7 January 2025
Clamping and welding of components up to twelve metres in length and more. What was previously only possible with industrial robot solutions is now handled by the new COBOT WeldSpace 4.0® LINEAR from DEMMELER with reliable repeatability and lasting precision. The result is precise weld seams and increased productivity during welding.
DEMMELER, known for decades in welding technology as the inventor of the 3D welding table, has already made a name for itself in the field of automated welding solutions with its innovative in-house development of the COBOT WeldSpace 4.0® series. The latest model, LINEAR, is now aimed at anyone who needs to process long components, from the smallest craft businesses to large-scale industry. ‘The COBOT WeldSpace 4.0® LINEAR can process enormous component sizes of up to twelve metres, which was previously only possible in applications with industrial robots. We are therefore offering a solution that is unique on the market,’ says Volker Schmid, Head of Sales and Marketing at DEMMELER, with conviction. In order to cover the entire working area, the welding cobot moves on an eight-metre-long linear drive axis. In addition to the robot, the welding power source, wire feed, welding fume extraction and torch cleaning station also move with it. The integrated DEMMELER 3D welding table from the D28 system has a size of 8400 x 1395 mm in the LINEAR Version 80/15. The entire range of DEMMELER 3D clamping systems can be used for precise clamping of workpieces, and a clamping device can be set up for almost any workpiece in record time. At the same time, safety is a top priority at DEMMELER. Welding shields protect the operator from the arc and flashes of light. Laser scanners are used to provide additional safety in the work area. If an operator comes too close to the welding cobot during operation, it stops until the employee is out of the danger zone. Similar to industrial robots, this allows maximum movement speeds to be achieved while ensuring safety at all times.
Easy operation and flexible programming:
The COBOT WeldSpace 4.0® LINEAR for efficient welding
The welding cell impresses with its ease of use: ‘We have been successfully marketing COBOT solutions with our own user interface for three years now. And with the COBOT WeldSpace 4.0® LINEAR, we now offer this advantage for large component sizes as well,’ says Volker Schmid. The WeldSoft 1.0 software was developed in-house by DEMMELER welding experts and is perfectly tailored to the respective robot and welding process. The multifunctional handle serves as the interface between the robot and the operator. During the so-called ‘teaching’ process, the torch on the robot arm is manually moved to the corresponding waypoints that describe the weld seam. The start and end points as well as intermediate waypoints are saved at the touch of a button on the handle. Regardless of whether you are an experienced programmer or a beginner, professional welding programmes can be created in just a few minutes. For the welding parameters, more than 100 predefined and optimised welding jobs from DEMMELER are available from a protected job library, tailored to the material, power source and welding process. These jobs are assigned to the welding programmes by simply selecting them. The operator can also programme both linear and circular weld seams as pendulum seams. The seam length and seam spacing can also be defined individually. The welding process can now be simulated before the actual welding takes place. The robot arm travels along the programmed weld seam and the operator can correct the path as necessary. Numerous features are available as options for industrial welding, such as the arc sensor for compensating for bending and part tolerances in arc welding, automatic TCP compensation by approaching the reference tip, and the tactile sensor for automatically measuring and compensating for positional shifts of the workpiece.
The software was developed by DEMMELER welding experts and perfectly tailored to the respective welding process. The multifunctional handle serves as an interface between the robot and the operator.
The arc sensor detects tolerances in the component during welding and automatically compensates for them.
Two workstations for highly efficient work in shuttle mode
In addition to its intuitive programming and operating concept, the COBOT WeldSpace 4.0® LINEAR from DEMMELER impresses with its unique design. The system is fully accessible: the welder's protective wall at the front can be folded away completely. The system is open at the top and can be loaded by crane or forklift truck. The division of the workspace into Space A and B by means of a partition wall creates an additional workstation and enables highly efficient working in two-station operation. Protected by the partition, the operator can set up workpieces or retool for new welding tasks on one side while the robot welds on the other. Welding with collaborative robots thus relieves valuable skilled workers of tedious routine and repetitive tasks. After all, welding is a very strenuous activity that requires a high level of concentration. The physical strain on employees is also reduced: the integrated single-axis manipulator with counter bearing positions workpieces weighing up to 2,000 kg in the optimum welding position, eliminating the time-consuming task of repositioning workpieces. "The manipulator's rotary axis is fully integrated into the robot control system. The manipulator and robot axes move simultaneously, ensuring greater efficiency and speed during welding," explains Volker Schmid. The result is perfect weld seams of consistent and reproducible quality.
