Weld pool vision sensing and image processing for GMAW

It is difficult to acquire satisfied weld pool image by CCD sensor during gas metal arc welding(GMAW), for arc disturbs violently, welding current is great and working frequeacy is high. By using CMOS vision sensor to GMA W process, the vivid weld pool image is collected at any time, furthermore, whose gray compression ratio is controllable by sensor hardware circuit developed. Acquired weld pool image is firstly pre-processed by using Wiener filter and Ostu threshold segmentation algorithm. Subsequently separation between weld pool intage and cathode mist region is conducted by means of mathematical morphological algorithm, and the edge of weld pool image is extracted by using Prewitt algorithm.