Height control of the welding torch at wire and arc additive manufacturing

Namen dela je bila izdelava krmilnega algoritma, ki uspešno prilagaja višino varilnega gorilnika med postopkom obločnega oblikovnega navarjanja. Opisana je raziskava krmiljenja višine navarjanja kovinskega materiala s postopkom obločnega navarjanja v zaščiti aktivnega plina (MAG). Varilni gorilnik je bil pritrjen na stojalo, pod njim pa je bila pomično vpeta 3-osna CNC miza. Po vsaki dokončani plasti smo z izmerjeno vrednostjo jakosti varilnega toka izračunali pomik varilnega gorilnika po višini. Uspešno smo izdelali algoritem za nastavljanje višine gorilnika, ki na podlagi meritev jakosti varilnega toka pomika varilni gorilnik znotraj nastavljenih mejnih vrednosti. S tem zagotavljamo konstantno oddaljenost varilnega gorilnika od izdelka med varjenjem posameznih plasti pri varjenju izdelkov z večjim številom slojev. Krmilni algoritem omogoča ponovljivo izdelovanje izdelkov brez pretiranega ugotavljanja višine posamezne plasti pri obločnem oblikovnem navarjanju.In this thesis a research regarding layer height control of mild steel is conducted. The goal was to make a computer algorithm, with which we can successfully control the height of the welding torch during the process of additive welding. The proces used was metal active gas (MAG). Welding gun was attached to a stand and a CNC table was movably mounted below it. With it we achieved movement in three axes, x, y and z. Through experiments conducted we calculated the ratio between the distance of the welding gun from the welding piece and welding current. After each finished layer we calculated height increment of the welding torch in the next layer. We successfully built an algorithm that allowed height control of the welding torch within the set limits, during the process of additive welding. With it a constant distance between the welding piece and welding torch is maintained when welding pieces with a large number of layers. This algorithm enables us to reproduce products without excessive determination of individual layer height during additive welding