A Weld Pool Morphology Acquisition and Visualization System Based on an In Situ Calibrated Analytical Solution and Virtual Reality

A weld pool morphology acquisition and visualization system was designed in the current study, which can present real-time three-dimensional (3D) weld pool morphologies to welders. The underneath of the weld pool is calculated by utilizing an in situ calibrated analytical solution based on real-time collected welding voltage, current, and the surface boundary of the weld pool. In the meantime, the heat source distribution coefficients of the analytical solution were also calibrated through a scaling calibration method. Thus, the system updates a 3D weld pool instantaneously in weld diameter, and the error is 0.8% at the minimum, and the average value is 8.54%. Furthermore, a virtual environment was constructed by using virtual reality (VR) devices, and the visualization of the 3D weld pool model was realized by employing the hot-update technology. The experimental results demonstrate that this system is basically feasible except the update rates still need to be optimized. The current study facilitates the easier observation of weld pool morphology and is highly significant for enhancing the teleoperation skills of welders, especially in achieving precise teleoperation welding.