Page 242 - CITS - Welder - Trade Theory

WELDER - CITS

Advantages of the robotic welding
The advantages of the robotic welding process are:-
1 The high consistency of the welding process helps the industry to repeat the same welding process regularly
to improve productivity. This consistency results in a greater amount of weld pooling, which also results in
stronger weld joints. The welding quality is higher and better as it is done by a pre-programmed robot that
performs the welding without the possibility of error during operation. This welding technique is used in the
industry to increase productivity and deliver products on time.
2 Uses robotic technology to increase the efficiency of the welding process and reduce waste. If the welding
process is performed robotically, the chances of error are minimized. The robot is fully pre-programmed for
all welding phases and activities involved during the welding process (Epping et al. 2018). Pre-programmed
activities help control all activities in advance, improving the finalization process during the crafting process.
Effectiveness and pre-determination of welding work reduces waste when carrying out the welding process.
3 Reduced waste generation during welding reduces post-weld clean-up associated with scrap and waste
generated during the welding process. The high efficiency of this welding technology means that no scrap is
generated during the welding process and less energy is required to clean up the waste generated during the
welding
Disadvantages of the robotic welding
Disadvantages of the robotic welding technique are:

1 Company’s cost analysis is performed in every industry to remain competitive while increasing revenue.
Weldable robots are so expensive that they are still not used by most companies to reduce product costs.
2 Robotic welding technology is not yet used in most industries due to its lack of flexibility. This flexibility comes
with adapting to new techniques, as robots are pre-programmed, making it difficult to adapt to new welding
techniques. Next, the robot must be pre-programmed with the process of using this technology to control all
activities. This takes a lot of time during the welding process. This makes the welding process inflexible and
creates time lags between welding processes.
3 There are risks when using robots in welding technology. This risk includes the condition that if the robot fails
due to mechanical failure, the industry will have trouble doing further welding work. Therefore, the industry
should not rely entirely on robots for welding tasks.
Function of a KUKA robot system

Robots part details

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CITS : C G & M - Welder - Lesson 77 - 82