Our Sites

Enhancing robotic welding quality, productivity, and safety

Adding a welding reamer to automated operations can improve results

A reamer for a robotic welding operation is shown.

Reamers augment the performance of a robotic welding system by automating the removal of spatter from the welding nozzle, welding contact tip, and gas diffusers.

A successful robotic welding operation depends on the ability to maintain high levels of quality and productivity while also keeping costs low. Unplanned downtime associated with consumable or equipment problems jeopardizes these goals and can increase the labor needed for troubleshooting and resolving issues. And the weld cell needs to be a safe place for welding operators to work and interact with one another and the robotic welding system.

Peripherals such as welding reamers (also called nozzle cleaning stations) can help companies achieve productivity and quality goals while also helping to maintain safety.

The Role of Welding Reamers

A reamer augments the performance of a robotic welding system by automating the removal of spatter from the welding nozzle, welding contact tip, and gas diffuser. This prevents the spatter from obstructing shielding gas flow and prevents bridging between the tip/diffuser and nozzle, which can lead to an electrical short. Spatter removal typically occurs during routine pauses in welding, such as when parts are being loaded/unloaded.

Welding reamers are available in analog and Ethernet models. Ethernet models allow operators to modify various programs and monitor sequence and cycles remotely.

The automotive industry commonly uses reamers to maintain a high volume of production and achieve repeatable welds. Companies serving the general and heavy equipment manufacturing markets, and some general fabrication operations, may also implement reamers in their operations.

Premium reamers are designed to withstand harsh environments. They’re powerful enough to remove tough spatter accumulation and durable enough to operate quickly and frequently without breaking down.

Gaining Quality and Productivity Improvements

A reamer allows the front-end consumables on a robotic gas metal arc welding (GMAW) gun to function as intended, without shielding gas flow obstructions or reduced gas flow. This is an important part of maintaining consistent weld quality, specifically because it lessens instances of porosity.

Unlike a semiautomatic application, a robot doesn’t recognize if porosity is occurring, so it will continue to weld throughout the programmed cycle. This can lead to significant amounts of porosity if shielding gas flow is hindered.

By removing spatter from the welding nozzles and gas diffusers regularly, reamers help lower cases of weld defects. They also help improve productivity by reducing downtime for rework. For automotive applications, this is especially important since uptime is critical. In heavy equipment manufacturing, the applications tend to have longer welds, and rework can be significant.

In addition to blocking shielding gas flow, spatter accumulation can cause the front-end consumables to overheat, leading to premature failure. In particular, the welding contact tips can experience keyholing—uneven wear in the bore—if they get too hot. This can lead to poor weld quality and burnback, which is the formation of a weld in the contact tip. Downtime to address these issues can adversely affect productivity.

A wire cutter cuts the welding wire to the desire stick-out.

The addition of a wire cutter gives robotic welding operations the means to cut the welding wire to the desired stick-out and provides a clean cut for smoother arc starts.

Proper Reamer Setup

Proper reamer setup helps ensure spatter isn’t left behind in the nozzle after a reaming cycle. The key is to match the size of the V-block inside the reamer to the diameter of the welding nozzle on the robotic GMAW gun and align it. The nozzle sits tangent on the two angled faces of the V-block. These, combined with the two faces on the reamer clamp, hold the nozzle in the correct position over the wire cutter blade during reaming. It’s also important that the insertion depth of the cutter blade is correct so that it can clean over the gas holes on the gas diffuser.

Note that improper setup can lead to the wire cutter blade nicking the consumables, ultimately causing a broken cutter blade or a rough surface on the consumables where more spatter can accumulate.

The addition of a wire cutter gives robotic welding operations the means to cut the welding wire to the desired stick-out and provides a clean cut for smoother arc starts. It also assists in accurate touch sensing, so the robot can make adjustments automatically to the weld path before an arc start.

On reamers using a wire cutter, the operator can sometimes rotate or reverse the wire cutter blades to create fresh wire cutting points. This helps ensure clean, accurate wire cuts that support high weld quality and establish good arc starts.

Using a reamer with a nozzle detection function ensures there is a nozzle on the robotic GMAW gun before it welds a part. Nozzles can loosen during routine operation and may fall off. Without a nozzle, the weld will have turbulent shielding gas coverage that leads to poor weld quality and downtime for rework.

Maintaining Safety

After the cleaning cycle, the reamer applies a thin coat of antispatter compound to the front-end consumables via a sprayer or reservoir connected to this peripheral. Ideally, the spray should be applied for only a half-second, which is adequate to cover the inside of the nozzle and deflect spatter during welding.

If the sprayer is too far away, the spray time will need to be longer, and that can lead to messes in the weld cell and create safety hazards. Antispatter compound is notoriously slick, and even a light mist of it can be dispersed throughout a robotic welding cell. When it mixes with dust and other particulates, it can leave a residue on tooling and fixturing that leads to failures. More concerning, it can coat the floor, resulting in slipping hazards.

Equipment manufacturers recommend adding a spray containment unit to the reamer to help maintain safety in the robotic welding cell. This unit prevents airborne overspray by capturing antispatter compound, stopping it from coating the floor or other parts of the cell. The spray containment unit channels the compound to a point of disposal.

Getting Consistent Results

To gain consistent quality, productivity, and safety outcomes with a reamer, it’s important to determine the appropriate reaming frequency. If an operation is experiencing porosity, the cleaning cycles might be too far apart. Also, some welding wires and processes generate higher volumes of spatter and might need to ream more frequently.

Anytime the robot is idle is a good opportunity to program a ream sequence; for guidance, contact a trusted welding distributor or equipment provider.