From STEP file to weld bead, with no manual programming
A conventional welding robot waits to be taught every path. Our software starts from the 3D model and does what an experienced welder would do before welding: understand the part, choose the assembly order, plan the tacks and the welds.
- 01 STEP file The 3D assembly, as designed
- 02 Breakdown Components, thicknesses, joints
- 03 Planning Placement order, tacks, welds
- 04 3D vision Locating parts in bins
- 05 Two arms Assembly, tacking, welding
Six steps, calculated before the first spark
For the demonstration part (a tube and a stiffener on a base plate), the full calculation takes around one second.
Read the exact model
The STEP file is read with its exact geometry, not a triangle approximation. Each component is identified with its thickness and outline. A weldment drawn as a single block is automatically split into elements.
Find the welds
The software finds the joints between components, straight and circular, and checks that the torch can reach each weld along its full length. An inaccessible section is flagged before production, not discovered on the part.
Plan the assembly
Component placement order, holding during tacking, weld sequence: the assembly plan is calculated so the part stays held until it is rigid, and to limit distortion.
See the parts
A 3D camera locates the cut components in their bins. The handling arm knows where to pick each part, without them being arranged to the millimetre.
Compute safe motions
Kinematics of both arms, collisions between robots, torch, part and table, transit paths: everything is checked in simulation before any real movement.
Validate, then produce
The robot program is generated in the controller's language. It is validated by an identified person, logged in a production record, and the first run is done at reduced speed.
Everything is simulated before it runs
Every cycle is first played in 3D: movements of both arms, weld deposition, cycle time. Conflicts show up on screen, not in the workshop.
- Robot, torch, part and table collisions checked
- Inaccessible weld sections isolated and flagged
- Cycle time and weld length calculated
- Program readable by the robot controller, reviewed and signed off
A person always validates
Automation does not remove human responsibility. Before production, an identified operator validates the program; their name and the fingerprint of the drawing are written into the program and into the production log.
The first run on the real robot is done in manual mode at reduced speed, as good practice in industrial robotics requires. See our safety and standards page.
See the technology on your parts
Send us a STEP file: we show you the breakdown, the detected welds and the cycle simulation.