WELDING ROBOT: POWERING THE FUTURE OF ELECTRONICS
Welding robots are important tools for today’s leading electronics manufacturers. Learn how to use this technology and the benefits it brings here.
An essential step in the construction of electrical devices is welding. The growing quantity of consumer gadgets and smart devices is driving up demand for high-quality soldered components. The producers are under pressure to discover more effective ways of producing goods because of the rise in demand. To increase their potential production, those that are ahead of the curve are searching for new ways to automate the welding process. Automated welding is being used by a wide range of businesses, from big international medical device manufacturers to small, family-run aerospace contractors in the area.
Basic definition of welding robot
Depending on the application and sector, welding robots can take many different shapes. The consumer and commercial electronics sectors are where they are most often used. Additionally, we find them in manufacturing facilities for medical, automotive, and aerospace devices. These businesses produce goods with a lot of delicate electronics in them.
Classify
Because welding applications have a tiny footprint, a wide variety of robots are used by manufacturers to carry out this activity. A few types of robots are frequently seen in welding applications:
- Cartesian
- Six-Axis
- SCARA
Cartesian
Bench top installations are the usual use for this robot. where an operator must manually load and unload items. of their stiffness and simplicity of design, cartesian robots are capable of providing extremely accurate results. kind of robot is also scalable for bigger applications, however it is not suitable for situations where the welding head must move intricately to do angled operations. The cartesian can only move in the x, y, and z directions.
SCARA
Because of its ability to balance reach, speed, and precision, the SCARA is a popular option for welding applications. This robot has a high degree of accuracy while moving swiftly between locations. It will have trouble with applications requiring dexterous movement and is not as scalable as cartesian or six-axis robots. It is usually a speedier machine than the six-axis and cartesian models, though.
Six-axis
welding is among the majority of applications where the six-axis may be used. But of the three options offered, this one is unquestionably the priciest. For most welding applications, it’s excessive. But the six-axis becomes an obvious choice for activities requiring deft movement.
When Should You Consider a Welding Robot?
Your production process may benefit greatly from the inclusion of a welding robot. Not every manufacturer, though, can use these equipment. If automation will bring value to your organization, it will depend on the needs of your enterprise and the capabilities of your present workflow. The top manufacturers of today frequently use welding robots into their manufacturing facilities for the following reasons.
Increased Throughput
Comparing hand welding processes to welding robots, the latter can produce at a considerably greater rate of speed. Robots are faster at moving from one place to another than people are. Additionally, they are not affected by weariness, which causes humans to slow down. Robots for welding only work on solder joints for as long as necessary before moving on to the next task. Production becomes quicker and more effective as a result.
Greater Accuracy Levels
More repeatability is a feature of robots than of humans. Welding robots can travel in the sub-millimeter range to the same spot repeatedly thanks to the servo motors that power their movements. This translates to reduced mistakes and increased production precision.
Increased Reliability of Production
Robots are programmed to obey a set of instructions. Every cycle, they will act in the same manner with little variation. This implies that you will generate more consistent goods in addition to their high degrees of accuracy. Products that are manually soldered may exhibit irregularities or malfunctions. Manually soldered components frequently have solder bridges, cold joints, and disturbed joints. These mistakes have an impact on the finished product’s quality and functionality, which might have long-term negative effects on your company. Robots will use a constant amount of flux and solder the junction as planned.
Best Practices for Robotic Welding Applications
After reading thus far, you may have concluded that the next step for your company should be to automate the welding process. At this point, while thinking about a welding robot, it’s imperative to comprehend certain best practices. By following these best practices, you may make an informed choice and steer clear of significant issues in the future.
Select a Task That Is High Volume and Repeatable
The majority of robotic applications work effectively with large volumes of work. This machine should ideally be carrying out the identical operation hundreds or even thousands of times every day. Applications for optimal welding are no different. Fortunately, PCB manufacturing is usually a high-volume process. This enables you to benefit from automation’s speed advantage over manual labor.
Robots may find it difficult to justify their use in bespoke or low-volume runs. For every new SKU, you will need to invest time in getting the robot reprogrammed. Regaining this time is difficult when production volume is low. The robots ought to limit themselves to the larger volume runs.
Pick the Appropriate Equipment for the Task
Welding comes in several forms. Certain solders are needed for certain welding jobs depending on the component requirements. The main aspect that determines the flow and technique employed is the demands imposed on the product. For most consumer devices, soft solder is sufficient for basic welding chores. Hard welding techniques yield superior results for more demanding items designed to survive high temperatures or vibrations. In order to suit the diverse welding procedures, multiple solder heads are offered. Most likely, the welding technique and kind of flux stated on your product are unique. Search for tools that are compatible with this welding technique. Laser, ultrasonic, hard, and soft welding heads are available.
Making the wrong decision here might alter the properties of your finished component, so make sure you have the right equipment and flux to feed the welding process. This could result in unfavorable outcomes or component failures.
Manage Part Presentation
An integral feature of the automated welding process is proper part presentation. Robots rely on constant part presentation since they are not human in the senses that humans are. To consistently install the component in the same location and orientation, you’ll need a system or fixture. In this manner, the robot can accurately carry out its mission. Solder junctions that are not aligned might result from inconsistent presentation.
For operations that are unable to provide constant display, there exist choices. Machine vision technologies, for instance, enable the robot to “see” the part and respond correctly even in varying orientations and locations. The workpiece’s primary characteristics are learned by the machine vision system. The robot is then given this information so that it can locate the solder junctions. For processes where repeatable part placement cannot be guaranteed, this is a helpful choice.
Welding robots offer enormous possibilities for companies performing manual tasks.. You stand to benefit the most from automating your welding process if you comprehend your organization, the requirements of your application, and the finest way to use this robot. Investing in automation now will pay off later on and provide you a competitive advantage.
If you are interested in Welding robots or want to know more about how to improve production efficiency. Please contact Robotnext today for advice and cost support. Details via hotline: 0909 914 837.
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