Robotic Welding in a Precision Sheet Sheet Metal Fabrication Environment at EVS Metal New Jersey

About Robotic Welding at EVS Metal New Jersey
Generally, robot welding takes place within a robotic welding cell and features two primary components: a positioner with the appropriate handling capacity and the welding robot itself. The positioner can be either single station or dual/twin station in configuration; the choice of one over the other will come down to the type of item being assembled. Large assemblies that require longer weld cycles are often better suited to single station setups; dual/twin stations can be a better solution for high-mix, low-volume conditions.
There are a number of different features that work together to make a functioning welding cell. Besides the positioner and welding robot, some of the most important include:
- Controller: The most important part of the cell, because without it, nothing can function. It both supplies power to the robot and stores information such as the programs that tell the robot and positioners how, when and where to move for each job.
- Torch: This is the tool that actually joins materials together in a weld. Torches can also utilize inert gasses to protect the arc weld while it is in process.
- Wire Feeder and Cleaner: The feeder moves the filler wire at the speed programmed into the controller, while the wire cleaner removes welding spatter build up on the torch, helping to keep the equipment in good working condition.
- Welding Power Supply: Powers the welding torch in order to produce an arc. They can vary greatly in size and performance, depending on the requirements of the job.
A quality robot welding cell will also include important safety features such as shields to protect operators from arc flash. An arc flash is a type of electrical discharge that can exceed 35,000 degrees Fahrenheit. It is able to travel through the air between conductors, and if workers are exposed to the flash, the resulting explosion or potential fires may harm both people and equipment.
Robotic welding requires balancing multiple variables, but because of its automated nature, it’s easy to miss just how complex it can be. From welding program selection to the assembled end product, there are many factors that need to be considered in order to complete a job in a way that ensures that joined areas are completely stable and uncompromised from start to finish.
Robotic welding, like most forms of automation, helps companies achieve greater productivity, efficiency and lower costs. Depending on the type of welding required, it can also result in more consistent, accurate results that are of higher quality, with much greater ease of repeatability. And because they require very little human intervention in terms of setup once they are programmed, it means they can work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, moving quickly from weld to weld, without a break.
EVS Metal utilizes lean practices to help increase efficiencies, and one of the ways we do that is by eliminating waste at every level possible. Because welding robots run almost all the time, it necessitates fewer start-ups and therefore fewer inconsistent bursts of electricity than what is necessary with manual equipment’s pattern of constant stop/starting. Robotic welding also results in weldments of more consistent quality. The cost savings created by the conservation of materials and time make the investment in welding robots well worth it in the long run.