Robot company expands in welding sector

Citation

(2000), "Robot company expands in welding sector", Industrial Robot, Vol. 27 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.2000.04927fab.006

Robot company expands in welding sector

Keywords: Arc welding, Spot welding

Motoman Robotics (UK) is intensifying the sales of its arc welding and resistance spot welding systems in the UK and Ireland through the appointment of a network of specialist integrators and welding distributors. Some have already been appointed, although Motoman Robotics UK is seeking other interested companies in various geographical locations in the UK and Eire.

The Banbury-based company is a subsidiary of Motoman Robotics Europe, Sweden, which markets the vast range of articulated-arm, all-electric robots and associated manipulation and positioning equipment.

The profile of a systems integrator is a well established, medium-sized engineering company with inhouse mechanical and electrical design and build expertise, with the ability to take responsibility for the supply of turnkey robotic welding systems carrying full CE marking. Welding engineering distributors are typically companies already marketing and selling allied capital welding equipment such as torches, power sources or manipulators into the welding sector.

The expansion initiative follows the recent launch of Motoman's UP series of robots having larger working envelopes, direct drive on all six axes for greater speed and accuracy, and a flexible conduit which contains all services from the base to the upper arm, eliminating trailing hoses and cables. The manufacturer has also introduced a 27-axis controller, the Yasnac XRC, capable of handling three six-axis robots and synchronising their movements with gantry systems, linear tracks and rotary indexers.

Motoman's standard arc welding system range (see Plate 3) comprises no less than 67 configurations in single-, twin- and triple-robot configurations, and with a selection of single-, twin-or multi-axis positioners/manipulators. They extend from the "Batchweld", having a manually-indexed, two-station, 180° turntable of 100kg capacity per station, up to the Arc System 8,000 with twin two-axis stations of 500kg capacity each.

Plate 3 A typical turnkey robotic arc welding system comprising a Motoman six-axis robot, two-axis positioner, pallets and conveyor system

There are also three standard gantry-mounted systems with inverted robot(s), the top specification being of three-axis configuration with X, Y and Z travels of up to 24m, 1.8m and 1.2m respectively. Various servo positioners can accept workpieces of 250kg up to 20 tonnes maximum weight.

Contact: John D'Angelillo, Managing Director, Motoman Robotics (UK) Ltd, 1 Swan Industrial Estate, Banbury, Oxfordshire OX16 8DJ. Tel: +44 (0) 1295 272755. Fax: +44 (0) 1295 267127.