TORCH end-effector and TIG electrode changeout design for a TIG welding robot used in metal big area additive manufacturing

Christopher Masuo; Andrzej Nycz; Mark W. Noakes; Jared Bell; Justin Killian; Chandler Oakley; William R. Hamel

doi:10.1115/IMECE2018-86726

TORCH end-effector and TIG electrode changeout design for a TIG welding robot used in metal big area additive manufacturing

Christopher Masuo
, Andrzej Nycz
, Mark W. Noakes
, Jared Bell
, Justin Killian
, Chandler Oakley
, William R. Hamel

Manufacturing Robotics and Control

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

Abstract

Metal Big Area Additive Manufacturing (mBAAM) is a promising approach to large-scale metal additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing. The mBAAM system uses an arc-based wire-fed welding robot to build metal parts. A multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm is known for its extensive range of motion and reliable tool handling. Attaching a torch end-effector to a robotic arm gives it welding capabilities; however, this decreases the motion range and dynamics of the robot. As a result, build volume and printing accuracy are decreased. Additionally, only a portion of time is spent printing in an arc-based process. Maintenance leads to downtime on the system. In a tungsten inert gas (TIG)-based process, the torch electrode wears out over time and must be changed to avoid defective deposition. This paper proposes an approach for a compact torch end-effector to improve the robot's build volume. This paper also proposes an approach to reducing non-printing process time by designing and implementing a semi-automated electrode changing system.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Advanced Manufacturing
Publisher	American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
ISBN (Electronic)	9780791852019
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1115/IMECE2018-86726
State	Published - 2018
Event	ASME 2018 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, IMECE 2018 - Pittsburgh, United States Duration: Nov 9 2018 → Nov 15 2018

Publication series

Name	ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Proceedings (IMECE)
Volume	2

Conference

Conference	ASME 2018 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, IMECE 2018
Country/Territory	United States
City	Pittsburgh
Period	11/9/18 → 11/15/18

Funding

Notice of Copyright This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The United States Government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the United States Government retains a non-exclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, world-wide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for United States Government purposes. The Department of Energy will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan (http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan).

Keywords

3D Printing
Electrode Changeout Design
Metal Big Area Additive Manufacturing
Robotic Welding Arm
Torch End-Effector Design

Access to Document

10.1115/IMECE2018-86726

Cite this

Masuo, C., Nycz, A., Noakes, M. W., Bell, J., Killian, J., Oakley, C., & Hamel, W. R. (2018). TORCH end-effector and TIG electrode changeout design for a TIG welding robot used in metal big area additive manufacturing. In Advanced Manufacturing (ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Proceedings (IMECE); Vol. 2). American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). https://doi.org/10.1115/IMECE2018-86726

@inproceedings{d696e21993114ea682f11a353b42a608,

title = "TORCH end-effector and TIG electrode changeout design for a TIG welding robot used in metal big area additive manufacturing",

abstract = "Metal Big Area Additive Manufacturing (mBAAM) is a promising approach to large-scale metal additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing. The mBAAM system uses an arc-based wire-fed welding robot to build metal parts. A multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm is known for its extensive range of motion and reliable tool handling. Attaching a torch end-effector to a robotic arm gives it welding capabilities; however, this decreases the motion range and dynamics of the robot. As a result, build volume and printing accuracy are decreased. Additionally, only a portion of time is spent printing in an arc-based process. Maintenance leads to downtime on the system. In a tungsten inert gas (TIG)-based process, the torch electrode wears out over time and must be changed to avoid defective deposition. This paper proposes an approach for a compact torch end-effector to improve the robot's build volume. This paper also proposes an approach to reducing non-printing process time by designing and implementing a semi-automated electrode changing system.",

keywords = "3D Printing, Electrode Changeout Design, Metal Big Area Additive Manufacturing, Robotic Welding Arm, Torch End-Effector Design",

author = "Christopher Masuo and Andrzej Nycz and Noakes, \{Mark W.\} and Jared Bell and Justin Killian and Chandler Oakley and Hamel, \{William R.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: Copyright {\textcopyright} 2018 ASME; ASME 2018 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, IMECE 2018 ; Conference date: 09-11-2018 Through 15-11-2018",

year = "2018",

doi = "10.1115/IMECE2018-86726",

language = "English",

series = "ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Proceedings (IMECE)",

publisher = "American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)",

booktitle = "Advanced Manufacturing",

}

Masuo, C , Nycz, A, Noakes, MW, Bell, J, Killian, J, Oakley, C & Hamel, WR 2018, TORCH end-effector and TIG electrode changeout design for a TIG welding robot used in metal big area additive manufacturing. in Advanced Manufacturing. ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Proceedings (IMECE), vol. 2, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), ASME 2018 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, IMECE 2018, Pittsburgh, United States, 11/9/18. https://doi.org/10.1115/IMECE2018-86726

TORCH end-effector and TIG electrode changeout design for a TIG welding robot used in metal big area additive manufacturing. / Masuo, Christopher ; Nycz, Andrzej; Noakes, Mark W. et al.
Advanced Manufacturing. American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), 2018. (ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Proceedings (IMECE); Vol. 2).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - TORCH end-effector and TIG electrode changeout design for a TIG welding robot used in metal big area additive manufacturing

AU - Masuo, Christopher

AU - Nycz, Andrzej

AU - Noakes, Mark W.

AU - Bell, Jared

AU - Killian, Justin

AU - Oakley, Chandler

AU - Hamel, William R.

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

N2 - Metal Big Area Additive Manufacturing (mBAAM) is a promising approach to large-scale metal additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing. The mBAAM system uses an arc-based wire-fed welding robot to build metal parts. A multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm is known for its extensive range of motion and reliable tool handling. Attaching a torch end-effector to a robotic arm gives it welding capabilities; however, this decreases the motion range and dynamics of the robot. As a result, build volume and printing accuracy are decreased. Additionally, only a portion of time is spent printing in an arc-based process. Maintenance leads to downtime on the system. In a tungsten inert gas (TIG)-based process, the torch electrode wears out over time and must be changed to avoid defective deposition. This paper proposes an approach for a compact torch end-effector to improve the robot's build volume. This paper also proposes an approach to reducing non-printing process time by designing and implementing a semi-automated electrode changing system.

AB - Metal Big Area Additive Manufacturing (mBAAM) is a promising approach to large-scale metal additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing. The mBAAM system uses an arc-based wire-fed welding robot to build metal parts. A multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm is known for its extensive range of motion and reliable tool handling. Attaching a torch end-effector to a robotic arm gives it welding capabilities; however, this decreases the motion range and dynamics of the robot. As a result, build volume and printing accuracy are decreased. Additionally, only a portion of time is spent printing in an arc-based process. Maintenance leads to downtime on the system. In a tungsten inert gas (TIG)-based process, the torch electrode wears out over time and must be changed to avoid defective deposition. This paper proposes an approach for a compact torch end-effector to improve the robot's build volume. This paper also proposes an approach to reducing non-printing process time by designing and implementing a semi-automated electrode changing system.

KW - 3D Printing

KW - Electrode Changeout Design

KW - Metal Big Area Additive Manufacturing

KW - Robotic Welding Arm

KW - Torch End-Effector Design

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M3 - Conference contribution

AN - SCOPUS:85060380577

T3 - ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Proceedings (IMECE)

BT - Advanced Manufacturing

PB - American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)

T2 - ASME 2018 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, IMECE 2018

Y2 - 9 November 2018 through 15 November 2018

ER -

Masuo C , Nycz A, Noakes MW, Bell J, Killian J, Oakley C et al. TORCH end-effector and TIG electrode changeout design for a TIG welding robot used in metal big area additive manufacturing. In Advanced Manufacturing. American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). 2018. (ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Proceedings (IMECE)). doi: 10.1115/IMECE2018-86726

TORCH end-effector and TIG electrode changeout design for a TIG welding robot used in metal big area additive manufacturing

Abstract

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Funding

Keywords

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