It’s Not Always About Robotics…

 

Equally as efficient, our latest project was exactly that, a multi-welder system that featured no robots.

Having purchased a standard projection welder, the customer, a Tier 1 automotive parts manufacturer, wanted us to customise the pre-existing system, making it capable of welding two brackets onto two different parts – our bread and butter!

The initial step was to remove the pre-existing tooling from the system and design, manufacture and install our own, suitable to the specifications of both parts. Designed to fill the gap vacated by the old tooling, we then added this back into the system which already consisted of a Rexroth Bosch PSI Adaptive Weld Controller – the same control that is used within parts of JLR and other segments of the automotive industry.

With both parts capable of being fitted in the same tooling, clamps and sensors ensure that the system understands what part is fitted and can therefore react accordingly. With a reconfigured PLC and HMI panel, the user will be able to check the system if any errors are flagged up, and see which sensors or clamps are causing the issue by looking at the mimic screen.

Simple to use, and with easily managed systems, the HMI also allows you to set parameters for the system including an alert to inform when the weld caps require changing. Whatever number is set, the system will count down until it reaches zero and will require a cap change before another weld can begin.

The system itself is manually loaded with the part locked into place then, following the first weld, it is taken out and put into the second set of tooling for bracket two to be fixed. While this is locked into place, tooling station one will be loaded with another part and the cycle repeated. Both sets of parts require the same process, and due to their different sizes, the system must be informed when a change of part is taking place. Done so through the HMI panel, this allows the system to monitor the clamps and sensors for that part, ensuring that the system is prepared and safe to weld.

The result is a complete multi-welder, converted from standard projection system, capable of housing two parts within one complete set of tooling and ready to improved the customer's productivity. Robot-less systems like this come in at well under the cost of those with robot’s integrated and can provide an output that is just as productive.

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For more information regarding all things automation – Be it new systems or refurbishments, we’d be happy to help. Get in touch.