Robots go Hollywood: today's welding robots take center stage the manufacturing floor

Gases & Welding Distributor, July-August, 2004 by Chris Anderson

The NX100 also has built in ethernet communication and uses Windows CE to display information such as documents, manuals, and web pages from other devices on the network. The robot can also share information with networked computers. For instance, the robot can send e-mails that notify plant personnel as to what time of day a wire drum needs changing. The touchscreen can also be programmed to operate like an HMI with buttons and status indicators for the operator.

Finally, just as movie personnel were wowed by the general-purpose UP50 and UP20 robots, plant personnel haw: been impressed with the application-specific EA-series "Expert Arc" welding robots. These robots have a hollow upper area and wrist that protects the torch cable and minimizes the cable fatigue. This design extends the torch-cable life versus systems that mount the torch on an arm offset from the wrist. It also reduces downtime, saving thousands of dollars over the life of the robot.

Chris Anderson is Market Segment Manager--Welding for Motoman Inc., West Carrollton, Ohio.