Model predictive control of layer width in wire arc additive manufacturing. (October 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Xia, Chunyang; Pan, Zengxi; Zhang, Shiyu; Polden, Joseph; Wang, Long; Li, Huijun; Xu, Yanling; Chen, Shanben
• Is Part Of: Journal of manufacturing processes. Volume 58(2020)
• Page Start: 179
• Page End: 186
• Publication Date: 2020-10
• Subjects: Additive manufacturing -- Vision -- WAAM -- MPC -- Feedback control; Production management -- Data processing -- Periodicals; Manufacturing processes -- Periodicals; Procestechnologie; Productietechniek; Production -- Gestion -- Informatique -- Périodiques; Fabrication -- Périodiques; Manufacturing processes; Production management -- Data processing; Periodicals; 670.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jmapro.2020.07.060
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1526-6125

Abstract

Highlights: A passive vision system was design to measure the real-time width of deposited layers. The system dynamic of WAAM process was modelling using ARX model. An optimal MPC controller was designed to implement feedback control for the layers width during WAAM process. The effectiveness of proposed controller was validated through both simulations and experiments. Abstract: Wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) is an emerging technology in the manufacturing industry, which uses a welding arc as an energy source to fuse metal wire and deposit layer by layer. In order to promote its manufacture precision, stability, and repeatability, it's crucial to develop a feedback control strategy for WAAM. This research implements vision-based feedback control for the layer width during the WAAM process. A WAAM system is developed using a robot and CMT welder with a visual sensing system. The dynamics of the layer width in WAAM process is modeled experimentally. An ARX dynamic model is built. Based on this model, a model predictive control (MPC) strategy is derived to regulate the WAAM process. Feedback control experiments were conducted to verify the tracking and robustness performance of the proposed MPC algorithm.