When implemented correctly, robotic welding can give manufacturers improved productivity and a good return on investment (ROI). However, mechanical welding can be a perplexing task, mainly if you are new to robotic programming.
While the best strategy for understanding how to program the specific robot is to be trained by the robot’s OEM, it never hurts to go for tried and tested mechanical welding rules and regulations from the onset.
Mechanical welding automates the welding cycle to boost precision and safety and decrease each task’s time taken. These benefits make the welding cobot an excellent alternative to manual welding tasks.
Numerous organizations have taken advantage of this mechanized procedure to get their desired results quickly. Therefore, we will look at how robotic welding works and the different types of welding that robots can implement in a production setting.
How Does Robotic Welding Work?
When utilizing robots for any cycle, the technique requires changing in order to incorporate mechanization. The same applies to welding, which uses several instruments not included in the guide book.
The robot has an arm that can move in three scopes for straight-lined types and via more planes with articulating renditions. A wire feeder guides the filler cable to the cobot as it requires it for a welding task
A high-heat torch at the end-effector melts the metal to kickstart the welding process. Since the temperatures rise to thousands of degrees, using cobots for this task ensures manual operators are safe.
Trained human laborers are still needed to be in close proximity to the cobot. However, the relevant authorities should be certified, which certify not only mechanical welding arm operators but also manual operators.
The operators program the regulator by means of a teach pendant. This gadget implements new programs, rotates the arm, and modifies the parameters necessary for the process to work. To commence the welding, the operator clicks the buttons on the control interface.
The device in the mechanical arm heat to melt metal to adjoin the desired parts. Depending on the situation, a wire feeder may feed more wire to the torch and arm. While waiting for the subsequent pieces to weld, the arm takes the torch to the cleanser to remove any metal splatters which can solidify.
The Types of Robotic Welding Include:
Resistance Welding
When tasks require heat-treating or an approach to bring down costs, cobots may utilize resistance welding. During this procedure, an electric current creates a liquid metal pool as it moves between the two metal bases. This liquid metal links the bits of metal together.
Arc Welding
Quite possibly, the most well-known type of welding is the arc technique. Here, an electric arc creates extreme temperatures of up to 6,500 degrees, which liquefies the metal. The liquid metal links the pieces, hardening into an ongoing construction after cooling.
TIG Welding
Robot welding tasks that need high levels of accuracy may require TIG welding. This technique is also called GTAW (gas tungsten arc welding). A power-driven arc passes between the metal base and a tungsten conductor.
Spot Welding
A few materials resist electrical charges, blocking them from other kinds of welding. This situation is prevalent in the car industry when parts are to be linked together on the vehicle’s body panels. To overcome this problem manufacturers, use spot welding to weld a couple of thin sheets of metal in a single spot.
Laser Welding
When welding projects require precision for a large volume of parts, laser welding is the favored technique to join the pieces. Tiny fragments such as jewelry or medical parts are joined together using laser welding.
Final Thought
All in all, whether or not you utilize robotic welding hinges mainly on the kind of projects that your business is involved with. However, as illustrated above, robotic welding is quite expansive in terms of the type of welds it can execute and is worth considering.