Development and validation of on line monitoring and NDT Inspection of Laser welded thin sheet automotive components

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Objectives:
The main goal of OLIWAM project is the development of a new, fast, monitoring and a Non-Destructive (NDT) inspection system, providing a 100% on-line weld inspection rate for thin-sheet laser welded automotive components.
Results:
The OLIWAM prototype is an automated quality control system capable of on-line detection of the types of weld imperfections that are typically found in Tailor-Welded-Blanks (TWB) and Body-in-White (BIW) automotive assemblies.
The OLIWAM system will employ a series of NDT and process monitoring techniques together with data analysis software providing a quality status of the welding process. Specifically, OLIWAM includes a monitoring system comprised of plasma and temperature photodiode sensors and a coaxial CMOS camera; and a distributed NDT system comprised of a Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL) sensor array and an Eddy Current (EC) inspection probe.
Role of AIMEN:
AIMEN led the laboratory evaluation of the on-line process monitoring system and system integration and validation of the OLIWAM prototype in a simulated production environment for Tailor-Welded Blank Butt-Joint Application. Moreover, AIMEN also worked in the development of the data acquisition and data analysis software.


**This project has received funding from the European Union's Sixth Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement no 32240.

• Sectors: Automotive
• R&D&i: Integrated monitoring and control systems, Laser assisted processing
• Leader: TWI
• Partners: AIMEN Centro Tecnológico, PRECITEC, ATG, CIT, MICROTEST, TECNITEST, SOLBLANK, VOLKSWAGEN, NDT CONSULTANTS, ZENON S.A. ROBOTICS AND INFORMATICS, MICON
• Acronym: OLIWAN
• Ambit: International