Integrated solution offers improved management of welding process

Citation

(2003), "Integrated solution offers improved management of welding process", Industrial Robot, Vol. 30 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.2003.04930dad.001

Integrated solution offers improved management of welding process

Integrated solution offers improved management of welding process

Keywords: Welding, Quality control

A solution to the often overlooked, but important, issue of managing the mechanical aspects of welding – part detection, initial part thickness and weld displacement – is now available from Townsend Coates. Manufactured by Unitek, the product is designed to track electrode motion and provide real-time feedback to the power supply. It can be set up to measure displacement in either inches or millimeters and can be programmed to provide alerts to the operator or to trigger relay actions.

Advanced resistance welding technologies provide tools for managing the electrical process: precisely controlled energy, active weld monitoring and closed-loop feedback. The mechanical aspects, however, are often overlooked. Learning to manage both the electrical and mechanical aspects of the welding process can be the key to a successful welding application. To address this specialised requirement, Unitek Peco has integrated a linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) option with its HF25 power supply, which is easily mounted to Unitek Peco 80 series weld heads (Plate 1).

Plate 1 Unitek Peco has integrated a LVDT option with its HF25 power supply

LVDT displacement measurements offer a number of benefits. For example, they can be used to detect and verify the presence of the parts prior to welding. If parts are not detected, the weld is aborted avoiding inadvertent blowout of the electrodes. For some applications, using the LVDT to dynamically measure variable displacement during the weld process can be critical for managing "set down" of the parts and/or triggering "weld-to-limit" energy stop points. When combined with the HF25's closed-loop feedback for managing electrical characteristics, the LVDT's ability to dynamically measure the displacement provides a complete picture of all mechanical and electrical factors that can impact the weld, thus improving both process control and overall quality results.

For more information, contact: Mike Garry, Townsend Coates, Lunsford Road, Leicester, LE5 0HH. Tel: 0116 274 4488; E-mail: pedsales@townsendcoates.com