Keywords
Citation
(1998), "Robot welding proves a winner", Industrial Robot, Vol. 25 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.1998.04925daf.004
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 1998, MCB UP Limited
Robot welding proves a winner
Robot welding proves a winner
Keywords Colecraft, Robots, Welding
For any small company to take the plunge on robot welding is no easy decision. Especially when the main core of its business is building up to 50 narrow boat hulls a year. But, like many small boat builders, Colecraft Engineers, based in Long Itchington, has a substantial subcontracting arm.
This helps iron out the peaks and troughs of the boat-building side of the business. The impetus to consider robot welding was when they won a major order for hinge brackets for folding shipping containers.
After the job had been running a while Gary Cole, director at Colecraft, realised that manual welding was consuming too high a percentage of his most valuable asset-skilled labour. Also, even with skilled welders a rework rate of between 5 and 10 per cent was proving necessary.
Having read about robot welding, he still wasn't sure if it was the answer. A visit to FANUC Robotics was arranged to see a System 100 welding cell. He was attracted to the idea of an "off-the-shelf" package. The System 100 features a twin station indexing table that can carry components up to 300kg. The twin tables takes fixture loading times out of the production floor-to-floor time.
An important feature for Colecraft was Through Arc Seam Tracking (TAST). This is used to keep a torch centrally over the weld when weaving. The power sin curve created by the weaving is analysed by the system. If the peaks and troughs are not equal, then the system automatically adjusts the torch position relative to the joint until they are.
Currently the robot cell is exceeding the production time of manual welding by at least 3:1. This is coupled with the virtual elimination of any rework.
FANUC Robotics (UK) Limited, Seven Stars Industrial Estate, Wheler Road, Coventry CV3 4LB, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 1203 639669; Fax: +44 (0) 1203 304333.