Girth Welding Automation

COMPONENT STUDY :

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THE COMPONENT IS A WATER HEATER STORAGE TANK WHERE THE CENTER PART OF THE CYLINDER( JOINING TWO PARTS OF CYLINDER)TO BE WELDED(GIRTH WELDING).

COMPONENT SPECIFICATION: –

• WEIGHT OF COMPONENT: – 5KGS APPROX.
• DIAMETEROF THE COMPONENT: – 200MM
• MATERIAL: – MILD STEEL
• THICKNESS: – 2MM

THE REAL PROBLEM :

1) NEED TO JOIN CENTER PART OF THE CYLINDER(GIRTH) WATER HEATER TANK.

2) THE AUTOMATION FOR THIS WELDING AS CONTINUOUS WELDING MANUALLY WAS DIFFICULT, HAZARDOUS TO OPERATOR.

PROVIDING THE BEST SOLUTION

THE PROCESS :

• THE ROTARY WELDING: –
• THE WELDING IS DONE IN ORDER TO JOIN THE TWO PARTS OF THE CYLINDER.
• COMPONENT WAS KEPT AT THE FIXTURE AND THE PNEUMATIC CYLINDER WILL HOLD THE COMPONENT FIRMLY.
• TORCH WILL COME TO WELD ZONE AND COMPONENT START ROTATE TO COMPLETE THE WELD.
• SAFETY LIGHT CURTAIN WAS PROVIDED IN ORDER TO SAFEGUARD THE MACHINE AND COMPONENT IF AN UNPLEASANT EVENT OCCURS.
• MIG WELDING WAS THE PROCESS USED IN ORDER TO WELD THE COMPONENT.

SOURCE

• AUTOMATION IS DONE USING 2 AXIS WELDING SPM: –
• THERE WERE ONE LINEAR AXES AND ONE ROTATION AXIS.
• THE TORCH IS MOVED TO THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THE COMPONENT IN ORDER TO CREATE WELD ARC USING Z AXIS.
• THE TORCH AXIS IS KEPT STATIONARY AND WELDING IS DONE IN A COMPLETE ROTATION OF A COMPONENT(FIXTURE).
• TO MAINTAIN CONCENTRICITY, SUITABLE FIXTURES WERE USED.
• THE BELOW IMAGE SHOWS THE SPM AND AXIS USED.
• THE AUTOMATION WAS DONE IN ORDER TO DE SKILL THE PROCESS, HAVE HIGHER REPEATABILITY AND EFFICIENCY.

3) EASING OF OPERATION: –

• SEQUENCE OF OPERATION IS MADE ACCORDING TO CUSTOMER REQUIREMENT WITH A SUITABLE PROGRAM.
• SEPARATE PNEUMATIC AXIS WAS GIVEN FOR COMPONENT CLAMPING.

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 CAN PRODUCE 120 WELDED COMPONENTS IN A SHIFT IF THE CUSTOMER WORKING FOR 8 HOURS PER SHIFT (INCL LOAD AND UNLOAD TIME).
• FOUR PEOPLE WERE WORKING ON LOADING AND WELDING OF COMPONENTS WHILE NOW A SINGLE OR DOUBLE OPERATOR(S) 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 SAFE GUARDS THE OPERATOR.