An architecture for an adaptive, flexible robotic welding system

A single computer containing a central processing unit (CPU) of the 8-bit or 16-bit type is ordinarily employed for the control of modern robotic processing cells. The computer system together with the actuator servo circuits is referred to as the 'controller'. The detailed capabilities of the controller and the architecture of the system in which it is contained become especially important in the case of high-unit-value, low-batch-count manufacturing. In the production of aerospace components and military electronics, the requirements for an automated system demand a much higher level of flexibility and adaptivity than is needed in the case of most consumer-goods product lines. The present investigation is concerned with a particular manufacturing process involving the TIG (tungsten inert gas) welding of Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) components. Attention is given to an approach for achieving the required characteristics in an integrated, hierarchical robotic welding system.