In-Line Monitoring of Laser Welding Using a Smart Vision System

This paper presents a vision system for the in-line monitoring of laser welding. The system is based on a coaxial optical setup purposely chosen to guarantee robust detection of the joints and optimal acquisition of the melt pool region. Two procedures have been developed: the former focuses on keeping the laser head locked to the joint during the welding; the latter monitors the appearance of the keyhole region. The system feedbacks the joint...