Panasonic partners worldwide integrates Arc-Eye laser cameras

A key project is the application of the Arc-Eye laser camera with AC Mig weldingapplication by the Australian robot integrator Orion Automation Systems Pty Ltd for the robotic welding of aluminum fishing boats.

Remco H. Valk explains: “As a preferred Panasonic system integrator, we use the Arc Eye laser camera not only for our own applications, but we share the system also with our Panasonic partners worldwide. In almost every continent, we now have a partner who uses these cameras for integration into Panasonic welding robots. Jeff Fordham, owner of the Australian robot integrator Orion Automation Systems Pty Ltd, together with their Australian customer, visited us and a number of references to assess and discuss the application for welding aluminum workpieces. After intensive training at our technical training center and online support during installation, Orion Automation Systems has successfully refined this automation project,”

Orion Automation Systems

Orion Automation Systems Pty Ltd is the distributor for Panasonic Robot Welding Systems in Australia and New Zealand with over 30 years of robotic welding experience, providing robotic MIG & TIG welding systems, robotic plasma cutting systems & robotic laser welding systems to industry. Owner Jeff Fordham tells us about the project: “We were approached by a major manufacturer of recreational fishing boats to assist them with the investigation of automating the welding of their aluminum boats through the use of Panasonic Welding Robots. The boats are manufactured by welding various grades and thickness of plate aluminum and at that time completed by manual operations.”

Shape changes due to heat input

“As the boat hulls are manufactured in stages in sections that are tack welded, it was recognized that the hull structure changes shape as it is welded due to the heat input and the characteristics of welding aluminum. Therefore live positional corrections of the Panasonic Robot Welding manipulators was determined as necessary during welding,” explained Jeff Fordham. “We knew that Valk Welding and Panasonic Robot Welding Systems have worked together to provide the Arc-Eye laser camera as a tracking solution, which is seamlessly integrated to the Panasonic Robot Controllers. We decided to visit Valk Welding's operations in Alblasserdam, the Netherlands, together with the customer, to test the Arc-Eye laser camera system's ability to track the sections of the customer's hull sections and to confirm suitability for the Arc-Eye laser camera to track the highly reflective aluminum grades.” The Arc-Eye laser camera systems enable the welding robot to accurately track the welding seam during the welding process by scanning its position, width, depth and orientation and automatically correcting the welding robot track where necessary. The sensor of Arc-Eye laser camera registers all measurement deviations within the scanning range of the laser sensor. This does away with the need to measure deviations beforehand and correct them manually in the welding program. This substantially increases the return and quality of the robotised welding process.

Arc-Eye

The Arc-Eye laser camera systems enable the welding robot to accurately track the welding seam during the welding process by scanning its position, width, depth and orientation and automatically correcting the welding robot track where necessary. The sensor of Arc-Eye laser camera registers all measurement deviations within the scanning range of the laser sensor. This does away with the need to measure deviations beforehand and correct them manually in the welding program. This substantially increases the return and quality of the robotised welding process.