Technology has significantly changed the old trade of welding over time. The 19th-century invention of welding equipment brought forth the first significant alteration. They sped up production, saved money on materials, and cut labor expenses by enabling more precise and accurate welds.
Larger electrodes might be used with less risk of electrical shock thanks to the utilization of electricity as a power source. These two innovations completely changed this sector.
What is robotic welding?
Robotic welding is an automated procedure that uses mechanized, programmable instruments to heat, mix, and cool two materials to fuse them.
Robotic welding is best suited for manufacturing and industrial sectors that use repetitive, high-volume welding operations. Robotic welding instruments can be used to carry out a variety of welding procedures. The following are some of the most popular types of robotic welding:
- Robotic MIG
- Plasma welding
- Spot welding
- Laser welding
Robotic welding has several advantages, including improved productivity, greater worker safety, and less need for human modifications.
Robotic welding equipment can help you stay on top of automation advancements, which can greatly assist your manufacturing operations. Here are some examples of robotic welding:
Robotic MIG
MIG technology can conduct numerous welds on higher gauge materials, including lap welds, fillet welds, and butt welds. Robotic MIG is suitable when a product needs numerous weld types and requires better strength.
Cobots and Standard industrial robots can be used for MIG welding. We can provide automated gun cleaning solutions where industrial robots are often employed for more complicated items and procedures. Just shifting the MIG gun to show where the welds go makes it simple to teach a cobot a function for short batches of small to medium-sized products.
Plasma Welding
Plasma welding is a technology that is best suited for automated welding since it demands precise alignment at extremely high temperatures. Precision applying temperatures of approximately 16,000 °C to incredibly small places results in very neat, high-quality welds.
It is frequently employed in the production of medical equipment, steel tubes such as small metal components, and exhaust pipes.
We carefully develop solutions to satisfy product design needs, considering each welding procedure’s benefits and limitations.
When there are other possibilities, we will provide the finest ones to our clients, go through the advantages and disadvantages, and then assist them in selecting the ideal system.
Spot Welding
One of the cleanest forms of welding is spot welding. The welding electrode produces only a few sparks and a tiny amount of smoke (mostly when there is oil residue on the sheet). Spot welding is frequently used in furniture, appliances, and automobiles.
Fixed automated spot-welding cells may accommodate a few model changes depending on the product and are best for components that need many welds.
Depending on the procedure, it might also be possible to carry out another task within the cell, such as folding followed by welding.
Laser Welding
Laser welding is highly neat and attractive to the eye. Although they may be relatively expensive to put up, they are relatively cheap to operate. They often work in specialized cells that can either stand alone or be integrated into a production line and are enclosed for safety.
They are commonly employed in producing automotive panels and medical equipment and are frequently utilized for high-volume runs where the completed result is visible to consumers.
Automation Trends in Welding Industry
Laser welding is highly neat and attractive to the eye. Although they may be relatively expensive to put up, they are relatively cheap to operate. They often work in specialized cells that can either stand alone or be integrated into a production line and are enclosed for safety.
They are commonly employed in producing automotive panels and medical equipment and are frequently utilized for high-volume runs where the completed result is visible to consumers.
Enhanced Collaborative Tools
Operations are made safe and effective by placing a human operator and a robot close to one another. Gesture commands to produce a specific action or program are one of the current developments in robot and operator communication.
Monitored Production Processes
Manufacturers use production monitoring systems to speed up manufacturing. These systems produce more precise measurements, more effectively manage processes, and produce parts of higher quality.
They also keep an eye on the weld’s quality and offer suggestions. This enables businesses to control the quality produced by robotic welding equipment.
Production line managers may save a tonne of time using production monitoring tools, which helps you to speed up output without compromising quality.
Combination of Upstream Operations
Upstream practices must effectively collaborate with the weld cell to guarantee that the necessary kind and number of parts are accessible for the welding application.
Combining upstream operations with weld cells speeds up material handling, conserves resources and floor space, and guarantees that the entire process runs smoothly.
Adaptive Welding Advancements
Robots have been made more user-friendly for greater flexibility and speed by adding sensors for adaptive welding. Thanks to sensors, robots can feel and see as they move along a weld seam, making it simpler to convey more in-depth information rather than just numbers.
Simplification of Operation and Programming
Proper robotics training is required in the production setting, especially for programmers. In this manner, the automation systems can be properly programmed following the products created.
Systems for robotic automation have changed to make them more user-friendly. Today, many systems include components like sensor technology, wireless communication networks, and offline programming. Programmers must thoroughly understand the various factory settings that use robotic welding.
Conclusion
For many manufacturing businesses, welding automation is a game-changer because it enables them to increase production productivity while simultaneously lowering waste and raising product quality—without adding more staff or spending more money on expensive equipment.
Due to their computer-controlled programming and sophisticated sensor capabilities, automated welding systems are very accurate and precise, making them perfect for fulfilling tight tolerance requirements while reaching high throughput rates without requiring human involvement.
You may need to invest in welding automation if you seek a cost-effective approach to enhance your manufacturing processes.
