AUTOMATION OF MAG WELDING PROCESS USING MICROCONTROLLERS

Abstract

In the context of modern industrial manufacturing, automation in mechanical production plays an important role in improving productivity and product quality. Metal Active Gas (MAG) welding is a widely used arc welding process; however, it is still considered semi-automatic due to the lack of automated control over several technological motions. This paper presents a study on the application of microcontrollers for automating the MAG welding process, aiming to evaluate their feasibility as a central control unit. The research focuses on the development of a control model for key welding motions, including welding speed control, wire feed speed control, and arc on/off control within a simple automatic welding cycle. The experimental results indicate that microcontrollers are capable of meeting basic control requirements for MAG welding automation. In addition, the proposed approach demonstrates flexibility, low cost, and potential applicability in small- and medium-scale welding systems, providing a promising alternative to conventional PLC-based solutions in appropriate industrial applications.