Flexible and fast to the optimal welding result with Panasonic’s PerformArc cell

The company group Huissel has built up a good reputation as a supplier for the automotive, mechanical and special machinery engineering, aviation and aerospace engineering industries. An important reason for the success is the application of ultramodern machinery, says manufacturing supervisor Andreas Blaum. Huissel manufactures high-precision stamped, formed and drawn components as well as complete assembly and welding components for renowned companies like John Deere, Siemens, Mercedes-Benz, Alstom, EVOBus, Opel and Westinghouse. The scope of services extends from CAD data transfer up to finished components, including all the necessary interim stages.

Layout of Panasonic Welding Robot Cell PerformArc PA-TT-2DK-S and PerformArc ET-250/6

The customers particularly appreciate Huissel’s high flexibility. Amendments and technical adjustments of components are especially needed during the start-up phase of serial productions. The short response time and variable lot sizes, already from a lot size of one unit, offer the customer new possibilities. A current example for this is the constructive amendment of exhaust systems for agricultural engines.  The manufactures adapt the drives to the new emissions limits and use the fast production of prototypes and series of Huissel. All relevant manufacturing processes are progressed in-house, due to high component requirements in terms of durability and dimensional accuracy.

An own quality management system is installed and has a laboratory to control and document the welding results. The requirements for weld are constantly increasing that’s why modern welding robots technology was added to the manual welding workstations.

Panasonic PerformArc cell

This unique functionality of TAWERS welding robot is possible by its optimised construction for welding tasks. Instead – as normal – combining a robot with a power source, in case of TAWERS the power source is part of the robot controller. Thereby it allows to control ideally the motion functions as well as the welding parameter by one CPU unit (= central processing unit). With that an accelerated welding start and welding end is integrated as the control uses the robot movement as a part of the wire feeder / retraction movement. This works completely automatic and the user can be pleased about the cycle time optimisation As an operating unit a 1,2kg light and ergonomic teach pendant is used.

The “Weld Navigation”-function will also be graphically displayed to avoid misunderstandings.

Panasonic teach pendant with graphic representation of TAWERS „Weld Navigation“

The Panasonic welding equipment consists of two robot cells, the PerformArc ET-250/6 and the Perform Arc PA-TT-2DK-S, which operate independently of each other. The tool-making department provides perfectly suitable fixtures for fixing components and allows responding quickly to customer’s component requests. Andrej Lihobabin, a technician at Huissel, works daily with the Panasonic technology and appreciates the easy programming and handling. Thanks to the successful welding automation a rework is no longer needed. In addition to the standard welding functions the “Weld Navigation”-function is also part of the welding system. It’s only necessary to input the weld geometry and the robot controller calculates automatically the recommended parameter. With that the time-consuming search for voltage and wire feeder speed belongs to the past.

For further information, please visit:  www.panasonicrobotics.eu

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