Research on the Configuration of Wheeled Mobile Welding Robots Under Multiple Working Conditions

Mobile welding robots have attracted considerable attention due to their flexible movement and robust adaptability, offering substantial market potential. However, the complexity of their operational conditions poses specific demands on robot configurations, with no established design methodology available at the time. To address this challenge, we constructed Lagrange’s equations for wheeled mobile welding robots. Through simplification and deduction analysis, we concluded that larger wheeled mobile welding robots are suited for paths with larger curvature radii, whereas smaller ones are more appropriate for paths with smaller curvature radii. Based on the above analysis and considering the load-bearing capacity of the robot, we proposed a configuration design method for wheeled mobile welding robots, evolving from large to small and micro wheels, including track constraints and wheel number adjustments. Subsequently, prototype robots, including magnetic wheel, tracked, and flexible contour tracing mobile welding robots, have been developed to accommodate various operational conditions. Welding experiments demonstrate that these three configurations, distinguished by their travel path curvature radii, can effectively meet the mobile welding requirements of their respective environments. The effectiveness of the configuration design of wheeled mobile welding robots under different working conditions has been verified.