Volvo Bussar Sweden rapidly started up with a turn-key solution from Valk Welding

Lars Blomberg was on board the Volvo organisation since 2005 after Volvo Bus started the production of bus frames in Uddevalla, Sweden around 1999. When he returned to the company in 2018 after a job change, he found that the same automation concept was still being used as in all the years before. “For all products we used the same concept with two robots and a manipulator without a seam searching and touching systems and offline programming,” says the General Manager.

Valk Welding and Panasonic new to us

Yngve Saarela, an agent for Valk Welding in Sweden, drew Lars Blomberg’s attention to the turn-key systems that the robot integrator had developed for the Dutch VDL Bus Chassis, among others. “Until then, we were not yet familiar with both Valk Welding and Panasonic and what they can do for us in the field of welding robot automation”.

Excellent support from Valk Welding Denmark

Christian Dahlborg, responsible for the project at Volvo Bus explains: “The tests carried out by Marcel Dingemanse, country manager Valk Welding DK, fully met our requirements. With 100% penetration, the welding quality was perfect and there was no need for post-processing, partly thanks to the MIG pulse process. In addition, the quick touch sensing function and offline programming, using DTPS, ensured a quick start-up phase and better product quality”.

Extended gooseneck

“Another point to solve, continues Christian Dahlborg, was that after welding the top plate, not all positions could be reached with the standard robot torch available. The only possible way to reach those positions is with an extended gooseneck. Because Valk Welding has the production of their robotic torches in own hands, they were able to react quickly. Within seven weeks, both the welding robot installation, as well as the robot torch with the extended gooseneck, and the welding programmes were delivered. After which Volvo Bus could start production within 1 week. This was a perfect performance that allowed us to start welding production of the frames right away,” says an enthusiastic General Manager.