A Low Cost, Touchless Tracking Alternative for Welding Ship Panel Stiffeners

Ship structures are fabricated from steel plates with thousands of reinforcing stiffeners welded to them. Each stiffener requires a quality weld.Existing welding machinery typically use a mechanical or electronic torch tracking system. Quality welds can be obtained with both systems, but each has drawbacks. The mechanical guidance systems are not capable of tracking all weld joints. Electronicsystems command a sizable investment. Electronic guidance system prices can be up to $50,000 per torch. A typical automated stiffener welding machine can contain as many as 8 weld torches, along with 8 guidance systems.Phase 1 of our project is to develop a low cost tracking system with superior tracking and minimal maintenance. The torch tracking will be a