Phantom High-Speed Camera Goes Where No Welding Camera Has Gone Before

One Brazil-based R&D company is using high-speed imaging to observe and improve arc welding processes—a field of research that has vast implications for oil companies.

Using cameras to monitor welding processes is nothing new. They help operators control the quality, speed and positioning accuracy of automated welding equipment in dangerous or hard-to-reach areas. But when it comes to providing clear images of the weld-pool—the molten, dime-sized area of a weld where the base metal reaches its melting point—most cameras still fall short. The small size of the joint, coupled with the incredible brightness of the electric arc, makes recording the process difficult for traditional welding cameras.