Control Strategies
A closed-loop welding controller was developed and integrated with the SMD cell. The controller was based on the current (heat source), wire feed (mass of material), travel speed and step height. For any given combination of current, speed and arc-gap, there is a wire-feed rate which will produce a good weld. A number of different ways of measuring the arc gap were investigated and a visual method (CCD) selected; the voltage can be obtained from the weld-controller.
Parts were then sectioned for analysis; no differences (surface roughness, porosity, and microstructure) were found between the two methods of deposition.
An operator console was developed and linked to the controller
