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International Journal of Plant Engineering and Management Vol.28 No.3 September 2023

DOI:10.13434 / j.cnki.1007⁃4546.2023.0301

Automation Technology in Welding Seam Welding

Machining Design

LEI Dongyue

( School of General Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100080, China)

Abstract: With the continuous development of society, the gradual improvement of mechanical

automation technology has been introduced into the production of many enterprises in China, which

has had a great impact on the increase of China′ s gross national product. Applying mechanical

automation technology greatly saves labor cost, improves working efficiency and the production level

of enterprises, effectively promotes the development of enterprises, and increases the enterprise′ s

income. In addition, mechanical automation technology is closely related to product production⁃

related technology and plays a very important role in the innovation of enterprise products. This

article will briefly introduce the design and application of automation technology in welding seam

welding design, and understand the development background, research status, current application

and simulation design.

Keywords: automation technology; welding seam welding

Received March 8, 2023


130 International Journal of Plant Engineering and Management Vol.28 No.3 September 2023

1 Introduction

1.1 Automation technology

Automation is the process by which machine equipment, facilities, or production and

management processes achieve the desired objectives through automatic sensing, information

processing, analysis and evaluation, operation, and control without direct human intervention or

through reduced human intervention. Automation technology is widely used in industry, agriculture,

military, scientific research, transportation, commerce, medical, service, and home. Using

automation technology not only frees people from heavy physical labor, some mental labor, and

harsh and dangerous working environments, but also expands human organ function, greatly

improves labor productivity, and enhances man′ s ability to understand and change the world.

Therefore, automation is an important condition and an important symbol of modernization in

industry, agriculture, national defense, and science and technology.

1.2 Welding

Welding refers to the joint formed by melting the metal of the welding rod and the joint with the

high temperature of the welding heat source. After the weld metal cools down, it joins the two welds

into one. According to the shape of the weld metal and the different positions of the weldments, they

are divided into butt welds, corner welds, plug welds, and electric rivet welds. Butt welds are

commonly used for joining plates and sectional steel, corner welds are commonly used for lap welds,

plug welds and electric rivet welds are less commonly used and are only considered for reducing the

lap length of weldments. Modern welding energy sources have many types, including gas flame, arc,

laser, electron beam, friction and ultrasonic waves, etc. In addition to its use in factories, welding
Automation Technology in Welding Seam Welding Machining Design 131

can also be performed in various environments, such as outdoors, underwater, and in space.

Regardless of where it is performed, welding may pose a hazard to the operator, so appropriate

protective measures must be taken during welding. The hazards that welding can cause to the human

body include burns, electric shock, visual impairment, inhalation of toxic gases, excessive

ultraviolet radiation, etc.

1.3 Mechanical machining

The machines needed for processing include digital display milling machines, digital display

form grinding machines, digital display lathes, electric discharge machines, universal grinding

machines, machining centers, laser welding, center wire, fast wire, slow wire, external grinding

machines, internal grinding machines, precision lathes, etc., which can be used for precision part

processing such as turning, milling, planing, and grinding. This type of machine is good at

machining irregularly shaped parts, and the machining accuracy can reach 2 μm. With the rapid

development of modern mechanical processing, many advanced mechanical processing methods have

emerged, such as micro⁃mechanical processing, ultra⁃precision processing, rapid prototyping

technology, and so on. In addition, mechanical processing is closely related to other technologies,

such as materials science, control engineering, and computer science, etc., which promotes the

development of other technologies and industries.

2 Background of topic

Mechanical manufacturing is one of the key sectors in China′ s social and economic

development. Whether from the perspective of the market economy or the country, promoting the

development of mechanical manufacturing enterprises plays a very important role. The application of
132 International Journal of Plant Engineering and Management Vol.28 No.3 September 2023

automation technology in mechanical manufacturing is a relatively complex process that requires

analysis and research from multiple perspectives. In recent years, with the vigorous development of

emerging industries, China′ s industrial automation control technology, industry and applications

have made great progress, promoting the continuous growth of China′s industrial automation market.

Data shows that in 2019, the market size of China′s industrial automation industry reached 189􀆰 5

billion yuan, a year⁃on⁃year increase of 1􀆰 61%. In 2022, the market size of China′ s industrial

automation industry further reached the 208􀆰 7 billion yuan.

In recent years, Southern Power Grid and State Grid Corporation of China have increased their

investment in ultra⁃high voltage and extra⁃high voltage power transmission, which has promoted the

development of ultra⁃high voltage power transmission technology. With this development,

opportunities and challenges coexist in power generation and construction. Transmission towers are

important basic equipment for power transmission and critical to the safety of the entire power

system. If tower quality does not meet standards and goes undetected, it can threaten the normal

operation of the entire power system and even lead to major power safety accidents. To ensure the

safety of power transmission, an automated tracking welding system has been developed and is

currently in the design phase. This system will be used to weld the longitudinal seam of transmission

steel pipe towers to ensure the quality of the weld and safeguard the power transmission industry.

Currently, the vast majority of high⁃speed trains in China use welded structures for their bogies.

Bogies bear the weight of the entire train body, and the main components of the bogie frame are

welded from side beams and cross beams. The welding quality of the frame directly affects the safety

of train operation.

Therefore, the application of automation technology in welding and mechanical processing of

welds is of great practical significance.


Automation Technology in Welding Seam Welding Machining Design 133

3 Current development status of automation technology

The globalization of the economy has intensified market competition, and intelligent, flexible,

and unmanned manufacturing have become development trend in the manufacturing industry. The

industrial automation industry has gained a huge development space. In recent years, Germany has

proposed the “ Industry 4􀆰 0 ” plan, the United States has proposed the “ National Network for

Manufacturing Innovation” , Japan has proposed the “ Innovative Industrial Structure Plan” . Their

common point is to make full use of technologies such as the Internet of Things, 5G

communications, robots, and artificial intelligence to improve the intelligence and unmanned level of

manufacturing. Industrial automation products are important prerequisite and guarantee for modern

factories to achieve scale, efficiency, precision, intelligence, and safety production, and their

applications are very wide and have excellent development prospects.

According to the research data of Zion Market Research, the global industrial automation

market size reached $207􀆰 17 billion in 2017. Due to the gradual maturity and commercial

application of the Internet of Things( IOT) , 5G technology and artificial intelligence technology, the

global industrial automation market size is expected to reach $321􀆰 93 billion by 2024, with an

average annual growth rate of about 6􀆰 5%. According to data from Research and Markets, the

industrial automation services market size reached $42􀆰 1 billion in 2018 and is expected to reach

$70􀆰 6 billion by 2024, with a compound annual growth rate of about 9%.

Currently, the major global industrial automation manufacturers include ABB, Siemens,

General Electric, Schneider, Yaskawa, FANUC, Mitsubishi, Fuji Electric, and so on. Industrial

automation control systems, as key components of high⁃end equipment, are important prerequisites
134 International Journal of Plant Engineering and Management Vol.28 No.3 September 2023

and guarantees for modern industrial production to achieve scale, efficiency, precision, intelligence,

and safety. The gradual maturity of technologies such as the Internet of Things, 5G, robotics, and

artificial intelligence will promote the development of the industrial automation industry in the

following directions.

3.1 Internet of Things ( IoT)

Early industrial automation control systems were limited to single system operation, with no

communication between multiple systems. In recent years, with the advancement of chip and

communication technologies, the maturity of technologies such as IoT, high⁃speed buses, and

electronic communication has made communication between multiple systems and tasks possible. The

reliability of IoT is increasing and the cost is decreasing, allowing different systems to transmit

information quickly and accurately, enabling multi⁃system and multi⁃task collaboration.

3.2 System integration

With the advancement of semiconductor and power electronics technology, control layer

products, drive layer products, and execution layer products will move toward miniaturization, and

the integration level of the overall automation control system will become higher. “ Control + drive”

integrated products and “ drive +execution” integrated products will become more popular, and even

move toward “ control + drive + execution” integrated product direction, making automation control

system an intelligent terminal of a node.

3.3 Intelligent diagnosis

Combining automatic control systems with artificial intelligence technology, in addition to executing

normal automatic control instructions, the system can also monitor its own status in real time, pre⁃

warning potential failures in nodes or areas, and perform pre⁃processing to ensure continuous and
Automation Technology in Welding Seam Welding Machining Design 135

uninterrupted system operation, thereby improving the efficiency of the overall system operation.

4 Current applications of automation technology

4.1 Innovative exploration of automation equipment and welding new technology based on

liquefied natural gas ( LNG) standards

In recent years, China′s information technology and automation have developed rapidly, and

the manufacturing industry has made a leapfrog development. Industries such as petroleum and

chemical have adopted automation, intelligence and information technology in equipment, facilities,

production processes, etc. In the context of reducing costs and increasing efficiency, the traditional

manual production mode of factories has a high repair rate, high consumption of materials and labor

time. Therefore, it is particularly important to choose appropriate methods to innovate, improve

welding quality, increase efficiency and reduce repairs.

In this context, automated production equipment has been put into application, and the

functional block mechanism design is based on the LNG modular standard. In⁃depth research has

been conducted on the intelligent application of various automated production equipment, and the

functional block mechanism design based on the LNG standard has been applied to innovative

research, such as the double⁃arm milling and chamfering machine, automated welding equipment,

and automatic chamfering machine. In addition, to improve the welding quality, the innovative use

of new metal powder core welding technology has been applied to the new welding process. The new

production equipment has been innovated to achieve the purpose of reducing labor intensity and

improving labor productivity.


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4.2 Application of automated welding equipment in engineering machinery manufacturing

With the continuous development of modern society′s economy, China′s engineering machinery

manufacturing industry has become more and more demanding. In this process, the scientific

application of automated welding equipment is an inevitable trend of modern industrial development.

1) The use of automatic welding machine in engineering machinery manufacturing can first

ensure stable product quality and higher production efficiency. In the manufacturing process, the

automatic welding machine uses a relatively high arc current heat, which can effectively increase the

welding speed. Compared with traditional manual welding, automatic welding machine has obvious

advantages. It can ensure high efficiency in the welding manufacturing process, thereby ensuring the

controllability of welding speed and position, and ultimately satisfy the needs of engineering

machinery manufacturing while effectively improving welding quality.

2) It can save resources to a certain extent. In the current stage of engineering machinery

manufacturing, when welding precision parts, thin⁃walled materials and non⁃metallic materials,

relevant workers need to use automatic welding equipment to a certain extent. In this process, the

scientific application of advanced technologies such as laser welding can ensure high seam depth and

small seam width, effectively reducing the deformation rate of processed parts and further adapting to

welding operations with high technical requirements.

3) The use of automated welding equipment can reduce labor intensity, improve the working

environment, and ensure that relevant workers can scientifically adjust their welding actions during

the implementation of welding operations, greatly reducing physical exertion and effectively control

the consumption of human resources, thus enhancing the economic and social benefits of enterprises.

In the specific implementation of automated welding equipment, the sensor system usually has
Automation Technology in Welding Seam Welding Machining Design 137

arc tracking, laser tracking and wire contact positioning functions. In the implementation of arc

tracking, the scientific application of arc tracking sensors is required. When welding mechanical

parts, it is necessary to reasonably preset the relevant range to ensure that the welding gun can swing

within this range, and the welding seam can be adjusted based on the detected current and voltage

values. In this process, if the programmed position deviates, it can also be adjusted automatically.

At the same time, the laser tracking function, when applying automatic welding equipment to

process mechanical parts, electromagnetic, smoke and dust may cause a certain degree of

interference. Relevant personnel must control it scientifically. Based on this, it can ensure higher

work quality and accuracy in the automatic welding process of engineering machinery manufacturing.

Finally, it is necessary to determine the starting point of the welding seam when performing the

processing operation. When searching for the starting point, the surface paint of the workpiece must

be treated, which can effectively improve the reliability of the starting point position.

4.3 Application of automation technology in welding non⁃circular tank bodies

In recent years, highway transportation vehicles have become the mainstay of the market. The

continuous development of highways has placed higher demands on tank trucks, including high

safety, strong sealing and good shock absorption, as well as the ability to exhibit product series,

high technological content and high added value. The development trend of tank truck products is

twofold: heavy and multi⁃axle development, and light and high⁃tech development.

For non⁃circular tanks, such as oil tankers, cement tankers and chemical transport tanks, the

cross⁃sectional shape of the tank is non⁃circular. When automated welding is used, the uniformity of

the welding speed of the welding gun on the surface of the tank directly affects the quality of the

weld, which in turn affects the performance, service life, safety and reliability of the tank in use.
138 International Journal of Plant Engineering and Management Vol.28 No.3 September 2023

The welding curve of the non⁃circular tank section is composed of many straight line segments and

arcs of different radii, and its trajectory is irregular. The three methods for welding this type of non⁃

circular tank body are manual welding, surface imitation welding, and PLC frequency inverter

welding. The PLC VFD welding method is a more advanced method among all the welding methods

currently available. During welding, the non⁃circular tank rotates and the welding gun moves up and

down over the surface of the tank for welding. The PLC welding frequency inverter uses a distance

sensor to obtain the distance information from the welding point on the welding curve of the tank to

the center of rotation of the tank, and transmits this information to the PLC programming controller.

The programming controller adjusts the output frequency of the frequency inverter according to the

change in the distance information, thereby controlling the rotational speed of the tank during

welding to ensure a constant line speed of the welding surface.

However, this method has the following shortcomings: first, like the surface imitation welding,

the distance sensor needs to withstand high pressure and vibration, and requires high sensitivity. At

present, distance sensors are mainly imported, and their prices are relatively high, and they need to

be replaced regularly, resulting in high overall costs. Second, the stability is not high. If there are

protrusions or depressions on the surface of the tank, the distance information obtained will be

distorted, resulting in a high error rate of the output frequency of the PLC programming controller,

making the relative line speed of the welding gun unstable during welding, and ultimately leading to

a decrease in welding quality.

In view of the structural characteristics and performance requirements of non⁃circular tanks, it

is urgent to research an automated welding system and welding method with low investment cost and

high welding efficiency and quality, and to specially design an automated welding control system and
Automation Technology in Welding Seam Welding Machining Design 139

control method for welding non⁃circular tanks. The existing research differentiates the non⁃circular

tank curve by angle differentiation and replaces the traditional welding method with the rotating tank

welding method.

In addition to the main controller, CAD graphic processing software, manual controller,

horizontal movement support frame, vertical lifting welding platform, and welding gun assembly

mounted on the lifting welding platform for welding the tank surface, the control system for welding

non⁃circular tanks also includes a tank rotation support component that rotates the tank around its

axis while the welding gun component is welding the tank surface.

The implementation method is as follows:

1) Input the welding line drawing of the non⁃circular tank to be welded in DXF format into the

computer of the main controller.

2) Convert the trajectory function P = [ x i ,y i ] of the tank′s welding line drawing curve into a

simulated trajectory function Q = f( r i ,θ i ) determined by a specified axis coordinate and a specified

subdivision angle. Here, r i is the distance between the simulated welding point on the curve and the

axis of rotation, and θ i is the central angle corresponding to the individual arc length on the welding

line trajectory.

3) Use the formula ωi × ri = V, where V is the predetermined constant speed at which the tank′s

welding line moves relative to the welding gun, to obtain the instantaneous angular velocity ωi of the

tank′s rotation, which can then be used to derive the tank′s rotation angle function W(ω,v,θ,t).

4) Determine the program origin. The main controller sends a frequency signal f β to the

frequency converter in real⁃time, based on the angular velocity function W( ω,v,θ,t) , to adjust the

servo motor′ s angular velocity for rotating the tank, while simultaneously adjusting the distance
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between the welding gun component and the tank′s welding line surface in real⁃time.

The method of converting the trajectory function P = [ x i ,y i ] into a simulated trajectory function

Q = f( r i ,θ i ) determined by a specified axis coordinate and the instantaneous angular displacement ω

is obtained using the following formula.

ω = W LSP × W PPD × ( G EAR / P SCALE ) / (2.0π × R 0 ) (1)

Where: W LSP is the user⁃specified linear speed; M PPD is the motor resolution; G EAR is the gear

reduction ratio; P SCALE is the amplifier ratio of the same drive; R 0 is the distance from the axis to the

current welding point.

Compared with existing technology, this technology directly calculates the tank′ s surface

welding point rotation speed corresponding to a constant welding line speed by differentiating the

tank′s graphic curve, and then controls the tank′s rotation speed based on that angular velocity to

achieve a stable operation, good welding effect, high work efficiency, and automated welding of

non⁃circular tanks.

5 Conclusion

In recent years, China′ s mechanical manufacturing industry has undergone a significant

transformation, driven by technological advancements and rapid growth. As automation technology

continues to evolve, it has become increasingly clear that its application in mechanical

manufacturing has tremendous potential to drive progress and innovation. However, despite the

progress that has been made, there remains a gap between China and other developed countries in

terms of the level of automation technology in use.


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To close this gap and promote the continued development of China′s mechanical manufacturing

industry, it is critical that we focus on advancing automation technology and integrating it with other

advanced technologies. By doing so, we can drive overall technological advancement, improve

product quality, and increase production efficiency. In addition, by reducing costs and increasing

economic benefits for enterprises, we can help strengthen China′s position as a leading player in the

global market.

To achieve these goals, we must invest in research and development, promote innovation, and

continuously improve and optimize existing technologies. We must also foster collaboration between

industry and academia to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and expertise, and provide a

supportive environment for entrepreneurs and innovators to experiment and develop new ideas. In this

way, we can unlock the full potential of automation technology and contribute to the continued

growth and success of China′s mechanical manufacturing industry.

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Brief Biographies

LEI Dongyue is an undergraduate, School of General Engineering, Beihang University. His

research interest is machine design. lei ⁃ dong ⁃ yue@ yeah.net

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