Development of a Virtual Reality-Based System for Simulating Welding Processes

Arc welding processes, such as shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), metal inert gas (MIG), and tungsten inert gas (TIG), play an important role in industrial applications. To improve the efficiency of the exploitation of traditional welding systems, new technologies have been used. Virtual reality technology is one of them. The virtual reality (VR)-based welding system enables to increase the frequency of practice to help learners obtain welding experience to avoid errors that occur during actual welding processes. This paper presents a VR-based system for simulating three welding processes: SMAW, MIG, and TIG. The developed system includes hardware components and VR software installed on a computer. The change in the physical devices, such as moving the welding torch and the distance from the welding torch to the plates to generate the weld bead, will update in real time and appear on the virtual environment. The functionality of the developed system for simulating the welding processes, such as in the real welding environment, was tested successfully. For implementing the system, welding speed and the distance from the welding torch to the plates are important process parameters, which determine the weld size or the weld formation. In this research, the ranges of the welding speed are 70 divided by 120 mm/min; 240 divided by 460 mm/min; and 250 divided by 450 mm/min for the SMAW, TIG, and MIG processes, respectively. These values were tested experimentally. The distance from the welding torch to the plates to display the weld joint is 1.5 divided by 5 mm. Outside of this range, no weld joint is formed. The welding widths are 4.4 divided by 12.9 mm, 7.1 divided by 12.4 mm, and 7.4 divided by 11.3 mm for the SMAW, TIG, and MIG processes, respectively.

Automated summary

Virtual reality technology can improve the efficiency of traditional welding systems by simulating welding processes and providing learners with experience to avoid errors. This study presents a VR-based system for simulating three welding processes, SMAW, MIG, and TIG, and successfully tests its functionality. Welding speed and distance from the welding torch to the plates are important process parameters that determine the weld size and formation.