Our client, a leading manufacturer with stringent quality standards, faced challenges in achieving consistent weld quality on critical welds subjected to non-destructive testing (NDT). The reliance on skilled welders to meet these standards was becoming increasingly difficult due to a shortage of skilled labour. Additionally, the client sought to increase the productivity of their existing welders while ensuring adherence to the highest quality standards.
KEY CHALLENGES
- Consistency in Critical Welds: Critical welds required to meet the highest standards and undergo non-destructive testing presented challenges in achieving consistent quality through manual welding processes.
- Shortage of Skilled Welders: Difficulty in finding skilled welders with the expertise required to meet the demanding quality standards further exacerbated the challenge.
- Productivity Enhancement: There was a need to increase the productivity of existing welders while ensuring that critical welds maintained the highest quality standards.
- To address the challenges faced by our client and provide a flexible, easy-to-use robotic welding solution, our team proposed the implementation of the FlexWeld system, leveraging the intuitive Fanuc CRX robot paired with the Kemppi A7 welding system.
SOLUTION HIGHLIGHTS
- FlexWeld System: combining the user-friendly Fanuc CRX robot with the advanced Kemppi A7 welding system. This setup provided the flexibility to adapt to various welding tasks while ensuring consistent weld quality.
- Small Footprint and Portability: The compact design and portability of the FlexWeld system made it an ideal fit for the customer’s workshop. Its portable cell could be easily moved around for different projects, offering flexibility, and optimising workshop space utilisation.
- Onsite Training and Support: Infinite Robotics provided comprehensive onsite training to the customer’s team, enabling them to quickly learn and operate the FlexWeld system effectively. Within a few days of training, the customer was up and running, maximizing productivity with minimal downtime.
RESULTS
- Improved Consistency in Critical Welds: The FlexWeld system ensured consistent weld quality on critical welds, meeting the highest standards required for non-destructive testing, thereby enhancing product reliability and safety.
- Mitigation of Skilled Labour Shortage: By automating welding processes with the user-friendly FlexWeld system, the client mitigated the impact of the skilled labour shortage, by utilising their existing welding expertise to maintain high quality standards.
- Enhanced Productivity: The implementation of the FlexWeld system increased the productivity of the client’s existing welders, allowing them to focus on more complex tasks while repetitive welding operations were handled efficiently by the robotic system.
The deployment of the FlexWeld system provided our client with a flexible, easy-to-use robotic welding solution that not only improved consistency in critical welds but also addressed challenges related to skilled labour shortage and productivity enhancement. By embracing automation and innovation, our client was able to maintain the highest quality standards while optimising their welding processes for increased efficiency and competitiveness in the market.
