Motoman Robot Arc Welding Material Separation Baskets for Heavy Equipment

Summary

Robot system welds parts in 3.5-4 hours – more than 10 times faster than manual process, and more than 40% faster than customer’s requirement. Robot system improves productivity and efficiency, and provides flexibility to weld additional parts.

Project Challenges

• Automate welding operation and improve quality and efficiency of welding operation.
• Robotically weld pre-tacked stainless steel or carbon steel parts, with manual changeover between processes. Material thickness ranges from 3.175 mm-25.40 mm (0.125"–1.0").
• Weld one model of separator baskets, with flexibility to add additional parts. Baskets are approximately 2,620.3 mm L x 1,323.8 mm W x 666.8 mm H (103.2" L x 52.1" W x 26.25" H).
• Operation requires more than 400 welds, ranging in length from 12.7-609.6 mm (0.5"-24") L.
• Improve productivity and reduce welding time from more than 40 hours to approximately 6 hours.

Motoman Robotics Solution

Motoman Robotics provided a custom MotoRail™ solution, including:

• Motoman HP50-20 (extended reach) robot with NX100 controller.
• MotoRail – 10-m (32.8-ft) overhead linear track with 2.5-m (8.2-ft) per second linear traverse speed; and 0.1 mm (0.004") total system repeatability (track and wall-mounted robot).
• Miller Auto-Axcess® 450-Amp weld package.
• Motoman Tough Gun® 450-Amp water-cooled torch package. Includes dual bulk-wire assist feeders; one for mild steel, one for stainless steel wire. (Manual changeover required.)
• (2) Reamer/sprayer nozzle cleaning stations with Motoman pneumatic wire cutters and ToolSight® comprehensive torch alignment packages, mounted on deluxe accessory stands.
• Motoman Com-Arc seam-tracking with 200-V high-speed touch-sense package.
• Arc data monitoring package.
• (2) MHT-1500 headstock/tailstock positioners. 3,000 kg (6,614-lb) rated hs/ts load; 106 rpm headstock speed; 180-degree sweep in 3.32-seconds; 152 mm (6") off CG at rated load; 50 mm (2") overhang CG at rated load. Includes MotoMount™.
• (2) Operator stations (one master; one slave). Functions: job start, emergency stop, hold, alarm reset, and servo power-up. Palm buttons for cycle-start activation. Ready signal light and alarm indication light. Positioner auto/manual switch. Positioner manual-jog joystick. Two-digit thumbwheel selector.
• Custom fixturing package.
• Common equipment base for NX100, quick disconnects, and welding power supply.
• Cell guarding package that meets ANSI/RIA R15.06-1999 safety standard, including: woven wire perimeter safety fence with one access gate and positive-break safety switch; bi-fold gates at positioner load/unload stations with lock-out/tag-out provisions; arc flash protection curtains; MotoRail zone switches; and three-color light beacon with horn.

Fixtures/Tooling Details

Motoman Robotics provided two sets of part holding fixtures: one set for each positioner. Fixture details are hardened. Individual parts are manually bolted to the fixtures using existing holes in the parts, and no sensors are required.