Patent ID: RE40212

Claim:
A method for teaching a welding torch orientation for executing an arc welding by a welding torch supported by a robot, said method including the steps of: transferring existing position data indicating a start point, an end point and junction points between sections on a weld line to the robot controller; for each section inputting a forward angle which is an inclined angle of the welding torch with reference to a direction of the section weld line ; obtaining a reference plane by teaching, or selecting any one of planes previously stored in a robot controller as a reference plane, and then inputting for each section, an inclination angle which is an inclined angle of the welding torch with respect to the reference plane; calculating, in software, a desired torch orientation for the length of each section based on the data on the respective points transferred to said robot controller, and said inputted inclination angle and said forward angle; setting auxiliary points in the periphery of the junction point, for each junction point that connects a straight-line section with another straight line section; and allocating the torch orientation, in software, for each of the set auxiliary points and junction points according to the arrangement of the points, so that the torch orientation is changed gradually from said desired torch orientation in the section after the junction point to said desired torch orientation in the section before the junction point.