Robotic Teaching Technology Eases High-Mix, Low-Volume Welding

Robotiq, in partnership with Yaskawa Motoman, offers Kinetiq Teaching technology to enable operators to quickly and easily task welding robots without in-depth programming knowledge. According to the companies, the technology simplifies robot teaching and reduces setup times, enabling users with minimal training to program robots. The system is intended for use by small and medium manufacturers performing high-mix and low-volume welding.

With Kinetiq Teaching, the welder moves the robotic welding tip next to a workpiece by hand-guiding the robot. Once the welding point is reached, the welder determines the welding parameters through a color touchscreen interface. After all the points are recorded, the welder can playback the programmed trajectory and modify it. According to the companies, the system enables experienced welders to set welding jobs and oversee the productivity of more than one robotic welder at a time, or train less-skilled operators to program the welding robot.