Robot welding was once the exclusive welding technology of automobile industry, but now this technology has been widely used in various industrial fields. Robot welding has many advantages, but it also brings many challenges, one of which is the problem of smoke extraction.
What is robot welding?
Welding robot is a hinged device with movable arms and belongs to joint robot. The movable arm is usually mounted on a programmable shaft to move and adjust the trajectory according to the welding needs. The welding robot can be programmed to automatically execute commands without too much human intervention.
General Motors was a pioneer in robotic welding, using the technology in its U.S. factories in the early 1960s. Other car companies followed suit, and by the 1980s robots were widely used in car manufacturing. Since then, the number of industrial robots has skyrocketed and the number of industries where they can be used has increased. However, welding is still one of the main application fields of industrial robots, and currently more than 80% of welding in the automotive industry is done by welding robots.
The price of industrial robots has fallen sharply in the past few years, which means more and more companies will start using robots in their production. As production of industrial robots continues to rise and prices to fall, it is no longer difficult to buy and use them. As a result, China has become a major producer of industrial robots, intensifying competition in a market previously dominated by Germany and Japan. The Chinese government has invested heavily in robotics. In the past few years alone, the number of robotics companies in China has tripled.
Advantages of robot welding
With the development of technology, not only are robots becoming cheaper and cheaper, but in the long run, they will even be lower than the cost of workers. Still, there are some welding jobs that robots can't replace. Manual welding is a better choice for individual, one-off welding operations or non-mechanical operations that require flexibility. Because it takes time and effort to perform such operations with welding robots, it is usually not worth it.
Welding robots and welders can complement each other to perform different welding tasks. Welding robot replaces manual to undertake heavy and monotonous welding tasks. However, robots tend to be very efficient and accurate when it comes to repetitive, regular welding work. Welding robots can help companies quickly scale up production.
Torch vacuuming kit and its alternatives
Many harmful metal fumes are generated during welding and should be drained as close as possible to the source of the fumes. Moland's most commonly used solution in the welding field is called the torch vacuum kit. The smoke collector is connected to a flexible hose, through which the collected smoke is pumped into the filter. A smoke collector is attached to a welding torch on the robot arm and sucks up the smoke generated during welding.
The effectiveness of this method has been fully proven, but there are some limitations. For example, ensure that the draining device does not interfere with the operation of the welding torch or restrict the movement of the manipulator. With the torch pointing upwards, the hot smoke rises and must be pumped and collected below, which is more difficult than directly sucking the smoke rising from the welding flame. In addition, avoid too strong suction of welding smoke that the welding gas will be extinguished and the
Welding Gun will stop running. All welding procedures must be carefully investigated to determine whether a torch vacuum kit can be used.
In cases where a welding robot must be used, an alternative is to place the robot in a narrow space where smoke can be pumped if a welding torch vacuuming kit (usually the best option) is not suitable.
Lag of consciousness of smoking and discharging of welding smoke
Although robot welding and its benefits are well known, there is less awareness of the need for air filtration during welding. Even those that make welding robots themselves rarely have proper air filters. In the process of designing the production system, the system integrator equipped the industrial robot for the production process, and integrated the welding robot with the filtering equipment, so that the harmful smoke discharged by the robot can be effectively removed. We have established partnerships with many system integrators to customize solutions for our customers. At Moland, we focus on the latest developments in filtration technology, constantly updating our products and becoming a global leader in this field.
Robot welding of the future
Given the potential of welding robots and their superior advantages, this technology is sure to be further popularized. Robots will become cheaper and more capable, welding better and more accurately, and getting better. As people pay more and more attention to the health hazard caused by welding smoke, air filtration will become an important part of the whole robot welding system. In the future, companies may buy standard holistic solutions where robots can be easily installed in industrial environments without extensive custom engineering. Industries that would benefit most from robotic welding are heavy vehicles (planes, trains, buses) and mining equipment manufacturing.
Shandong Moland Environmental Tech Co.,Ltd
