Robotic Spot Welding for Leading Automotive Parts Supplier

Praga Technical (Pty) Ltd., a leading automotive parts supplier, was looking for the latest in robotic spot welding technology. Robotic Innovations, amongst a number of robotic systems integrators, was approached and requested to present what we could offer.

After a thorough technology validation and selection process, Robotic Innovations was selected for the project.

The project team consisted of Fanuc South Africa who supplied the robotic systems, ADR Distributors who supplied the ARO spot welding equipment, Praga supplied the jigging and mechanics for the project and Robotic Innovations who needed to bring everything together and make it all work.

As always with our projects and the key to spot welding project success, we set about simulating the spot guns and jigging systems with state of the art simulation software -ROBOGUIDE.

With the guns and jigs coming from different suppliers, more often than not there will be mechanical clashes between these components. Using the simulation package allows us to indicate to both the jig manufacturer and spot welding gun supplier, what design changes will be required to their parts before manufacturing begins.

This ensures that when the equipment arrives on site, we already know that everything will work and can predict what cycle-times are achievable.

A total of 9 of the latest through-arm technology Fanuc R2000iD 210F spot welding robots were integrated into 9 separate cells. The robots are supplied from Fanuc with full internal service supply looms that run within the robot arm itself. This has a few awesome advantages such as:

• No need for us as integrators to source and fit a loom which in most cases never fits properly.
• No loose pipes and cables hanging around the base, along the side or over the robot arm.
• No pipes or cables are able to snag on jigging clamps or towers.
• A massive reduction in chaffing of services pipes and cables and thus a much lower cost for maintenance.

All of this greatly assists the use of a 7th axis servo controlled spot welding process, used in this project. Compared to the older technology pneumatic spot welding guns, the servo controlled system gives perfect positional and pressure control to allow for the best spot welding results.

Each cell was equipped with an inhouse designed and supplied PLC control panel for jig and robot control. We performed the entire electrical supply, installation, PLC programming, system simulation and robotic programming.

What a fantastic project! Many thanks to all the role players and especially to Praga, for entrusting Robotic Innovations with their order.