The team at Robot Technologies Australia (RTA) pride themselves on their ability to innovate. To take technology further. Create world firsts! In fact, we recently talked to RTA’s Sales and Marketing Manager Trinton Smith about just how vast their experience and specialist knowledge goes.

A few months ago we presented a story on RTA’s ‘Robot on Robot’ application, as Smith explained at the time; the project was “an extremely flexible, fully automated, turn key Mig welding facility into the current manufacturing process. It is a prime example of our technological capability.”

Due to the nature of the application, we couldn’t share with you all the poignant details at the time. However, we are pleased to say that we can now tell you a little more about the project and, in particular, about the client. Conceptualised for the Bendigo based Thales in 2007, the RTA robot on robot welding system was deemed such as success as it gave incredible flexibility to the welding and manufacture of the client’s enormous military equipment, known as the Bushmaster troop carriers.

As Smith recalls, “Back in 2004 I visited KRI in the USA and saw the robot on robot option which was developed for Caterpillar to achieve the reach. So when we started working with Thales, we decided to broaden the idea and therefore pioneering the end result.”

We asked Mr Smith to explain some of the finer details to the project, “The system at Thales incorporates a ZX 300 robot with a FA 06E robot mounted on the end of the ZX 300 which is duplicated on both sides of the hull. The ZX 300 robots are then mounted on 7th axis traverse track as well with the wire pail packs on the track bases with the weld power source.”

According to Smith, his team wanted to then make things more complex and decided on an integrated and mounted Servo robot 3D laser camera system on the end of the FA-06E robot, “Basically the weld torch, which pre scans the weld area before welding would data shift the X, Y, Z position for the robot to weld. The robot can either pre scan or use RTPM.”

The team elected to have the hull mounted on a trunion style rotator, driven by an electric motor. This was also fitted with an encoder positioner, to ensure the hull was in a known position before scanning and welding. According to Smith, “there are approximately 16 rotational positions which the robot welds in and both robots weld internal and external on the hull.”

When it came to the nature of the material being welded, this was an area of paramount consideration. As it needed to be preheated, RTA elected to secure another two FS-06E robots mounted on traverse tracks and equipped each of them with a self-ignite pre heat torch.

“The hull would then be pre heated to a certain temperature and we also had a sensor that would detect the temperature of the material. Only once it was at the desired setting would welding commence.” says Smith, adding “If the temperature was not right the pre heat robots would do another pre heat pass.”

We ask Smith to detail the host of the other characteristics of the project, “All robots communicate via Ethernet and once the ZX robot has positioned the FA robot in the correct position the ZX robot sends the X, Y, Z position in space via Ethernet to the smaller FA robot.”

“There is in excess of 200 meters of internal and external welding done on each individual hull, and some welds are multi pass. The system has two types of Mig wire standard carbon and stainless metal core and we have two different types of gases which is also auto changed. The wire draw length is 9 meters with Push/Pull and wire assist out of the pail packs. The robots are D plus controllers as well.”

To find out more about RTA, speak to an innovation expert today on 03 9330 3511, or check out the RTA website www.robots.com.au.