3 Sources of Robotic Structural Steel Welding Defects

Hello, my name is Malcolm and this is my new blog. My friends thought that I was insane when I told them I was going to start a manufacturing blog. However, I'm not insane. I am just massively inspired by a trip I made to my father-in-law's factory. I married into an industrial and manufacturing family who run a number of different plants across the country. When I was brought into the family fold I decided to find out about the industry. It was a fascinating experience and I am really pleased to have had it. I hope you like my blog.

3 Sources of Robotic Structural Steel Welding Defects

29 August 2017
 Categories: Industrial & Manufacturing, Blog


People who would like to hire fabrication shops to handle a structural steel fabrication contract need to find out how those fabrication shops minimise welding errors when they are using robotic welding systems. Such research will enable them to identify fabricators who will be least likely to deliver defective products. This article discusses some of the errors that you should ask fabricators about before assigning them structural steel contracts.

Weld Spatter Robotic welding sensors may send incorrect data to the control system in case those sensors are exposed to a lot of weld spatter. That spatter will destroy the mounts of the sensors to the extent that the sensor will be unable to move relative to the movement of a piece of structural steel. Experienced fabrication shops avoid this problem in one of several ways. For instance, they may select sensors whose material cannot be easily damaged by spatter. An example of such a material is stainless steel. Other fabrication shops may opt to place the sensors far from the area where weld spatter is likely to affect them. Hire a fabrication shop whose operators or sales team explain weld-spatter damage control effectively.

Electrical Noise The input or output data of the sensors that are aiding a robotic welding process can be affected in case the electrical signals from other machines on the shop floor interfere with the signals transmitted or received by the sensors. Such interference can cause the welding arm to exceed the set parameters for a particular job. Sensors can be protected from such noise by housing them inside mounting systems that aren't conductive. Protective cables can also be placed in close proximity to the cables connecting the sensor to the system controller. Such protective cables will shield the sensors from the surrounding electrical noise.

Impact Damage Robotic welding can also produce errors in case the sensors facilitating the welding process are damaged due to contact with structural steel members during the welding process. Such defects can be avoided by installing sturdy shields to protect the sensors from contact damage. Sensors can also be located away from the path of moving structural steel parts. As you can see, it isn't enough for you to give your specifications to a structural steel fabricator who has promised to deliver the finished parts within a stipulated deadline. Discussing the specific techniques that are used to avoid defects during robotic welding can help you to identify the fabricators who are more likely to deliver the right quality of products within the desired timeframe.

About Me
Malcolm's Manufacturing Blog

Hello, my name is Malcolm and this is my new blog. My friends thought that I was insane when I told them I was going to start a manufacturing blog. However, I'm not insane. I am just massively inspired by a trip I made to my father-in-law's factory. I married into an industrial and manufacturing family who run a number of different plants across the country. When I was brought into the family fold I decided to find out about the industry. It was a fascinating experience and I am really pleased to have had it. I hope you like my blog.

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