
improved and simplified user interfaces, user-oriented functionalities, automatic design of
standard products, etc. Nowadays, most CAD packages provide a wide range of associated
features (integrated modules or standalone solutions) that not only help in the effective design
process, but also help in other tasks such as mechanical simulation and the physical simulation
of dynamic processes. Robot programming and simulation has been seen as another feature
that CAD packages can integrate.
Contrary to on-line programming, in off-line programming robots are programmed without
stopping/disturbing robot production. Robot programs are created in a computer, without the
need to access the robot. This involves manual editing of robot code and/or the definition of
the robot programs by means of computer software that simulates the real robotic scenario.
There are a lot of advantages for this approach when compared with the traditional method of
programming the robot by using the teach pendent. Some of the advantages of off-line
programming are:-

a) Programs are prepared without interruptions of robot operation, resulting in reduction of robot
down time, which means flexibility and an increase in productivity.
b) Removal of the programmer from the potentially dangerous environment, as most of the
program development is executed away from the robot. Thus, the time during which the
programmer is at risk from aberrant robot behavior is reduced.
c) There is a greater possibility for optimization of the workspace layout and the planning of robot
tasks.
d) New programs can include previously developed routines.

e) Program changes can be incorporated quickly by substituting only the necessary part of the
program.
45
f) Signals from sensors can be incorporated into programs.
g) Information from the environment (i.e. computer integrated- manufacturing system; CAD:
CAM systems) can be incorporated into programs.
h) It permits verification of the robot behavior through graphical simulation and allows for the
correction of any error in the program.
i) It increases the machine up time.
j) It minimizes programmer overtime charge.
k) The programming efforts are moved from the robot operator in the workshop to the engineer
in the office.
l) Robot programs can be tested using simulation tools. This is very important to
anticipate/predict the real robots behavior and in this way to optimize working processes.

General Steps of Off-line Programming

The general steps of off-line programming are given below
a) Generation of CAD model:-The off-line programming starts with the generation of a CAD
model. The CAD model of the work piece is generated using a drawing software.
b) Data Extraction:-This involves extracting the robot positions from the CAD drawings. Many
methods are used for this data extraction process.
c) Trajectory Planning:- The trajectory of the robot is defined on considering many factors like
reachability of the robot, collision avoidance etc.
d) Post Processing:-The post processing stage includes adding necessary I/O control signals for
equipment in the work cell, smoothing and fine tuning the path if necessary, and conversion to
the program language of the specific robot target.
e) Simulation:-Simulation enables the program to be verified without the use of an existing
physical robot, which reduces the downtime of the robotic system.
f) Calibration: -Ideally, a program generated in an OLP system would be downloaded to the
robot controller and put into action immediately. In practice, however, the deviation between
the actual geometry of elements in the work cell, such as the work piece, and the nominal
geometry makes calibration almost necessary for all OLP system.

The off-line programming can be expressed in the form of a block diagram as shown in the
figure below.

46
 Figure 3.16Block diagram of Off-line programming

CAD TO PATH Programming

In this approach instead of teaching the welding points using a teach pendant the co-ordinates
of the weld points are directly extracted from the CAD drawing. The X and Y co-ordinates of
each weld point is extracted from the CAD drawing using the DATAEXTRACTION method
available in AutoCAD software and these points are programmed to the robot using Visual
Basics Application. The path of the robot motion will be generated by the numbering of the
weld points in the robot. The program is written according to the path which the robot as to
follow. The important steps involved in this process are.

a) Generation of CAD drawing

b) Data extraction
c) Programming using Visual Basics Application
d) Execution of the program in the robot

a) Generation of CAD drawing

The actual drawing of a lamination sheet with the ventilation spacer bars attached with it is
made using Auto cad software. The drawings are made according to the specification provided.
The below figure shows a lamination sheet and the spacer bars attached to it.

47
 Figure 3.17 Actual drawing of a lamination sheet

This drawing shows the lamination sheet with all the spacer bars attached to it. There weld
points are not mentioned in the above drawing. For the convenience of extracting the Co-
ordinates of the weld position the drawing is re-drawn by considering the required
specifications.
The specifications considered for redrawing the actual drawing are
I. Spacer bars to be fixed on the core segment by spot welding
II. Spacers bars up to length 500mm to be fixed by 3 spots (minimum)
III. Spacer bars having length more than 500 mm to be fixed by 4 spots (minimum)
IV. Tension Bolt holes should not get covered by projection of spacers.
The drawing redrawn according to the above specifications and all the weld points mentioned
are shown below. The 110 weld points are shown in this drawing.

48
 Figure 3.18 Drawing re-drawn according to the specifications

Robot cannot perform the welding of the entire welding points at once. To avoid collision
between the robot and the equipment in the robot work environment the welding process has
to be carried out in two halves. The first 70 weld points consist the first half and the other 40
points consist the second half. After completing the first half the entire lamination sheet is
rotated by the robot and then the welding in the second half will be carried out. So for the ease
of data extraction the drawing is again redrawn in to the first half and second half. The diagram
given shows the first half of the lamination sheet with 70 weld points in it.

49
 Figure 3.19 The first half of the drawing and the path followed.

The robot starts the welding process from the reference point and from there it moves to the
first welding point and then it completes the welding till the point 70. After that the robot rotates
the lamination sheet and there in the second half welding is carried out.

b) Data Extraction
To extract the co-ordinate data of the weld points the DATAEXTRACTION method in
AutoCAD software is used.
The steps involved in this process are
Type DATAEXTRACTION in the command window of the AutoCAD software. A dialog box
as shown in the below figure will appear. Create a new data extraction file. It will have the
extension .dxe or .blk.

50
 Figure 3.20 Creating a new data extraction

Create a new data extraction file in a specified folder and save it with some file name. Here it
is saved as First half co-ordinates.dxe

51
 Figure3.21 Saving the data extraction

In this step the current drawing is used for extracting the co-ordinates of the weld points. Select
the option drawings/sheet set and click next.

52
 Figure 3.22 Defining the data source

In this step the dialog box appeared is the select object box. Here in this step we select the
object whose data is to be extracted. All the weld point in the drawing are made as a block
called spot weld. In AutoCAD software we make all the welding points as a block. The numbers
of the weld points are defined as attribute for the block. A list of objects appears for the data to
be extracted. From that the spot weld which is created as a block is selected. Click on the object
spot weld and then click next.

53
 Figure 3.23 The selection of objects for data extraction

In this step it is the properties window. Here the properties for the extracted points are selected.
The category filter option in the right side of the window shows the categories to be selected.
We need only the geometry and the attribute, so we select that. And in the properties we select
the position X and position Y of each weld points and the weld numbers are

54
 Figure 3.24 Selecting the properties for data extraction

Having completed all the above steps we gets the result in this step. The position of the X and
Y co-ordinates of the weld points are obtained.

Figure 3.25 The position of the weld numbers acquired

55
In this step the co-ordinates extracted will be saved as Microsoft excel file.

Figure 3.26 Saving the excel file

The co-ordinates of the spot weld points in the drawing will be extracted and it will be saved
as an excel file. The X and Y co-ordinates are extracted from the drawing and the correspondent
weld number to each weld point is also extracted. The data exported to the excel file is shown
in the figure below.

56
Figure 3.27 Data exported to excel

57
The data exported to the excel file is directly from the data extraction method and it is
completely scattered. For easier understanding and making the robot program the data obtained
needs to be formatted or it should be re-arranged. The formatted data is shown in the figures
below.

Figure 3.28 Formatted Data

58
c) Programming using Visual Basic for Application
The CAD model can be transferred to off-line programming using computer languages such as
C++, Visual basic application etc. Here in this application VBA is used. The spot weld co-
ordinates obtained from the CAD drawing is converted into robot program using Visual Basic
application for Microsoft Excel. A VBA program is written to generate both the .src and .dat
file for the robot using the co-ordinates obtained. The program generation is automated using
the “Convert to Robot program” button in the Excel sheet. The figure below shows the excel
sheet generated from CAD and the command button used to generate the offline program.

Figure 3.29 The excel sheet for program generation

59
When the command button is pressed two files in which one is a .src file and another one .dat
file is generated and it is stored in a user defined path that was programmed in VBA. The figure
given below shows the .src file and .dat file that is generated using the command button.

Figure 3.30 The .dat file generated

The Contents of the .dat file are

i. E6POS- The co-ordinates of the points which are being taught
ii. FDAT - It’s the Frame data which consist the Tool number, the Base number etc.
iii. PDAT - Point data. It details of the point to point motion like velocity, acceleration,
approximate distance etc.

iv. LDAT - Linear data – It is the details of the linear motion like velocity acceleration etc.

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 Figure 3.31 The .src file generated

The Contents of .src file are

i. Home position at the start and end of the program with its FDAT and PDAT data.
ii. Variable declaration
iii. Motion type of a taught point e.g. PTP, LIN or CIR with its FDAT, PDAT, LDAT and
CDAT data.
iv. Commands and instructions.

61
d) Execution of the Program
Before executing the program the robot Tool centre Point (TCP) and base of the robot is
calibrated to match with the origin (0, 0, 0) and X, Y direction of the CAD model. The home
position of the robot is also defined using a teach pendant. Then the generated offline robot
program containing .src and .dat files are copied using a USB pen drive and subsequently
transferred to the robot controller. The program will run according to the desired path.
The robot programmed by manually teaching the weld points and programmed by CAD to
PATH approach also is taking the same time to complete the welding of the 110 weld points in
the lamination sheet. But the time taken and the effort of programming the robot is considerably
very less in CAD to PATH approach compared to the manual teaching approach which make
this approach most suitable for the spot welding of ventilation spacer bars in the lamination
sheet

3.5 Safety in Robotics

There are two aspects of the safety issue in robotics. The first deals with justification of robots.
Historically, one of the fundamental reasons for using robots in industrial application is to
remove human operators from potentially hazardous work environments. The hazards in the
work place include heat, noise, fumes, and other discomforts, physical dangers (potential
injuries or even loss of limbs), radiation, toxic atmospheres etc. The problem of removing or
reducing these hazards from the workplace has provided one of the important justification for
industrial robots in applications such as welding, forging, spray painting, and die casting. Since
the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) was enacted in 1971, worker safety has
become a significant factor in promoting the substitution of robots for human labour in these
kinds of dangerous jobs.
The second aspect of the safety issue involves the potential hazards to humans posed by the
robot itself. The use of robots presents a new set of possible dangers to the human workers. In
considering the potential hazards that are encountered in the use of robots, it is reasonable to
question when during the use of robot are humans in contact or close proximity to it. The
important occasions when humans are close enough to machine to be exposed to danger are
I. During programming of the robot
II. During operation of the robot cell when humans work in the cell
III. During maintenance of the robot

62
 The types of risks encountered during these times include physical injury from collision
between the human and the robot, electrical shock, objects(parts or tools) dropped from the
robot gripper, and loose power cables or hydraulic lines on the floor. Some of these risks can
be reduced with straight forward safety measures such as proper grounding of electrical cables
to prevent shock, and raised floor platform to cover power cables and hydraulic lines. Another
important thing to be followed is that when the robot is being programmed the speed of the
arm should be set at a low level during teaching and testing of the program.
The following are some of the precaution that should be followed while working with the robot
and robot applications. These precautions are based on the standards of ISO 10218 part -1 and
ISO 19218 part 2 -2011 “Robots and robotic devices-safety requirement for industrial
robotics”. Some other general safety precaution while working with the robots are also
included.

a) The robots should be designed and manufactured in accordance with the principles of ISO
10218 part 1- 2011, ‘Robots and robotic devices –safety requirement for Industrial robotics.

b) Robots shall be designed and manufactured so that the change of electrical, hydraulic,
pneumatic or vacuum power does not result in any hazard.

c) Components of the robots shall be design, manufactured and installed so that the hazards
caused by breaking or loosening, or releasing stored energy are minimized.

d) The robot and peripheral equipment should be installed so that sufficient service space is
maintained for safe teaching maintenance and inspection.

e) The robot electrical equipment shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the
relevant requirements of IEC 60204-1.

f) Every robot shall have a protective function and an independent emergency stop function and
also these functions shall have provision for the connection of external protective devices. The
emergency stop should have the following features.
i. The emergency switch should be red.
ii. Emergency stop switches should be designed such that they will not be released after
pressed, automatically or mistakenly by any other person.
63
 iii. Emergency stop switches should be separate from the power switch.

g) The signs and markings indicating the zones of movement of the robot are displayed
prominently on the robot itself and if possible on the floors and walls.

h) The equipment and the control require accessing during automatic operation shall be located
outside the safeguard place. They should be placed so as to allow a clear view of robot restricted
space.

i) The speed of the robot EOAT (End of arm tool) and the tool center point (TCP) shall be
controlled at selectable speeds.

j) The End-effectors shall be designed such that

i. Loss or change in the energy supply does not cause release of the load that would result in
hazardous condition.
ii. The static and dynamic forces created by the load and the end-effector are together with
load capacity and dynamic response of robot.

k) Sufficient lightning should be assured for safe robot operation.

l) All robot motion initiated from a teach pendant used by a programmer located within the robot
work envelop is subjected to ANSI (American National Standard) slow speed recommendation
of 10in/sec (250mm/sec).

m) Robot programming and maintenance operations are prohibited for persons other than those
who have received adequate training in hazard recognition and control of the robots.

n) One of the important safety consideration that should be taken while working with the robot
is to set up a safety fencing around the workspace of the robot.
i. The fence should be constructed so that it cannot easily moved or removed.
ii. The fence should be designed to the farthest reach of the robot in all direction with the end
effector attached to the robot.
iii. Establish the exit/entrance to the fence. Constructed the fence so that no one can easily get
past it by climbing over the fence.
64
 iv. The fence should be constructed to ensure that it is not possible for hands or any other
parts of the body to get through it.
v. The fence should have a gate for access to work cell. The gate is equipped with an interlock
device so that the work cycle is interrupted when gate is open.

Figure 3.32 A robotic work cell with a fence around it

o) If a robotic work cell are designed to work with humans as co-workers for loading and
unloading work parts to the cell a rotating index table should be used.
i. This is typically encountered when the human workers are employed to load and unload
work parts in the cell and robot is used to perform a processing operation such as spot
welding or grinding.
ii. The rotary index table is used to move raw work parts from human operator’s position to
robot position for processing and simultaneously moves the completed parts from the robot
position to the operator’s position for unloading.
This arrangement prevents inadvertent collision between the worker and the robot.

65
 Figure 3.33 Rotating index table

p) A flash light should be installed to indicate that the robot is in motion and it should be installed
such that it is visible from any point around the perimeter of the robot.

q) The work space of the robot should be such that no physical obstruction are encountered in
programming the robot.

r) Proper simulation studies should be carried out using simulation software before finalization
of the layout of the robotic cell to understand the reach of the robot, determine the placement
of robot and peripheral equipment to avoid obstacles and collision.

s) Collision avoidance software features of robots should be used. If it is not possible to use
collision software feature, a collision sensing device should be used to minimize damage to the
robot, tooling and peripheral equipment.

t) All robots designed for simultaneous motion in a robot system shall normally be in the same
operating mode that is either manual or automatic mode.

66
u) The design of the robotic system should follow ergonomic principles to ensure that it is easy
to operate and maintain where human is directly interacting with the robot work cell.

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 CHAPTER 4
Results

In this thesis two methods are discussed for the automated spot welding of the ventilation
spacer bars on the lamination sheet. They are given below
a) By manually teaching the robot all the 110 weld points by moving the robot to the
desired weld positions using teach pendant.
b) By directly extracting the co-ordinates of the weld points from the CAD drawing and
programming the robot.
Here in this chapter a comparison is made between the developed methods to find out the best
method for spot welding of the ventilation spacer bars on a lamination sheet.

4.1Comparison between Existing Process and the Manually Programmed

Robot:-
In this comparison the time taken by the manually taught robot to complete the welding is
compared with the time taken by an operator doing manual welding. As discussed in the
previous chapters the manual welding is completely a labour depended process, it completely
depends on the skill and the experience of the robot. So the comparison is done between the
manually taught robot and two different operators who are doing the welding.
A graph is drawn with the time taken to complete each weld for both the manually taught robot
and the manual welding. Graphs are drawn separately for the first half which contain 70 weld
points and the second half which has 40 weld points.

Time Taken by Operator A and the Manually Taught Robot

The table given below shows the data of time taken by operator A and the manually taught
robot to complete the first half of the lamination sheet that is the 70 weld points.
68
Table 4.1 Time taken by the manually taught robot and operator A for first 70 weld
points

Weld number Time taken by the manually Time taken by the

taught robot(sec) operator(sec)
Weld 1 1.0 5
Weld 2 2.0 9.5
Weld 3 3.5 12.7
Weld 4 4.9 14.7
Weld 5 6.5 21.4
Weld 6 8.0 28.7
Weld 7 9.5 36.0
Weld 8 11.2 41.2
Weld 9 12.8 46.4
Weld 10 14.3 53.5
Weld 11 15.8 60.4
Weld 12 17.6 68.9
Weld 13 19.0 75.3
Weld 14 20.7 79.6
Weld 15 22.1 85.0
Weld 16 23.5 90.8
Weld 17 25.1 98.2
Weld 18 26.5 102.3
Weld 19 28.1 108.2
Weld 20 29.7 114.2
Weld 21 31.3 120.8
Weld 22 32.9 128.0
Weld 23 34.2 135.4
Weld 24 35.5 143.8
Weld 25 36.9 147.2
Weld 26 38.4 151.4
Weld 27 39.9 154.2

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Weld 28 41.3 159.4
Weld 29 42.9 165.8
Weld 30 44.4 173.1
Weld 31 45.9 181.0
Weld 32 47.6 189.3
Weld 33 49.2 198.4
Weld 34 50.8 203.2
Weld 35 52.2 208.6
Weld 36 53.9 214.3
Weld 37 55.3 220.6
Weld 38 57.0 227.8
Weld 38 58.5 234.7
Weld 40 60.1 239.8
Weld 41 61.7 249.0
Weld 42 63.3 257.8
Weld 43 65.0 265.3
Weld 44 66.4 270.4
Weld 45 67.7 274.8
Weld 46 69.1 279.7
Weld 47 70.7 285.5
Weld 48 72.2 293.8
Weld 49 73.7 302.0
Weld 50 75.1 310.5
Weld 51 76.8 316.5
Weld 52 78.2 321.6
Weld 53 79.6 326.8
Weld 54 81.0 332.5
Weld 55 82.5 337.3
Weld 56 84.0 341.6
Weld 57 85.5 347.4
Weld 58 86.8 353.7
Weld 59 88.2 358.5

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Weld 60 89.6 362.0
Weld 61 91.0 367.8
Weld 62 92.5 376.1
Weld 63 94.0 383.0
Weld 64 95.6 392.8
Weld 65 97.1 403.0
Weld 66 98.5 408.8
Weld 67 100.2 413.5
Weld 68 101.9 420.8
Weld 69 103.3 426.5
Weld 70 104.4 434.8

71
 Time taken for manual welding and Robotic welding vs Weld
number

500

450
y = 6.2847x - 9.3545
R² = 0.9994
400

350

300
Time in seconds

250

200

150
y = 1.5103x - 0.6796
R² = 0.9999

100

50

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

-50
Weld numbers

Robotic welding Manual welding

Figure 4.1 Graph 1(a) Time vs weld number for operator A and manually taught robot
for 1st half

72
The table given below shows the data of time taken by operator A and the manually taught
robot to complete the second half of the lamination sheet that is the 40 weld points.

Table 4.2Time taken by the manually taught robot and operator A for the second half
of the lamination sheet

Weld Number Time taken by the manually Time taken by the operator
taught robot(sec) A(sec)
Weld 71 2.2 10.7
Weld 72 3.4 16.9
Weld 73 4.9 24.3
Weld 74 6.4 32.6
Weld 75 7.8 38.2
Weld 76 9.4 44.6
Weld 77 11.0 53.5
Weld 78 12.3 61.3
Weld 79 13.8 71.5
Weld 80 15.0 80.7
Weld 81 16.6 85.0
Weld 82 17.9 88.8
Weld 83 19.4 94.6
Weld 84 21.0 103.0
Weld 85 22.4 109.8
Weld 86 23.8 117.2
Weld 87 25.4 124.1
Weld 88 26.9 132.6
Weld 89 28.4 137.5
Weld 90 29.9 143.2
Weld 91 31.3 151.0
Weld 92 32.8 156.3
Weld 93 34.3 162.6
Weld 94 36.0 169.8
Weld 95 37.4 178.1

73
Weld 96 38.7 187.2
Weld 97 40.1 197.5
Weld 98 42.0 202.4
Weld 99 43.2 213.6
Weld 100 44.6 217.7
Weld 101 46.0 223.6
Weld 102 47.7 230.0
Weld 103 49.3 234.9
Weld 104 50.8 242.4
Weld 105 52.2 251.3
Weld 106 53.5 258.7
Weld 107 54.9 265.0
Weld 108 56.2 270.8
Weld 109 57.8 279.6
Weld 110 59.2 287.4

74
 Time taken for manual welding and Robotic welding vs
Weldnumber
350

300
y = 7.0439x - 2.6593
R² = 0.9994

250
Time in seconds

200

150

100
y = 1.4706x - 0.9588
R² = 0.9999
50

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
Weld number

Robotic Welding Manual Welding

Figure 4.2 Graph 1(b) Time vs weld number for operator A and manually taught robot
for 2nd half

Time Taken by Operator B and the Manually Taught Robot

The table given below shows the data of time taken by operator A and the manually taught
robot to complete the first half of the lamination sheet that is the 70 weld points.

75
Table 4.3 Time taken by the manually taught robot and operator B for first 70 weld
points
Weld number Time taken by manually Time taken by the operator
taught operator(sec) B(sec)
Weld 1 1.0 3.7
Weld 2 2.0 7.6
Weld 3 3.5 11.7
Weld 4 4.9 16.2
Weld 5 6.5 20.5
Weld 6 8.0 24.3
Weld 7 9.5 28.2
Weld 8 11.2 32.6
Weld 9 12.8 36.8
Weld 10 14.3 40.9
Weld 11 15.8 45.7
Weld 12 17.6 48.9
Weld 13 19.0 53.5
Weld 14 20.7 58.3
Weld 15 22.1 63.5
Weld 16 23.5 67.8
Weld 17 25.1 71.9
Weld 18 26.5 76.9
Weld 19 28.1 80.5
Weld 20 29.7 83.9
Weld 21 31.3 87.1
Weld 22 32.9 91.4
Weld 23 34.2 96.3
Weld 24 35.5 101.5
Weld 25 36.9 106.6
Weld 26 38.4 109.8

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Weld 27 39.9 114.0
Weld 28 41.3 119.1
Weld 29 42.9 123.1
Weld 30 44.4 126.6
Weld 31 45.9 129.9
Weld 32 47.6 134.1
Weld 33 49.2 138.9
Weld 34 50.8 143.6
Weld 35 52.2 146.8
Weld 36 53.9 149.8
Weld 37 55.3 152.9
Weld 38 57.0 157.1
Weld 38 58.5 160.9
Weld 40 60.1 164.8
Weld 41 61.7 168.1
Weld 42 63.3 171.3
Weld 43 65.0 175.6
Weld 44 66.4 180.1
Weld 45 67.7 183.9
Weld 46 69.1 188.8
Weld 47 70.7 192.9
Weld 48 72.2 197.7
Weld 49 73.7 202.7
Weld 50 75.1 205.9
Weld 51 76.8 209.2
Weld 52 78.2 213.0
Weld 53 79.6 218.7
Weld 54 81.0 223.5
Weld 55 82.5 228.1
Weld 56 84.0 231.9
Weld 57 85.5 235.8
Weld 58 86.8 240.0

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Weld 59 88.2 243.1
Weld 60 89.6 246.9
Weld 61 91.0 251.3
Weld 62 92.5 256.1
Weld 63 94.0 260.9
Weld 64 95.6 266.1
Weld 65 97.1 271.9
Weld 66 98.5 277.5
Weld 67 100.2 281.7
Weld 68 101.9 285.5
Weld 69 103.3 289.4
Weld 70 104.4 283.4

78
 Time taken for manual welding and Robotic welding vs
Weldnumber
350

300
y = 4.1472x + 0.1766
R² = 0.9996

250
Time in seconds

200

150

y = 1.5103x - 0.6796
100 R² = 0.9999

50

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Weld number

Robotic Welding Manual Welding

Figure 4.3 Graph 2(a) Time vs weld number for operator B and manually taught robot
for 1st half

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Table 4.4 Time taken by the manually taught robot and operator A for the second half
of the lamination sheet

Weld Number Time taken by manually Time taken by the operator

taught robot(sec) B(sec)
Weld 71 2.2 4.3
Weld 72 3.4 8.1
Weld 73 4.9 11.5
Weld 74 6.4 16.5
Weld 75 7.8 21.8
Weld 76 9.4 25.5
Weld 77 11.0 28.7
Weld 78 12.3 31.7
Weld 79 13.8 36.5
Weld 80 15.0 41.8
Weld 81 16.6 47.2
Weld 82 17.9 53.1
Weld 83 19.4 57.4
Weld 84 21.0 61.6
Weld 85 22.4 66.8
Weld 86 23.8 72.4
Weld 87 25.4 75.7
Weld 88 26.9 78.7
Weld 89 28.4 81.8
Weld 90 29.9 85
Weld 91 31.3 88.3
Weld 92 32.8 91.7
Weld 93 34.3 95.3
Weld 94 36.0 98.7
Weld 95 37.4 102.2
Weld 96 38.7 105.9

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Weld 97 40.1 110.3
Weld 98 42.0 115.3
Weld 99 43.2 120.1
Weld 100 44.6 124.8
Weld 101 46.0 129.1
Weld 102 47.7 133.9
Weld 103 49.3 138.4
Weld 104 50.8 143.7
Weld 105 52.2 147.3
Weld 106 53.5 151
Weld 107 54.9 156.3
Weld 108 56.2 161.1
Weld 109 57.8 164.9
Weld 110 59.2 169.9

81
 Time taken for manual welding and Robotic welding vs
Weldnumber
180

y = 4.1823x + 0.6208
R² = 0.9983
160

140

120
Time in seconds

100

80

60 y = 1.4725x + 0.4612
R² = 0.9999

40

20

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
Weld number

Robotic Welding Manual Welding

Figure 4.4 Graph 2(b) Time vs weld number for operator B and manually taught robot
for 2nd half

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 4.1.1 Interpretation of the Graphs

From the above graphs which are drawn by taking the time taken for completing a weld
manually and by robot in the Y axis and the weld number in the x axis following points can be
interpreted
a) The time taken by the Robot with the experimental welding set up for the 70 weld points in
the first half of the lamination sheet is 104.4 seconds whereas the operator A takes 434.8
seconds to complete the actual spot welding process.

b) The operator B takes 283.4 seconds to complete the spot welding of the 70 points in the first
half of the lamination sheet.

c) The time taken by the Robot with the experimental set up to complete the 40 weld points in the
second half of the lamination sheet is 59.2 seconds and the operator A takes 287.4 seconds to
complete the actual spot welding process.

d) The operator B takes 169.4 seconds to complete the spot welding of the 40 weld points in the
second half.

e) The altogether time taken by the robot to complete the 110 weld points in the lamination sheet
is 163.6 seconds including the time taken for its rotation from the first half to the second half
of the lamination sheet.

f) The time taken by the operator A to complete the 110 weld points is 722.2 seconds.

g) The time taken by the operator B for complete the 110 weld points is 452.8 seconds.

h) From the graphs it is clear that manual welding is not at all consistent and it is completely
depended on the skill and the experience of the operator who is doing it.

i) The R-square value shown in the graphs are statistical measure of how close the data are to the
fitted regression line. It is also known as the coefficient of determination. It can also be defined
as the percentage of response variable variation that is explained by a linear model.

83
j) The R-square value for the manual welding plot in the Graph 1(a) is 0.9994 and that in Graph
1(b) is also 0.9994 whereas the R-square value for manual welding in Graphs 2(a) and Graph
2(b) are 0.9996 and 0.9983 respectively.

k) The R-square value for the robotic welding in the Graph 1(a), Graph 1(b), Graph 2 (a) and
Graph 2(b) are 0.9999.

l) The constant R-square value for the robotic welding in all the four values shows the consistency
of the robotic welding when compared with the manual welding.

4.2 Comparison between manually programmed method and CAD to PATH

method
a) The important difference between a manually programmed robot and a robot programmed
using the CAD to PATH method is in the time taken for its initial set up. By using the method
of manually teaching method takes 3 minutes for an operator to teach a weld point accurately.
There are 110 weld points in the lamination sheet which takes around 330 minutes and may be
more depending upon the skill of the operator. It will take another 30 minutes to apply the logic
to the program and make it run and another 30 minutes for testing the program. That means it
takes almost an entire shift to make the initial teaching process of the robot. In the other case
that is the CAD to PATH approach it is taking only below 15 minutes to extract the co-ordinates
from the CAD drawing and to program the robot and it takes half an hour to do the testing. So
all together it will take 45 minutes. So there is a huge difference in time for the initial
programming of both the methods.

84
 Comparison of different methods vs Time

450
400
30
350 30
Time in Minutes

300
250
200
150 330
100
50
30
0 5
10
Manuallty taught CAD to PATH
robot
Different methods

Figure 4.5 Comparison of manually taught and CAD to PATH method

b) In the manually teaching method the robot operations are interrupted during the programming
of the robot because the operator is manually moving the robot with the teach pendant and
teaching all the points. This causes decrease in productivity due to the down time of the robot.
In the other using the CAD to PATH approach programs are prepared without interruptions of
robot operation, resulting in reduction of robot down time, which means flexibility and an
increase in productivity.

c) Another important factor that should be considered while working with the robot is the risk
involved during programming and the safety of the programmer. In the manual teaching
method the programmer should stand inside the robots working environment and that to he
should be very close to the robot for the visual inspection of the exact location of the points
while teaching the weld points to the robots. Any small mistakes of the programmer or
malfunction of any of the parts of the robot can harm the programmer. So the risk involved in
this method is very high. In the CAD to PATH approach the programmer is removed from the
potentially dangerous environment as most of the program development is executed away from

85
 the robot. Thus in this approach the time during which the programmer is at risk from aberrant
robot behavior is less compared to the manual teaching method.

d) The manually taught robot program is same for the lamination of all the 270 MW generators
with the same dimension and same variant. If ventilation spacer bars are to be welded on any
other generator with a different rating and different dimensions of the lamination sheet the
programmer should teach all the welding points which takes a lot of time. But in the case of
CAD to PATH method the co-ordinates can be directly extracted from the CAD drawing and
the program can be fed to the robot using the co-ordinates which saves a lot of time.

e) Another important advantage of the CAD to PATH approach when compares to the manual
teaching method is that, it makes the programming effort easy for the programmer. The
programming effort can be moved from the robot operator in the work environment to the
engineer in the office.

f) In CAD to PATH approach modifications to the existing programs can be made easily without
taking the trouble of teaching the movement to the robot as in the manual teaching method.

g) Error analysis is comparatively easy in CAD to PATH approach when compared to the
manual teaching approach.

Experimental results of both the manual teaching method and the CAD to PATH method shows
that it will take only 163 seconds to complete the 110 weld points of the ventilation spacer bars
of a lamination sheet whereas the manual labour taking a minimum an average of 10 minutes
based on the skills and the experience of the operator. The most expected result of this project
is reducing the time taken for the welding of the spacer bars on the lamination sheet which is
achieved with the proposed methods in this thesis.

86
 CHAPTER 5
Conclusion: Outcomes and Future Scope
The main objective of this project was to develop a Robotic work-cell for automatic spot
welding of ventilation spacer bars on lamination sheets for Turbo Generator of ratings
150MW/270MW and thereby reducing the human effort and the risk factor included while
handling the lamination sheet and also increase the productivity. Two methods are discussed
for the spot-welding of the ventilation spacer bars on the lamination sheet in this thesis. The
first method is the method of programming the robot by manual teaching of all the weld points
in the lamination sheet by manually moving the robot using the teach pendant. The second
method is the CAD to PATH approach in which the co-ordinates of the weld points will be
directly extracted from the CAD drawing and this co-ordinates are used for the programming
of the robot using Visual Basic Application.

5.1 Outcome

a) Two methods are developed for the automatic spot welding of the ventilation spacer bars in the
lamination sheet. The first method programming the robot by manually teaching all the weld
points to the robot. The second method is extracting the co-ordinates from the CAD drawing
and programming the robot using a programming language using this co-ordinates.

b) By both the methods the time taken to complete the welding of the 110 weld points in the
lamination sheet is 163 seconds whereas an operator will take an average of 10 minutes to
complete the process depends on his skill and experience.

c) The percentage of decrease in time taken for welding when compared with the manual process
is 66.67%.

d) The consistency of the robotic welding is much higher than the manual welding which can be
clearly understood from the graphs plotted.

87
e) A considerable increase in production from spot welding of 8 lamination sheets to 32
lamination sheets can be achieved by the automated process.

f) The rate of production can be increased by 300% when compared with the manual welding
process.

g) The manual handling of the lamination sheets by the workers can be avoided and thereby
reducing risk.

h) The quality of the weld joints can be improved considerably there by reducing the rate of
rejection due to the lack of quality of the welds.

i) The initial set up of manual teaching of the robot is time taking when compared with that of
CAD to PATH approach in which the co-ordinates are directly extracted from CAD drawing
and programmed using Visual Basic Application.

j) The robot operation are interrupted during the manual programming which leads to decrease
in productivity where as in CAD to PATH approach the programming can be done without
interrupting the robot working.

k) The risk involved in the CAD to PATH approach is very less compared to that in the manual
programming because the programmer should stand inside the robot’s work environment in the
manual programming where in CAD to PATH approach the most of the programming is
executed away from the robot.

l) The programming effort is easy for the programmer in the CAD to PATH approach when
compared to that in manual teaching method.

So considering all the above fact the CAD to PATH approach can be considered as the best
method for the automated spot welding of the ventilation spacer bars in the lamination sheet.

88
5.2 Future Scope
The future scope of this thesis are

5.2.1 Path Optimization

The path in which the robot is moving for carrying out the welding process is chosen on the
basis of the nearest distance between the welding points. The path is chosen on the basis of the
measurement of the distances between the weld points and also on the basis of visual
inspection. The time taken to complete the 110 weld points in the ventilation spacer bars can
still be reduced if the path of the robot motion is optimized using some of the optimization
techniques. If the time taken for completing the welding process is reduced it will increase the
productivity. Any of the optimization techniques such as Travelling salesman method, Ant
colony Optimization method, Genetic Algorithm, Particle swarm optimization, Dijkstra’s
algorithm can be used for the optimization of the robot path. By using any of these methods a
slight difference in the time taken for welding can be made.

5.2.2 Extension of this Method to Other Products

The spot welding process using a robot is not cost effective for many small productions. If the
spot welding gun is attached with the robot it will make the structure complex and it is not
suitable for simple application. With the approach mentioned in this thesis, that is a stationary
spot welding gun and moving robot the application of the robot can be extended to similar
applications. By automating the similar welding operations in the industry by robot the time
taking will be reduced considerably and the productivity will increase. It will also decrease the
risk involved when handling the sharp edges of the products also the risk involved while spot
welding it.

89
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