Extended Robotic Welding Range, Speed, Accuracy

ABB Robotics North America (Auburn Hills, MI) has introduced the IRBT 2005, a flexible, compact and modular medium track motion platform for both robots and transfer applications. It is designed to accommodate rapid product changes in applications that require an extended working range and high degrees of speed and accuracy, including arc welding, material handling and machine tending. The IRBT 2005 is available with up to two carriages as a robot track, with additional carriage plates available to carry any necessary process equipment, and up to three carriages as a transfer track. The modular design is comprised of one-meter lengths that can be connected to form a track between two meters and 21 meters, allowing it to easily be adapted to different applications and evolve with changing production needs.

An ABB IRC5 controller runs the robots and the IRBT 2005 together as one dynamic model, with proprietary QuickMove™ and TrueMove™ functionalities providing fast acceleration and precise path accuracy in any given track configuration. This is the only track motion platform on the market to guarantee high speed and precision accuracy, providing greater flexibility and up to 50 percent shorter cycle times. “The IRBT 2005 is designed specifically for our medium family of robots, with features that allow it to be customized for a wide range of applications. For arc welding, there are standard options for the welding wire and power source to be easily mounted on dedicated carriage plates, and protective coverings for welding cables and other dressing components,” explained John Bubnikovich, the vice president of sales and marketing at ABB Robotics North America. “And the track’s mechanicals have been completely integrated to ensure their protection and keep maintenance to a minimum.”

Adaptable to various environments, the IRBT 2005 is available in two variants, standard with covers on the rails and rack only and fully covered. It is designed to accommodate the following ABB medium robot families: IRB 1520, IRB 1600, IRB 2600 and IRB 4600. The system can also be combined with other accessories, such as part positioners. With a maximum payload of 1200 kg (2,640 lb), the IRBT 2005 transfer version is ideal for applications such as indexing different fixtures into an automation cell, and transferring materials, like car bodies between different working stations.

ABB has added an Integrated Dress pack (ID) model to its IRB 2600 range of mid-sized robots, introducing the 2 m reach, 8 kg payload IRB 2600ID that is especially designed for arc welding. It features a flexible conduit in its upper arm/wrist for routing the cables and hoses, fully integrating the process equipment with the robot. The integrated design provides a number of benefits, including 15 percent shorter cycle times, lower operational costs and easier programming, along with superior speed, flexible mounting options, an increased work envelope and unmatched path repeatability.

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With the internally-routed dress pack the movement of the hoses and cables is completely predictable, allowing the IRB 2600ID to operate at maximum speeds and simplifying off-line programming. Without needing to account for swinging cables when simulating robot systems, the time required for fine-tuning programs is minimized by up to 90 percent, enabling faster transitions from weld to weld. The ID design also reduces the exposure of cables and hoses to weld splatter and other sources of overall wear, reducing replacement costs by 75 percent and saving up to three production stops per year. With completely predictable motion, the IRB 2600ID is able to work in narrow spaces and around parts of a complex geometry on which the dressing could otherwise catch.

“The current trend in industrial robotic design is for process equipment to be fully integrated with the robot,” said Joe Campbell, the vice president of the ABB Robot Products Group in the U.S. “This first model responds to the need our arc welding end-users have for a low maintenance, high performance robot that is easy to program and is incredibly nimble.” With its compact design, and without loose hoses and cables, the IRB 2600ID has a very small footprint with a swing base radius of only 337 mm and a base width of only 511 mm. For arc welding, the reduced risk of interference with other robots allows for productive, high-density installations, with 50 percent more robots and up to 50 percent higher output from a production cell.  With the slimmer arm and smaller footprint, the IRB 2600ID can enter very narrow spaces and easily take on challenges such as circular welds without compromising on quality or speed. Complete weld packages tailored for the IRB 2600ID are available from several major arc welding process equipment suppliers. The new robot is available with the well-proven IRC5 Robot Controller and is fully supported by the company’s global sales and service organization in 53 countries.

ABB Robotics – North America, 1250 Brown Road, Auburn Hills, MI 48326-1507, 248-391-9000, www.abb.com/robotics.