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automating a broken process. This, in
turn, can lead to increased rework and
scrap.
If you currently rely on your welding
operators to compensate for fi t-up
issues, you will need to look upstream
in the manufacturing process to ensure
consistency. What processes will need
to change to make sure uniform parts
are sent downstream by these welding
operators? Or, if vendors supply the
components, can they guarantee that
consistency?
or reworking parts, and minimize or
eliminate spatter, which in turn reduces
the need to apply anti-spatter or perform
post-weld clean up - both labor-intensive
processes. This means personnel that
currently apply anti-spatter may be
freed up for other, more productive uses
elsewhere.
An automated system can reduce
over-welding, a common and costly
occurrence associated with the semiautomatic
process. For example,
welding operators who weld a bead that
is 1/8 in too large on every pass can
potentially double the cost of welding
(both for labor and for fi ller metals), and
over-welding may adversely affect the
integrity of the part. Automation can
prevent this problem.
REPEAT THAT?
One of the initial things to ask when
considering welding automation is:
“Do we have a blueprint, preferably an
electronic blueprint, of our parts?” If
not, you probably won’t meet the basic
criterion necessary to ensure the part is
repeatable - and repeatability is the key
to automation.
An automated system, whether robotic
or fi xed, must weld in the same place
every time. If a part’s design is unable
to hold its tolerances - if there are gap
and/or fi t-up issues - you will simply be
ROBOTICS OR FIXED AUTOMATION?
No single automation solution is best
for every company. The best solution
depends on many factors, including the
expected lifetime of the job, the cost
of tooling involved and the fl exibility
offered
Fixed automation is the most effi cient
and cost-effective way to weld certain
components, such as those requiring
simple repetitive straight welds or round
welds, where the part is rotated on a
lathe. If you want to redeploy the asset
when the current job ends, however,
a robotic welding system offers more
fl exibility. A robot can also hold programs
Finally, robots are fast. They don’t have
to weld all day to be profi table; they must
only weld more quickly than a manual
welding operator - and they do. This fact
alone increases productivity. Creating
the same number of parts in a shorter
time also decreases labor costs and
raises profi tability. While these benefi ts
may immediately beg the question “How
can our company automate?” a few
questions must be answered fi rst.
indometalworking news Vol. 2 / 2008 29