2D/3D Profile Sensors: Reliable Positioning of Welding Seams

Fully automated welding in robot welding cells places great demands on quality and precision because the position of the seam has to be reliably detected by means of sensors before the welding process begins. Only then can the welding material be mechanically applied by downstream components with the required levels of accuracy. 

2D/3D profile sensors included in the weCat3D series fulfill requirements for this 3D measuring task for welding seam guidance. The cost-effective complete system consisting of sensor, analysis module and software also offers interfaces from renowned robot manufacturers such as FANUC, Yaskawa etc.

With perfectly matched measuring ranges between 20 and 400 mm in the X direction and maximum resolution of 2.5 µm in the Z direction, as well as up to 12 million measuring points per second, the sensors are capable of top performance. Installation of the sensors at the perfect distance from the welding head, matching cooling units and the protective housing permit use in adverse industrial environments and prevent damage, for example caused by welding spatter. Extremely high temperatures are made possible as a result.

The sensors are available in more than 80 variants with five selectable performance classes, four different laser classes (1, 2M, 3R, 3B) and two types of light (red, blue). This application is decisive for an accurate and reliable production process in particular in the steel processing sectors, for example in automobile manufacturing, shipbuilding in large shipyards and in the steel industry, as well as in the railway and rail manufacturing industries.