Nipple Welding Automation

COMPONENT STUDY :

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THE COMPONENT IS A WATER HEATER STORAGE TANK WHERE THE INLET AND OUTLET NIPPLES NEEDS TO BE WELDED(PORT WELDING).

COMPONENT SPECIFICATION: –

• WEIGHT OF COMPONENT: – 5KGS APPROX.
• DIAMETER OF PORT: –           20MM
• DIAMETEROF THE COMPONENT: – 200MM
• MATERIAL: – MILD STEEL
• THICKNESS: – 2MM

THE REAL PROBLEM

1) INLET AND OUTLET PORTS NEEDS TO BE WELDED TO THE WATER HEATER TANK.

2) THE AUTOMATION FOR THIS WELDING AS IT IS CONTINUOUS WELDING MANUALLY WAS DIFFICULT, HAZARDOUS TO OPERATOR & CYCLE TIME COULD NOT BE ACHIEVED.

PROVIDING THE BEST SOLUTION

THE PROCESS

• THE CIRCULAR AND INTERPOLATION WELDING: –
• THE WELDING IS DONE IN ORDER TO LOCATE THE PORT FIRMLY ABOVE THE CYLINDER.
• COMPONENT WAS KEPT STATIONARY AT THE WELD POSITION(FIXTURE) AND TORCH AXIS WILL MOVE AROUND WELD ZONE.
• COMPONENT CLAMPING SYSTEM(SPRING PLUNGER) WAS PROVIDED IN THE Z AXIS TO LOCK THE COMPONENT TIGHTLY DURING WELDING.
• PNEUMATIC SYSTEM WAS GIVEN IN THE FIXTURE TO MOVE THE COMPONENT TOWARDS SECOND PORT, ONCE THE WELDING WAS COMPLETED FOR FIRST PORT.
• 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 COMPONENT IS KEPT STATIONARY AND WELDING IS DONE IN A COMPLETE ROTATION OF ROTARY AXIS.
• 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 MOVEMENT.
• SPRING PLUNGER WAS GIVEN ALONG WITH THE Z AXIS TO HOLD THE NIPPLE FIRMLY DURING WELDING.

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.