Visual-Based Multi-Section Welding Path Generation Algorithm

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Dear authors,

Very interesting and meaningful efforts and results, and calculation section is very detailed. But the paper should be reorganized and simplified, and the language needs to be carefully polished. Authors should provide information and results in a clearer way. Please check my comments as followed.

Title:

“Multi-section” and “Three-dimensional” are kind of reduplicated.

Abstract:

“Then” (25^th line) is a type error.

Introduction:

(1) “thermoplastic materials” (line 29 and 30) are wrong expression. Please use specific and scientific words.

(2) The introduction should describe the research background and then bring in the topic. The overall introduction is confusing and non-organized.

Problem Description:

(1) Type error of 3.1 (line 82).

 

Author Response

Original Manuscript ID: processes-855177

Original Article Title: ‘Visual-based Multi-section Three-dimensional Welding Path Generation Algorithm’

Reviewer#1:

Reviewer#1, Comment #1:

Title: “Multi-section” and “Three-dimensional” are kind of reduplicated.

Author response:

Thank you for your comments. After discussion we decide change the title of the manuscript. We also check the whole manuscript and delete similar description.

Author action:

Change the title of the manuscript into ‘Visual-based Multi-section Welding Path Generation Algorithm’. Other changes are show in manuscript with yellow highlight.in Line 388, 392, 395, 400.

Reviewer#1, Comment #2:

Abstract: “Then” (25^th line) is a type error.

Author response:

Thank you for your comments. We correct the error and check the whole manuscript to make sure whether there are similar mistake and correct them.

Author action:

Delete the wrong word ‘Then’ to make sentences smooth and correct.

After correction: ‘The experimental results and simulation results conclude Then the algorithm can be used to generate the welding path of the non-standard groove.’

Reviewer#1, Comment #3:

Introduction:(1) “thermoplastic materials” (line 29 and 30) are wrong expression. Please use specific and scientific words.

Author response:

Thank you for your comments. We looked up the relevant data and realized that ‘thermoplastic materials’ are indeed easy to cause ambiguity. So we change the words.

Author action:

Change the words ‘thermoplastic materials’ into ‘metal materials’.

After correction: ‘Welding is a manufacturing process and technology for joining alloys or other metal materials by means of heating, high temperature or high pressure.’

Reviewer#1, Comment #4:

Introduction: (2) The introduction should describe the research background and then bring in the topic. The overall introduction is confusing and non-organized.

Author response:

Thank you for your comments. After re-examination, we realized that there were many problems in the Introduction of the manuscript, the logic was not clear and the important non-standard groove related information was missing, so we rewritten the Introduction.

Author action:

Rewritten the introduction.

Welding is a manufacturing process and technology for joining alloys or other metal materials by means of heating, high temperature or high pressure. Gas shielded welding has become one of the most important welding methods for ferrous metal [1-3]. It is widely used in civil engineering, shipbuilding, and heavy industry because of its low cost, good weld formation and high quality welded joints without internal defects. In the construction and manufacturing industry, a large number of steel components are put into use, which need welding to assemble and fix. The ditch with a certain geometry shape processed and assembled at the position to be welded is the welding groove. The quality of groove welding determines the reliability and safety of steel component assembly. Generally, the cross-section shape and geometric size of groove have been preset in the design and processing of steel components. However, due to the deformation of steel components and assembly error and other factors, the cross-section shape and geometric size of groove will change unpredictably in actual assembly, forming non-standard groove. Although the application of automatic welding equipment in workshop level processing based on process database and teaching system has become mature [4], it is still unable to adapt to the irregular and unpredictable non-standard groove welding operation with irregular shape and size changes. The wrong welding path will lead to porosity, undercut, incomplete welding and other problems, which will affect the welding quality, The welding work of non-standard groove still relies on welding operators' experience. A system that can detect the shape and size changes of non-standard groove and the research of multi pass trajectory planning based on groove geometric parameters are of great significance for automatic welding.

Many scholars have studied the detection of welding groove. Kevin Micallef proposed a low-cost vision sensor for locating complex shape welds [5]. Xu realized real-time seam tracking control during welding robot process based on passive vision sensor [6]. A welding path measuring system is developed by Drago Bračun in order to achieve better understanding of the welding execution of the critical welds or weld deposits in multi-pass and repair welding [7]. The detection and tracking technology of single pass weld is not suitable for large groove with multi pass welding [8]. Conventional visual inspection method cannot fully extract the irregular shape and size of non-standard groove. It is necessary to determine a detection method that can fully extract the shape and size of non-standard groove to guide the subsequent path planning.

There are also many progresses in the research of multi-path trajectory planning. M. Masaharu adopted equal area method to arrange the multi-pass welding [9]. An offline simulation system of multi-pass basis on three-dimensional graphics is developed by Tang [10]. Path through research to the effect of welding parameters to welds fillet. The existing methods for multi-pass path planning such as that of Zhang [11] mainly aim at the situation of whole groove shape and size are consistent or those are consistent with the preset. Because of processing error, deformation and assembly error, the shape and size of the groove may change greatly compared with the preset, and the processing methods such as tapping and heating may also produce more unpredictable deformation. The common path planning algorithm is not suitable for non-standard groove, so it is necessary to design a special path planning algorithm to guide the automatic welding equipment for welding operation [12-14].

In this paper, the non-standard groove is simply classified, and a set of visual inspection system based on laser triangulation principle is designed to extract the complete multi-section characteristic parameters of groove, and then the multi pass welding path generation algorithm is imported combined with the set welding parameters, so as to obtain the movement track of the welding gun, and guide the automatic welding equipment to complete the automatic welding operation of the non-standard groove on the construction site.

Reviewer#1, Comment #5:

Type error of 3.1 (line 82).

Author response:

Thank you for your comments. We corrected heading number and check the whole manuscript and corrected some similar mistakes.

Author action:

Corrected heading number.

After correction:

2.2. Classification of non-standard grooves

Some other mistake are show in manuscript with yellow highlight.in Line 372 and 378.

5.5.1. Welding bead distribution

5.5.2. Welding bead lap joints

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

Dear Authors,

 

See pdf file.

There are 41 comments and mistakes found in the work.

 

Paper must be improved.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Original Manuscript ID: processes-855177

Original Article Title: ‘Visual-based Multi-section Three-dimensional Welding Path Generation Algorithm’

Reviewer#2:

41 mistakes are marked in a PDF file

Reviewer#2, Comment #1:

Improper use of words and symbol errors in the manuscript

Author response:

Thank you for your comments. And thank you very much for the correction of improper wording and symbol errors in the manuscript. We have changed the word and symbols marked in the PDF file according to the content of the note. We also check the whole manuscript to make sure there is no similar mistakes.

Author action:

Correct the word and symbols marked in the PDF file according to the content of the note. The specific changes are highlighted in yellow in the manuscript.

Reviewer#2, Comment #2:

Introduction chapter is too poor.

There is nothing about welding defects!!!

Improve it

Author response:

Thank you for your comments. After re-examination, we realized that there were many problems in the Introduction of the manuscript, the logic was not clear and the important non-standard groove related information was missing, so we rewritten the Introduction.

Author action:

Rewritten the introduction.

Welding is a manufacturing process and technology for joining alloys or other metal materials by means of heating, high temperature or high pressure. Gas shielded welding has become one of the most important welding methods for ferrous metal [1-3]. It is widely used in civil engineering, shipbuilding, and heavy industry because of its low cost, good weld formation and high quality welded joints without internal defects. In the construction and manufacturing industry, a large number of steel components are put into use, which need welding to assemble and fix. The ditch with a certain geometry shape processed and assembled at the position to be welded is the welding groove. The quality of groove welding determines the reliability and safety of steel component assembly. Generally, the cross-section shape and geometric size of groove have been preset in the design and processing of steel components. However, due to the deformation of steel components and assembly error and other factors, the cross-section shape and geometric size of groove will change unpredictably in actual assembly, forming non-standard groove. Although the application of automatic welding equipment in workshop level processing based on process database and teaching system has become mature [4], it is still unable to adapt to the irregular and unpredictable non-standard groove welding operation with irregular shape and size changes. The wrong welding path will lead to porosity, undercut, incomplete welding and other problems, which will affect the welding quality, The welding work of non-standard groove still relies on welding operators' experience. A system that can detect the shape and size changes of non-standard groove and the research of multi pass trajectory planning based on groove geometric parameters are of great significance for automatic welding.

Many scholars have studied the detection of welding groove. Kevin Micallef proposed a low-cost vision sensor for locating complex shape welds [5]. Xu realized real-time seam tracking control during welding robot process based on passive vision sensor [6]. A welding path measuring system is developed by Drago Bračun in order to achieve better understanding of the welding execution of the critical welds or weld deposits in multi-pass and repair welding [7]. The detection and tracking technology of single pass weld is not suitable for large groove with multi pass welding [8]. Conventional visual inspection method cannot fully extract the irregular shape and size of non-standard groove. It is necessary to determine a detection method that can fully extract the shape and size of non-standard groove to guide the subsequent path planning.

There are also many progresses in the research of multi-path trajectory planning. M. Masaharu adopted equal area method to arrange the multi-pass welding [9]. An offline simulation system of multi-pass basis on three-dimensional graphics is developed by Tang [10]. Path through research to the effect of welding parameters to welds fillet. The existing methods for multi-pass path planning such as that of Zhang [11] mainly aim at the situation of whole groove shape and size are consistent or those are consistent with the preset. Because of processing error, deformation and assembly error, the shape and size of the groove may change greatly compared with the preset, and the processing methods such as tapping and heating may also produce more unpredictable deformation. The common path planning algorithm is not suitable for non-standard groove, so it is necessary to design a special path planning algorithm to guide the automatic welding equipment for welding operation [12-14].

In this paper, the non-standard groove is simply classified, and a set of visual inspection system based on laser triangulation principle is designed to extract the complete multi-section characteristic parameters of groove, and then the multi pass welding path generation algorithm is imported combined with the set welding parameters, so as to obtain the movement track of the welding gun, and guide the automatic welding equipment to complete the automatic welding operation of the non-standard groove on the construction site.

Reviewer#2, Comment #3:

The picture description is not clear. Picture name modification. Picture modification.

Author response:

Thank you for your comments. All pictures and picture names are modified or replaced according to the requirements.

Author action:

All pictures and picture names are modified or replaced according to the requirements.

For the unclear description of Figure 1,19,20,21,22, modify the picture, picture title and add description.

Figure 1. (a) Groove structure (The white part is the groove section shape.); (b) Combination.

Figure 19. (a)Simulation results of the first layer welding path (The blue part is the groove outline.); (b) Simulation results in a different angle.

Figure 20. (a)Simulation results of the first two layers welding path (The blue part is the groove outline.); (b) Simulation results of path generation of separate second layer.

Figure 21. (a) Simulation results of path generation (The blue part is the groove outline.); (b) Simulation results of path generation in section direction

Figure 22. (a) The first layer welding operation (The yellow-framed part is the current weld bead.); (b) The second layer welding operation

Modify part of the description of Figure 22.

(a₄) and (b₅) show that the length of some weld bead does not reach the total length of groove.

The size of Figure 7 is too small. Replace it with a larger picture with higher definition.

Figure 7. Detection bench for detection system.

For fig 18, We deleted the first image with inconsistent size, increased the visibility of the information in the last graph.

Figure 18. Image processing.

For fig 7,8,16,17 with incorrect names, we correct the names according to the content of the note.

Figure 7. Detection bench for detection system.

Figure 8. The workflow of technological process.

Figure 16. Path generation of welding torch with multi-section interpolation.

Figure 17. Structure of the detection stand.

 Reviewer#2, Comment #4:

Inappropriate description about ‘L-type groove’ improve it for ‘X-type’

Author response:

Thank you for your comments. We change the type name of groove.

Author action:

Change the type name of groove, change ‘L-type groove’ into ‘Unilateral V-type groove’

 Reviewer#2, Comment #5:

Explain the sentence ‘The grooves on the actual construction site are mostly non-standard grooves.’

Author response:

Thank you for your comments. We changed the sentences to make the expression clearer.

Author action:

Changed the sentences.

Due to machining error, assembly error, deformation and other factors, the grooves used on construction mostly have changed in geometry compare to expected and became non-standard grooves.

Reviewer#2, Comment #6:

Subtitles unfilled

Author response:

Thank you for your comments. We filled in the correct subtitle. We also check the whole manuscript and correct a similar mistake.

Author action:

Filled in the correct subtitle.

The changes are as follows, and highlighted in yellow in the manuscript.

2.2. Classification of non-standard grooves

5.5.1. Welding bead distribution

5.5.2. Welding bead lap joints

Reviewer#2, Comment #7:

Conclusion modification.

Author response:

Thank you for your comments. We correct the errors of format and symbol in the conclusion and split conclusion (4) according to the notes

Author action:

Correct the errors of the initial case and the punctuation at the end of the sentence, split conclusion (4).

The changes are as follows, and highlighted in yellow in the manuscript.

(4) the results of welding experiment are in good agreement with the planned results,

(5) the filling of weld seam and edge occlusion effect are good. Welding according to the path generated by the algorithm can meet the quality requirements.

Reviewer#2, Comment #8:

Delete some sentences.

Author response:

Thank you for your comments. We delete the sentences according to the notes, and recheck the manuscript and delete sentences referring to similar content (software name)

Author action:

Delete the sentences or change the software’s name into the word ‘software’.in Line 322 and 393.

The coordinates are imported into software to get the simulation path.

The multi-section interpolation algorithm of non-standard groove welding path generation is used to generate the welding torch path using software simulates the torch path generated by the algorithm.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Thanks for authors detailed corrections.

Reviewer 2 Report

All comments have been corrected.

 

All the best.