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Applied Machine Vision Laboratory
Contact: Dr. YuMing Zhang,
Center for Manufacturing, University
of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506. Phone: 859/257-6262 Ext.
223; Fax: 859/323-1035; email: ymzhang@engr.uky.edu.
The Applied Machine Vision Laboratory operates within the
Center for Manufacturing, a unit of the University of Kentucky's
College of Engineering. The center is made up of several applied
research laboratories that develop practical technologies
for industry.
Working closely with the automotive and piping industries,
the vision laboratory has focused on developing automated
real-time systems that can inspect weld quality and control
adaptive welding. These new inspection systems can spot defects
like undercuts, porosity, craters, burning-through, and penetration
insufficiency at a frame rate of up to 1000 images per second.
The adaptive welding systems can adjust torch and welding
parameters on-line, based on real-time measurement of the
groove geometry (for the root pass) and weld profiles (for
the succeeding pass).
Automated Weld Quality Inspection Systems
Submerged Arc Welding Process Control
System
Technical Specialties
External Funding
Automated Weld Quality
Inspection Systems
A number of automated weld quality inspection systems have
been developed and installed on the shop floor for wheel weld
quality inspection. The inspection cycle ranges from 72 to
90 wheels per minute depending on the type of the inspection
system. One type of inspection system monitors the heat-affected
zone from the back to determine the weld quality while the
wheel is rotating. Another type of inspection system projects
a laser stripe to the weld on the rotating wheel. Different
defects such as porosity, burn-through holes, craters, and
undercut can be inspected from the geometry of the laser stripe
at a 1 mm increment.
Submerged Arc Welding
Process Control System
The system was originally developed for the welding of propane
tanks. A cylinder is overlapped on a cast head and joined
by submerged arc welding. The groove of the cylinder is prepared
by plasma cutting and the groove of the head is formed during
casting. The first pass is intended to achieve approximately
60 percent partial penetration. A laser stripe is projected
to image the groove geometry. The wire speed and torch position
are adjusted on-line based on the groove geometry to achieve
the desired weld penetration level during the first pass.
The wire speed, arc voltage, and torch position are controlled
on-line to achieve the desired weld profile during the second
pass.
Technical Specialties
Real-Time Image Processing; Manufacturing Processes/Systems,
Systems Integration.
External Funding
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Dr. YuMing Zhang
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