Korte Friesland takes the next step with its new welding robot system

Offline was an important require-ment

Henk Korte: "We started by looking into how a number of colleague companies tackled welding robotisation. Valk Welding's robots with offline programme appealed to us the most. DTPS is more than just a programming system: we also use it to design our welding jigs and to plan the welding jobs. With our other welding robot we often had to spend a couple of days on programming a complex product online. The welding robot had to be taken out of operation during that time. With the Valk Welding robot system we not only achieve the required precision, but also gain a lot of time."

Gripper system

Korte Friesland uses the welding robot for several rotor types. For one of them 128 mounting brackets have to be welded around a 3m tube. Valk Welding has developed a grip-per system that is situated next to the welding torch. Each bracket is taken off a shelf and held at the pre-programmed position on the shaft so that the robot can attach it. Samuel Oberman: "Because of the heat distribution aspect, the welding order is very important to remaining within the runout. The sequence is laid down in DTPS, for which we have divided the rotor into small sections that are welded alternately. It is only barely possible to organ-ise that division manually."

Wire searching

For another type of rotor corner lines are welded to the tube with 345 small welds. As well as the welding order, finding the welding position of the corner lines is a vital aspect of the welding process with the welding robot. For this purpose use is made of the Quick Touch wire search system that Valk Welding has integrated in DTPS. The robot relocates the 3 to 4 corner lines. Wire searching is based on the gas nozzle searching system, but uses the welding wire rather than the gas nozzle as the 'sensor'. The big advantage of this wire search method is that it is not only possible to detect all weld forms: access is improved to areas that are difficult to reach and the detection works with both thin and thick plates.

Turnover secured

By investing in the welding robot system Korte Friesland has secured an important part of its turnover. "The products are now in line with the requested specifications and we have also been able to substantially step up our pro-ductivity. We used to weld 5 to 6 rotors a day, but this has now risen to 8 a day. And the next orders for the welding robot are already in the pipeline", concludes Henk Korte.
www.kortefriesland.nl