Horizontal positioner offers maximum length

Citation

(2000), "Horizontal positioner offers maximum length", Industrial Robot, Vol. 27 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.2000.04927aad.004

Horizontal positioner offers maximum length

Horizontal positioner offers maximum length

Keywords: Fanuc, Welding, Robotics

The P1500 horizontal welding positioner from Coventry-based Fanuc Robotics can be used to take load/unload out of the welding cycle with dramatic improvements in productivity.

The horizontal positioner has some significant advantages over the vertical "Ferris wheel" positioner. Probably the most important is that it is easier to isolate the fixture at the load/unload station so that the operator has clear access for loading while welding takes place at the other station.

The limiting factor on horizontal positioning is the length of the diagonal from the centre of the fixture to the corner. This has to swing horizontally in front of the robot. The larger the length, the greater distance from the robot to the fixture. The trick is to maximise the dimension without compromising the horizontal reach of the welding robot.

With the P1500, there is 1,500mm between the centres of the servo-manipulators at each station and the ArcMate 100i can still reach the full working area of the welding station. At each station the servo-driven indexer is programmed as a "slave" to the main robot controller.

Appropriate guarding and safety interlocks enable loading to be carried out whilst welding at the workstation.

The index table has an "H" plan view. This maximises the swing or fixture rotation diameter for the P1500. After indexing the table is locked in position by a shot bolt. Three versions of the table can be supplied with maximum load capacities of 250, 500 and 750kg, respectively, at each station.

For further information contact Maurice Hanley at: Fanuc Robotics (UK) Limited, Seven Stars Industrial Estate, Wheler Road, Coventry CV3 4LB, UK. Tel: (+44) 01203 639669; Fax: (+44) 01203 304333.