TY - JOUR AB - Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to propose a kind of fuzzy adaptive control method to control non‐linear system that has the characteristic of small time delay and fast respond speed.Design/methodology/approach– The paper analyzes the production process and the actual condition of the preheat process of the plating zinc and painting plastic scribbled of double layer welded pipe that has the small time delay and fast respond speed, and also gives the preheat process mathematical model. Fuzzy adaptive control method with hierarchical structure is used which aims at one non‐linear system that has the characteristic of small time delay and fast responds speed. Through the simulation, it proves the mentioned method is effective to control the temperature system for double layers welded pipe in welding process.Findings– Based on the mathematical model proposed about the production process and the actual condition of the preheat process, the fuzzy adaptive control method is effective to control the temperature system for double layers welded pipe in welding process.Research limitations/implications– The paper proposes fuzzy adaptive control method with hierarchical structure which has the basic fuzzy control grade, adaptive adjust grade, and process state judgment grade.Practical implications– A very useful method in welding process for double layers welded pipe.Originality/value– The new mathematical model is proposed about the production process, and the new control method is used in the temperature system for double layers welded pipe in welding process. VL - 38 IS - 10 SN - 0368-492X DO - 10.1108/03684920910994051 UR - https://doi.org/10.1108/03684920910994051 AU - Wu Xueli AU - Lu Xianghui AU - Meng Hua AU - Zhen Ran AU - Meng Fanhua ED - Mian‐yun Chen ED - Yi Lin ED - Hejing Xiong PY - 2009 Y1 - 2009/01/01 TI - The fuzzy adaptation control method and its application of a kind of nonlinear system T2 - Kybernetes PB - Emerald Group Publishing Limited SP - 1693 EP - 1700 Y2 - 2024/04/24 ER -