RoLaKI

Contact Person (Coordinator)

Dr.-Ing. Benjamin Emde

Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V.
Hollerithallee 8
30419 Hannover

b.emde@lzh.de

What the Project Is About

For the “RoLaKI” research project, the Institute for Information Processing (TNT) at Leibniz University Hannover, OFTEC GmbH, and the Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V. (project coordinator) have joined forces to develop robot- and laser-based 3D printing, supported by AI, for the sustainable repair of underwater steel structures. The overarching goal of the project is the large-scale coating of underwater structures as well as the ability to “print” new structures onto existing components to achieve sustainable and resource-efficient repair of underwater structures. To this end, robot- and laser-based 3D printing underwater is to be developed with AI support. To achieve this, an advanced understanding of the underwater laser-based 3D printing process must be developed, particularly regarding how process parameters affect layer formation and, consequently, the final result. Using the process results obtained in experiments, an AI system will be developed and trained to autonomously learn the effects of process parameters on the welding process for a wide variety of scenarios and to predict optimal process parameters for new welding tasks. Furthermore, in the field of AI, the goal is to develop a path planning algorithm that determines the optimal way to repair or coat a damaged area.
Based on the findings from the process development, a laser processing optical system is to be developed and manufactured for use outside of laboratory environments, combining the optical components with the wire feed required for the coating process. A handling system is also needed to position the laser processing optical system underwater. To reach the damaged areas, an underwater magnetic crawler will be used, which will be further developed to meet the requirements of laser-based 3D printing. The printing process will then be carried out by a fine-positioning system mounted on the crawler. This system must be capable of positioning the weld seams with repeatable accuracy next to and on top of one another. At the conclusion of the “RoLaKI” project, a functional demonstrator is to be available that can demonstrate robot- and laser-based 3D printing underwater with AI support.