Manufacturing for the military requires the capture of an immense amount of detail from the conceptual stage to the finished product. Each entity working on a project—suppliers, manufacturers, quality control, auditors—are handed specifications that must be followed to a “T,” and every step of their processes must be meticulously documented. By automating these processes, data can be captured as the part is being made, simplifying reporting and creating a more accurate product.
Our customers are metal fabricators performing welding operations on heavy-duty parts that fit into larger systems or vessels, missile tubes built into a defense mechanism or deflection devices for a ship, for example. They invest in our modular automated welding systems for a variety of reasons, chief among them the accuracy and precision of the weld itself. A fully automated system also offers traceability on parts via laser scanning technology that provides direct data feedback about every square inch of weld metal fill volume. Laser scanning can be used to check for weld metal volume, verify the amount of weld metal deposition, detect where the metal is being deposited, and note whether there is any deformation in the part resulting from the deposit. Additionally, it measures thermic temperatures during the weld process determining pre-pass and inter-pass temperatures allowing accurate determination of heat-affected zones.
Customers can set our machinery to operate in any way they prefer. Once they enter specifications mandated by the military customer, customers can set up their own parameters. Some of our customers program the machinery to set off an alarm and automatically stop the welding process. Other companies prefer to set the alarm to go off when the data is within 10% of the pre-programmed maximum/minimum range, but the entire operation continues to move.
For example, take a large tube application in which 12 layers of fill are necessary. On the sixth layer, and at 12 degrees past datum, an anomaly is detected where the heat range drops significantly—from 900 amps to 400 amps—and weld metal volume is lost. The operator needs to go back and fill in that void. An alarm sounds, and the operator repairs the weld. The system records the point in the weld at which this occurs so that when the robot makes future weld passes, it’s documented that there was an anomaly at level 12. In the end, the part will pass inspection more easily because the records are accurate and generated in real-time. On the other hand, when doing manual welds, the welder may take a break but there is no documentation as to where, when and how long the break took. There is no record of the stop and start point of the weld, whether a void was created or the degree of adhesion.
One of our customers, a contractor for the United States Navy, has five of our systems installed, from column and boom to gas metal arc robotic welding (and the software that controls it) to perform a root pass on extremely thick alloys. An inside and outside pass are done on a tubular structure while weld volume, inner-pass temperature and outer-pass temperature are measured, ensuring the pre-set heat range is met. The workpiece is then X-rayed as part of the inspection process. Data is analyzed to ensure there are no deficiencies or anomalies that fall outside of their set range.
Qualifications for new manufacturing processes can take two to two and a half years on average. An automated laser scan system can help streamline approvals and eliminate extra time because they are able to pre-prove a lot of these processes.
Another example is Ingalls Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, a shipbuilder that has built nearly 70% of the U.S. Navy surface fleet of warships. Laser scanning technology has helped Ingalls to reduce the time it would typically take to obtain their NAVSEA certification to use robotic welding for the manufacture of chip panels. NAVSEA sets the specifications for what can and cannot be done during manufacturing for U.S. Navy vessels.
Ingalls’ use of a proprietary laser-hybrid arc welding (LHAW) process, combined with tandem MAG controlled by laser scanning software developed for shipbuilding, has enabled them to realize reduced labor output from resources and increased throughput quality while monitoring and managing both simultaneously. During the LHAW process, a sharp laser beam creates a weld metal pool followed by a traditional series of weld metal fill volume. In doing that, the laser creates a narrowly focused beam of heat with fill metal behind it. Once the pool is created and the metals are preheated, a much lower temperature for the weld metal fill results. Our proprietary clamping technology almost completely reduces warpage.
Automated robotic welding systems drastically reduce guesswork during the welding process by following welding paths generated from data entered into the software system by a skilled welder and by scans performed by robotic arms. The scans perform a double-duty of sorts—then ensure a stable repeatable welding process and capture the process data every step of the way. Automated systems take the deviation out of the weld with constant monitoring and consistent speed of rotation and speed of metal fill and consistent and monitored heat range. Whether you’re making a rocket nozzle or a submarine torpedo tube, laser scanning offers a controlled process that gives manufacturers the edge when vying for military contracts.
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