Weld Seam Inspection Through Optical Coherence Tomography

© Lessmüller

Gas metal arc welding, or GMAW, is widely used in the metalworking industry, in container and tank construction, in mechanical engineering, in rail vehicle and shipbuilding, but also in the furniture industry. The process enables the joining of thin sheets as well as components with material thicknesses of up to 60 millimeters and is often used fully automatically and robot-guided in industrial environments.

In order to improve the productivity of automated GMAW welding and to reduce scrap caused by insufficient fusion of the welded joint, the welding process must be precisely controlled. Due to the high demands of robot-guided arc welding, previous process monitoring systems—with laser triangulation and CMOS cameras—are often considered inadequate. Lessmüller Lasertechnik‘s OCT technology now enables efficient quality assurance in arc welding.