The advanced capabilities of robots have brought a fresh wave of productivity for manufacturers across the globe. The versatility and flexibility also extend to the welding industry, where robots have adapted to welding pipes and tubes of a wide range of thicknesses and diameters. Through optimal programming and compatible equipment, these welding robots have effectively produced quality welds of tubes within a robotic cell.
Industries have traditionally dealt with tube welding through specialized tubing weld heads. However, as the manufacturers aim to achieve Industry 4.0, these weld heads are being made increasingly adaptable to work with third-party robotic arms and different welding systems. By using weld heads compatible with tube welding robots, industries can achieve improved productivity and cost-efficiency from a simple investment.
Robotics and Tube Welding
In most industrial welding applications, automation has long been the primary choice of welders compared to manual welding for improved productivity and reliability. With the help of welding robots, industries have leveraged advantages such as —
- Uniform and consistent welding
- Faster weld speed
- Reduction in material waste and productivity loss
- Safety of welders
- Higher throughput and reduced cost
- Improved quality
When performing a tube weld, often, the challenges lie in the precision requirement for heat control, voltage, gas flow, travel speed, and other weld parameters. Any fluctuation in these parameters can damage the tube, especially if working with metal like stainless steel of narrow thickness. The advantages mentioned above of robotics, when applied for tube welding, can help fabricate a defect-free tubing system with excellent mechanical strength and high quality.
To achieve this, industries can set up a robotic welding cell. Within the welding cell, weld robots, tube weld heads, robotic positioners, power supply units, monitoring units, and supporting tools can be programmed to work together effectively. These components must be compatible to function with each other so that the tube fabrication process is safe and productive.
Integrating Weld Head to A Tube Welding Robot
In most industries – nuclear, food and beverage, biopharma, etc., tube welds have to meet many design and safety requirements. When using a tube welding robot to perform the tasks, the quality and precision required to meet the standard can be met by ensuring the weld heads and robot work together to the set parameter. To achieve this, there are the following things to note —
- The robot’s motion and function can be limited within the weld cell through programing.
- The integrated weld head must be compatible with the robotic system in use.
- The robotic arm holds the weld head in place underneath which the tube is placed for welding. The robot then rotates around the tube with precision to create fusion at set parameters.
- During the welding process, the robotic arm should move in unison with the positioner to achieve a level weld.
- Using offline programming and simulation tools, the movement of the robotic arm can be optimized before starting the weld sequence.
It is possible to deliver the best result through compatible weld equipment and software systems.
Integrated Robotic Welding System from AMI
For decades, AMI has focused on enhancing the welding process through its wide range of high-quality orbital welding solutions – weld heads, power supply, and monitoring systems. AMI has specialized and versatile weld heads for tube welding that can accommodate a range of dimensions. These weld heads can easily integrate into third-party robotic arms for a more productive and efficient result.
The effective integration of the tube weld head and the robotic system is also made possible through solutions such as the Robotic Welding System– M60 / M60R / M23. With in-built programming ability and compatibility with a wide range of AMI and third-party welding solutions, this integrated solution aims to foster automation for complex tube welding challenges.
Arc Machines, Inc. has been a leading provider of a wide range of orbital welding solutions for decades, providing a range of pipe and tube weld heads and power supplies. The AMI weld heads can easily integrate with the tube welding robots, so you can easily automate your welding process when productivity and quality are required. For inquiries regarding these and other products, contact sales@arcmachines.com. For service inquiries, contact service@arcmachines.com. Arc Machines welcomes the opportunity to discuss your specific needs. Contact us to arrange a meeting.
