Real Time Closed Loop Control of Full Penetration Keyhole Welding with Cellular Neural Network Cameras

Camera based in-process control for laser welding enables flexible image processing which allows the adaption of the system to different processes and quality features. A closed loop control system with a Cellular Neural Network Camera was implemented into a laser welding machine. The system is surveying the contour of the full penetration hole with a frame rate of over 10 kHz for both, acquisition and evaluation of area images. As a result the system reaches and holds the full penetration state automatically. This paper shows the latest experimental results including the extension to direction independent weldings.