10kW Laser Welding for Hydraulic Cylinder Tubes

REQUIREMENTS

Our customer required a laser welding cell to produce sections of telescopic cylinders for various applications. This new machine would be implemented in the context of a new flexible manufacturing system within the customer’s plant.

There were five (5) different part variants with wall thickness of welding joint ranging from 0.25inch to 0.5inch. The machine would be designed to accommodate both automated and manual loading of the components. Laser welding process would be performed by an IPG 10kW fiber laser system mounted to a FANUC R-2000iC/165F robot. Weld quality would be monitored by IPG LDD-700 system integrated to their D50 wobble welding head. Cameras should be strategically placed inside the cell to allow for real-time monitoring while doors are closed.

SOLUTION

A BOS L-R cell was built with a class 1 laser enclosure and double sliding doors on each side to allow part loading on one side while the laser welds on the other side. Each of the doors were interlocked and the safety PLC ensures that the laser is always contained within the laser guarding while it is firing. Manual and fully automated modes were accommodated on the equipment for the customer to switch between human and robotic loading/unloading as needed.

The 10kW fiber laser and the LDD-700 weld monitoring systems from IPG were deployed on the 6-axis FANUC industrial robot. This allows the welding laser and the measurement beam to be fired through the same optics for direct, geometric measurement of weld penetration.

A tailstock that applies force and presses the part for welding was mounted to a linear servo slide allowing the cell to be quickly adjusted for the various part lengths without the need for tooling changeover. Proximity Smart Support™ was installed on the machine for quick, remote support from our team of specialists when needed. It also allows the operation to be monitored through an HD screen installed right outside the cell that displays internal images from 4 different perspectives.

RESULTS

The turnkey L-R robotic laser weld cell achieved its performance, quality, and safety requirements becoming a flexible piece of equipment for our customer due to its ability to produce different part types.

The transition to laser welding resulted in a substantial increase in weld speed as well as eliminating the need for filler wire as required from the previous weld process.

The LDD monitoring system collected data to complete 100% in-line inspection of seam position, keyhole depth and finished weld profile, providing real-time results without destroying the part which translates to both more profitability and sustainability to the customer.

Finally, Proximity Smart Support™ has made it possible for the customer to achieve a low downtime due to the remote, expert support available for them through the system.

Watch the full video for this innovative solution on our website: 10kW Laser Welding for Hydraulic Cylinder Tubes