Eric Nelson
Lifetime Supporting Member + Moderator
We were recently asked to quote building a machine to automatically spot weld a nameplate to a part. It's currently done by hand, and our customer just wants to automate this boring task. I have no issues with getting the parts transferred and positioned correctly in the system, but I have a question about the MIG welding. The only welding I've ever done was stick, and that was back in the 80s...
Every part is identical, and the welding needs to be done in the same 4 spots every time, all on the same horizontal plane, so there's really no need for a fancy (read: $$$) articulated robot. A servo X/Y motion will get me to the 4 positions, and allow horizontal motion during the welding process. What I'm not sure about is the vertical motion (moving the gun to the material). Can I just move down to a preset location every time, or do I need to go with a servo to allow me to vary the distance of the welding gun to the material? If I need to vary the distance, what dictates the distance? Or, do I need to be able to stop at some position, start welding, then move slightly closer?
Also, any thoughts on how to automatically ground the plate being welded? These are 12" x 48" x 1/4" thick raw steel plates that will be moved from station to station via a walking beam.
-Eric
Every part is identical, and the welding needs to be done in the same 4 spots every time, all on the same horizontal plane, so there's really no need for a fancy (read: $$$) articulated robot. A servo X/Y motion will get me to the 4 positions, and allow horizontal motion during the welding process. What I'm not sure about is the vertical motion (moving the gun to the material). Can I just move down to a preset location every time, or do I need to go with a servo to allow me to vary the distance of the welding gun to the material? If I need to vary the distance, what dictates the distance? Or, do I need to be able to stop at some position, start welding, then move slightly closer?
Also, any thoughts on how to automatically ground the plate being welded? These are 12" x 48" x 1/4" thick raw steel plates that will be moved from station to station via a walking beam.
-Eric