Arc Welding Robot Suitable for High-Density Environments

The MA1440 arc welding robot from Yaskawa Motoman Robotics features a high-speed, through-arm design intended to reduce interference and collisions. It offers a 6-kg payload for welding applications supports motorized torches and sensors, and is also available with a 12-kg payload capacity (MH12) for material-handling applications. The six-axis robot is designed for use in high-density work cells with multiple robots in close proximity.

According to Yaskawa Motoman, the robot’s hollow upper arm maintains optimum bend radius of the welding torch cable, maximizing weld performance. The T axis can rotate the torch ±210 degrees without cable interference. The contoured arm is said to improve torch access while avoiding collisions with jigs and large parts, while its slim design enables easy access to workpieces in tight areas and avoids potential interference with fixtures, the company says. The arc welding robot offers a 50-mm through-hole for process utilities including torch cabling, sensor wires and water cooling, said to eliminate cable interference, simplify programming and reduce cable wear. A symmetric wrist profile provides equal torch access to both sides of a workpiece. Minimal U-axis cable protrusion avoids interference with peripheral equipment.

The floor-mounted robot provides a 1,440-mm horizontal reach and 2,511-mm vertical reach. Repeatability is ±0.08 mm, the company says. The unit is equipped with the company’s DX200 controller. Options include extended-length manipulator cables, robot risers and base plats, fieldbus cards, vision systems, seam tracking and seam-finding packages, and a variety of weld packages.