A vision system for laser welding monitoring

Francesco Giuradei
Tutor: Prof. Giovanna Sansoni Co-tutor : Ing. Paolo Bellandi

The context
Collaboration between the Laboratory of Optoelectronics and Tube Tech Machinery for the development of a vision system for on-line monitoring of aluminum welding. Tube Tech Machinery Iron Cut and weld machinery Investment in research Aluminum
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The laser welding system

Laser source Welding Head

Laser beam

WORKPIECE

Process parameters
Laser source Welding Head

Porosity

Cracking
Power Focusing SHIELDING GAS

Humping
WORKPIECE

SPEED

Droplet
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Techniques for quality control

Visual inspection Mechanical tests Penetrating liquids Eddy currents X rays
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ON-LINE

On-line control of laser welding

Elaboration of the infrared signal plasma generated Elaboration of the UV signal emitted by the plasmaemesso dal plasma Vision system (imaging of the melting pool)
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ON-LINE

On-line control of the process

Laser Driver Welding Head

FEEDBACK

Laser beam

videocamera

Image Acquisition
WORKPIECE

Image Elaboration

Control by means of a vision system

Image elaboration, no external lightening

The performed at the Optolab

Basler scA139017gm/gc videocamera

Vision acquisition system EVS (NI)

The welding machine S 5.12 (Tubetech) Under evaluation: Cavilux HF, laser diode illumination system

Images of the emlting pool during the welding

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The developed Vieweld tool

Vieweld: tool for elaborating and analysing the images captured during the welding
It analyses images acquired in the absence of suitable external illumination NI Imaq Vision

It analyses images acquired in the absence of suitable external illumination

PLASMA ANALYSIS

WELD POOL ANALYSIS

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The Vieweld funcional block scheme

VIEWELD

Play a video

Plasma Analysis

Weld Pool Analysis

Play video false

Frame Analysis

Plasma Graph

Preprocessing

Analysis

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Play a video

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The Vieweld tool

VIEWELD

Play a video

Plasma Analysis

Weld Pool Analysis

Play video false

Frame Analysis

Plasma Graph

Preprocessing

Analysis

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Plasma Analysis: elaboration strategy

False color visualization Blob Analysis
dimension Center of mass Orientation

Analysis of the image profiles

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Plasma Analysis: Frame Analysis

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Plasma Analysis: Plasma Graph

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Acquisitions on the welding machine

Machine TS 5.12, TubeTech Machinery, Rodengo Saiano (BS) Variation of the welding : Laser power Velocity Focusing of the lens Variation of the acquisition parameters: Camera integration time
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Elaboration strategies
Correlation between the laser power and the blob plasma dimension Monitoring of sputtering during the process

Monitoring of the keyhole formation

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The Vieweld tool

VIEWELD

Play a video

Plasma Analysis

Weld Pool Analysis

Play video false

Frame Analysis

Plasma Graph

Preprocessing

Analysis

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Weld Pool Analysis: Preprocessing

1: Selection of image region of interest ROI

2: Equalization

3: Spatial filtering

4: Thresholding

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Weld Pool Analysis: image analysis

Profile segmentation

Weld pool geometry

Drop out evaluation

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Weld Pool Analysis: image analysis

Profile segmentation

Weld pool geometry

Drop Out evaluation

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Weld Pool Analysis: image analysis

Profile segmentation

Weld pool geometry

Drop out evaluation

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Vieweld: Weld Pool Analysis

Preprocessing

Analysis
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Tests on benchmark images: geometry

Measurement of the weld pool geometry and position

Weld pool width

Tracking

Pixel

Pixel

Analysed images

Analysed images

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Tests on benchmark images: drop out

Quantitative estimate of droplet and sputtering

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Flexibility of the elaboration

Measurement of the porosity

Measurement of the keyhole dimension Evaluation of the level of solidification

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Conclusions
Plasma Analysis: it is possible to correlate the welding parameters to the image information Weld Pool Analysis: High potentiality from laser diode illumination systems, to acquire the weld pool area Next step: further image analysis required to study the process

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