Network communications for weld cell integration – status of standards development

Network technology is being used more and more to replace direct‐wired links to integrate equipment making up automated and semi‐automated welding systems. Two formal welding standards efforts, one by the American Welding Society A9 Committee and the other by the Open DeviceNet Vendor Association (ODVA) are described. This paper should be useful to users and integrators of weld cells as part of their evaluation of the different network technologies available for implementation of welding systems.