Flexible design, analysis and programming methodology of robotic welding cells for multiple configuration products

This paper presents the way in which constraint-based parametric solid modelling can support flexible programming of robotic welding cells for widely varying configurations of the same product family. The key to flexibility is parametric definition of the robot environment i.e., product configuration, product parts, work-holding devices etc., and of the path itself. Robot inverse kinematics is implicitly employed through constrained motions of the robot links defined in the CAD system. 3D exact simulation models are generated by embedding motion interpolators for each motion defined. Possible collisions or other undesirable states in robotic task implementation are discovered through the solid modeller. A production cell, where security doors are manufactured, is used as a case study where two industrial robots perform seam and spot welding, respectively.