Welding configuration prediction and classification in GTAW-wire using deep learning
Résumé
In wire-TIG welding, the weld pool geometry depends directly on the heat input of the process.
Many process parameters are impacting this heat input, a variation of the welding speed for
example will have a strong impact on the weld pool penetration and consequently leading to a
lack of fusion defect. For this reason, the paper focuses on this process and proposes a welding
classification and prediction model to control the physics of the weld pool. More specifically,
a neural network approach is applied on several experimental data to predict the class of the
different welding configurations. Furthermore, a computer vision algorithm was used first to
extract the weld pool contour and features using camera acquisition and image processing to
set up an organized and listed database for each welding configuration and for each process
parameters, namely current intensity, arc voltage, wire-feed rate, and travel speed. To validate
the effectiveness of the proposed approach, a test split validation strategy was applied to train
and validate the neural models. Several neural network layers with different size have been
tested to obtain an accurate classification model with low errors and good performance scores.
The results show a particular evolutionary trend and confirm that the process parameters have
a direct influence on the weld pool, and so, too, on the final bead geometry. Finally, this study
indicates that the neural network approach can efficiently be used to predict and classify
welding process parameters for each configuration and could help later in designing a proper
controller and a new real-time technic for welding quality.