Thanks to advances in software and vision systems, welding robots are ready for the peak

AWS: What has changed for welding operators?

WH: There are a few factors. Welders understand mechanical operations, and with a collaborative robot, you grab the arm, place it where you want it, and press a button to save a point on the weld path. This type of touch-sensitive programming makes collaborative robots accessible, especially for young people who have always had a cell phone. In fact, one collaborative robot supplier, Hirebotics, has developed a collaborative robot programming app that runs on a tablet or smartphone. Either way, young people believe in technology, so they are more open to technology that makes their jobs better and easier.

Older welders are realizing that cobots are extending their careers. In many cases, welding is physically demanding, and these people are ultimately faced with a career change. By becoming a cobot operator, they can continue welding or even enter a new phase of their career, such as supervising a group of cobot operators. I’ve had some really tough guys who were moved to tears when they realized that cobots could extend their careers so they could pay for college for their kids, pay off their house, or work until retirement.

AWS: Automated welding has a reputation for sometimes skipping welds. What has been done to address this issue?

WH: You’re right. The joke has always been that you can’t weld air, which is due to poor part fit. A few things have changed. First, people are getting smarter about which joints they automate. Bottom line: automate the easy, boring, repetitive parts and leave your skilled welders for the complicated joints.

Second, more people need to understand that the cobot is only part of the solution; repeatability requires a solid investment in tooling and fixtures. Third, integrators are getting better at understanding the actual workflow. The classic case is when an operator has to hit a part with a hammer to push it into the fixture. This is not documented anywhere, so integrators need to look at the entire workflow.

Finally, more and more people are becoming smarter about feeding consistent parts to the robot, for example by switching from less repetitive processes to laser cutting.

READ MORE: What Industries Can Benefit from Machine Vision?

AWS: Is laser seam tracking an option for cobots?

WH: Yes, and companies like Garmo Instruments make 2D laser seam trackers specifically for cobots. They have features like:

• Vision programming, which means that the position of the torch during programming is calculated by the sensor, reducing skill requirements.
• Weld location: The sensor finds the correct weld programming points before welding to compensate for part deflection.
• Seam Tracking: Programming complex shapes is an consuming task. With the seam tracking solution, teaching the start and end point of a seam is easier. The scanner scans four points of the part and places it on the plane. The sensor then calculates the displacement and rotation offsets and applies them to the original program.

Seam Tracker uses a Cat6e cable to connect to a PoE switch, then an Ethernet cable to the cobot. With URCap, our Java-based plugin that integrates with our Universal Robots GUI, any integrator can easily create new (user-friendly) programming screens.