Welding robots mainly consist of the robot body, automated welding equipment (welding power source), wire feeder (for arc welding), welding torch (or gripper) and a control cabinet.
Welding robots can be categorized into arc welding robots and spot welding robots.
As there are some differences between arc welding robots and spot welding robots, allow me to share some technical knowledge on this topic.
1. Features of arc welding robots
Firstly, the welding process of arc welding robots is much more complex than that of spot welding robots, requiring precise control of the Tool Center Point (TCP), which is the trajectory of movement of the wire tip. , the welding torch posture and the welding process. parameters.
Therefore, in addition to the above-mentioned features, arc welding robots must also have functionalities that meet the requirements of arc welding.
Theoretically, a five-axis welding robot can be used for arc welding tasks. However, for complex shaped weld beads, using a five-axis robot can be highly challenging.
Unless the weld seam requirements are simple, it is recommended to use a six-axis welding robot if possible.
When an arc welding robot performs a “Z”-shaped corner weld or a small diameter circular weld seam, it must not only closely follow the instructed trajectory, but also have software functions for different oscillation styles to choose during programming.
This facilitates oscillation welding, and the robot must automatically stop advancing at pause points in each oscillation cycle to meet process requirements.
In addition, it should have features such as touch positioning, automatic detection of weld seam starting points, arc tracking and automatic reignition.
2. Features of Spot Welding Robots
Accurate positioning of the spot and part is crucial in the operation of a spot welding robot due to the contact between them.
There are no strict technical guidelines for the movement path of the spot welding robot.
Not only does it have a high load capacity, it also moves quickly and smoothly between points, with precise positioning, to minimize transition time and increase work efficiency.
The required load capacity for a spot welding robot depends on the type of welding clamp used. For grippers used for separating transformers, a spot welding robot with a load capacity of 30 to 45 kg is sufficient.
However, these grippers, due to their long secondary cable, result in a substantial loss of power and prevent the robot from extending the grippers into the workpiece for welding operations.
Furthermore, the constant oscillation of the electrical cable with the movement of the spot welding robot leads to rapid wear.
Therefore, there is a growing trend towards the use of integrated clamps, which, together with the transformer, weigh around 70kg.
Considering the need for the spot welding robot to have sufficient load capacity to deliver the tongs to the welding position at high speed, heavy-duty spot welding robots with a load capacity of 100-150 kg are usually chosen.
To meet the need for rapid repositioning of collets over short distances during continuous spot welding, new heavy-duty spot welding robots have been equipped with the ability to complete a 50 mm shift in 0.3 seconds.
This places greater demands on the performance of the engine, the calculation speed of the microcomputer and the algorithm.
A robotic laser cutting and welding system must also be equipped with a sensory system, such as laser or visual sensors, along with their corresponding control systems.
