Arc welding robot has dresspack routed inside upper arm

ABB's IRB 1600ID (integrated dressing), robot has its dresspack routed inside the robot's upper arm, which makes it suitable for arc welding.

The dresspack carries all the media necessary for arc welding, including power, welding wire, shielding gas, and pressure air.

On conventional robots, the dresspack runs externally along the robot's upper arm. Each time the robot arm moves, the dresspack comes into swing, which causes wear and reduced cable lifetime. The IRB 1600ID's integrated dressing extends the cable and dresspack's lifetime, the company says.

The integrated dressing makes the robot's outer dimensions smaller, which extends the system's working range. It also eliminates the risk of damaging the dresspack in case of collision with the fixture.

The integrated dressing takes the guesswork out of programming. Programmers no longer have to consider the impact of an external dresspack on the robot's motion pattern.

The IRB 1600ID is available as a standard robot or equipped with the necessary arc welding process equipment. It can be delivered as part of the company's turnkey arc welding concept FlexArc, which also includes the IRC5 robot controller, power source, positioner, and related process equipment.