04 September, 24 8:39 am ·Leave a comment·
Glorious Hightower
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Wondering what options fabricators and manufacturers across North America can leverage to overcome the challenges they face related to meeting production demands, maintaining consistent weld quality and coping with skilled welder shortages? Check out this insightful discussion among Will Healy III, Global Industry Manager for Welding at Universal Robots, Joe Holloway, VP – Automation at Red-D-Arc and Colin McOdrum, Automation Welding Specialist at Red-D-Arc to find out about the unique advantages of the Red-D-Arc BotX™ XSR cobot welding system and how deploying cobots for welding applications can increase productivity and drive consistency.
Watch the full webinar to learn how the BotX XSR from Red-D-Arc can help you scale up your production capacity.
Red-D-Arc helps fabricators defeat their challenges with the BotX cobot welding system. Addressing the skilled labor shortage through intuitive automated collaborative welding tools, the latest system, BotX XSR, provides advanced welding capabilities, process optimization expertise and fast support through an easy-to-use app. Additionally, the on-demand and flexible model of short-term or long-term rentals, equipment leases and system purchase programs allow customers to quickly scale up – or down – their production capacity to align with current business needs without making a major capital investment.
Contact us to get in touch with a BotX specialist today.
FABTECH Canada is returning to Toronto this summer! The semi-annual trade show is Canada’s most comprehensive metal forming, fabricating, welding and finishing event and will take place from June 11 to 13, 2024.
In addition to product exhibits and hands-on demonstrations, FABTECH Canada offers the opportunity for attendees to engage in conference programs, panels, keynote presentations and networking events all while connecting with industry experts, key manufacturers, suppliers, educators and other professionals.
If you’re looking to explore the latest technology, discover top industry trends and hear about ways to optimize your processes, you don’t want to miss this.
Visit Red-D-Arc at FABTECH Canada
Red-D-Arc is a leader in welding and weld automation equipment solutions. Our products and services are used in a variety of industries, including construction, fabrication, and shipbuilding.
You can find Red-D-Arc in the Air Liquide exhibit at FABTECH Canada—Exhibit #11040—where you can get an up-close look at our automation and heating equipment solutions:
Additionally, our experts will be on hand to discuss all of your welding and automation challenges, and provide insights into the latest industry trends.
05 January, 24 11:00 am ·Leave a comment·
Glorious Hightower
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Could the BotX™ cobot welding system help solve some of the challenges you’ve been facing? It did just that for Estes Design and Manufacturing, a full-service sheet metal fabricator in Indianapolis, IN. Hear from the company’s Laser Welding Supervisor, Casey Gaudin, who spoke with us about some of the results that they’ve achieved since implementing BotX into their production. Casey told us that Estes has experienced a significant increase in speed, enhanced repeatability of parts, and a notable decrease in rework. In fact, with one part that they transferred from manual welding to the cobot, there was an improvement of 120% in cycle time.
Finding the right people with the right skills was another challenge that Estes was facing so it was critical for them to have an automation solution that was easy-to-use. Fortunately, they’ve found that the BotX system is fairly simple to run and very user-friendly. Casey remarked that they’ve been really impressed and have been able to take operators and get them programming parts and running the machine in as little as 15 minutes. We’re proud to say that BotX has been a success for Estes Design and Manufacturing, and when asked about his experience with BotX, Casey summed it up by saying, “If you’re wondering about getting a BotX or not, I would highly recommend it. If your company has large volumes of parts and is having trouble finding qualified welders, then the BotX is for you.”
Watch the video to hear their story and see how BotX has added more efficiency to their operations.
For more information about the BotX cobot welding system and to connect with an expert, visit BotXWelder.com.
Wondering how the BotX™ cobot welding system can benefit your business? We sat down with Jeff Lanthier, President of JJJ Container Services, to talk to him about the impact that using BotX has had on his business. After struggling with labor shortage, welding quality and consistency, and an existing robotic solution that was too difficult to program, Jeff decided to give BotX a try. In just a few hours after having the system installed, his team was already running parts, and over time, has seen an 2-3x increase in production.
Although Jeff was initially skeptical about BotX and questioned whether it would be able to meet his long-term needs, he had the opportunity to try it without making a capital investment through Red-D-Arc’s lease program. BotX has been in place at JJJ Container Services for nearly two years and Jeff has been pleased with the results, reporting that the system has “met and beat all of my expectations.” He plans to expand his use of the system by adding more units in the future.
Watch the video to hear the full story about all of the benefits that BotX has delivered to JJJ Container Services.
For more information about the BotX cobot welding system and to connect with an expert, visit BotXWelder.com.
Due to the rapid acceptance and increasing demand from the steel fabrication industry for the BotXTM cobot welder, Red-D-Arc Weld Automation opened its Robotics and Automation Center (RAC) at our Mableton (Atlanta), Georgia location, on January 3, 2022.
The new RAC facility will be used as a staging facility for integrating BotX systems, which are currently offered to met-fab manufacturers throughout North America on a rental, lease and purchase basis. Capabilities will also include real-time virtual product demos, as well as both in-class and virtual training for technicians, sales associates and customers who want to quickly get up to speed with the BotX system. (more…)
13 August, 21 2:50 pm ·Leave a comment·
Red-D-Arc Welderentals
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Over the years, robotic welding has been utilized in various industries to increase productivity by automating production and ensuring consistent quality. Traditionally, robotic welders required large investments in equipment and in personnel training.
Why Robotic Welding?
Some of the reasons for using robotic welding are as follows:
Production automation
Cost reduction
Quality improvement (consistency and repeatability)
Improved health and safety (personnel are not exposed to hazardous fumes or radiation)
Address shortage of skilled welders (an operator is required—not a welder)
Increased flexibility (versus hard automation)
Efficiency improvements
Reduce repetitive strain injuries
However, there are some disadvantages with traditional robotic welding:
High overall investment to implement (robot, controls, power source, jig/fixture, and safety fence/equipment)
Specialized programming skills required
Large space requirements
The above disadvantages restrict where robots can be used. Collaborative robots (cobots) have been introduced to address some of the limitations of traditional robots.
The Difference Between Cobots and Robots
Robots can seriously hurt people who get in the way of their movements. Since many robots move quickly, extensive safety measures are required to ensure that people and robots are separated when a robot is in operation. Contrary to this, cobots, if obstructed, will stop because of built-in safety features. Therefore, they do not require extensive protection infrastructure. This allows the operator to be close to the cobot when it is active and share the same space as required.
Safety of Cobots
The international standard ISO 10218 governs the safety requirements of cobots. Further guidance specific to the safety requirements of cobots is provided by technical specification ISO/TS 15066. According to this document, a cobot can achieve safe operation with personnel present in the cobot zone by using one or more of the following technologies:
Safety-related monitored stop (cobot detects the worker and stops)
Hand-guided control (operator can hold the cobot and guide it through the work)
Speed and separation monitoring (sensor detects the distance between the cobot and the operator; cobot adjusts speeds accordingly)
Power and force limiting by inherent design and control (when the co-worker touches the cobot, the cobot stops safely)
Cobots generally have a lower payload capacity than traditional robots, but this poses no issues because the welding gun is light. Moreover, the cable feed equipment does not need to be located on the robot and can be stationary. The speed of movements with cobots are generally slower than with robots. This ensures that personnel in the vicinity are kept safe. These characteristics make cobots more suitable than traditional robots for light applications.
Easy programming and simulation (generally point-to-point teach programming)
Economic setup for low-volume work
Easy to relocate
Compact cell layout (less space required)
Considerations for implementing cobots for welding include the following:
Type of power source, which depends on the welding type (e.g., MIG, spot welding, stud welding)
Programming system
Cobot physical dimensions (reach) and performance capabilities (e.g., speed/acceleration, payload)
Cell layout
End effector design
Communications protocols
Risk assessment and controls
How to Get Starte with Cobot Welders
When hiring cobot systems, all of the above considerations and selections have already been taken care of. The client can get straight to the work at hand, with no installation costs, and pay only for the time the system is being used.
Looking to get your feet wet? Red-D-Arc offers a turnkey collaborative welding system: BotX.
The BotX robotic welder was featured on the Automation.com blog in April 2021. Automation expert Bill Lydon examines how some of the challenges faced by manufacturing firms can be met through the adoption of automation technologies like the BotX Welder. (more…)
Video: Watch how easy it is to set up the BotX Robotic Welder for a radial weld. Just over 2 minutes total.
This next generation welding robot is easy to learn and use and is operated via a mobile app.
When a major auto parts manufacturer asked an Ontario fabrication shop to weld 50,000 parts in just 2 months, they took the job immediately; then they had to solve the problem of how to get that much welding production done within such a short time time period. Read about how the adoption of welding cobots helped them deliver in this article from Shop Metalworking Technology magazine.
“If you turn this down once, you will never see a job like this again.”
Most of us are aware of industrial welding robots—those large, fast machines found on big assembly lines. But what about collaborative robots, also known as cobots? These compact machines can work safely alongside humans, but don’t let their size fool you; they’re the next big thing in welding automation.
If you can operate a smartphone, you can set up and operate the BotX welding cobot. Traditional industrial robots can take weeks to install and program. This same app offers a real-time cloud connection, which allows for 24/7 performance monitoring and troubleshooting support. (more…)
Collaborative robots like the BotX Welder are shaping the future of manufacturing. Rob Goldiez of Hirebotics joins robotics investor Marc Cuban and Enrico Krog Iverson of OnRobot to discuss the impact of collaborative automation technology.
Thisvirtual event will see the robotics thought leaders discuss their powerful visions of the future of manufacturing. The expert panel will share insights on how collaborative automation helps future-proof manufacturing companies, helping to build resilience and reduce risk as the world navigates unprecedented COVID-19 challenges where uncertainty is now the only constant.
In the midst of the current global pandemic, massive challenges to public health and safety have impacted the global economy resulting in significant levels of unemployment in many countries. While small businesses are scaling down or declaring bankruptcy, critical industries like manufacturing are stepping up to meet the challenges of the pandemic. Rapidly deployed, innovative solutions are helping provide much-needed medical devices, services, and supplies.
Red-D-Arc Innovates with Robotic Welding
Since systems are at full capacity, custom metal fabrication and welding equipment industries are also in high demand to support production for medical devices and diagnostic equipment. Throughput is the most critical key performance indicator (KPI) for manufacturers, and an efficient rate of production requires consistency and high-quality output. (more…)
Airgas, an Air Liquide company, is the nation's leading single-source supplier of gases, welding and safety products. Known locally nationwide, our distribution network serves more than one million customers of all sizes with a broad offering of top-quality products and unmatched expertise.
