Abstract
Rapid prototyping is a relatively new technology that allows the creation of prototypes in a very short period of time compared with traditional manufacturing techniques. First, a model of the prototype is drawn, using a computer aided design program, which is then mathematically ‘sliced’ and used to build the prototype layer by layer, using materials such as paper, resins, or thermoplastics, depending on the process. The main disadvantage of these processes is that they do not allow metal as a raw material. Rapid prototyping using robot welding is another approach that overcomes this problem by using a welding robot that deposits metal. As the success of the final component quality depends very much on the welding parameters, it is important to automate their calculation. To automate the task of determining the welding parameters and to generate welded components with consistent quality, a very simple mathematical algorithm was created. The tests carried out to gather the necessary information to generate this model, the mathematical model itself, the limitations of the equations, and the tests to check their feasibility are described.
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