Technology for Shipbuilding Affordability

"Effective implementation of laser welding in shipbuilding is hampered by a number of issues: large capital equipment investments, multi-faceted robotic control issues, lack of effective weld cell concepts and the lack of intelligent optics for laserprocess control. This project proposes to develop a process and an intelligent optics for laser welding that allows thick section welding in multiple paths. Multiple path welding drastically decreases the required laser power and allows the use of morecost effective standard laser systems. The developed intelligent optic incorporates seam tracking, closed looped with beam steering to adjust the laser beam to the joint requirements of the respective path. It is also easy to integrate into the robotcell. Necessary steps will be identified to adapt the intelligent optic to the requirements for appropriate joint design, fixturing, weld cell design for shipbuilding structures, and off-line programming features needed for effective integration into alarge volume, non-standard welding application. Visotek's laser welding optics is a highly integrated product that fits on almost every robot. If offers seam tracking closed looped with beam steering, simplified clamping, the possibility for on-linequality monitoring and sophisticated interfaces that allow the user to comply with high quality standards. The intelligent integrated optic created in the I-Low program will be an enabler to the use