http://www.thefabricator.com/Robotics/Robotics_TechCell.cfm The Robotics tech cell is packed with specific links to help you find product information, suppliers, technical articles, case studies, seminars and conferences, as well as books, software, and videos on metal fabricating-related topics. en-us http://www.thefabricator.com/RSS/images/thefabricator_rss.gif http://www.thefabricator.com Copyright 2007 FMA Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. official publication date Tue, 21 Aug 2007 11:18:54 AM CDT Vicki Bell Laurie Harshbarger http://www.thefabricator.com/Robotics/Robotics_Article.cfm?ID=1659 Figure 1 In this cell, a person watched two systems continuously weld joints. The person’s job was to intervene if the torch didn’t follow the joint path. In the 1970s robotic arc welding came onto the scene in a big way. Since its debut, robotic welding has tended to grab the most headlines and is the subject of most research papers. But two other methods—mechanized and automated welding—deserve just as much attention, especially considering these two pr... Jeffrey Noruk and Richard Garner Tue, 10 Jul 2007 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/Robotics/Robotics_Article.cfm?ID=1447 The Pareto principle, named for Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, may be better known as the 80/20 rule. Pareto observed that in most activities, a small fraction (20 percent) of the total activity accounts for a large fraction (80 percent) of the results. I have come to learn that Pareto's law applies to just about every aspect of life you can imagine. Based on personal experience, I also have discovered that 90/10 probably is more accurate than 80/20. Why am I talking ab... Jim Berge, Contributing Writer Tue, 12 Sep 2006 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/Robotics/Robotics_Article.cfm?ID=1390 Robotic welding has helped Alpine Engineered Products improve productivity, weld consistency, and overall product quality; eliminate outsourcing; and cut lead-times for its line of truss fabrication tables. The company invested in robotic welding equipment that performs 85 percent of the welding with one robot. Alpine Engineered Products Inc. had a good and a bad problem: more business than it could handle. Demand for the company's truss fabrication equipment and other buil... Tue, 11 Jul 2006 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/Robotics/Robotics_Article.cfm?ID=1337 Figure 1One of the new CNH systems welds on a loader chassis. Veteran industrial robotic user Case New Holland (CNH), Fargo, N.D., recently installed three robotic welding systems. Each system consists of an inverted robot on a large, three-axis traveling column and two large, dual-axis (skyhook) positioners. These systems weld front and rear chassis for the company's line of wheel loaders. This article discusses how CNH optimizes the flow through these new, sophisticated workce... Jim Berge, Contributing Writer Tue, 09 May 2006 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/Robotics/Robotics_Article.cfm?ID=1327 Robotic arc welding has become a mainstay of the manufacturing community, meaning robotic welding vendors no longer have to prove to a customer that a robot can weld. Now customers are asking new questions such as "How can I weld low-volume, multiple part styles in the same workcell?" and "How can I eliminate the downtime to program a new part?" These types of questions point toward the next era in robotic arc welding known as intelligent robotic welding. Illustrated... Michael Erickson Tue, 11 Apr 2006 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/Robotics/Robotics_Article.cfm?ID=1244 "Politicians and diapers should be changed often, and for the same reason." Whether or not you agree with this statement, it actually says more about the process of politics than politicians. Those stuck in an environment of political fervor may find it very difficult to break free and see things clearly. One of my earlier articles, How to Kill a Robotic Project in Five Easy Steps, addressed some of the more common causes of robotic implementation failure, but it didn'... Jim Berge, Contributing Writer Tue, 10 Jan 2006 12:00:00 AM CST http://www.thefabricator.com/Robotics/Robotics_Article.cfm?ID=1229 Robotic welding can improve your productivity, but its efficiency depends greatly on fixturing design and functionality. When applied properly, robotic welding can be economical; on the flip side, it can be inefficient and cost-prohibitive if you overlook simple fixture design considerations first. You can realize—or lose—many productivity gains at the design stage. When you're beginning a new robotic arc welding project, consider the following fixture design component... Geoff Lipnevicius Tue, 10 Jan 2006 12:00:00 AM CST http://www.thefabricator.com/Robotics/Robotics_Article.cfm?ID=1187 Investing in capital equipment is an especially big decision for a small fabricator. Rad Craig owns Induction Concepts, a Pryor, Okla., developer of high-performance twin turbo systems. He's curious about how automation might help him perform finishing work—he knows that robotics can save his company time and money, but he thinks it may be beyond his financial reach. For more information, Craig wrote to Practical Welding Today®: "We build lots of complex, curved stai... Stephanie Vaughan, Contributing Writer Tue, 08 Nov 2005 12:00:00 AM CST http://www.thefabricator.com/Robotics/Robotics_Article.cfm?ID=1163 Lean , one of the hottest buzz words in manufacturing, has to do with cutting the fat out of manufacturing processes, including minimizing work-in-process (WIP); eliminating processes that add no value to the product; increasing inventory turns; and building into processes the flexibility to change from one part or process to another in the least amount of time. These all are great ideas, but why haven't companies been implementing them all along? Many manufacturing companies hist... Jim Berge, Contributing Writer Tue, 11 Oct 2005 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/Robotics/Robotics_Article.cfm?ID=1054 Like many other software tools, CAD continues to evolve at the speed of . . . real time. Even though we think the world moves at a faster pace each day, a second is still a second, an hour is still an hour, and real time is what matters in the world of manufacturing. Some technologies have advanced so much that we can simulate a finished project in real time before starting to work on it. These technologies don't change, suspend, or alter the passage of time, but they do allow you ... Eric Patty Tue, 08 Mar 2005 12:00:00 AM CST