As part of a major investment programme, ABB South Africa together with Bohler Welding Systems SA, recently launched three new robotic welding systems. The robots are supplied by ABB while the preferred partner for the welding technology and equipment is Fronius. ABB’s local R&D facility develops the software to tailor each application to the individual customer’s needs. The welding robots are:
* The CMT Robotic Welding Package.
* The TransSteel Robotic Welding Package.
* The Time Twin Robotic Welding Package.
As the names imply, the three welding technologies encompassed are cold metal transfer (CMT), TransSteel and Time Twin. The robots are used for welding applications in the automotive, heavy metal fabrication and petrochemical industries. A groundbreaking application is also being developed to refurbish the internal surfaces of pipes.
The robots have exceptional stiffness and an accuracy down to 100 microns. In addition ABB offers full after-sales support with spares available. They can handle a wide range of intricate welding patterns with consistent quality outcomes. Cycle times are typically reduced from 30 minutes down to 3 minutes. One robot welding cell can replace 10 manual stations, saving the manufacturer the cost of welding sets, labour and fume extraction equipment.
“The robotics market is growing in South Africa and we have experienced phenomenal growth in the metal fabrication industry in the last two years,” says Lars Mandal, business unit manager for Discrete Automation and Motion.
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