The development history of welding robots can be traced back to the mid-20th century. With the needs of industrial automation and technological advancement, welding robots have experienced an evolution from simple to complex, from single function to multi-functional. The following are several important stages in the development of welding robots:
Early development stages:
From the late 1950s to the 1990s, the development of welding robots can be summarized as the "teaching-reproduction" robot stage. This type of robot does not have the ability to feedback external information and can only work according to pre-programmed programs. It is difficult to adapt to environmental changes and its application is limited.
Technological progress stage:
At the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, welding robot technology has developed significantly. The research and application of high-frequency inverter technology and digital welding technology began, and a group of welding experts and leaders emerged in China, such as Pan Jikui, Guan Qiao, Xu Binshi, Lin Shangyang, etc.
Intelligent stage:
With the complexity of industrial scenarios and the development of the new energy industry, welding robots are increasingly used in metallurgy, petroleum, electronic equipment, new energy vehicles, new energy batteries, containers and other fields. At the same time, in the face of complex operating scenarios, different welding materials and different levels of welding requirements, a variety of welding processes have been developed, which can be roughly divided into three categories: fusion welding, pressure welding and brazing.
Intelligent challenges:
The intelligent development of welding robots faces multiple challenges, including differences in welding materials, processes, welding machines, current waveforms, voltages and other factors that will affect the setting of welding robot parameters. Therefore, it is relatively difficult to include parameters in the welding master library.
Application extension:
Welding robots are particularly widely used in the automobile manufacturing industry, including welding work on automobile chassis, seat frames, guide rails, mufflers, and torque converters. The rise of new domestically produced cars means that domestic welding robot brands still have a lot of room for domestic substitution.
Technological innovation:
In recent years, with the continuous innovation of technology, welding robots are developing towards higher automation and intelligence, adapting to more complex working environments and higher welding quality requirements.