Arc Welding With Industrial Robots in Small and Medium Batch Production A Procedure for Planning Industrial Robot Welding Systems

Abstract

The flexible automation of arc welding with industrial robots in small and medium batch production is progressing very slowly. One of the main reasons for this is the relatively great expense involved in planning such systems due to the many different types of workpieces and, hence, the varying demands which have to be taken into account at the design stage. A procedure for planning industrial robot welding systems is discussed in this paper. Auxiliary aids and methods for the individual planning stages are introduced and their implementation described. Due to the numerous possible influencing factors which, as a result of workpiece-specific characteristics, may vary from case to case, this paper does not claim to be comprehensive. It is intended rather as an orientation aid to help solve some of the problems arising in the planning of industrial robot welding systems for small and medium batch production. The work on which this paper is based as well as other investigations into the planning of handling systems are subsidised by the German Research Association (DFG).