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Motoman Solution Automates Production of New Product
by Sally Fairchild
Automate production of new product.
Make 125 welds ranging from 1"-5" long on one part number. Final assemblies weigh 75 lbs. each.
Proper weld process and flow are critical to achieving consistent parts, since new design is prone to warp.
Achieve desired cycle time of 19 minutes per assembly.
Motoman SK16-6 robot with MRC controller, and 15 KVA step-down transformer kit.
10-meter extended cables.
Remote programming pendant.
Remote playback station.
MotoArc 350i power source.
Motoman 500-amp, air-cooled ToughGun welding package, including torch modified with customer-supplied gooseneck, safety clutch, UWI interface, wire feeder, side mount process package, and start-up kit for .035" wire.
1,000-lb. wire spool dereeler.
ComArc III Seam Tracking with 200-V High-Speed Touch Sense Package.
Nozzle cleaning station with anti-spatter spray kit.
4-meter servo track.
Headstock/Tailstock (HS/TS) Positioner with 1,000-lb. capacity.
HS/TS positioner with 1,500-lb. capacity.
Servo tilt/servo rotate (ST/SR) positioner with 1,000-lb. capacity.
Three operator stations with manual jog for positioners.
Two sections of customer-supplied roller conveyor, one straight and one radial.
Three sets of customer-supplied fixtures.
Integrated cell protection package, including wire fencing with safety interlocked gate, arc screen curtains and safety mats.
Fixtures for this project were supplied by the customer. Parts are all manually loaded into the pneumatically clamped fixtures.
During the welding sequence, the MRC sends I/O signals to Station 1 and Station 2 to automatically unclamp some fixtures to allow better access for the weld torch. Pneumatic fixtures at Station 3 are not controlled by I/O from the MRC, as they remain clamped during the weld sequence.
The SK16-6 robot on a 4-meter servo track progressively welds parts at the three positioner stations. Left-hand (LH) and right-hand (RH) portions of the mounting plate are joined by a common bar along with additional components, which are welded together to form the final assembly.
Weld Station 1
At Station 1, an operator loads the LH and RH mount plate and related plate assemblies into a 1,000-LB capacity HS/TS positioner. The operator manually closes the clamps, and then activates dual palm buttons on the operator station to start the welding cycle. The SK16-6 robot makes 40 welds at Station 1.
The operator at Station 1 then unloads parts onto a short piece of roller conveyor that transfers it to Station 2. Meanwhile, the robot traverses along the servo track from Station 1 to Station 2.
Weld Station 2
At Station 2, an operator loads the parts onto the 1,500-LB capacity HS/TS positioner, closes the clamps, and activates the cycle start palm buttons on the operator station. The robot makes 45 welds at Station 2.
The operator at Station 2 then unloads parts onto a customer-supplied radial-shaped roller conveyor that transfers them to Station 3. Meanwhile, the robot traverses along the servo track from Station 2 to Station 3.
Weld Station 3
At Station 3, an operator loads the parts onto the 2-axis 1,000-LB capacity Servo Tilt/Servo Rotate (ST/SR) positioner. The Station 3 operator station includes a joy stick that can be toggled by a switch to manually jog the servo-tilt or servo-rotate portions of the positioner.
The operator activates the cycle start buttons, and the robot makes 40 welds at Station 3 to complete the assembly. The operator unloads the completed assembly into a customer-supplied checking fixture.
The SK16-6 robot returns to Station 1 and cycle repeats to continue production.
System was delivered, set up, installed, and running on same day.
Estimate Return on Investment (ROI) approximately 2.7 years.