Top Things to Teach a Robotic Welding Supervisor

Whether it’s in a small fabrication shop or a large manufacturing facility, investing in a robotic welding system is no minor expense. In many cases, the welding assigned to a robotic cell could also be performed in a semi-automatic or manual welding cell. However, it’s the potential advantages of the system — greater productivity, higher quality, better consistency and more cost savings — that make the purchase of a robotic welding system such an attractive option. 

Obtaining those results isn’t a matter of chance. At the end of the day, the robotic system needs to be able to produce more parts at an equal or higher quality and accuracy than a human operator. It’s the job of the robotic welding supervisor to make sure that happens.

To achieve success in a robotic welding application, there are several key factors a robotic welding supervisor — especially one new to the task — must consider. Specifically, he or she must be able to understand the robotic system thoroughly, establish an effective documentation and maintenance routine, and look for ways to improve performance on an ongoing basis. In many cases, that may also mean enlisting the expertise of resources both inside and outside the company.

Tip No. 1: Understand the robotic welding system

Understanding the robotic system might seem like an obvious requirement for a robotic welding supervisor. With all of the administrative and operational duties that often accompany the role, however, it can be easy to simply delegate portions of the daily operation of the robotic welding system to shop floor personnel and/or the maintenance staff instead. That tendency, unfortunately, could lead to pitfalls by distancing the robotic welding supervisor from the ins and outs of the robotic welding operation.

For example, the robotic welding supervisor doesn’t necessarily need to be able to troubleshoot a circuit board malfunction or rewrite the welding program, but it’s important that this individual has a solid knowledge about these components, so if an issue arises he or she can quickly recognize that there is a problem and alert the appropriate personnel to rectify it. 

The robotic welding supervisor should also know how the components in a robotic welding system — the robotic GMAW (gas metal arc welding) gun, consumables and cables, to mention a few — relate to each other and the impact they have on weld quality and productivity. Again, having this knowledge makes it easier to identify a potential problem and seek out the best solution.

Tip No. 2: Establish documentation, maintenance and control systems

Gaining robotic welding success depends in part on establishing a rigorous documentation, maintenance and control system. When problems arise, as they undoubtedly will, they never occur without a cause. The best way to start the  troubleshooting process is to look back to the last thing that was changed in the welding process — or should have been changed, but was not.

Keeping an accurate and detailed log of everyone who enters the robotic welding cell is key. There should be documentation of everything personnel cleaned, changed or replaced in the cell, including adding new contact tips or other consumables, changing drive rolls or transferring a new drum of wire into the robotic weld cell. This record can help in identifying the source of a problem and getting the system back up and running with as little downtime as possible. Without such documentation, maintenance personnel could spend hours looking for the source of the issue, when in reality, they may only need a few minutes to rectify the situation.

Keeping a log of activities within the robotic welding cell will also assist the supervisor in establishing an effective predictive maintenance schedule, which is the best way to keep unexpected downtime occurrences to a minimum. An activity log can help predict when a gun cable liner will fail, for example, so that maintenance personnel can prevent unplanned downtime and quality problems by changing the liner beforehand.

Keeping traffic in and out of the robotic welding cell to a minimum is also important to reducing change within the operation and keeping documentation accurate. The more people coming and going from the cell, the more difficult it becomes to monitor and record activities that could affect the performance of the robot.

Tip No. 3: Look for continuous improvements

Getting the robotic system running at peak capacity and providing an acceptable return on investment is just the beginning of establishing an effective robotic welding operation. From there, the robotic welding supervisor should look for ways to optimize and improve the robotic welding operation on a continual basis.

A robotic welding cell might be running well enough to meet its daily production demands, but finding ways to improve its performance even more can bring significant advantages to a company. For example, creating greater efficiencies within the system can free up extra capacity that could be used to produce a product from somewhere else in the shop.

Also, it’s important not to settle for “good enough” in the robotic welding operations. Accepting suboptimal circumstances — for instance, that a robotic GMAW gun cable is rubbing on the robot arm and must be replaced every two months or that every two hours the operator must adjust welding parameters to accommodate consumable wear — can hinder the efficiencies sought in automation in the first place.

A robotic welding supervisor should never consider these types of activities as inherent to the production process, but rather seek out ways to rectify them in the name of continuous improvement. After all, a company that continues investing in robotic welding — compared to one who simply accepts and compensates for problems — stands a greater chance of gainining higher productivity and profitability, not to mention a competitive edge.

Tip No. 4: Rely on the available resources

To achieve the goal of continual improvement and optimization of the robotic welding operation, the supervisor should also know the resources available to him or her, both internally and externally.

Internally, everyone from the daily robot operator and the quality technician to the engineering staff and the sales team should be communicating with each other to help improve the existing robotic system. These team members can also play a vital role in helping identify the company’s future robotic welding needs.

The daily robot operators — those who load and unload parts and interact with the tooling — often know the specific robot and its idiosyncrasies better than anyone on the shop floor. As a result, they are often in the best position to alert the robotic welding supervisor about potential or existing problems. They may, for instance, notice that certain joint configurations or positions tend to result in excessive spatter, resulting in unnecessary post-weld clean up. By maintaining open communication with these individuals, the robotic welding supervisor can then employ the proper resources to rectify the problem.

Quality technicians can be another source of valuable information to help the robotic welding supervisor improve the performance of the operation. Quality technicians might notice that welds in a certain area of a part are regularly oversized. The supervisor can then take this information to engineering, which in turn can look for solutions to revise the weld sequence or identify different system components that could further improve productivity and cost savings for the robotic welding system. 

Alternatively, an external resource, such as a robotic welding integrator or equipment manufacturer, can often offer insight and expertise gleaned from working with the robotic welding operations at other manufacturers. This knowledge can help companies to not only address issues within the robotic welding system, but it can also put these individuals in a position to offer advice that will make the operation run more efficiently.

In this respect, the robotic welding supervisor should take the role of a communicator. He or she will be the one who understands and gathers the information from the resources available, as well as facilitating the conversations necessary to improve and optimize the robotic welding operation.

Making responsible decisions that lead to growth?

Being responsible for the bottom line success of a robotic welding operation can be a daunting task. It requires a breadth of technical and business experience as well as strong people skills. Plus, as technology continually improves and evolves, the robotic welding supervisor must keep focused on improvement and optimization. They must also maintain open communication with resources both inside and outside of the facility. For those up to the challenge, however, the potential for a robotic welding system to improve quality, productivity and a company’s ultimate success is immeasurable.

From Technology to Technical Support: Welding in Today’s Automotive Industry

Worldwide, companies serving the automotive industry have faced a unique set of challenges in the last several years, including changes in material types, a lack of skilled labor and initiatives by OEMs to decrease the weight of vehicles. Still, as the economy continues to rebound, each must find ways to maintain their productivity and profitability — often with fewer employees than before the recent recession.

A large part of maintaining that productivity is to ensure high levels of uptime in the robotic welding operations in order to maximize net throughput. It is equally important to find ways to minimize errors and obtain predictive weld data to help anticipate problems in the operation. Conventional issues like spatter, burn-through and poor part fit-up often hinder these attempts, as can the need to manage large amounts of inventory and contend with downtime to service welding equipment. That’s why it’s so important, too, for companies to find equipment that minimizes the total cost of ownership.

Unfortunately, there is no single answer to these challenges. There are, however, some considerations that may help reduce automotive suppliers’ pains and assist in other interrelated parts of the process.

Best practice meetings: When possible, suppliers in the automotive industry should work with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and vendors or welding distributors who can engage regularly in best practice meetings. These meetings can occur by conference call, webinar or in person, and can help determine what practices in the welding operation are working most effectively and what areas need improvement. “Open issues” can be prioritized in order to determine time-phased solutions.

These meetings can be especially helpful to companies with multiple locations (even globally), since they help identify opportunities for changes that could positively affect other facilities. They are also an excellent platform for brainstorming error-proofing ideas and serve to open communication among the parties involved in the success of a company’s welding operation. Ultimately, the goal is to spread an assessment of the operation to a broader peer group, extending the company’s core competencies to gain solutions from others’ input.

Streamline vendors: Automotive suppliers, particularly those with multiple locations, may want to consider purchasing their robotic gas metal arc welding (GMAW) guns, peripherals, consumables and other welding supplies from a single-source vendor via a welding distributor. Having multiple vendors may appear to provide cost savings on the surface; however, a per-item approach can actually increase the total spend.

Instead, by single sourcing a product line, a company is better poised to maximize their purchasing power with one vendor and gain loyalty discounts. The vendor may also be more inclined to aid in new efficiencies and groundbreaking technologies. Plus, a trusted single-source vendor can often help automotive suppliers assess their total weld spend, streamline inventory and reduce costly paperwork. The goal is to work with a vendor who can “own the arc,” providing assistance throughout the whole welding operation by assessing predictive data and offering suggestions for ongoing improvements.

“Co-opetition”: If you already work with several welding vendors, co-opetition is your next best option to maintaining an effective welding operation and in some cases can occur as part of best practice meetings. This term refers, in short, to cooperation that occurs between the various equipment manufacturers who are building the end user’s welding solution. Sometimes these companies have competitive product overlap. For example, the manufacturer of the robotic GMAW gun or welding wire may be in direct competition with the company whose power sources are in an automotive supplier’s weld cell. Even so, finding equipment manufacturers who are willing to work together to address problems in the welding operation is key to resolving issues when they arise.

A problem with the contact tip, for example, is usually a barometer of other things happening in the process. In short, it is very often a symptom of a problem, as opposed to the root cause. Having partners who are willing to put aside competitive differences for the good of resolving problems like these is important to gaining good welding performance. If this co-opetition is not feasible, companies may want to consider moving to a single-source vendor.

Equipment standardization: Recent increases in demand for production have caused some automotive suppliers, especially those in North America, to make capital investments that they previously postponed during the recession. When possible, standardizing on a single brand and style of welding power source, robotic controller, and GMAW gun and consumables during this investment can streamline inventory and maintenance procedures, thereby lowering management costs. It can also help companies avoid long lead times associated with specialty products and improve access to spare parts.    

For companies in an organic growth mode with new programs and/or greenfield operations, this standardization can help in long-term equipment re-deployment to other facilities, as well as streamline the learning curve among employees, and improve adoption rates and costs.

For companies that are in acquisition mode, however, this standardization may not be feasible. Instead, these suppliers should, at a minimum, consider standardizing on a single brand and style of robotic GMAW guns and consumables to minimize inventory. Doing so can also reduce the risk of improper consumable installation, which often leads to unscheduled downtime to rectify.

Appropriate welding technology: Many automotive suppliers rely on tandem- welding operations as a means to generate greater productivity. Companies can use this process for line production in the cells housing the majority of the welds. The benefit is that these operations require less floor space and can simultaneously improve throughput.

Advancements in single arc pulsed technology have also proven very efficient in providing faster travel speeds and minimizing spatter. This single arc technology, which effectively lowers the average amperage level during welding (by regularly switching the current between high peak amperages and low background amperages), is also quite easy to operate. Given the reduction in workforce in the automotive industry, combined with an overall shortage of skilled labor, this less complex (but highly efficient) technology has already proven beneficial for many automotive suppliers.

Companies should work with an appropriate welding distributor or robotic integrator to assess the individual application in order to determine the most appropriate welding technology.

Error-proofing: In addition to standardizing equipment when possible, using welding products that minimize the opportunity for human errors is an important part of keeping the welding process flowing. For example, nozzle detection can eliminate the potential of excessive rework or scrap.  Avoiding errors in equipment installation is also critical, as missing or incorrectly installed components on the front end of a robotic GMAW gun can cause it to become electrically alive, leading to premature failure and poor welding performance.

Preventive maintenance: Even though preventive maintenance or PM may have become a commonplace buzzword in recent years, the fundamentals are still critical to providing good welding performance and reducing unscheduled downtime in the automotive industry. Companies should take care to inspect all connections in the ground cables, feeding assembly, wire feeder, GMAW gun and consumables on a regularly scheduled basis. Replacing worn components during scheduled downtime (at the beginning of a shift, for example) can help prevent problems during production. On some welding robots, “predictive maintenance” technology is available to send alerts when consumables need to be changed.

Built-in buffers: As is typical in automotive “just-in-time” applications, suppliers want to reduce work in progress (WIP) — maintaining only strategically determined micro-inventories — and keep parts flowing (Takt time). To continue that workflow but still allow for any instances of stoppage in a robotic welding cell, suppliers may consider building a buffer into production. For example, if a company has a production line of 40 welding robots, breaking that line into fifths (five sections of eight robots), allows them to address any instances of failure while causing a stoppage of only eight robots instead of shutting down production on all 40. That buffer can mean a significant difference in terms of lost production and money.

And while no single one of these considerations can ensure the levels of productivity and profitability to which automotive suppliers strive as production demands increase, they can be a step in the right direction. Automotive suppliers should consider working with a trusted welding equipment manufacturer and vendor to discuss a plan for assessing their robotic welding operation and identifying opportunities for improvement.

What You Should Know About Shielding Gas

Consistent productivity, high quality and low costs are all key components in a successful welding operation. Gaining these advantages depends on everything from the equipment and filler metals to the skill of the welding operators and the techniques being used in the process. The shielding gas also plays a critical role.

Both the gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process (using solid or metal-cored wires) and the gas-shielded flux-cored arc welding (FCAW) process require the use of an external shielding gas, each type of which offers distinct characteristics. Knowing how to select the appropriate one for the application can go far in helping obtain the desired welding performance and minimizing the downtime for rework caused by poor weld quality.

To help, following are some basics of what you should know about shielding gases.

The role of shielding gases

The primary purpose of shielding gas is to protect the molten weld pool against elements in the atmosphere, including oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen. The reaction of these elements with the weld pool can create a host of problems, including (but not limited to) porosity and excessive spatter.

Shielding gas also plays an important role in determining weld penetration profiles, helping maintain arc stability and achieving the desired mechanical properties in the finished weld. Shielding gas can also affect the transfer of the filler metal from the arc to the weld joint, which in turns contributes to the efficiency of the welding process and the quality of the weld. Other important factors that shielding gas help determine include the weld bead appearance, and weld toughness and strength.

Selecting the right shielding gas

The four most common shielding gases used in the welding process are carbon dioxide, argon, helium and oxygen. Each has specific characteristics and factors such as cost, available labor (i.e., for weld preparation) and the weld properties desired — all considerations when selecting which shielding gas is best for a given welding application.

Carbon dioxide (CO2): This gas is the most common of the reactive gases used in the welding process and also the least expensive of the shielding gases. It is also the only one able to be used without the addition of an inert gas. One of the biggest advantages of pure CO2 is that it provides deep weld penetration, which is useful when welding thick material. It does, however, tend to create a less stable arc and more spatter than when it is mixed with other gases, including argon. This additional spatter can lead to downtime for post-weld cleaning. Pure CO2 is also limited to use in short circuit welding processes.

Argon: When welding aluminum, magnesium or titanium, it is common to use 100 percent argon as a shielding gas due to its stable arc features. Adding argon to a CO2 shielding gas is also an option for materials like carbon steel. It provides consistent weld quality and appearance and good weld pool control, and can help minimize post-weld cleanup. Argon also produces a narrow penetration profile, making it useful for fillet and butt welds.

Typical mixtures include a balance of 75 to 95 percent argon with 25 to 5 percent CO2. An argon/CO2 shielding gas mixture allows the use of a spray transfer process, which lends itself to high productivity rates and visually appealing welds.

Helium: Helium is generally used when welding non-ferrous metals. It is also used in a tri-mix formula of argon and CO2 for welding stainless steels. The gas produces a wide, deep penetration profile, making it suitable for welding thick materials, and also creates a hot arc, which helps increase travel speeds and productivity rates. Helium is typically used in ratios of 25 to 75 percent helium with an appropriate balance of argon. Adjusting these ratios changes the weld penetration, bead profile and travel speeds.

It’s important to note that helium is more expensive than other gases and requires a higher flow rate than argon (because it is so light).  For this reason, it’s imperative that companies calculate the value of the productivity increase against the increased cost of this gas.

Oxygen: Oxygen is a reactive gas typically used in ratios of 9 percent or less. The addition of the gas to a mixture with argon helps to improve weld pool fluidity, weld penetration and arc stability, particularly when welding carbon, low alloy and stainless steels. Because the gas causes oxidation of the weld metal, it is not recommended for use with aluminum, magnesium, copper or other exotic metals.

Tips for getting the most out of your shielding gas

To achieve the best results out of a chosen shielding gas, it’s important to select the proper front-end consumables. These consumables — the gas diffuser, contact tip and nozzle — play a critical role in delivering the shielding gas to the weld pool and also protecting it from the atmosphere. Consider these tips to help with the selection.

1.    Choose consumables that have a smooth surface to help resist spatter build-up that could block shielding gas flow and lead to issues, such as porosity.

2.    Choose an appropriate size nozzle for the application. A nozzle that is too narrow for the application can easily become clogged with spatter, again, hindering its ability to deliver enough shielding gas to the weld pool to protect it.

3.    Consider using nozzles with a built-in spatter guard. These designs add a second phase of shielding gas diffusion, resulting in even smoother, more consistent shielding gas flow.

4.    Be certain to select quality gas diffusers to ensure smooth and balanced gas flow. Consult with a trusted welding distributor for recommendations.

7 Things To Know About Robotic Welding Systems

Implementing a robotic welding system isn’t something that happens on a whim — at least not successfully. Converting to this technology can help companies gain greater productivity, improve quality and reduce costs in the welding operation, but the process requires thorough planning to gain those results. Working closely with a robotic integrator is a good step to ensure every aspect of the implementation is carefully orchestrated and that the robotic welding system works properly for the given application — in reality, not just theory. Before adding a robotic welding system, it’s helpful to know some key factors that can maximize the return on investment (ROI) in the technology and also help prevent potential problems.

1. Part repeatability is critical to successful automation

The quality of part produced by a robotic welding system depends on the quality of the part that enters the weld cell. That’s why it’s not uncommon to hear the phrase “garbage in, garbage out” when it comes to robotic welding systems — if the part entering the welding cell is flawed, the subsequent weld will be, too.

To protect against poor weld quality, it is critical to have simple, consistent parts that allow the robot to execute the weld in the same location, repeatedly. Having a blueprint or electronic CAD drawing is helpful for confirming that repeatability. Robotic integrators can review the blueprint or they may want to create a software simulation that assesses the suitability of the part for the robotic welding system. After the assessment, they can advise of any adjustments that need to be made prior to implementation.

Proper fixturing is also critical to achieving part repeatability, regardless of whether the application is high volume/low variety or low volume/high variety. Parts that meet the exact specifications can easily be welded incorrectly if they are not held in an exact position during the process. Many robot manufacturers offer vision systems to aid in part recognition and to ensure that the weld path can be altered in real time if part fit-up issues exist. These systems usually work very well, but may cost more.

2. Training is essential

Robotic welding systems require a properly trained operator to oversee them. A skilled welding operator or an individual with previous robotic welding management experience is a good candidate for the job. Again, a trusted robotic integrator is an excellent resource to provide the necessary training, which should cover proper programming, troubleshooting and preventive maintenance. As a best practice, companies should also consider ongoing training support to keep the operator’s knowledge of the system up to date. In many cases, robotic OEMs offer online tutorials, troubleshooting information and/or additional on-site training as aftercare support.

3. Additional safety equipment may be necessary

Many facilities already have fume extraction systems in place for manual welding operations, but converting to a robotic welding system may require additional equipment to help maintain a healthy work environment.  With the increased production brought forth by a robotic welding system, there is also an increase in fume generation. Given the stringent regulations and recommendations from OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and other safety regulatory bodies, proper equipment is necessary to maintain compliance.

For larger facilities with higher production robotic welding applications, a centralized fume extraction system is a good option. These systems involve the installation of ductwork throughout the facility and the placement of fume extraction hoods over the welding cell. Smaller shops with fewer robotic welding cells may want to consider a less expensive portable fume extraction system. Operators can wheel these systems right next to the welding cell and adjust the extendable arm toward the robot to suction the fumes. It is also critical that the proper cage and screens are in place around the robotic welding system to protect employees from the welding arc and moving parts within the cell.

4. Weld data monitoring and/or peripherals can help improve results

Adding weld data monitoring capabilities and/or peripherals into a robotic welding system can help improve weld quality and productivity. Achieving these results, however, requires an additional up-front investment.

Weld data monitoring (whether integrated in a power source or via a third party) allows companies to track the parameters of individual welds, determine the cause of weld defects and identify general inefficiencies in order to rectify those problems and optimize the process for peak quality and productivity.  This equipment requires the purchase of software and computers, as well as the establishment and maintenance of an Ethernet network throughout the facility. Companies will also need tech-savvy individuals to review the data and make the necessary adjustments to the robotic welding system according to the data provided.

Similarly, the addition of peripherals — particularly a nozzle cleaning station (also called a reamer or spatter cleaner) can improve weld quality and productivity. By cleaning spatter from the inside of the welding consumables on the front end of the GMAW welding gun, this peripheral helps extend consumable life, reduces downtime for changeover during production and also reduces the cost for replacing consumables. Nozzle cleaning stations also help minimize the loss of shielding gas coverage (due to spatter build-up) that could lead to poor weld quality and rework.

Proper maintenance can help protect the investment in automation

Preventive maintenance of the entire robotic welding system, including the robotic GMAW (gas metal arc welding) gun, consumables and cables is an important step in protecting the investment in this technology. Neglecting maintenance can easily lead to unscheduled downtime, poor quality parts and/or costly repairs. It may even lead to failures that require equipment replacements.

Scheduling time to check connections throughout the system, clean fixturing (to prevent debris that may affect part fit-up) and check TCP (tool center point) helps ensure that the robotic welding system continues to operate within its proper parameters. Certain maintenance can occur in between shifts — cleaning off the robot or changing consumables, for example — while other activities like greasing the robot’s joints may occur less frequently and during a longer scheduled stop. Companies need to assess their individual needs and plan the preventive maintenance schedule accordingly. For larger companies, hiring a maintenance crew to take care of preventive maintenance may be desirable.

6. Communication is key to proper weld quality and cost savings

Retrofitting robotic welding systems is a common practice among many companies, particularly those investing in automation for the first time or for smaller shops requiring only one or two weld cells. It’s significantly less expensive to purchase a used robot than a new one. When retrofitting a robot, however, it is absolutely essential that it is capable of communicating with the selected power source if companies are to have the entire robotic welding system function properly. New power sources feature software that may not be immediately compatible with a robot that is older, or in some cases, the robot may need a specific robotic GMAW gun that isn’t readily available at a welding distributor or possibly even discontinued.

For this reason, it is critical to contact an experienced robotic integrator who can both recommend and help set up all components in the retrofitted robotic welding system. The investment in this assistance can help ensure the proper functioning of the equipment and the long-term cost savings sought by implementing the system. Not to mention, it can also save a lot of frustration and downtime.

7. Robots can do more than just weld

Robots rely on the input of the operator to execute a given task. That task, however, doesn’t have to be limited to just welding or to welding the same part every time. Operators can program the robot to weld multiple parts over the course of a single shift, enhancing the versatility of the robotic welding system and positioning the company to produce additional output. Operators can also program robots to move parts so that a particular unit is not sitting idle when it isn’t tasked with welding; there are components that offer gripping capabilities and can be installed in addition to a welding gun. Companies may even have a tool dock that allows the robot to be fitted with a different tool and proceed with its work.  Some companies with multiple robots may also benefit from installing a vision system in order to check on the work of the others, ensuring that part fit-up is optimal and that the robot is correctly placing welds.

Given that the goal of any robotic welding system is uptime, having the versatility to use a robot for multiple tasks can contribute meaningfully to the other advantages of this technology – increased productivity, improved quality, decreased costs — and may help give companies a real competitive edge.