Universal Robots (UR) is a provider of collaborative robots (cobots) used across a wide range of manufacturing industries. The company recently launched the world’s first cobot spot welder, designed by Pro Spot International.
i5s Smart Spot Welding Cobot seamlessly integrates the spot welding practice into a safe, easy-to-use automated cobot welding work cell.
Until now, spot welding has been prohibitive for cobots due to the weight of the weld gun and the complexity of the welds. Typically, MIG and other welding technologies have been the go-to choices for adding collaborative robots.
Pro Spot is changing the market, developing a lightweight solution that delivers two to three times more manufacturing capacity than manual spot welding. The new i5s resistance spot welder joined the power of cobot automation with advanced manufacturing capabilities.
“We married our most sophisticated spot welder with Universal Robots’ safe, unrivaled technology,” explained Ron Olsson, president and founder of Pro Spot. “The combined platform is a powerhouse of productivity and throughput greatly benefiting any manufacturer who joins sheet metal through spot welding.”
Key features of the advanced spot welding technology…
• The Auto Weld senses the material thickness; with resistance to adjust the weld profile automatically.
• A built-in Library offers materials, weld caps, thickness insight, with a semi-auto mode option.
• The Intuitive touchscreen interface, with on-board training and user manuals, is in video and PDF form.
• Repeatable, reliable welds are the result — with complete data capture of welding and machine data.
• A WiFi connection keeps weld control software up-to-date. (There’s an ability to export data logs to email via WiFi for the ultimate in traceability and process control.)
Incorporating welding and cobots
THG Automation is also seeing the value of cobots for manual welding tools. The company incorporated a cobot application is the new rotational positioner to address the needs or welders struggling to weld circular or odd-shaped parts. The result is a positioner integrated with the Fronius Perfect Welding CMT system, powered by the UR10e cobot.
“Welders use positioners manually all the time, and it was a natural progression for us to incorporate positioners into our collaborative welding system to allow the weldments to be presented to the robot at a more optimal orientation,” says Matt Hendey, CEO of THG Automation.
Both THG and UR welding partners — along with several other UR integrators, OEM partners, distributors, and customers —are looking to incorporate the new UR20 cobot into their applications for added reach and payload capabilities. The UR20 is UR’s next-generation of industrial cobots designed to handle more tasks and take performance to new heights. The award-winning cobot offers a 20kg payload and 1750 mm reach, and will start shipping this summer.
It will also be showcased at Automate, taking place in Detroit,, May 22-25, 2023.
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Filed Under: Welding • soldering
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