Published on February 8th, 2019 | by Sunit Nandi

Best Practices For Improving Robotic Welding Efficiency

When productivity is a priority for your manufacturing business, efficiency should be a necessity. Every aspect of the welding process should add up to optimal efficiency. As such, investing in proven robotic welding systems, such as Lincoln Electric’s robotic welding cell systems, is a wise decision, especially since it introduces the aspect of automation into your production needs.

However, having robotic systems doesn’t necessarily mean optimal efficiency, only ease in achieving common tasks. Aspects such as plant layout, maintenance of the systems and the communication that you embrace will all help to improve efficiency.

Here are four ways to ensure that you optimize your robotics welding systems:

Match Communication Protocols

Communication is key when looking to achieve high standards during your welding process. In cases where you have to integrate your industrial robots into any robotics welding cells, matching all communication protocols should be a priority. For instance, alignment in communication will help when retrofitting a welding robot with an automatic power source.

On the other hand, this will also be beneficial when looking to build an entire cell since contacting the robot manufacturer will offer you enough information to ensure strong communication between the industrial robot, consumable dispensing guns, and your power sources. While fitting these power sources with the right approach might take some time, this will help you avoid any imminent problems that might have occurred in the long run.

Consider Training Employees

A robot will make the work easier, but this doesn’t mean that it will solve your welding problems. An issue such as the poor alignment of the material to be welded could easily result in subpar products. As such, working with seasoned welders is a necessity to see these problems from miles away.

Since manufacturers tend to add tweaks to their robots from time to time, you should also consider training your workforce regularly. Applying for online webinars from the manufacturers will help you know more about their welding systems and identify any training aspects you might miss or lack. Also be on the lookout for any new welding tips, troubleshooting techniques, and maintenance requirements to ensure that all employees are aware of the expectations.

Embrace Monitoring Equipment

Having several monitoring instruments in place is a sure way to get feedback on whether your welding parameters are being met or not. It ensures that you can track individual welds and identify the causes of defects in good time. With this information, it becomes easier to rectify these problems before they are translated to the rest of your products.

Having a person who is adept with analyzing the data from these tools is also wise to make sense of the numbers. Also, it is advisable to use a clean nozzle station when adding peripheral hardware to embrace having repeatable welds. Such a station can prevent the concept of poor weld quality that arises from shielding gas loss brought about by spatter build-up.

Focus On Preventative Maintenance

The last thing you want for your business is to experience some downtime while trying to fix an issue with your welding robots. As such, it is vital to be proactive in the maintenance of your welding system. You will have to focus on areas like the robotic torch, cables and the consumables from time to time.

Just like with the rest of the workshop, maintenance should be scheduled, and the scheduling should be held sacred to ensure consistency. Remember a simple error in the maintenance of the cell could easily escalate to the poor positioning of part of or even the entire weld cord. In line with this, it is also wise to keep tabs on the preventative maintenance suggestions that the manufacturer offers.

Conclusion

To make the most of your robot, you must be ready to commit to improving efficiency. Luckily, most of these steps are as easy as having the right personnel in charge of the welding process. Consider the tips above to embrace quality in your welding process in the most efficient way.

Tags: best practices, efficiency, improving, robotic, welding

About the Author

Sunit Nandi I'm the leader of Techno FAQ. Also an engineering college student with immense interest in science and technology. Other interests include literature, coin collecting, gardening and photography. Always wish to live life like there's no tomorrow.