Development of an automatic arc welding system using a sliding mode control

This paper describes the development of an automatic welding control system for alternating current shield metal arc welding. This method could replace manual operations which require a well-trained technician. We have derived a mathematical model of the welding control system and identified system parameters. An adaptive sliding mode controller, estimates the bound of uncertainties, and modulates the rate of the electrode feed mechanism that regulates the arc current. The electrode feed-rate mechanism with this controller is driven by an AC servomotor, which can compensate for both the molten part of the electrode and undesirable fluctuations in the arc length during the welding process. The method can be easily applied to any welding system in which the electrode is consumed during the welding process. By maintaining the magnitude of the arc current at the desired value and the stability of the arc length, excellent welding performance is obtained. The simulation and the experimental results both show that this automatic welding control system, based on the adaptive sliding mode controller, can perform effectively.