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Rise in Robotics APRIL 2016 RISE IN ROBOTICS ROBOTIC WELDING GAINS EVEN MORE TRACTION IN 2016 Laser Welding | GTAW | Plasma Cutting “Hands down, Select 78 Arcos Delivers Solutions is the best wire I’ve to High Nickel Alloy used in 25 years.” Welding Challenges. Marc Young Advantage Steel and Construction Ironworkers Local 3 Select-Arc, Inc. has introduced produces an excellent bead shape Now discover for yourself why Select 78, a new T-8 product that with easily removed slag. Select 78 sets the new standard in has shook up the self-shielded T-8 welding electrode technology. Select 78 is expertly designed for use electrode market. Select 78 (E71T- in critical applications such as ship Call us today at 1-800-341-5215 8-H8) provides superior arc Arcos Industries, LLC offers over 30 high nickel alloy electrode products to handle the wide and barge construction, structural or visit our website at stability and low spatter emission variety of critical welding applications that you face each day. Our reputation for excellent steel erection and bridge fabrication. www.select-arc.com. enabling high deposition rates quality and superb service ensures that you can rely on Arcos to provide you with the best in whether in-position or out-of- Better yet, as Marc Young attested, bare wire, covered and tubular high nickel alloy welding electrodes. position. In contrast to other “Being an ironworker means putting T-8 wires, Select 78 has a broad in long hours and laborious days operating window that allows under any known conditions to build both experienced and apprentice North America. Select 78 allows you Discover for yourself how Arcos high nickel alloy electrodes welders to utilize it with ease. It to put in an honest day’s work instead can help you solve your critical welding problems. Call us today offers exceptional weldability and of a hard day’s work.” at 800-233-8460 or visit our website at www.arcos.us. 2389 Select 78 Ad_WP_F.indd 1 11/28/15 9:52 PM Arcos_NickelAlloy_WP__F.indd 1 1/11/16 7:55 PM Editor’s Letter Welding Productivity is a registered trademark of Techgen Media Group. We publish monthly. All rights reserved under the U.S., THE ROBOTS GO International and Pan-American Copywrite Conventions. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system MARCHING ON or transmitted in any form or by any means such as mechanical, photocopying, electronic recording or otherwise, without the Abbe Miller he robot revolution is no longer prior written permission of Techgen Media Group. Contact us at just the stuff of science fiction. Sure, Editor-in-Chief [email protected] 732.995.6072 for permission. Produced in the U.S. T a robot gone bad still makes for a great Hollywood blockbuster, but in the real world, robots are hardly something In this month’s issue of Welding to fear. In fact, more and more fabricators Productivity, robots play the leading role in SUBSCRIBE FORWARD and manufacturers are embracing these several articles, exemplifying the growth automated helpers every day. of robotics in the industry. They show just how versatile robotic equipment can be on EDITORIAL SALES According to the Robotic Industries today’s fabricating floor. Alan Berg, Abbe Miller, Vice President/Sales Association, 31,464 robots were ordered Vice President/Group Editorial Director p: 732.995.6072 from North American companies in p: 847.749.6956 This versatility is seen through advanced e: [email protected] e: [email protected] 2015, an increase of 14 percent from interfaces, faster cycle times, collaborative the previous year. Although automotive technology and offline tools to support Susan Woods, Neil Kelly, Managing Editor applications – like the one on our cover National Sales Manager them, and those trends can be found on p: 847.973.2271 p: 610.584.5560 – were responsible for a large portion of page 11. For readers who haven’t taken the e: [email protected] e: [email protected] that growth, semiconductor and electronic robotic plunge, there’s also an article on Jimmy Myers, manufacturers, among others, were also page 17 that lays out the considerations Senior Editor WELDING PRODUCTIVITY P.O. Box 516 ramping up their adoption of robotics. to keep in mind when investing in p: 503.964.7519 e: [email protected] Plainsboro, N.J. 08536 the technology. Part of the surge outlined by the RIA could Molly McCormack Moody, Editorial Assistant EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD be due to the fact that robotic technologies The RIA estimates that 260,000 robots are p: 262.501.6897 Larry Cherne, Information Technology have become increasingly accessible in use in North American factories, third e: [email protected] Executive, Praxair thanks to lower costs, smaller footprints Chris Vihnanek, Director of U.S. Metal only to Japan and China. If your company Justin Stivers, Fabrication, Praxair and a wider range in capabilities. Another will be adding to those numbers today Director of e-Media e: [email protected] part of that surge is, simply put, because or in the upcoming months, we’d PRODUCTION of U.S. manufacturers’ need to remain love to share your story. Email me at Kylie Grossi, Angle180 Inc. Office Manager/Accounting p: 847.439.6226 competitive – stateside and globally. [email protected]. e: [email protected] e: [email protected] APRIL 2016 3 Features Robotic Welding 11 Robotic welding trends ABB builds on the needs of metal fabricators ROBOTIC WELDING 11 in response to new innovations in welding technology TRENDS Systems and Equipment First milestones First-time buyers have a lot to consider when 17 investing in a robotic automation system Plasma Cutting The river’s edge Gunderson Marine, one of the largest Departments 23 shipyards in America’s northwest, automates its cutting operations Editor’s Letter GTAW News & People Aluminum know-how New Products Some common mistakes to avoid when 28 welding aluminum Key Industry – White Goods White goods outlook 2016 Robotic welding could be trending upward in 32 white goods manufacturing as a way to feed the demand for new appliances 28 Laser Welding The big weld ALUMINUM With steel sheets weighing 20 tons and 36 up to 200 mm thick, Fronius and Trumpf combine forces for a massive hybrid-laser- KNOW-HOW welding project APRIL 2016 4 YLS Next Generation Laser Ad REV 4A.ai 1 4/1/2015 11:57:08 AM NEWS & PEOPLE AWS FUNDS TRAINING SCHOLARSHIPS Individuals looking to pursue welding careers can receive financial assistance through the American Welding Society’s Welder Training Scholarship program. The AWS scholarships will provide $10,000 to each of its 22 districts annually. Ten scholarships of $1,000 can be awarded to ten different recipients seeking welder training at a trade school, community college, training facility or other facility providing welder training programs. Awards are for tuition and fees only and will be paid directly to the academic institution by the AWS Foundation. C M Y CM BUG-O SYSTEMS ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT MY CY CMY Bug-O Systems announced that Herbert Cable Sr. elected to retire recently. K Chip Cable was appointed CEO and Matt Cable was appointed president. CLARCOR ACQUIRES ASSETS OF TDC FILTER Clarcor Inc. announced that a subsidiary of its Clarcor industrial air division acquired the operational and intangible assets of TDC Filter Manufacturing Inc., a U.S. manufacturer and supplier of pleated filter bags, dust collection cartridges and gas turbine air filters. Under the terms of the transaction, Clarcor industrial air will assume open purchase orders from TDC and move TDC’s operational assets into its industrial air facilities, but will not acquire any real property or assume any employee-related liabilities. APRIL 2016 5 LINCOLN ELECTRIC PRESENTS TRAINING SCHEDULE AND FREE WEBINARS NEWS & PEOPLE Through its welding school and technical training department, The Lincoln Electric Co. is offering a selection of educational programming at its Cleveland headquarters throughout 2016. Welders and welding educators HOBART INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES NEW COURSE can take advantage of multi-day seminars to learn everything from welding basics or specific alloy considerations to advanced technologies and new The Hobart Institute of Welding Technology added an advanced blueprint- teaching tools for welding educators. A list of classes and seminars offered reading course to the combination structural and pipe welding program and is available on the company’s website. Lincoln Electric is also offering free structural welding program. The course is also open to industry professionals webinars for welding educators interested in learning more about its U/LINC looking to expand their blueprint knowledge. The course enhances the program, a comprehensive multi-year, multi-process welding and cutting students’ knowledge and abilities upon entering the welding industry. Upon curriculum package that includes more than 1,000 lesson plans, videos, student completion, students should have applicable knowledge of design procedure, handouts, assessments and presentations. Each webinar will review the scope blueprint interpretation and shop drawings; use of measuring tools in layout of the curriculum, explain how U/LINC works and present sample materials. and assembly; a basic understanding of codes, specifications and standards; U/LINC covers welding and cutting processes, pipe, robotic automation and and also to be aware of the responsibility of a welder in quality control. CNC plasma cutting. Upcoming dates are April 13, April 20, May 11 and May 26. BUNTING MAGNETICS NAMES GENERAL MANAGER Bunting Magnetics Co. appointed Robert Bunting general manager of its magnet materials division. Bunting started working at the company’s headquarters during high school. After college, he became a member of the division’s inside sales team and later an outside sales representative for the company’s standard product group.
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