Optimised Laser Welding and Robotics Setup

Brief:
To design a laser welding and robotic arm setup that could produce a specific part (Image 3, made from 3 different pipes to be welded together) in a specified time frame while minimising energy consumption.

Solution:
Images 1 and 2 show the proposed solution. The mould to hold the pieces was designed to make it as easy as possible for the articulated robots to collect and manipulate each piece of pipe, weld them together, and place the finished pieces in a separate are ready to be packaged and delivered. Calculations were computed for energy consumption of the laser welding, along with the time taken for each piece to be welded and moved between robots.

The solution achieved one of the highest grades in the class.