Development of the human-robot communication in welding technology manufacturing cells

Abstract

Currently, approx. 29% of all industrial robots are installed working on the welding processes, the vast majority of them in the automotive industry. They are mostly mounted in the lines of arc welding or spot welding, which are joined with the automated system of handling and transport. In such a configuration, HRC is less important, because the entire manufacturing installation manages the master control system of the line, the hall or the whole plant. In the near future industrial welding robotics await big changes. Clearly it increases interest in robotics among SMEs. The allow for operation of robotic installations through workers with limited physical efficiencies and cognitive abilities is inevitable. It refer elderly and disabled people. It becomes more and more real to put a man in the working area of robots – the idea called collaborative robots. The implementation of these concepts is often dependent on the development of effective, efficient, “user friendly” Human-Robot-Communication system. The paper presents the development and current state of HRC for welding robots. On this basis the trends and anticipated developments of HRC solutions in the robotic welding installations are described.