Off-line programming of flexible welding manufacturing cells

Abstract The use of robotized welding to achieve better quality has demanded research of new technologies to integrate and test the systems. The complete control of a flexible manufacturing cell involves perfect task synchronisation among all of its robots and equipment. Off-line programming provides an essential link between CAD and CAM. The development of off-line programming systems should result in greater use of robots and accelerate the implementation of flexible manufacturing systems (FMS). It also offers an alternative for complex automated production lines and should allow rapid response to changing product/process issues. This article describes some features of graphic simulation and off-line programming focusing on its applications to robotized welding.