Thin Aluminum Welding Cell with CMT
- MESH designed, manufactured, integrated and started-up a custom engineered welding cell for welding .055” thin aluminum. Fronius CMT (Cold Metal Transfer) process was used to dramatically reduce burn through and control thermal extremes.
- Cell was used to weld service loop structures for fiber optics. Eliminating weld burn through was critical to ensure the service loop structure did not damage fiber optics.
- GEN0 MAC Cell with MAC controller
- Fronius TPS4000 power supply with CMT (Cold Metal Transfer)
- ABB IRB1600ID robot and IRBP R-300 positioner
- Abicor Binzel TCS-6 PP Torch Cleaning Station
- Cognex 2D barcode scanner
- Custom engineered quick change fixture.
- Fixture featured design elements to reduce weld induced stresses that if not taken would have increased cracks and warping in the product.
- Accommodated 10 different sized loops.
- Spatter shields were used as a layout template for changeover and were coated with a nonstick finish.
- Barcodes were riveted to the spatter shields so the cell automatically pulled up the correct program without operator intervention.
Final Project Outcome
Productivity: Compared to an existing robotic welding cell, the customer saw an increase in production of ~55%
Quality: In addition to productivity, the amount of scrapped or reworked parts, due to burn through and cracked welds, dropped from roughly 35% to less than 5%.
Uptime/ Maintenance: The cell achieved an OEE of 92%. Additionally, scheduled PM took considerably less time.
Changeover Time: <5 Minutes
Other: Customer is ordering a second cell
The MESH Automation Difference
At MESH, we partner with our customers and aim to exceed your expectations at every step of the project. This means we learn about your production needs and gain a thorough understanding of the manufacturing process of your product and your plant culture before we develop a solution for you. Contact us and we will suggest ways to help you improve productivity that will boost your bottom line.
Contact us today to discuss how we can develop a manufacturing solution that could help your business optimize productivity, increase efficiency, and potentially cut costs.
Click here to download our brochure and learn more about MESH Automation’s complete industrial and factory automation solutions.