Common Applications for Robotic Welding
Welding is integral to nearly every fabrication project, and the structural integrity of the final product greatly depends on the quality of the welds. Traditionally, welding operations were performed manually but over time fabricators have increased their reliance on robots for welding tasks. In these cases, a robot works within a defined space, referred to as a cell, and is given electronic instructions to perform a given task without direct human involvement. Simply put, robotic welding automates the welding process. Robots are designed to execute a specific job, typically a repetitive task, and are known for their efficiency on the shop floor. There are many benefits to robotic welding including:
There are many advantages to reshoring manufacturing to North America. The following highlights the main benefits and makes the case for partnering with a proven and experienced manufacturer like ABS, who has 6 state-of-the-art facilities serving OEMs across North America. All of the advantages below result in production efficiencies and cost savings as well as lower risk for OEMs.
- Improved Quality: robotic welds are known for their excellent quality. Since robots produce more consistent welds with fewer errors, there is less rework required and lower waste generated – making robotic welding more cost effective than traditional manual methods.
- Higher Volumes: robots are able to work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with no breaks except for occasional maintenance. For this reason, robots are capable of higher welding productivity and throughput. Higher volumes and faster cycle times translate to lower costs that provide a critical competitive edge to manufacturers!
- Better Safety: robots often perform welding tasks that can be hazardous to humans. The use of robotic welding removes operators from higher risk processes, improving personnel safety.
Common Applications for Robotic Welding
Many sectors already take advantage of robotic welding such as the automotive, manufacturing, and fabrication industries – and recent innovations like smart sensors, track mounting, and large part positioners make robotic welding even more feasible for heavy fabrications. While there are numerous robotic welding processes available, below are some of the most common applications. In these cases, the robot has an arm that typically can move in three dimensions, and an attachment is fixed to the end of the arm to facilitate the welding process. For example, most robots have a torch at the end of the arm to heat and melt the metal pieces. In between welding tasks, the arm and attachment are cleaned as necessary.
- Arc Welding: this is one of the most common applications of robotic welding and results in high precision welds. This technique uses an electric arc passed between an electrode and the metal to create significant heat and melt the metal. One of the key benefits of using robots to perform arc welding is avoiding personnel exposure to arc burns and hazardous fumes.
- TIG Welding: this is a form of arc welding where the electrode is made of tungsten. TIG welding is often referred to as Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW). Similar to arc welding, robotic TIG welding offers personnel protection and high precision welds.
- MIG Welding: this welding technique is often referred to as Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW). A wire is continuously fed to the robotic arm. The wire is heated and the melted metal is deposited on the weld location. Robotic MIG welding is known for its simple, rapid welds.
- Resistance Welding: this form of welding uses an electric current to melt portions of both pieces of metal, forming a pool of liquid metal that joins the pieces together once hardened. Resistance welding is one of the more cost-effective types of robotic welding and is very common.
- Laser Welding: as the name implies, this form of welding utilizes a laser light to join the two pieces of metal. Robotic laser welding is often employed in projects with challenging geometries and hard to reach weld spots.
ABS’ Welding Expertise
ABS’ infrastructure, including our cranes, positioners, and rollers, are specifically designed to safely handle the largest and most challenging fabrications. Further complementing our heavy fabrication is our latest investments in large and complex robotic welding. The recent advancement in robotic welding, or “next generation robots”, has proven far more precise and intuitive than older designs. ABS has several cells designed to harness this technology to effectively drive quality and throughput in heavy weld deposit applications.
ABS welders are certified by CWB/AWS and ASME, and are fully trained on flux-core, gas metal, submerge arc, tig and stick electrode welding techniques. Individual customer requirements are followed and enforced in conjunction with our in-house certified weld inspectors (CWI Level 2's). Below are some of our welding services:
We offer a unique combination of medium to high volume production machining and welding services. Our team is committed to producing an un-paralleled level of quality and throughput, while also focusing on cost. We also offer secondary services such as mechanical assembly, making ABS a true single source solution for the most challenging programs of today and for the future.
Contact us today to see how we can help with your next project, or give us a call at 1-844-227-6224.
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