Automated Electric Drive for the Control System of a Two-Coordinate Welding Machine

• Published in: Steel in translation Vol. 51; no. 5; pp. 314 - 319
• Main Authors: Litsin, K. V., Tsukanov, A. V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Moscow Pleiades Publishing 01.05.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Algorithms; Automatic welding; Automation; Chemistry and Materials Science; Dynamic characteristics; Electric drives; Hydraulic drives; Materials Science; Mathematical analysis; Modernization; Parameters; Payback periods; Programmable logic controllers; Welding machines; electric drive; hydraulic drive; pipe industry; ferrous metallurgy; AC motor; two-coordinate welding machine; frequency converter; vector control
• ISSN: 0967-0912; 1935-0988
• DOI: 10.3103/S0967091221050089

A two-coordinate welding machine has been considered in this paper. Similar equipment is used to obtain welds on various elements of high-quality metal structures. The main disadvantage of the existing equipment is that the work with this machine is currently manual, which is quite dangerous and monotonous during operation. Moreover, a hydraulic drive is used as the main drive of the system. Substitution of an electric drive for the hydraulic drive of a two-coordinate welding machine to increase the efficiency of the whole system has been justified. An automated electric drive for a two-coordinate machine for welding of embedded parts, which is controlled with a use of a programmable logic controller, has been developed. The electric drive of the object has been designed. The necessary elements of the developed automation system have been selected. An algorithm that makes it possible to automate the welding process of embedded parts has been developed based on the technological process. The algorithm provides the necessary security measures by means of carrying out self-diagnostics at the startup stage. To check the performance of the developed algorithm, an automated electric drive was simulated using the Matlab Simulink software. The system contains two internal and three external circuits that control the required parameters: speed, current, torque, flux linkage, and force. The dynamic characteristics of the presented parameters, which confirm the operability of the developed automated electric drive system, have been obtained. Economic calculations of the automation system suggested for implementation has been carried out. The total cost of modernization will be about 55 thousand rubles with a payback period of about one year.