HIGH-CAPACITY ROBOTS IN DEMANDING RESISTANCE WELDING APPLICATIONS

UTILIZATION OF INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS FOR RESISTANCE (SPOT) WELDING APPLICATIONS WAS INITIATED IN VARIOUS CAPACITIES FROM AROUND 1969 TO 1972. SINCE THAT TIME, PROGRESS HAS BEEN IN REFINING THESE SYSTEMS RATHER THAN EXPANDING THEIR TECHNOLOGY INTO MORE DEMANDING AREAS. UNTIL RECENTLY, WELDING APPLICATIONS USING LARGE, WELD GUNS REQUIRED PROCESSING WITH CUMBERSOME OVERHEAD HOISTS, OVERHEAD WELD TRANSFORMERS AND UNDESIRABLE HUMAN WORKING CONDITIONS. THIS IS NO LONGER THE CASE WITH THE AVAILABILITY OF RELIABLE, ACCURATE, HIGH-CAPACITY ROBOTS. THERE ARE SEVERAL ADVANTAGES IN IMPLEMENTING HIGH CAPACITY, MODULAR, CYLINDRICAL COORDINATE STYLE ROBOTS. RECENT TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES HAVE OPENED NEW DOORS IN ROBOT IMPLEMENTATION.