OEM&Lieferant Ausgabe 1/2020

101 What first strikes the eye when looking at the cell is the approx. 15-degree inclination of the positioner, allowing the operator to place and clamp the parts simply and ergonomically on the loading side. The changing of jigs – the name given to the mounts for the respective component variants – is also facilitated by this design trick, reducing retooling times to be- tween five and ten minutes. If the positioner is rotated by 180 degrees in the working area, the inclination creates a raised working position for the welding robot, which, for this reason, is mounted on a plinth. A further advantage of this position is the ex- cellent accessibility to the robot. In combina- tion, the five NC axes of the R2C positioner and the six robot axes, optimally synchronised by the DX200 controller, permit a perfectly flat welding position in every case. Offline programming boosts productivity What welding specialist Schmölz particularly appreciates about the system is the offline programming option: “Via CAD data, we can programme any welding assembly offline par- allel to operation, precisely calculate welding times, specify joining sequences to ensure minimum delays, avoid collisions and much more. In our operating conditions with mul- tiple small parts, offline programming signifi- cantly boosts productivity.” Often, two different assemblies are alter- nately welded in the system – no problem with the 2-station positioner. However, care must be taken to ensure that insertion times are shorter than welding times, as down- times are to be avoided at MAHA. That is why the company opted for the MOTOMAN MA2010. The six-axis robot has a reputation for being resilient and can perform its given tasks in multi-shift operation around the clock, always with the required path accu- racy. The machine delivers process-reliable welding results, part by part, without de- viating from the given tolerances. The slim robot has a dynamic approach to its work and ensures maximum output. With a pay- load of 10 kg it has an impressive range of 2010 mm. Reliability and know-how facilitate the decision It goes without saying that prior to invest- ing in this system, the decision-makers at MAHA also considered the products of other manufacturers. But, in their deliber- ations, they always returned to YASKAWA. One of the contributing factors was assur- edly that MOTOMAN welding robots had been operating for the past 22 years at the Haldenwang plant with a high degree of reliability. But, besides this impressive commitment to quality, there were many other factors in favour of YASKAWA. Erich Schmölz puts the main criteria in a nutshell: “YASKAWA has an incredible amount of experience and can design turnkey welding systems exactly to customer requirement using many of its own standard components. We benefit from this know-how, as well as the exemplary service and proverbial reliability.” The seamless inte- gration of the welding system into production and trouble-free operation ever since can be deemed normal. Top performance prompts further investment The system operators are also enthusias- tic about its performance. They especially appreciate the excellent accessibility of the generously dimensioned insertion area that is secured by floor scanner, photoelectric sen- sors and safety guards. Here, there is enough space to deposit parts with the lift truck or fork-lift. Simple and convenient operation of the system likewise facilitates the daily work. This also includes a further glare shield on the positioner, creating a completely enclosed welding area. A powerful welding smoke ex- tractor ensures that the workshop air is not polluted. All in all, the high MAHA expectations placed on the system have been entirely fulfilled in practice. “This system has enabled us to realise our primary objective of increasing the flexibility of welding processes with small batch sizes. Despite the huge range of parts, the productivity of the system is at peak level, and our plans for a second, iden- tical installation are already well advanced,” Schmölz sums up. YASKAWA Europe GmbH www.yaskawa.eu.com Websites MAHA Maschinenbau Haldenwang GmbH & Co. KG www.maha.de Erich Schmölz, Head of the Robot Welding Department at MAHA, is impressed by the performance of the YASKAWA robot welding system. The ergonomically designed, generously dimensioned insertion area is also easily accessible to forklift trucks. Imposing: the YASKAWA R2C five-axis servo positioner with two stations for parallel loading and welding.