Suwandi Marwoto, Danang Dwi Saputro, Karnowo Karnowo, Sonika Maulana

Welding Automation Design using Metal Inert Gas for Straight and Circular Welding

Introduction

Welding automation design using metal inert gas for straight and circular welding. Automated MIG welding machine design with Arduino and stepper motors for precise straight and circular welds. Learn its control, movement, testing, and performance for enhanced weld quality.

Abstract

An automatic welding machine is a tool used to carry out welding semi-automatically. The welding process is carried out using an Arduino as a microcontroller and a TB6560 driver as a Nema 23 stepper motor driver. Operation of the tool is carried out using Candle software. The tool movement system uses a lead screw and nut block on the Z axis as well as a timing belt and timing pulley to drive the X and Y axes. This machine has dimensions of 1200 mm long, 800 mm wide and 1250 mm high. The research model used is RnD. Tool testing is carried out by giving movement commands in the form of straight lines and circles to determine the accuracy of the movement, then testing is carried out using a welding machine to determine the welding results. Testing was carried out with variations of straight lines with variations of 18 mm, 24 mm, 25 mm, 30 mm, 36 mm, 42 mm, 50 mm, 75 mm, 100 mm, 125 mm and circle variations of 50 mm, 75 mm and 100 mm. Each variation was tested 3 times to produce an average backlash of 0.250 mm. Automatic welding machine can produce neat and even welds on straight welding, but there are still shortcomings in the results of circular and square welding. Adjustment of welding parameters and settings on the welding machine used needs to be done to improve the quality of the weld results.

Review

This paper presents a design for an automated Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding machine, focusing on its application for straight and circular welding paths. The chosen architecture, leveraging an Arduino microcontroller, TB6560 driver, and Nema 23 stepper motors, offers an accessible and cost-effective approach to welding automation. The integration of Candle software for operation, combined with a lead screw and nut block for the Z-axis and timing belts for X and Y axes, demonstrates a practical design for achieving controlled movement. The adoption of an R&D model to develop this machine, with substantial dimensions, suggests an intent for a robust and versatile prototype. The methodology involves rigorous testing of the machine's movement accuracy across various straight-line and circular path lengths, with each variation tested three times to establish reliability. A key quantitative finding is the average backlash of 0.250 mm, which provides a tangible measure of the system's precision. Encouragingly, the system successfully produces "neat and even welds" for straight-line tasks, indicating the fundamental viability of the mechanical and control design for simpler geometries. This positive outcome for straight welds highlights a promising foundation for further development. However, the abstract also clearly identifies limitations, noting "shortcomings in the results of circular and square welding." While the movement accuracy tests focus on straight lines and circles, the mention of "square welding" results suggests either an unstated test case or an inference from circular path issues. The proposed solution — "adjustment of welding parameters and settings on the welding machine" — points to a crucial area for future work. To strengthen the findings, a deeper investigation into how factors like travel speed, wire feed rate, voltage, and gas flow specifically interact with path curvature and cornering (for square welds) would be highly beneficial. Additionally, exploring how the measured backlash of 0.250 mm might contribute to the observed deficiencies in non-linear welds could offer insights for design refinements or advanced control compensation strategies.

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