This fixed automation system, used to make continuous linear welds up to 30 feet long, uses a track system along which the power source, welding wire and automated arm travel.
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3. Should I automate?
Automating a welding cell won’t be the right course of action for everyone, but the capabilities of automated systems and their increasing affordability is making it a wise choice for many companies.

You must be able to provide the robot with a consistent supply of material and ensure that the parts being welded do not pile up in another part of the plant. If your robot only serves to move the production bottleneck from the welding cell to the painting booth, for example, then you have not increased your productivity.

Repeatability and measurability are precursors to automation. If you don’t have a blueprint (preferably an electronic blueprint), it’s likely you won’t be able to automate the welding for that part. You also should have a thorough understanding of your existing productivity from which to measure the improvements of the automated system. Further, parts should have large batch runs (although there are some exceptions to this rule), tolerances within thousandths of an inch, and configurations that allow access from an automated gun.

Make sure you have the right workforce to automate your operations. An automated welding system requires a trained operator to ensure it runs properly. Because it takes longer to become a skilled welder than it does to learn how to operate an automated welding system, it usually makes sense to train a welder to operate the automated system rather than to train a tech-savvy employee in proper weld-quality identification and troubleshooting.

Automated systems generally require three-phase, 480v electrical power, and only reach their full potential with the use of a bulk gas/manifold system, so these factors also should be considered in determining whether or not to make the leap into automation.

4. What are my automation options?
There are two basic types of automated welding systems, robotic and fixed. A robotic system is what most people think of when they think of automated welding. It uses a robotic arm that can move along several axes and a positioner that moves the part to be welded. Robotic systems are more expensive and more complicated than fixed automation systems, but you can reprogram them to accommodate different product lines if your business changes. This makes robots especially attractive if you have a small, growing fabrication shop.

In a fixed automation system, either the gun or the part is fixed in place, making the system less flexible in accommodating changes in product configuration and design. A product that requires only straight or curved welds along a single plane is usually a good candidate for a fixed automation system.

5. What equipment do I need?
Planning a successful automation effort involves carefully choosing the equipment that will make up the system, including: the positioner, the tooling, the welding power source, the robot, the gun, the welding wire, and the peripherals.

The positioner is responsible for (as the name implies) turning, rotating, or otherwise moving the part into an optimal position to be welded. In many cases, this involves moving the part so that the system can weld in a flat position for optimal deposition efficiency.

The tooling holds in place the material to be welded and it is one of the most critical components of an automated welding system. Because the gun moves along exactly the same path each cycle, if the weld joint is out of place by as little as a few thousandths of an inch, the resulting part could end up in the rework or scrap bins. Simply designing the tooling correctly at the beginning isn’t enough, however. The tooling is subject to mechanical wear, heat distortion and other factors that could cause weld defects, so a trained operator must ensure the tooling continually maintains acceptable tolerances.

Power sources, especially those designed specifically for automated welding, can monitor and respond to the arc conditions within milliseconds, making it possible to reduce heat input to the materials, increase travel speeds, reduce spatter, bridge gaps and work with a wide variety of metals. Choose a power source that offers these benefits.