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Speed up cycle times, reduce downtime loading and improve overall profitability with a parts positioner for your robotic welding system. Is a parts positioner only right for manufacturers producing high-volume parts? The answer is “No.”
“That is often where the misconception lies,” OTC DAIHEN Regional Sales Manager Chris Sharp says. “A parts positioner is a perfect fit for all, and especially those shops doing low volume, high changeover parts. It reduces the downtime loading and changing of fixtures, thereby, increasing cycle times and production. The weld quality also improves as the part is the optimal torch angle position every time.”
How Does a Parts Positioner Boost Output & Decrease Overhead
Part positioners work by turning the part and securing it in the optimal position for welding. Instead of having workers on your assembly line manually changing the part's orientation, spending time that will cost you for both the labor and the slow down of the production line, the positioner automates the process.
The reduced labor in loading and unloading reduces your overhead and less time is spent outside of the welding process, speeding up your production line. Your productivity and output are very quickly boosted.
Also a key benefit, especially for arc welding, a positioner allows the robot programmer to position the weld joint for optimal torch angle. When in the optimal position (typically in the flat position) weld quality improves greatly.
Selecting a Positioner to Work with Your Robot
Many of our customers often ask about which positioner will work best with their robot to achieve the highest possible results. Here is an overview of the OTC DAIHEN parts positioners:
Tilt-Turn Positioner
Offering the most flexibility and efficiencies is the OTC DAIHEN Tilt-Turn Positioner. It provides dual-axis rotation with 360 degrees of rotation combined with 120 degrees of tilt in each direction, for up to 240 degrees of tilt.
Providing an additional axis allows the table to tilt toward the operator to load and unload the part. It also provides rotation and tilt for the robot to perform the welding operation, providing better access to the part as it is being welded.
Watch an ECO-ARC robotic welding cell with a tilt-rotate positioner in action:
Headstock & Tailstock Positioners
The OTC DAIHEN Headstock & Tailstock Positioners turn the part into a range of positions for welding operations while the robot stays in the same position.
The positioner is controlled by a standard robot teaching pendant and can be operated independently or synchronized with a robot(s).
A positioner and robot with Synchro-motion allow both the part positioner and the robot to move in synchronization, enabling the robot to achieve complex weld geometry and create a seamless weld that is more intricate than a standard table would allow.
You May Also Be Interested in: The ROTA-ARC Series Buyer’s Guide. Compare the ROTA-ARC series and find the best option when your application requires part repositioning via headstock/tailstock positioners.
Gain Even More Efficiency with a Slider
Another option to improve production efficiency even more so is adding a slider to your robotic welding system. A slider moves the robot from one station to the next, or for the traversal when the part being welded is of substantial length. These sliders include the Synchro-motion coordinated motion capability of all our positioners and are custom-designed to fit your line and production requirements.
Watch an LT-ARC with an inverted, jib-mounted slider welding robot in action:
In Summary,
In nearly any scenario, a parts positioner is the perfect accessory to set you up for higher efficiency and greater flexibility, Chris points out.
“It’s a flexible solution with almost infinite possibilities,” he says. “It’s not just for what you are welding today, but also for what you are welding into the future. It adds even more automation to boost production even further.”
At OTC DAIHEN, we are your one-stop-shop for innovative welding and robotic solutions. A global leader with operations spanning nearly every continent, we deliver best-in-class quality and reliability for customers of all sizes, spanning diverse industries.
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