COMPONENT STUDY
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!THE COMPONENT IS A HYDRAULIC HOSE TO WHICH THE END CONNECTORS HAS TO BE WELDED, WHICH WEIGHT VARIES AS THE COMPONENT LENGTH AND DIAMETER VARIES.THE PICTURE SHOWS THE WELDED COMPONENTS. (IMAGE 1- FUSION WELDED & IMAGE 2 SHOWS NUT TYPE WELDED COMPONENT).
| SL NO | TYPE | MINIMUM SIZE | MAXIMUM SIZE |
| 1 | NUT WELDING | ¼ “ BSP SWIVEL NIPPLE | 2 ½ “ BSP SWIVEL NIPPLE |
| 2 | FLANGE WELDING | ½” SSC HOSE | 4” SSC HOSE |
THE REAL PROBLEM
1) FUSION WELDING OF ENDS OF HOSES.
2) WELDING OF END CONNECTORS (NUTS AND FLANGES).
2) THE AUTOMATION FOR THIS WELDING AS CONTINOUS WELDING MANUALLY WAS DIFFICULT, HAZARDOUS TO OPERATOR.
3) EASING OF OPERATION.
PROVIDING THE BEST SOLUTION
THE PROCESS
- THE ORBITAL WELDING
- THE FUSION WELDING IS DONE IN ORDER TO FUSE THE OUTER SLEEVE WITH THE HOSE FOR UNIFORM WELDING IN THE NEXT PROCESS.
- LATER THE END CONNECTORS (FLANGE-STUB OR NUT-NIPPLE) IS WELDED BY USING SUITABLE FIXTURES.
- DUE TO LENGTH OF THE COMPONENT, ITS ROTATION POSED A CHALLENGE, HENCE THE HOSE IS STATIONARY AND THE TORCH IS ROTATED AROUND TO WELD ALSO KNOW AS ORBITAL WELDING.
- TIG WELDING IS THE PROCESS USED IN ORDER TO WELD THE COMPONENT.
- IMAGE 1 SHOWS FUSION WELDING, IMAGE 2 SHOWS NUT-NIPPLE WELDING AND IMAGE 3 SHOWS FLANE-STUB WELDING.
SOURCE
- AUTOMATION IS DONE USING 5 AXIS WELDING SPM:-
- THERE WERE THREE LINEAR AXIS, ONE ROTATION AXIS AND ONE WIRE FEEDER SUPPORTED BY STEPPER MOTOR.
- THE TORCH IS MOVED TO THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THE COMPONENT IN ORDER TO CREATE WELD ARC USING 2 LINEAR AXES(X AXIS, Z AXIS).
- Z FIXTURE AXIS IS PRESET AT A PARTICULAR HEIGHT BASED ON COMPONENT AND THEN THE X AND Z BRINGS THE TORCH CLOSER TO CREATE ARC AND ROTARY HELPS TO ROTATE THE TORCH AROUND HOSE WELDING THE COMPONENT.
- BUTTING PLATE IS PRESENT IN ORDER TO LOCATE THE HOSE WITH PRECISION AND THEN IT IS CLAMPED IN SELF CENTERING.
- THE AUTOMATION WAS DONE IN ORDER TO DE SKILL THE PROCESS, HAVE HIGHER REPEATABILITY AND EFFICIENCY.
EASING OF OPERATION:-
- SEQUENCE OF OPERATION IS MADE ACCORDING TO CUSTOMER REQUIREMENT WITH SUITABLE PROGRAM.
- SELF CENTERING IS PROVIDED TO EASILY CENTER THE COMPONENT IN ORDER TO PLACE THE COMPONENT CONCENTRICALLY WITH RESPECT TO TORCH.
- IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE REPEATABILITY THE V BLOCKS ARE PROVIDED IN SELF CENTERING SYSTEM.
- THE SELF CENTERING IS ACTUATED USING A HAND WHEEL FOR EASY ROTATION.
- THE TOP ADAPTORS ARE PROVIDED IN ORDER TO HOLD THE END CONNECTORS CONCENTRICALLY TO HOSES.
- IMAGE 5 SHOWS THE SELF CENTERING SYSTEM.
GOALS ACHIEVED
- AFTER CAREFULLY WORKING ON CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS WE DELIVERED AN SPM WHICH NOT ONLY SATISFIED THE CUSTOMER BUT MADE THE CUSTOMER HAPPY.
- THE MACHINE IS PLANNED TO PRODUCE 600 SUCH WELDED COMPONENTS IN A DAY.
- TWO PEOPLE WERE WORKING ON LOADING AND WELDING OF COMPONENTS WHILE NOW A SINGLE OPERATOR CAN WORK ON LOADING AND WELDING.
- AN OPERATOR WHO DOESN’T KNOW WELDING CAN ALSO OPERATE THE MACHINE, IT HAS HELPED IN DE-SKILLING OF PROCESS.
- THE OPERATOR IS NOT UNDER INFLUENCE OF HARMFUL GASES HENCE IT SAFEGUARDS THE OPERATOR.