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Oh, the places you’ll go with offline programming—Part I
Offline programming has come of age. Fully taking advantage of all this technology has to offer can help you minimize downtime, increase robot productivity, boost quality, and improve your overall operation.
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Offline programming and simulation in robotic welding
Offline programming and simulation can help fabricators of all sizes to program parts quickly and more consistently, become more competitive through improved and accurate costing, and provide operational flexibility.
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Out with the old batch, in with something new
Siemens Industry Automation Division, West Chicago, Ill., is now living up to its own name in a big way. The organization is better able to execute its build-to-order thanks to a multimillion dollar investment in an automated material storage and...
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Smart robotic weld fixturing handles low-volume parts
An Alabama contract fabricator uses innovative robotic weld fixtures and an unusual quick-change system that allows operators to switch out jobs in mere seconds. The innovations have been critical for the shop’s high-mix, low-volume work.
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Fabrication automation
Need help dealing with the skilled worker shortage? Eric Lundin, editor of TPJ-The Tube & Pipe Journal, interviewed several automated equipment manufacturers for their perspectives on automation for tube and pipe fabrication.
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The robotic eye watches over heavy fabrication welding
Automated welding of heavy fabrications presents a whole new challenge when compared to robotic welding of thin-gauge components. The weldments, of course, are much larger. The joints in these types of fabrications are deeper and require multiple...
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Should you automate your welding operation?
If conditions are right, automating your welding operation can improve quality and productivity. Careful consideration of various factors can help you determine if automation is appropriate for your application.
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Taking the load off material handling
A manufacturer of healthcare products automated the material handling and welding of a popular line of medical tables.
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The brain and brawn of modern automation
Automating metal fabrication requires more than just high-speed processing. The actual equipment—the brawn—is only half the equation. The other half is the software—the brains of shop automation.
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Robotic welding of heavy plate sections
When mining equipment manufacturer Bucyrus,
Houston, Pa., redesigned its line pans for
coal removal, it increased the size and
thickness of the equipment. The redesign
provided the perfect opportunity to move to
an automated welding cell to keep...
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Making the case for robotic welding
Looking at labor savings is only one factor
to consider if a fabricator is going to
prepare a formal cost justification case for
a robotic welding cell.
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Robotic advancements in welding tube, pipe
Robotics gained a foothold in industry because they can work in environments that are hot, toxic, or otherwise dangerous. The drawback was the programming, which initially was tedious and time-consuming, especially for precision tasks such as...
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Think before you integrate (robotic welding)
Implementing robotic welding systems for the first time is generally a successful endeavor. However, potential pitfalls and common mistakes can lead to performance issues and increase operational costs. Making yourself aware of these mistakes and...
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5 traits to look for in a robotic cell operator
Automated welding holds great promise forkeeping U.S. metal fabricators competitiveagainst their international counterpartsbecause it keeps labor costs down, but theserobotic welding cells still require somehuman intervention. Having said...
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Keeping sight of the little things
Want to get more from your robotic GMAW system? Find out how selecting the appropriate wire, consumables, liner, filler metal package, and welding gun can help decrease downtime, increase productivity, and improve quality.
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Robotic pipe welding with a human touch
Automation has emerged as an alternative to manual welding, but these robotic and fixed automation technologies tend to work for specific applications, rather than general pipe fabricating. Automation coupled with the flexibility of a human...
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Back to school with robotic welding
Northwest Iowa Community College decided nine years ago that it would commit itself to leading the way in welding technology education. That commitment has not changed as the school recently replaced its 16-year-old robotic welding cell with a...
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Is it time to put a robot in front of a press brake?
North American fabricators have not been as active in adoptingautomated bending cells as their counterparts in other parts of theworld. But that may be changing. These five questions can help afabricator decide how to justify the case for a...
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Keeping welding costs from spiraling out of control
Skyline Steel, a subsidiary of ArcelorMittal, recognized in 2001 that for it to win contracts for high-end projects requiring high-pressure and high-strength steel spiral pipe, it would need to become more competitive in price. That's why the...
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Fabricator meets competition challenge with welding robot cells
Situation LB Steel LLC/Coburn Steel Products is a privately held fabricating and machining company with about 300 employees and multiple plants. Approximately 350,000 sq. ft. of its 500,000-sq.-ft. facility in Harvey, Ill., is dedicated to...
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Don't be marginalized
Peripheral equipment for robotic welding can help maximize the effectiveness of an automated workcell and protect the investment from costly damages. Understanding peripheral equipment is the first step in getting the most out of a robotic workcell.
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Automation helps ovenmaker cook up profits
What kind of a difference did an automated fabricating system make for Wood Stone Corp., Bellingham, Wash.? Before the system, the company actually had more people in the shop, and they were working 10 hour days for about 4-6 months to make fewer...
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A 'Case' for agility
Case New Holland needed a flexible robotic welding, one that could continually adapt to changing market demands.
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Automating the Small
Robotic welding has entered the job shop market with gusto, and here's why.
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Robotic GTAW
Robotic GTAW is a little-known process that has made significant advancements recently, thanks in part to the advancements made to manual GTAW that have made it more user-friendly and compatible with the environment. Applications that were once...
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Auto weld that ends well
Robotically welding a part made sense for Tommy Gate Co./Woodbine Manufacturing, Woodbine, Iowa, so they then made plenty of cents available to invest in a robotic welding cell from Genesis Systems.
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Top 10 misconceptions about automation
Fabricators frequently react to the idea of automation with powerful objections, many of which are based on information that is obsolete, incomplete, or simply incorrect. The reality is that automated systems can increase quality, profitability,...
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Automation in tube and pipe welding
Robots make a lot of sense for tube and pipe welding. The return on investment for a typical robot system can be seen usually within six to 24 months, depending on the parts, complexity of the system, and learning curve of the manufacturer....
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Improve your welding process with a mechanized welder
A mechanized welding system from Bug-o Systems will increase production, improve product quality and work environment, reduce metal distortion and the need for material handling. The modular construction adapts to your particular job....
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Analyze your arc welding cost
Typical graph showing estimated cost comparisons for proposed and existing welding methods Looking to purchase new arc welding power sources or robots in the near future? Need to justify your costs to get your budget approved? Read on to find...
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How to keep automated welding from 'going around in circles'
The move from manual welding to some form of machine or automated welding has been going on in all industries--including water heater manufacturing--for years. It's part of a desire to improve productivity and quality. A.O. Smith's American Water...
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The costs of inefficiency
To stay competitive, companies must be willing to invest both time and money to investigate whether or not their processes are as efficient as they should be. Those who do so can catch inefficiencies early in the process and make appropriate...
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The Pareto principle at work
You may not have heard of Vilfredo Pareto, but you likely have heard of the 80/20 rule attributed to him. In this article, robotic welding expert Jim Berge discusses how the rule, which he believes to be more accurate as 90/10, applies to...
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Reaching peak performance, productivity
Alpine Engineered Products had more business than it could handle: It was straining its resources and personnel in a way that made the company have to look outside its semiautomatic welding practices. Eventually robotic welding helped the company...
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Optimizing flow through robotic welding workcells
Robotic welding systems can enhance a company's production and bottom line. However, using these systems requires careful thought and planning, building the right infrastructure, and achieving the right balance between robotic and manual...
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Intelligent Robotic Welding
Planning a productive intelligent robotic welding workcell requires many phases. These include preplanning with a computer simulation, getting the virtual results to translate into real-world operation, using multiple robots within the workcell...
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Are company politics undermining your robotic projects?
Success with robotics depends on many factors. Purchasing the right equipment is not enough. A company's political environment and policies regarding robotics can make or break a robotic project. This article discusses poor politics and...
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Positioning your welds
Robotic welding can improve your productivity, but only if your fixturing design lets you. When you're designing fixtures for your welding application, consider your fixture's material; welding circuit optimization; orientation and deposition...
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Robotic welding
Rad Craig, owner of Induction Concepts, which develops high-performance twin turbo systems, has been considering robotic welding but wasn't sure where to go for information. Rad contacted Practical Welding Today ® , which contacted several...
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Welding robots and lean manufacturing learn to play together
With careful analysis and planning, automation can be an integral, cost saving component of lean manufacturing.
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Construction Junction
Two six-axis robot arms perform full-penetration gas metal arc welds on structural steel. Millions of construction companies strive every day to cut production time while maintaining, or even improving, quality. Robert J. Simmons owns...
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Simulating a robotic workcell
Not so long ago, setting up a robotic work cell was a trial-and-error affair. However, advances in simulation technology allow manufacturers to visualize a robotic work cell and sort out any problems before setting up the cell. Simulating the work...
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Racing against the clock
Prince Industries Inc., a contract manufacturer of CNC machined components, branched out into CNC fabricated components several years ago when it purchased two turret punch presses, a plasma machine, and a laser with manual loading and unloading....
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Playing it safe with robotic welding
This robotic welding workcell is guarded on all four sides. The back of the workcell uses the control panel and hard guards to prevent entry to the safeguarded space. The wall must be high enough to ensure that no one can reach over it...
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Intelligent controls improve automotive robotic welding
The automotive industry worldwide has experienced dramatic changes in the last 10 years. Challenges facing the industry include increasingly stringent safety rules; requirements for dramatic improvement in fuel consumption; and the necessity...
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The challenge of robotic welding aluminum
Robotic gas metal arc welding (GMAW) of aluminum alloys has been an industry challenge for many years. Early attempts made to automate this process typically failed. The failure of early automated cells was associated with a lack of...
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Programming multiple robots
In many applicatios -- such as large-component welding, press-tending lines, and multiprocess cells -- running multiple robots from a single point of control assists in preventing collisions, simplifying the programming structure, and reducing...
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Selecting equipment for a robotic welding workcell
So you've decided to automate your welding process. Now it's time to select the equipment that performs the robotic welding . It's critical to take care choosing the appropriate equipment and an integration partner.
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Laser-integrated robotics for assembly
In recent years laser welding has advanced into many different industries, from automotive to electronics. With lasers, it is possible to weld at high speeds with great efficiency. Once unthinkable applications and processes are now being...
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Loading up on quality, productivity, safety
Like the products it manufactures, CNH Global N.V. has to stay on the move—technologically. The company's Wichita, Kan., facility uses robotic welding to help produce Case- and New Holland-brand skid steer loaders. Powerful yet...
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