CaseStudies-RoboticArcWelding

CASE STUDIES: ROBOTIC ARC WELDING

Table of ContentsConstruction Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Building Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Agricultural Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Construction Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7

Petroleum Extraction Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Metal Fabrication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Oil and Gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Metals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Yaskawa Motoman Case Study:

Arc Welding

CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES

CHALLENGESProvideflexibleroboticweldingsystemtoautomateweldingofnewdesignofmotorgraderwithsevenmodels.Front,middleandrearassembliesaremanuallypre-tackedpriortoroboticwelding,thenmanuallyweldedtogethertoformthefinalframe.

Large,heavypartsconsistofmildsteelplate19-76mmthick.Dependingonthemodel,rearframesweighmorethan 2,000kgeach;frontframesweighapproximately1,450kgandmid-sectionframesweighapproximately1,500kg.Eachframesectionrequires50-150welds,whichrangefrom102-2,743mmL.

Improveproductivityandshortenleadtime.

Reducedependencyonskilledhumanweldersduetoshortage.

Makeaestheticallypleasingweldsonoutsideofgraderframethatdonotneedtobegrounddownpriortobeingpainted.

Accommodatelowceilinginplantwith non-gantryrobotsystem.

SOLUTIONYaskawaMotomanprovidedacustomweldingsystem,including:

Motoman20-kgpayload,extendedreachrobotwithcontrollerandbaseriser.

5-mservotrackwith1,000-kgcapacity.

(2)Tandem-arcGMAWtorchpackages,and500-Ampdigitalweldingpowersources,withinterfacetorobotcontroller.

1,000-lbbulkwirereelswithhigh-speedwire-assistfeeders.

Automaticwirecutterandtandemtorchreamer.

200-VCom-Arcseam-trackingandtouch-sensingpackage.

Motomantwo-axisservo-tilt/rotateskyhook positionerwith3,000kgpayloadcapacity.X-axisorbitalspeedis0-1.9rpm.Y-axisorbitalspeedis0-2.7rpm.

Motomanthree-axis,two-stationservo-poweredpositioner.Includestwoheadstock/tailstockpositionersmountedonarotatingbaseaxis.Eachheadstock/tailstockhasa3,000kgpayload(6,000kg

payloadtotal).Spanbetweenheadstock/tailstockfaceplatesis3.75meters.Indextimeis5seconds.

(2)Operatorstations(oneperweldingstation).Functions:JobStart,EmergencyStop,Hold,AlarmReset,andServoPower-up. Palmbuttonforcyclestartactivation.Readysignallightandalarmindicationlight.Positionerauto/manualswitch.Thumbwheelswitchforprogramselection(upto100programmedjobs)andmanualpositionerjogjoystick.

Workcellprotectionpackage,includingsafetyfencing,lightcurtains,andthreesafety-interlockedaccessgates.MeetsCanadianCSAZ434-03roboticsafetycodeaswellasANSI/RIAR16.06-1999safetystandard.

FIXTURES/TOOLINGCustomerprovidedmanualfixturesfor thisproject.Operatorsmanuallyboltframepartsontothetwopositioners.Robotweldsgraderfrontandrearassembliesontheheadstock/tailstockpositioner;mid-sectionsontheskyhookpositoner.

PROJECT RESULTSRobotsystemmeetsorexceedsallprojectgoals.Allowscustomertobuildontwoshiftswhatwouldhavetakenthreeshifts,eliminatingaproductionbottleneck.

Systemrequirestwooperators versus10-11skilledwelders.

Flexiblesystemaccommodatesvariousmodels/batchrunswitheasychangeover;operatorsimplyselectsnewprogramusingrobotteachpendant.

Tandemarcweldingisatleast2.5timesfasterandcaneliminateneedformultiplepassesonlong,heavydepositionwelds,savingcycletime.

MOTOMAN IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARKACS-082-B 2014 YASKAWA AMERICA, INC. AUGUST 2014

Yaskawa America, Inc . | Motoman Robotics Division100AutomationWay|Miamisburg,OH45342

Tel:937.847.6200|Fax:937.847.6277

motoman .com

Yaskawa Motoman Case Study:

Arc Welding

BUILDING COMPONENTS

CHALLENGESRoboticallyweldlargeassemblyandfabricationtablesthatare4-mLx2-mW andweighapproximately2,450kg,aswellassubassembliesthatweigh181-227kgeach.Tablesaremildsteel6-13mmthickandeachrequires660single-passwelds,rangingfrom25-152mmlong.

Improvesafetyandreducehighturnoverduetomanualweldingin100-degreeplusheatduringsummertime.

Provideflexibleweldingsystemthatcanaccommodateawidevarietyofmodelsandsubassemblies,andhascapabilitytoperform85%ofweldingonlargetables.

SOLUTIONYaskawaMotomanprovidedtwoMotoSweepcells,eachincluding:

Six-axisMotomanExpertArcrobot withcontroller.

MotoSweeptransportbeam.Robotis invert-mountedfromMotoSweeptransportbeamandcontrolledasanexternalaxis.

MillerAuto-Axcess450-Amppowersourcewithair-cooledMotomanToughGuntorch.Robotweldsusingbarrel-fed0.035"steelwirewithan80/20mixofArgon/CO2shieldinggas.

Automaticwirecutter,nozzlecleanerandsprayer,andtorchrealignmentdevice.

Twostationaryholdingfixturetables, onepersideoftherobotcell.

Operatorstationonstand-alonepedestal.Functionsinclude:JobStart,EmergencyStop,Hold,AlarmReset,andServoPower-up.Palmbuttonforcyclestartactivation.Readysignallightandalarmindicationlight.Thumbwheelswitchforprogramselection(upto100programmedjobs)andmanualjogjoystick.

Workcellprotectionpackagethatmeets ANSI/RIAR15.06-1999safetystandard,includingsafetyfencing,lightcurtains,andsafety-interlockedgates.

FIXTURES/TOOLINGCustomerprovidedtheirownfixtures.EachMotoSweepcellhastwostationaryholdingfixturetables,oneperside.Therobotcanprocessthesametypeofpartsonbothsidesordifferentpartscanberunonoppositesidesofthesamerobotcell.Partsarefixturedverytightlyandconciselytoensureweldedparts aresquareandflat.

PROJECT RESULTS Highlyflexible,extended-reachrobotsystemmeetsorexceedsallprojectgoalsandobjectives.

Conservativelyspeaking,robotsystempaybackwaslessthansixmonths.

Productioncapacityincreasedfrom20-25permonthto6-7perday,enablingcustomertobringout-sourcedproductionof40unitspermonthbackin-house.

Flexiblerobotsproducehigh-quality,consistentwelds,significantlyreducingscrapandrework.

Reliablerobotsystemhelpedcustomerreduceleadtimefrom20-24weeksto16weeks.Customeranticipatesfurtherleadtimereductiontoeightweeks.

MOTOMAN IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARKACS-083-B 2014 YASKAWA AMERICA, INC. AUGUST 2014

Yaskawa America, Inc . | Motoman Robotics Division100AutomationWay|Miamisburg,OH45342

Tel:937.847.6200|Fax:937.847.6277

motoman .com

Yaskawa Motoman Case Study:

Arc Welding and Handling

AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT

CHALLENGESProvideflexiblesystemtoweldandhandle12differenthaybalerrollassemblies.Theseconsistoftubeswithtrunnionsoneachendthataretack-weldedinplace,plug-weldedandthenfinal-welded.

Tubesare1,170-1,556mmLandhaveODs rangingfromapproximately89-168mm. Finalweldedassembliesare1,318-1,959mmL.

Systemmustbedesignedtoholdenoughpartstosupportapproximatelyonehourofunattendedproduction.

Improveweldqualityandreducerework.Achieverun-outtolerancewithin1.5mmfortubesand0.4mmfortrunnions.

Achievecycletimeofapproximately 5-6minutesperpart.

SOLUTIONAYaskawaMotomancustomweldingandhandlingsolution,including:

TwoMotomanrobotswithbaserisers. Thearcweldingrobotfeaturesa50-kgpayload;thematerialhandlingrobot featuresa200-kgpayload.

Miller450-ampAutoAxcessweldpackage,includinginterface,four-rollwirefeedersandfeedrolls,interconnectingcablesandwelddress-outpackage.

MotomanToughGunpackagewith 500-Ampair-cooledtorch.

MotomanComArc(80-V)touch-sensepackagewithseam-tracking.

Reamer/sprayernozzlecleaningstation.

Customend-of-armtoolpneumatic multi-functionmechanicalgripperforrobot.

Motomanrotarypositioner(fortrunnioninfeed)with300kgcapacitypersideand4-secondindex.Includestwofixtures(oneperside),eachwith24-trunnioncapacity.

Tubeinfeed/outfeeddevicesgravity-fedinfeedwithsingulator,andgravityoutfeedchute,includingthree-levelrackswith rack-fullsensors.

Lasersensorstation.Lasersensorisused todeterminethelocationofthewelded trunnionshaftrelativetodisc.

Motomanheadstockpositionerwith3,000kg ratedheadstockload;6.7rpmheadstockspeed;and4.95-second180-degreesweep.

Allen-BradleyPLCpackagewithHMIinterface.

CellguardingpackagethatcomplieswithANSI/RIA-15.06-1999safetystandard.Includesperimetersafetyfencewithtwoaccessgates;arcflashcurtains;safetylaserscannerattrunnioninfeedstation;and4-colorstatusbeaconwithaudiblealarm.

FIXTURES/TOOLINGYaskawaMotomanprovidedacustompneumaticmulti-functionmechanicalgripperforthematerialhandlingrobotthathandlestwotrunnionsandonetube/rollassemblyoftherequiredsizes.Gripperincludesopen/closedsensors,andlasersensorthatsearchesforslotsorholesintubesandverifieslength/diameter.Customer-providedpneumaticallyclampedmechanicalslideweldingfixtureismountedonheavy-dutypositioner.

PROJECT RESULTS Systemexceedsrequirementsforqualityimprovement.Run-outtolerancesareconsistentlyheldto0.2mmontrunnionsand0.75mmontubes,whichistwiceasgoodasthegoalof0.4mmontrunnionsand1.5mmontubes.

Roboticsolutionachievesgoalofsignificantlyreducingreworkandrelateddirectlaborcosts.

Systemmeetsrequirementforabilitytosupportapproximatelyonehourofunattendedproduction.

Systemachievesadequatecycletime,whichisexpectedtoimproveevenmoreascustomerimplementsadditionaltoolingandpartchanges.

MOTOMAN IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARKACS-099-B 2014 YASKAWA AMERICA, INC. AUGUST 2014

Yaskawa America, Inc . | Motoman Robotics Division100AutomationWay|Miamisburg,OH45342

Tel:937.847.6200|Fax:937.847.6277

motoman .com

Yaskawa Motoman Case Study:

Arc Welding

CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

CHALLENGESProvideflexibleroboticsystemcapableofwelding26differentoutriggerbeammodelsdistributedacrossthreepartfamilies.Mildsteelpartsrangefromapproximately1,524-3,658mmL, 6-19mmthickandweigh227-771kg. Eachbeamrequires7-10welds,rangingfromapproximately51-3,048mmL.

Achieve27-minutecycletimeforallmodels(onepartevery0.45hours).Dependingonmodel,beamstake 3-4hourstoweldmanually.

Increasethroughputandproductivitytoenableout-sourcedbeamstobebroughtbackin-house.

Improveweldqualityandconsistency.

Allowskilledmanualwelderstoberedeployedtootherjobswithintheplant.

SOLUTIONYaskawaMotomanprovidedaflexibletripleweldingsystem,including:

(3)20-kgpayloadrobotswithindividualcontrollersandbaserisers.

(3)FroniusTimeTwinTPS5000digitalweldpackages.

(3)FroniusRobactaTwinCompact 900-Ampwater-cooledtandem-arcGMAWtorchpackages.

(3)Nozzlecleaningstationsfortandem-arctorches.Reamer-typewithwirecutterandanti-spatterspray.

(6)ComArc(200-V)seam-trackingand touch-sensingpackages.

(2)Motomanheadstock/tailstockpositionerswith3,000kgratedload.MotoMountfixturemountingsystemincluded.

Commonequipmentbaseforcontrollers withtableforweldingpowersupplies.

Fixturepackageadjustablespannerandhydraulicfixturesthataccommodaterequiredrangeofpartlengthsandmodels.

Operatorstation.

CellguardingpackagethatcomplieswithANSI/RIAR15.06-1999standard,including 2.4-mwoven-wireperimetersafetyfence; arcflashprotectioncurtains;(4)slidinggateswithpositive-breaksafetyswitchesatpositionerload/unloadstationforpart flow-through;andthree-colorstatusbeacon.

FIXTURES/TOOLINGYaskawaMotomanprovidedhydraulicclampingfixturesforthetwoheadstock/tailstockpositioners.AlargespannerbetweentheHS/TSfaceplatesisadjustabletoaccommodatevariousbeamlengths.Twoalignmentclampsandtwoswingarmsperfixtureholdeachpartforwelding.Fixturesincludepart-presentandclampopen/closedsensors.

PROJECT RESULTS Motomansystemweldspartssignificantlyfasterthanthe27-minutecycletimerequirement.Somepartsareweldedin 13minutes.Mostpartsaverage 17-18minutes.

Customerwasabletobringallout-sourcedproductionbackin-house,savingtime andmoney.

Flexibleroboticsolutionmeetsorexceedsprojectgoalsandobjectives,andcanweldallrequiredparts.

Robotictandem-arcGMAWsystemconsistentlyproduceshigh-quality heavy-depositionweldsandenablesskilledmanualwelderstoberedeployedelsewhereintheplant.

MOTOMAN IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARKACS-110-B 2014 YASKAWA AMERICA, INC. AUGUST 2014

Yaskawa America, Inc . | Motoman Robotics Division100AutomationWay|Miamisburg,OH45342

Tel:937.847.6200|Fax:937.847.6277

motoman .com

OVERVIEWAfterexperiencinganincreaseinthenumberofordersforitshydraulicexcavators,aglobalconstructionequipmentmanufacturersuddenlyfoundthemanualweldingprocessatitsnewassemblyplanttobeinsufficienttomeetdemand.Themanualweldingstationswereresponsibleforthefinalweldingofcabbodiesforeightdifferentmodelsofhydraulicexcavators.Withthesheersizeofthethreelargecabbodycomponents,andacombinedweightof12,000pounds,eachstationwouldrequireitsowncostlypositioningdeviceinadditiontoweldingequipment.Theworkalsomeantdealingwithquiteabitoftolerance(partvariation),andrequiredtheweldertocompensateforgapsizesfrom0-6mm.Sincethefinishedweldwouldbehighlyvisibleaftertheexcavatorwasfullyassembled,presentingaconsistentlyperfectweldwasabsolutelynecessary.

ThemanufactureridentifiedtheneedtoimplementaroboticweldingsolutiontomeetitsincreaseddemandandchoseYaskawaMotomanbasedonitsabilitytoprovidethefastestcycletimeswiththeleastamountofweldingcells.

CHALLENGESPositionlargeandheavycomponentsquicklyandefficiently

Produceconsistentweldsforeightdifferentmodelsthatmeetstringentinspectionrequirements

Adaptweldingparametersforvaryingtolerancesingapsizesupto6mmwide

SOLUTIONYaskawaMotomanprovidedtwodualrobotdualpositioningcellsdesignedtohandleweightsupto15,000pounds.ThepositionershadtwoaxisofrotationinadditiontoZ-liftcapacity.

Yaskawa Motoman Case Study:

Arc Welding

CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

Acustom-designedhydraulictoolonthepositionerheldthecabbodyonthecentralcomponentcommontoalleightdifferentexcavatormodels.Thisholdingmethodrequiredverylittleadjustmentwhenswitchingbetweenthedifferentcabbodymodels.

TheweldingsystemincludedfourMotomanMH50robots,eachfeaturing anAccuFastseam-findingsensor,Lincolnpowersource,DinseweldtorchandacustomHMI.

AServo-Robotseam-findingcamerameasuresthegapbetweencomponents.Itthenusesweaveadjustadaptivefilltechnologytoadjustoscillation,weaveamplitudeandtravelspeedtocompensateforvaryinggaptolerancesandproduceafinalweldthatmeetsrequirements.

PROJECT RESULTS Afterpassingamacroetchtesttoverifytheinternalqualityofthewelds,aswellasavisualtestforconsistency,themanufacturerinstalledtheroboticweldingsystematitsnewassemblyplant.

Duetothefastcycletimesoftheroboticsystem,themanufacturerwasabletomeettheincreaseddemandoftheirproduct.TheMotomanrobots,combinedwithadaptiveweldingtechnology,consistentlyproducehighqualityweldsthatmeetthemanufacturersstringentrequirements

Theroboticweldingsystemshavehelpedthemanufacturersassemblyplantsavetimeandmoney,producingupto12,000hydraulicexcavatorsperyear.

MOTOMAN IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARKACS-134 2014 YASKAWA AMERICA, INC. AUGUST 2014

Yaskawa America, Inc . | Motoman Robotics Division100AutomationWay|Miamisburg,OH45342

Tel:937.847.6200|Fax:937.847.6277

motoman .com

OVERVIEWFollowingaspikeinordersduetogrowingdemandforoilandgasrefiningproducts,aglobalsupplierofpetroleumextractionequipmentidentifiedtheneedtoimprovemanufacturingefficiency.Specifically,thecompanysoughttoincreaseproductivityinthemanufacturingofwalkingbeamsandframebases,essentialcomponentsinitspumpjackartificialliftsystemsthatareusedtoextractcrudeoilfromtheground.

Whilethedesignofpumpjacksystemshasntchangedsignificantlyin60years,thecompanyrealizeditneededtochangehowitmanufactureswalkingbeamsandframebasesinordertoremaincompetitiveandcontrolcosts.Thatsbecause,whilethe framebasesareasingle,standardsize,the manufacturerproduceswalkingbeamsin tendifferentsizes.Thecompanysmaximum walkingbeamsizeis40"x14"x310"withamaximumweightof6,740lbs.

Itwasdeterminedthatutilizinganautomatedroboticweldingsolutionintheproductionofwalkingbeamsandframebaseswaskeytoachievingthenecessary

efficiencygains.ThecompanycollaboratedwithYaskawaMotomantoimplementroboticarcweldinginthemanufacturingofthesecomponents,includingaweldingsystemwiththecapacitytoweldpartsofvaryingsizes.

CHALLENGESIncreasethroughputby65percent,comparedtopreviousproductionoperations

Improveweldquality

Accommodatetendifferentsizesofwalkingbeams

SOLUTIONFRAMEBASE ThecustomarcweldingroboticsystemdesignedtomanufacturetheframebasefeaturesaMotomanMA3100extendedreachrobotinvert-mountedtoaMotoSweepoverheadservobeam. ThisfullyintegratedsystemfeaturesaMillerAuto-Axcessweldpackageand cellguarding.

Specificweldingprogramsareselectedbyusingabar-codereaderlocatedattheoperatorstation.

Yaskawa Motoman Case Study:

Arc Welding

PETROLEUM EXTRACTION EQUIPMENT

TheMotoSweepconfigurationprovidestremendousflexibilityandadditionalreachforlargeweldments,aswellaseasyaccessforpartsetupandmaintenance.Sincethepartwasverytallandhadtobeweldedonbothsides,theflexibilityandreachofMotoSweepallowedasinglerobottoaccomplishthewelds,savingtheexpenseofasecondrobot.

WALKINGBEAMSAtwo-stationarcweldingcellwasdesignedtomanufacturethewalkingbeams.ThecellfeaturestwoextendedreachMA3100robotsandtwoMHT-3100headstock/tailstock(HS/TS)positioners.

TheHS/TSfeaturesa6,300kg(13,891.5lb.) ratedload,andauniversalfixturethataccommodatesavarietyofbeamsizes.Thepositionermotioniscoordinatedwith therobot(s)forweldingofcontouredparts.

ComArc,athrough-the-arcseamtrackingfunction,followstheweldjointduringweldingbysensingthechangeincurrentwhileweaving.AccuFast,anon-contactlasersensor,greatlyreducescycletimeandprovidesfastersearchspeedsby eliminatingwirecuttingandwiredeflection.

PROJECT RESULTS Followingacustomerrun-offtoverifytheeffectiveness,qualityandefficiencyofthewalkingbeamandbaseframeweldingsolutions,themanufacturertookdeliveryandbeganitsweldingoperations.

Theautomatedroboticweldingsolutionledtothemanufacturerachievingitsrequirementofincreasingthroughputby 65percentintheproductionofframebasesandalltensizesofwalkingbeams.

Thesystemsextendedflexibilityandreach,combinedwiththeabilityofitssensingfunctionstoprovideprecisemonitoring,droveimprovementsinweldquality,accuracyandcycletime.

MOTOMAN IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARKACS-131 2014 YASKAWA AMERICA, INC. AUGUST 2014

Yaskawa America, Inc . | Motoman Robotics Division100AutomationWay|Miamisburg,OH45342

Tel:937.847.6200|Fax:937.847.6277

motoman .com

OVERVIEWAfullservicemetalfabricationshopandcontractmanufacturerimprovedweldquality,throughputandleadtimesbyinstallingKinetiqTeachingonaroboticweldingsystem.Anearlyadopterofrobottechnologyforspotweldingandplasmacutting,thecompanyutilizeseightrobotweldingsystems.

Thecompanyoffersservicesfromdesigntocompletemanufacturing,specializinginfinishedin-the-boxproducts.Clientsincludefirmsinofficefurniture,transportation,materialhandling,displaysystems,consumerproducts,industrialmachines,medicalequipment,electronics,military,automotiveandaerospacesectors.

CHALLENGESGrowthinInternetsalesdemandedgreaterproductionefficiency,particularlyintherapidproductionofofficefurniturecomponents.Asaresultofcustomersplacingmoreordersonline,batchsizesandleadtimesarebothdecreasingwhilethetotalnumberofordersisincreasing.

Batchsizesof50to300partswereoncethenorm,butcustomersaresteadilyreducingthenumberofpartsperorder.Thisreductioninbatchsizesrequiresmorerapidfixturechangestowelddifferentparts,whichcreatesbottlenecksinschedulingandmaintainingproductionflowthroughtherobotweldingcells.Atthesametime,thecompanynowruns800jobsweekly,operatingtwoshiftsaday,sevendaysaweek.

Despiteregularinvestmentinstafftrainingtoenhanceoperatorskillsandboostproductivity,thecompanyneededtofurtherincreaseproductivitywithoutaddingcostsforcapitalequipment,stafforovertime.

SOLUTIONKinetiqTeaching,anintuitivedirectteachingmethod,allowsexistingmanualwelderstoquicklydevelopprogrammingskillstoimproverobotuptimeandreducechangeovertimebetweenbatches.

Yaskawa Motoman Case Study:

Arc Welding with Kinetiq Teaching

METAL FABRICATION

UsingKinetiqTeachingallowsoperators toquicklyprogramrobotsforneworrepeatjobs.In-depthprogrammingknowledgeisnotrequired;operatorssimplyguidetherobotbyhandtodesiredweldpositionsanddeterminetheweldingparametersthroughatouchscreeninterface.KinetiqTeachingeasilyfacilitateschangesinthetorchangle (6Dmotion)astheoperatorsimply twistsitintheorientationdesired.Itssimplifiedprogrammingenvironmentallowsoperatorstoprogramtasksbyselectingiconsfromtheteachpendantscolortouchscreen,similartoasmartphoneapplication.

PROJECT RESULTS ThecompanyspresidentsawthepotentialofKinetiqTeachingwhileattendingatradeshowandinstalleditonanexistingMotomanrobot.Thiseliminatedtheneedforalargeinvestmentintrainingformanualwelderstobecomerobotprogrammers.

ByutilizingKinetiqTeaching,manualwelderscanprogramandmakefixture

changestoadapttosmallerbatchrunswhilethecompanystworobottechniciansperformmorevalue-addedwork.Firstandsecondshiftoperatorslearnedwithin afewhourshowtoprogramrobotsusing KinetiqTeaching;thentheprocessaccelerated significantly.Afterwatchinganinstructorperformataskjustonce,operatorswere

abletocreatetheirfirstrobotprograminlessthan15minutes.ThemoreoperatorsutilizedKinetiqTeaching,themorerapidlytheylearned:Afterfourtries,operatorswhohadinitiallyrequiredanaverageofnineminutestoprogramanoperationwereabletodosoinfiveminutes.

MOTOMAN IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARKACS-132 2014 YASKAWA AMERICA, INC. AUGUST 2014

Yaskawa America, Inc . | Motoman Robotics Division100AutomationWay|Miamisburg,OH45342

Tel:937.847.6200|Fax:937.847.6277

motoman .com

OVERVIEWAmanufacturerofradiatorsforthepetroleumindustrywasfacedwithincreaseddemandforitsmanifoldheadersduetoexpandingoilandnaturalgasproduction.Itscurrentheadermanufacturingprocess,whichinvolvedateamofskilledweldersmanuallypositioningandweldingtheseveraldifferentmodelsofheadersbeforepolishingtheweldsforpainting,wasunabletokeepupwithdemand.Withthehighcostofskilledlabor,themanufacturerneededtoproducemorepartswithoutincreasingstafforoverworkingitscurrentworkforce.Inaddition,maintainingweldqualitywascrucialtopreventmanifoldleaksthatcouldseverelydamagetheattachedengineduringoperation.

YaskawaMotomansuggestedseveralchangesinmanufacturingthatwouldfacilitateautomationanddevelopedacompleteroboticweldingsolutiontoautomatethemanufacturersmanifoldheaderweldingprocess.

CHALLENGESIncreaseproductionbyrunningduringunsupervisedshifts

Distinguishamongvariousmanifoldsizesandpositionthemaccuratelyforwelding

Maintainhighweldqualitytoensureleak-proofoperation

SOLUTIONYaskawaMotomanprovidedatriple-robotweldingcellcoordinatedbyasinglecontroller(triplerobotcontrol).ThecellconsistsoftwoMotoman MA1900weldingrobotsandoneMotomanHP600Dmaterialhandlingrobot.Multiplerobotcontrolallowstherobotstoworktogetheronthesametaskorperformindependenttaskswitheacharm.

Thematerialhandlingrobot,equippedwithacustomgripperdesignedforjiglessweldingusesanon-contactAccuFast lasersensingunittodetectpartlocation.Jiglesswelding(usingamaterialhandlingrobottomovepartstotheprocess)

Yaskawa Motoman Case Study:

Arc Welding

OIL AND GAS

providestheflexibilitytohandledifferentpartsizesandperformmultipleprocesseswithinthesameworkcell.

Bothweldingrobotsutilized YaskawaMotomansthrough-the-arcComArcIV200VTouchSensepackage.ComArcsenseschangesincurrenttoadjustweldingweaveandensure leak-proofweldswithoutoverwelding.

Aremotemonitoringsoftwareprogramprovidedcrucialalertsandcurrentproductiondataanytime,anywhere,onanydevice.

PROJECT RESULTS Asthemanufacturerrequired,productionofmanifoldheadersnowtakesplaceinthreeshifts,around-the-clock,includingtimeswhenworkersarentpresent.

AccufastandComArcsensingtechnologyreducecycletimeswhileensuringaccurateweldplacementonallmanifoldmodelstoprovideleak-proof,high-qualitywelds.

Theremotemonitoringsystemmonitorstherobotsfor6.5hoursofunattended,lights-outoperationbetweenstaffedshifts,sendingnotificationsviaemailifafaultconditionsuchasmissingarcorlowweldgasoccurs.

Usingasinglecontrollertocoordinatethreerobotssavesfloorspaceandreduces

equipmentcosts.YaskawaMotomanalsoprogrammedtherobotstoperformpaintpreparationgrindingafterwelding,furtherreducingtherequiredlabor.

Today,themanufacturerusesitstriplerobotarcweldingsolutiontomarketagainsttheircompetition.

MOTOMAN IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARKACS-133 2014 YASKAWA AMERICA, INC. AUGUST 2014

Yaskawa America, Inc . | Motoman Robotics Division100AutomationWay|Miamisburg,OH45342

Tel:937.847.6200|Fax:937.847.6277

motoman .com

OVERVIEWAlong-haultrucktrailermanufacturerwasfacingdifficultieswithitsprocesstoweldlarge,heavytrailercomponents.Theprocess,whichincludedlayeringmultiplesteelsheetstotherequiredthickness,typicallytook30to60minutesforatrainedweldertocomplete.Withthecombinedweightoffinishedpartsreachingapproximately10,000pounds,workerswerehavingtroublemaneuveringthepartswhilemaintainingweldquality.Also,contouredparts,longseamsandtinyvariationsbetweenpartsrequiredtheweldertomakeadjustmentsduringwelding.

Themanufacturerhadpreviouslyconsideredautomatingtheweldingprocess,butdidnthavethebudgetfortracksormultiplerobotsperstationrequiredtopositionandweldthelargecomponents.

Toaddresstheseproblems,themanufacturerturnedtoYaskawaMotomanforanautomationsolution.

CHALLENGESDecreasetimerequiredtocompletecomponentwelds.

Maintaincriticalweld-qualityrequirementswhilelayeringmultiplesteelsheetstorequiredthicknessesandadjustingtovariationsinparts.

Reachtheentirepartwithouttheexpenseofatrackorasecondrobot.

SOLUTIONYaskawaMotomandesignedfourrobotweldingcellswithoneextended-reachMotomanMA3100arcweldingrobotandoneMotomanMH50-20materialhandlingrobotpercell;bothrobotsineachcellarecontrolledbyasingleMotomanDX100controller.Multiplerobotcontrolallowsbothrobotstoworktogetheronthesametaskorperformindependenttaskswitheacharm.

YaskawaMotomansMotoSimoff-lineprogrammingsoftwarewasutilizedduringthedesignandbuildphases.MotoSim,acomprehensivesoftwarepackagethatprovidesaccurate3Dsimulation

Yaskawa Motoman Case Study:

Arc Welding

TRANSPORTATION

ofrobotcells,isusedtooptimizerobotandequipmentplacement,aswellastoperformcollisiondetection,reachmodelingandcyclecalculation.Off-linerobotprogrammingwascompletedinparallelwiththesystemmanufacturingbuild.

AccuFast,anon-contactlaserseamfinder,andComArc,athrough-the-arcseamtracker,areusedtolocatepartvariationsandadjusttheweldingprocessaccordinglytomaintainweldquality.

Therobotcontrollersbuilt-inMulti-Layerfunctionsimplifiesprogrammingfortherequiredmulti-layerwelding.Asthefirstlayeriswelded,thepathiscorrectedusingthesensordata.Thecorrectedpathisstored,andthejobsforsucceedinglayersarecreatedautomaticallybasedonthesavedpath.

PROJECT RESULTS Theroboticarcweldingsystemsreducedcycletimeandincreasedefficiencywhilemaintainingthehighstandardofweldqualityrequired.

AccuFast,ComArcandMulti-Layersoftwareensureaccurate,highweldqualityforcontouredparts,longseamsand partvariations.

Theextended-reachMotomanrobotsprovidetheextensionandhandlingcapacityforthefullrangeofpartsproduced,withouttheneedfortracksoradditionalrobots.Thissavedequipmentcostswhileprovidingthereachrequiredtoweldthelargecomponents.

Automatingtheweldingprocessallowedthemanufacturertoreducestaffingontheoperationfromfourworkerstoone.Threeworkerswerereallocatedtoothervalue-addedtasks.

MOTOMAN IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARKACS-135 2014 YASKAWA AMERICA, INC. AUGUST 2014

Yaskawa America, Inc . | Motoman Robotics Division100AutomationWay|Miamisburg,OH45342

Tel:937.847.6200|Fax:937.847.6277

motoman .com

OVERVIEWAbridgecomponentmanufacturerwasseekingaquickerandmoreefficientwaytomanufactureitssteelcrossframes.Thecrossframesarebuilttobeboltedin-betweenthesteelgirdersthatrunparalleltotheflowoftraffic,addingstructuralintegrityandsupporttothebridge.Themanufacturersweldingprocessforthecrossframeswasallmanual.Withpartdimensionsof8feetby12feetandweightsupto2,000pounds,weldershadtospendasignificantamountoftimeusinganoverheadcranetopositionthepartfromoneweldtothenext.

Themanufacturerhadpreviouslyconsideredautomatingitscrossframeweldingprocess.Butwiththetwo-dimensionalstandardindraftingbridgedesigns,mostroboticweldingsystemsrequiredanengineertocompletethe expensiveandlengthyprocessofconverting thedesignsintoathree-dimensionalformatbeforetheinformationcouldbeadded intotheroboticweldingprogram.

Additionally,anyroboticweldingsystemwouldhavetocompensateforthetinyvariationsinsizefromonecrossframetothenextwherethebridgebendsandpitches.YaskawaMotomanwastheonlyroboticautomationcompanyabletoaddressthesetwoissues.

CHALLENGESDevelopaninterfacecapableofacceptinginformationintwo-dimensionalformat

Produceconsistentweldsamongseriesofcrossframeswithvaryingsizes

Accuratelypositionandweldlarge steelcomponentswithweightsupto2,000pounds

Decreaseprocesstimetoallowmanufacturertobemorecompetitive

Yaskawa Motoman Case Study:

Arc Welding

METALS

SOLUTIONYaskawaMotomanprovidedoneMotomanMH50-20robotwithaMillerAuto-Axcess450welderandaDinsewater-cooledtorch.ThisarcweldingsystemfeaturestwoAccuFast non-contactseamfindingsensorstolocategapsandtoensureaccurateweldplacement.ThetwoAccuFastsensorsweremountedat90degreesfromeachotherandallowedrapidsearchingoftheframestotrussnodes.TwoMotomanMHT3100positionerssecurelyholdpartsduringweldingandquicklypositionpartsbetweenwelds.

Acustominterfaceallowsinformationtobeaddedtorobotprogrammingfromtwo-dimensionaldesignsinarecipe-style setup.Theprogramsavesalldimensions,requiringtheoperatortoenteronlythechangeddimensionswhenasubsequentcrossmemberhasaslightvariationinsize.Thecustominterfacealsoallowstheoperatortovarytheprogramfordifferentsizeandshapeframes,adaptingto high-mixandlow-volumebatches.

PROJECT RESULTS Afterinstallingtheequipment,apartrunoffwascompletedtoverifyeffectiveoperation.YaskawaMotomanprovidedonandoff-sitetraining,andcontinualtechnicalsupporttoensuresuccess.

Now,asingleoperatorloadsandunloadsthepre-tackedcrossframesforfinalwelding inthetwo-stationrobotcell.Thissystemallowedthemanufacturertoreducecycletimesforitssteelcrossframesto20minutes perpart,asignificantreductionfromthetime-andlabor-intensivemanualprocess.

Withshortercycletimesrequiringlessmanpowertocomplete,themanufacturerwasabletoreduceitscostsperpartandgainacompetitiveedge.

MOTOMAN IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARKACS-136 2014 YASKAWA AMERICA, INC. OCTOBER 2014

Yaskawa America, Inc . | Motoman Robotics Division100AutomationWay|Miamisburg,OH45342

Tel:937.847.6200|Fax:937.847.6277

motoman .com

MOTOMAN IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK ALL OTHER MARKS ARE THE TRADEMARKS AND

REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF YASKAWA AMERICA, INC.TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICEYR-109-B 2014 YASKAWA AMERICA, INC. OCTOBER 2014

Yaskawa America, Inc . | Motoman Robotics Division100AutomationWay|Miamisburg,OH45342

Tel:937.847.6200|Fax:937.847.6277

motoman .com