Approximately ten years ago, it was very difficult to find skilled welders since many specialized operators had reached an age that prevented them from doing this type of work. This is where automation comes in, offering companies a solution for welding processes and working to help them with different repetitive tasks or those that can be dangerous for humans.
The proposed solution is robotic welding, which seeks to generate greater efficiency and quality; generating safer environments for operators, while also increasing revenues and competitiveness.
Welding is one of the ideal applications to be automated by industrial robots. The objective of implementing robotic welding is for this system to search for stitches, that is, the robot is to accurately locate the joint to be welded. Various methods can be used, such as tactile detection, laser point to locate the work surface, or laser cameras. Then these stitches are examined, with the system observing the position of the welding in real time during the process, with by using tactical or optical detection techniques.
By using these methods, we can increase optimization in the welding application. The Robotic Industries Association (RIA) offers us a list of the most common welding applications and when to use them, including:
Arc Welding, Resistance Welding, Spot Welding, TIG Welding, MIG Welding, Laser Welding, Plasma Welding.
Integrating new technologies in applications for the above types of welding results in huge benefits for all types of small, medium or large-sized companies. We’ve talked about how an industrial robot can increase production since this equipment would work 3 times faster in the welding process and at a higher speed. The industrial robot can maintain consistency and repeatability by working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It reduces costly repetitions since it is able to maintain the correct angle, speed, distance and precision in the repetitions, obtaining high quality products, providing greater flexibility as it saves times by eliminating tool changes, providing greater security by reducing the accident rate in the work area, and preventing exposure to toxic gases, electric shocks or burns. Including a robotic welding solution can hugely benefit your company as the product can be delivered faster under the highest quality standards.
The robotic welding solution will be extremely favorable when evaluated from the perspective of return on investment. Generally, this type of system offers a ROI of approximately one year.
A highly viable option is to acquire a used industrial robot, which provides all of the above mentioned benefits and has the added value of supplying the robotic system at an affordable and guaranteed price. This is the case with UsedRobotstrade, which has the advantage of being a company specializing in reconditioned industrial robots from the best brands, collaborating with the best integrators worldwide and maintaining an updated stock of the most important spare parts. They help guide the client when it comes to choosing the right system that best suits their needs.