Keywords
Citation
(1999), "Double wire system MIG/MAG welding", Industrial Robot, Vol. 26 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.1999.04926baf.009
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 1999, MCB UP Limited
Double wire system MIG/MAG welding
Double wire system MIG/MAG welding
Keywords IGM, Robots, Welding
The latest welding robot available from IGM Robotic Systems Ltd features a double wire feed system and automatic torch exchange to accommodate both standard and twin welding within the same unit (see Plate 7). It is suitable for use with aluminium and its alloys as well as steel and chrome-nickel materials.
Called Time Twin, the robot welding system offers a high degree of flexibility, ideal for mechanised or fully automated applications found in the auto industry and its satellite suppliers. It has already been successfully used for the production of excavators by manufacturers in the UK, as well as in Europe and the Far East. Other typical industries include shipbuilding, railways, containers and general cladding or construction companies.
Plate 7 The twin wire welding robot with automatic torch exchange designed for mechanised and fully automated production lines
Time Twin operates with two separate wire electrodes and two individually controlled power sources. Only one gas nozzle is utilised, operating in a common weld pool. A counter synchronised pulsing unit of the power sources is used to create a unique timed material transition of the wire electrodes.
Provision is also made for adding or disconnecting one wire even during the welding operation. The automatic torch exchange system is ideal where; replacing the twin wire torch with a standard single wire unit is required for weld seams where there is restricted access.
A display unit is provided to facilitate task programming, with optimised pre-programmed work called-in through an interlace for repetitive operations.
Pancake motors with a four roller drive are used for the wire feed, giving a high service life with ease of regulation and control. Wire diameters of 0.8 to 3.2mm can be accommodated with a feed speed of 0 to 30 metres/min. Both wires are led into the control tip at precise angles to ensure reliable current transmission. A high capacity dual cooling system is provided for both the control tip and gas nozzle to guarantee long service life.
Further information is available on request to: IGM Robotic Systems Ltd, Unit 18/20, Avon Business Park, Wolverhampton Road, Cannock, Staffordshire WS11 1LT. Tel: +44 (0)1543 462931; Fax: +44 (0)1543 462836.