Stainless Steel Welding

Task

The primary purpose of this 12-Axis Resistance Welding System is to create individual structural spot welds and hermetic seam welds in a light gauge stainless steel fuel tank. The spot welds must be located within 1mm of the engineering requirements over entire 15m length of the tanks. Furthermore, the system must maintain this accuracy while reacting the high forging forces necessary to make a high quality spot weld.

Solution

Two column machines are positioned facing each other to cover the entire envelope. The welding equipment processes the parts generating the required 15,000N preload force which is transmitted between the two columns through the parts itself, see picture. Working envelope of each machine is 4m vertical, 1.65m cantilever and 32m horizontal, in additional to a three axis rotary wrist.

Scope of supply

Complete mechanical and electrical machine, consisting of a rigid and stiff support structure, three cartesian axes and a rotary head, using our heavy duty size 90 flat bar and module 6 hardened and ground helical racks as well as gearboxes from the GÜDEL AE-series. Also part of the delivery content was a Twelve Axis GE Fanuc CNC Control System. Resistance welding head and process know-how was supplied by the system integrator.

Result

This innovative concept provides a cost effective method to deliver the required force relative to the process, the vast work envelope without requiring a heavy duty conventional machine tool at a much higher cost. Provided customer with a highly repeatable process for the continued improvement of this new technology