Robotic Solutions to Drive Manufacturing Forward at FABTECH 2023

Company leaders are finding innovative ways to effectively manage operations among the evolving industrial landscape. This includes a record annual number of robotic solutions that are addressing tough challenges head-on. From skilled worker unavailability and poor weld quality to sluggish factory workflow and more, high-performance robots and their peripherals are helping to drive manufacturing forward.

Yaskawa Solutions at FABTECH 2023

To discover more about how robotic solutions are positively impacting all manufacturers, join our industry experts at FABTECH 2023! “Our featured robots and workcells showcase a wide range of welding expertise,” offers Josh Leath, Sr. Product Manager of Welding for Yaskawa Motoman. “The advanced technologies on display are proven to help increase quality, safety and throughput for manufacturers in a wide range of industries, and our ability to provide custom solutions can also assist complex tasks for improved operations.”

America’s largest metal forming, fabricating, welding and finishing event, this industry tradeshow and conference will take place at McCormick Place in Chicago (September 11-13), where the Yaskawa booth (#B20051) will feature:

Arc Welding

Yaskawa’s Most Compact Welding Workcell
Ideal for supplementing or replacing manual, small part welding, the extremely compact and flexible ArcWorld^® HS is a space-saving solution for tight production layouts. Requiring only 1.4 square meters (15 sq ft) of floorspace, this model utilizes the six-axis AR900 arc welding robot and has a hinged station (HS) door, allowing easy access for loading and unloading parts. Featuring a fixed table with a 100 kg payload capacity, the ArcWorld HS can process parts up to 550 x 500 x 1050 mm in size. An integrated weld package with a Lincoln Electric Power Wave^® R450 power source (a Miller^® Auto-Continuum™ 350 is also compatible) is on display. Overhead LED lighting, a sheet metal enclosure, and light-reducing polycarbonate for arc and spatter protection are included, along with a Functional Safety Unit (FSU), a built-in extraction hood and a four-button operator panel with E-stop.

This workcell also highlights Yaskawa’s Universal Weldcom Interface (UWI) pendant application that helps users gain easy control of any weld process or parameter. By enabling full utilization of advanced capabilities on select digital welding power supplies, UWI can be used to adjust voltage and amperage parameters, arc conditions, check for errors, and more.

Portable Collaborative Welding Workcell
Part of Yaskawa’s proven line of ArcWorld workcells, the ArcWorld HC is a portable job shop that facilitates human-collaborative (HC) interaction. Specifically designed for optimizing small- to medium-sized part production for medium volume runs, this flexible solution with perforated Flextur™ table comes pre-engineered with arc flash protection, options for fume mitigation and an IP67-rated HC10DTP collaborative robot for use in harsh welding environments. Well-suited for supplementing manual welding or for rolling up to large heavy workpieces, this six-axis cobot with a 1,379 mm maximum reach and 10 kg payload capacity offers intuitive hand-guided teaching, and it includes Power and Force Limiting technology that enables operation with or in close proximity to human workers. A smart FSU enables safe operation at collaborative speed or the shift to full speed in industrial mode to accommodate evolving production demands. An integrated weld package with a Miller power supply is shown, but all major brands are compatible. This demonstration also features the UWI pendant application on standard and smart pendants--both built on our highly reliable YRC1000 platform.

Pre-engineered High-volume Welding Workcell
Built for high robot utilization, the ArcWorld 6200 (AW6200) is ideal for medium- to large-sized parts or high quantity production runs. Featuring two streamlined AR1440 robots with expanded wrist range for improved flexibility, multiple robot control with coordinated motion between devices is demonstrated from a single teach pendant. The high-performance YRC1000 robot controllers with FSU and integrated power sources are mounted on a common base for easy setup. The AC servo-driven RM2-1275 Ferris-wheel positioner included in this demonstration utilizes the patented MotoMount™ fixture mounting system that allows simple setup, eliminating the need for precision alignment or expensive base plate for simplified tool changeover. ServoRobot seam tracking sensors on both robots allows for adaptive welding to compensate for path or gap variations. The UWI pendant application is also featured, along with advanced welding equipment safety fencing by WireCrafters.

Economic and Flexible Welding Workcell
An ideal first step into robotic welding for job shop environments, the ArcWorld LC (LiteCell) is well-suited for mitigating labor shortages and quality concerns. Featuring the pre-engineered safety and efficiency of traditional ArcWorlds, this system with a 2,125 mm x 2,097 mm footprint is designed to help ensure quick payback for ultimate ROI. Fast and simple to install and relocate, a single workstation configuration with a six-axis AR1440 welding robot, a Miller^® Auto-Continuum™ 350 power source (a Lincoln Electric Power Wave^® R450 is also compatible), Wandelbots ease-of-use programming technology, and a single fixed tooling table with a 250 kg payload capacity is on display. A servo-driven MH185 headstock with a 185 kg payload is also available.

Fabricators looking for a cost-effective workcell option where parts can be loaded or unloaded, while another part is being welded, may want to consider the ArcWorld LC in a dual configuration, with either fixed tooling tables or two MH185 headstocks. Exceling at lighter volume requirements for small- to medium-part welding, this system can be tooled for different parts or can be used for sequential operations.

Hands-on Collaborative Mobile Workstation
Extremely cost-effective for collaborative robot integration, the HC10 Workstation on display features a hand-guided HC10DTP robot with a high-performance YRC1000 controller in a single package. Compatible with Yaskawa’s HC, HC10DT, HC10XP and HC10DTP collaborative robots, this highly compact solution with internal cable management is easily set up and relocated to quickly add automation to existing production environments. Ideal for arc welding, as well as assembly, machine tending and pick and place tasks, this demo also highlights the user-friendly touchscreen Smart Pendant that eliminates the use of conventional coordinate frames (X, Y, Z) for easy programming. Built-in leveling feet are provided to facilitate the utmost stability when the robot runs at maximum speed and payload capacity.

Spot Welding

Automotive Spot Welding Demonstration
Featuring a compact servo-controlled spot gun and a Nadex^® DC spot timer, the low-profile SP80 spot welding robot with Tecna Light X-Gun is featured alongside a high payload hollow-arm SP225H robot with a CenterLine FlexGun™ spot gun. Each robot in this demonstration uses a YRC1000 controller, and features exceptionally fast axis speeds and acceleration capabilities for reduced air-cut time. Adding greater programming flexibility, the SP225H robot is using an integrated spot harness in the hollow arm. This serves to reduce interference and harness wear, while accommodating a high-density robot layout. A multi-axis, tilt-rotate, low-profile MotoPos 500 positioner expertly presents the part for welding. Overall, this demonstration highlights multiple robot control with coordinated motion between different devices and processes through a single YRC1000 teach pendant for the fabrication of a single part.

Offline Programming

MotoSim EG-VRC Kiosk
Using an extensive model library and many built-in functions, the MotoSim^® EG-VRC simulation tool can drastically reduce the time, risk and expense of creating robot jobs and setting up workcell configurations. A PC-based software tool, this extremely accurate Yaskawa robot tool is specifically designed to: 1) enable offline programming – where a simulated workcell can be programmed as a real-world application, and 2) help conceptualize all the possible robot scenarios, such as “How fast can a robot move with a particular task? and “Can a robot move in a certain way to weld a specific part?”

Motion Control

Mechatronic Product Kiosk
Offering a comprehensive suite of products, including industrial servo components, machine controllers and HMIs, our sister division (Yaskawa America Inc. – Drives & Motion) will display award winning Sigma 7 servo products including Sigma Trac II linear stage, direct drive rotary motors, gear motors and a hybrid-ready machine controller MP3300IEC, providing up to 62 axes of motion.  

Be sure and visit with our Drives & Motion experts to learn how these offerings can help achieve a pathway to greater versatility for applications that entail 3D printing, shape cutting, machining, robotic automation and more. 

3D Printer Demo Optimized for Speed
In this demonstration, a strong, rigid framework and Yaskawa servo control combine to deliver 3D printing at 350 millimeters/sec., setting a dramatically higher standard for additive manufacturing speed with constant precision. A Yaskawa MP3300iec machine controller achieves this productivity with standard G-code, utilization of pre-canned tools such as extruder advance pressure control, and bed leveling surface compensation coupled with a Yaskawa Compass GUI for easy customizing of user controls.

Register Today and Join Our Experts

FABTECH provides a convenient ‘one-stop shop’ venue where attendees can meet with world-class suppliers, see the latest industry products and find the tools to improve productivity. That said, register today! Our experts look forward to speaking with you about your unique challenges and helping you find the best solution for your operation.

And, while you are visiting the booth, be sure to grab a refreshing beverage from our collaborative robot bar tender at the Yaskawa Pub. This interactive handling demonstration uses an HC10DTP cobot with a 3D printed gripper to serve two popular beer brands. A user-friendly touchscreen enables easy drink selection, and the Bottoms Up Draft Beer Dispensing Systems quickly pours the suds through the bottom of the cup, sealing it with a circular, souvenir magnet.

See you at the show!