September 10, 2012
In recent years, through-arm robots have begun to replace conventional over-the-arm models. Following these selection, installation, and maintenance guidelines for a through-arm robotic GMAW gun can help you make a smooth transition.
September 7, 2012
Can automated welding be a useful tool in the random world of fabricating, where material make-up is inconsistent and weld-prep results in non-aligned edges? With a vision system, automated welding indeed can be the right tool for the right application.
August 3, 2012
Structural steel fabricators now realize what their sheet metal counterparts have known for several years: It doesn't make sense to pay people for the non-value-added activity of handling beams. That's why these shops are investigating automated material handling, but before they do that, they need to answer some important questions.
May 25, 2012
Implementing robotics can prove to be beneficial, but you can’t expect to achieve your desired productivity results if you don’t know how products flow to and from that cell. In other words, simply throwing a robot onto the shop floor is not the answer. Before you make the commitment to robotics, it’s important to analyze your process flow and adopt methods that will help reduce waste from the manual process.
May 22, 2012
Having difficulty aligning your offline programs with your real-world robot? Then you’ll want to read this article that discusses ways to overcome this problem, along with other offline programming uses that can help you get the most from your robots.
April 9, 2012
Offline programming has come of age. Fully taking advantage of all this technology has to offer can help you minimize downtime, increase robot productivity, boost quality, and improve your overall operation.
March 9, 2012
Offline programming and simulation can help fabricators of all sizes to program parts quickly and more consistently, become more competitive through improved and accurate costing, and provide operational flexibility.
February 28, 2012
Siemens Industry Automation Division, West Chicago, Ill., is now living up to its own name in a big way. The organization is better able to execute its build-to-order thanks to a multimillion dollar investment in an automated material storage and retrieval system with bending, punch, and laser/punch combination machines attached to it.
February 28, 2012
An Alabama contract fabricator uses innovative robotic weld fixtures and an unusual quick-change system that allows operators to switch out jobs in mere seconds. The innovations have been critical for the shop’s high-mix, low-volume work.
October 20, 2011
Automated welding of heavy fabrications presents a whole new challenge when compared to robotic welding of thin-gauge components. The weldments, of course, are much larger. The joints in these types of fabrications are deeper and require multiple passes of the welding torch. The fabrications are likely to absorb more heat because of those multiple passes. Luckily, robotic sensors and advanced computing power can take some of this complexity out of the process.
February 2, 2011
Editor's Note: This question-and-answer article probes new automation technology with Enrique Pano, ABB Robotics press automation manager.Q: What automated material handling challenges do stampers currently face?A: Stampers have always been pressured to improve material handling while reducing...