Feature Article
|
|
|
E-store
Buyer's Guide
Hotlinks Consultant's Network Careers & Classifieds |
Improving Productivity with Robotic Welding
BY PATRICK WARD
Selecting the right robotics systems integrator and careful early stage planning can help you successfully decide what should, and should not, be automated
Fig. 1 - Operator Nirmal Prasad unloads a Herman Miller frame from a robotic work cell at the company's facility. The parts Prasad loads and unloads are on the work cell that runs the highest volume of parts and has the highest productivity in the plant. A successful automation project - the result of careful planning - can improve part quality, increase throughput and reduce costs.
Successfully choosing the right robotic welding work cell for an application enhances productivity and boosts the return on investment (ROI). These days, manufacturers often rely on outside supplier partners to play a variety of roles when it's time to upgrade production systems.
If you are considering an automation project, selecting the right systems integrator and involving that company early in the planning stages can be crucial to project success. Successful automation can improve part quality, increase throughput and reduce costs. Choosing a part or process that is a good automation candidate also increases the likelihood of success, but not all parts or processes can - or should - be automated. A capable integrator recognizes what to automate and what not to automate and makes sure the simple parts meet necessary tolerances for automation.
As you begin planning, you should answer the following questions.
What parts are to be run (now and in the future)?
What is the simple part repeatability?
What type of positioning is required?
What is the flowthrough of the manufacturing facility?
What is the part mix being run across the machine?
Are there any advanced process requirements?
Production efficiency and a speedy return on investment are some of the benefits you can receive from planning early and planning well - Fig. 1.
The Integrator's Résumé
Using a robotics integrator fits with the recent trend toward outsourcing; you get the best an integrator has to offer without adding to your payroll.
An experienced robotics integrator brings unique experience and knowledge to a project. In evaluating which systems integrator is the best fit for specific manufacturing challenges, there are many factors critical to making the final choice. Consider the expertise of the integrator organization, its process development capabilities, available product offering, application engineering resources, safety equipment and training and service support.
You need to feel confident the robotics integrator can provide the best resources to handle the job. The most successful robotic welding system integrators offer their customers the following personnel resources:
Sales engineers to serve as the first point of contact. They are familiar with the latest and most innovative solutions available.
Project managers who have backgrounds in manufacturing and understand manufacturing processes and how the robotic system plays a part in those processes. These engineers are responsible for providing the concept for the robotic solution to the manufacturer. They offer direction in choosing the equipment mix that best matches production goals. Once the concept is approved, they manage the project from the beginning, through implementation and beyond.
Application engineers who understand the welding process and how the robotic work cell's components interact with one another. They are responsible for tying the hardware components together so they work as one. This entails robot programming, process development and PLC programming. Once the work cell is shipped to the manufacturer's site, the application engineer can provide installation and startup assistance.
Once the system is up and running in the plant, competent technical service engineers help customers deal with any hardware and software problems that arise. The integrator should be able to respond quickly with qualified service technicians to any customer requests, whether technical phone or on-site support.
For continuous competitive leadership, robotic welding systems integrators must maintain a staff able to anticipate customer needs. A systems integrator can be a key partner that provides engineering resources to provide wide-range support from lead engineering to process development.
Planning Ahead
Not every welding process is a good candidate for automation. An experienced integrator can assist with evaluating the process. When the robotic systems integrator has been part of the planning from the earliest stages, the likelihood of success increases.
As a customer, you need to provide the primary goals you want to accomplish with automation (reducing costs, increasing throughput, improving quality and consistency, etc.). The integrator's goal is to gain as much information as possible about quantities needed, number of shifts worked, inches of weld per part, expected ROI and the quality and repeatability of parts entering the weld cell. This fact gathering ensures the integrator fully understands the customer's goals, manufacturing process and priorities.
Some customers look at an update in the welding system as an opportunity to critically review other processes at the plant. A good robotic systems integrator can provide insight into the manufacturability issues of parts, particularly for robotic automation. Reviewing part designs is yet another role integrators can play. They can help you understand how the design affects your manufacturing process. Simple design changes that do not affect the part's basic attributes can often save money and time later in the manufacturing process. The integrator can be an extension of your engineering department and work with your project managers to look at long- and short-term production goals to maximize benefits from the new equipment.
Gathering the customer's input is a lengthy process that begins to pay off when the integrator produces a work cell concept. Three-dimensional computer modeling - testing done in a virtual world - tests the material flow, conducts reach studies and performs a cycle time analysis.
Fig. 2 - Flexible, modifiable robotic work cells can lead to increased productivity. This Versa 4 work cell from Genesis features a Ferris-wheel-style positioner, fast indexing time and servo tooling that helped customer Herman Miller weld 6 of its 50 standard frames. These 6 frame styles, however, comprise 50% of the company's product.
Equipment
Another asset a systems integrator can offer is access to multiple equipment options and configurations that ultimately lead to better productivity - Fig. 2. Some integrators offer pre-engineered or standard work cells. These systems provide out-of-the-box affordability, but are not always the right solution when customization is required. Integrators with flexible, modifiable work cells can provide a cost-effective solution tailored to the application.
Following are some equipment suggestions for productive robotic welding.
Positioners. The positioner determines how the part is presented to the robot for welding. Typical positioner types include stationary tables, turntables, headstocks, tailstocks and Ferris wheel types.
Fixtures. These hold the part to proper tolerances for welding. Unique to each automation project, fixtures are only as good as the quality and innovation the systems integrator puts into them.
When selecting a robot, the integrator considers accuracy, speed, reach, operator interface and the various options available with each robot.
Base Platform. A common base platform, which the systems integrator designs and constructs, connects all components. It is also a base for controls, flash screens, barriers and safety components.
Operator Interface. This is the final component of the work cell. Simple push buttons, or a touch-screen panel, are often recommended interfaces.
Safety
Safety should lead the priority list of any systems integrators you interview. Robotic welding systems integrators most concerned about reducing the risk of injuries have adopted the Robotic Industries Association's (RIA) Code for Robotic Safety, a guideline widely accepted as the industry standard.
You should expect systems integrators to conduct a risk analysis and then design and adjust systems for the safest operation that meets or exceeds all plant, federal, state and local codes. These safety measures include fence barriers, gate interlocks, floor safety switch mats, photo-cell and light curtains, fixed guards, emergency stop hardware and software, as well as frames and screens to protect workers from welding arc flash.
Training
One of the best methods for ensuring worker safety is adequate training conducted by the systems integrator. A hands-on, mentoring approach works well with employees in the welding industry who are comfortable working with their hands. While some formal classroom training is needed, the majority of the teaching should be done on the equipment when it is set up at the systems integrator's facility.
Training levels vary in what the integrator provides. There is basic operation training for work cell and robot operation, and advanced training for robot programming, maintenance training and welding training.
The industry standard is one week for each of the training courses. The ideal learning environment is a class tailored to the specific needs of each trainee along with one-on-one interaction with the instructor/mentor. Retraining, introduction to new techniques and refresher courses are other benefits systems integrators offer customers.
Service and Support
Service and support can make or break the relationship between you and your systems integrator. The high capital costs of robotic welding systems mean you have the right to demand efficient, fast service when something goes wrong. And just-in-time (JIT) inventories no longer allow you the luxury of downtime.
Service and support begins with the integrator's warranty. Some integrators offer single-source responsibility if service is needed on any component in the system, avoiding finger pointing later on. Technical phone support handled by experienced service engineers is the next contact customers have. If the equipment is a recent installation, the project manager who handled it for the systems integrator may be the best resource for pinpointing solutions to problems.
Internet support is yet another way a robotic integrator can offer around-the-clock support, as is on-site support. Robotic equipment can break down after normal business hours. Customer-sensitive systems integrators have 24-h hotline telephone service and require technical staff to be on call to avoid delays in responding to worried customers.
Sound Investment
A competent robotic systems integrator is one of the best investments you can make when it's time to improve the production process and productivity. Checking references and visiting other plants where the systems integrator has handled an automation changeover can help you choose the best systems integrator for fulfilling your requirements.
Working as a long-term partner, the right systems integrator can help end users achieve faster, more efficient production.
PATRICK WARD (pward@gensysgrp.com) is Director of the Industrial Focus Group, Genesis Systems, Davenport, Iowa.
|
American Welding Society, 550 NW LeJeune Road, Miami, FL 33126
Phone (800) 443-9353, Intl. (305) 443-9353, Fax (305) 443-7559. Website Advertising
|
| |
|
