3000W Collaborative Arc Welding System – Bursa, Turkey

Field Engineering Report: Implementation of 3000W Collaborative Arc Welding System

Project Overview: Bursa Industrial Corridor

This report details the deployment and performance optimization of a 3000W Collaborative Arc Welding System within a heavy fabrication facility in Bursa, Turkey. The facility primarily produces sub-assemblies for the automotive supply chain and regional infrastructure projects, necessitating high-volume production of S355JR grade steel components.

The primary objective was to transition specific high-duty cycle tasks from manual operation to a regime of Automated Welding without the prohibitive footprint and safety caging required by traditional industrial robotics. In the context of Bursa’s competitive manufacturing landscape, the “Collaborative Arc Welding System” was selected to bridge the gap between human dexterity and the consistency of machine-driven output.

Technical Specification and System Integration

The 3000W power source was integrated with a 6-axis collaborative arm, featuring a 1300mm reach and 10kg payload capacity. Unlike standard SCARA or heavy-duty industrial arms, this Collaborative Arc Welding System utilizes high-resolution torque sensors at each joint, allowing for “hand-guide” programming—a critical factor for the localized workforce in Bursa who are transitioning from manual torch handling to system oversight.

Synergy between Collaborative Systems and Automated Welding

The integration of a Collaborative Arc Welding System represents a paradigm shift in how we approach Automated Welding. In traditional automation, the environment is static; if a part is out of tolerance by 2mm, the weld fails. In the Bursa workshop, we leveraged the cobot’s ability to work alongside the operator. The operator performs the fit-up and tacking, while the system executes the heavy-bead Structural Steel welding.

This synergy allows for “On-the-Fly” adjustments. During the field test, we observed that by using the cobot’s lead-through programming, we could recalibrate the tool center point (TCP) for varying weld gaps in under 30 seconds—something impossible with fenced-in automated cells without significant downtime.

Application Focus: Structural Steel Welding

The core of the deployment involved Structural Steel welding on 10mm to 15mm thick gusset plates and I-beam reinforcements. These components are prone to significant thermal expansion and contraction, which typically compromises the integrity of automated paths.

Parameter Optimization for S355JR Steel

The 3000W system was configured for a Spray Transfer mode to ensure deep penetration in the 1G and 2F positions.

• Wire Feed Speed: 10.5 m/min
• Voltage: 28.5V – 31.0V
• Gas Mixture: 82% Ar / 18% CO2 (Standard for Bursa regional suppliers)
• Travel Speed: 450 mm/min

In Structural Steel welding, the Heat Affected Zone (HAZ) must be strictly controlled to prevent embrittlement. The Collaborative Arc Welding System’s ability to maintain a constant travel speed—within ±1%—resulted in a 22% reduction in HAZ width compared to manual samples previously analyzed in the on-site lab.

Practical Field Observations from Bursa

1. Addressing Fit-up Tolerance

One of the harshest lessons learned during the first week in Bursa was the reality of “real-world” tolerances. While the CAD models for the structural frames suggested perfect 90-degree angles, the sheared edges of the plates often varied by 2-3 degrees.

Lesson Learned: Automated Welding cannot succeed on vision alone in a heavy steel environment. We implemented a “Touch-Sensing” protocol where the welding wire itself acts as a probe to find the plate surface before the arc initiates. This allowed the Collaborative Arc Welding System to shift its coordinate system to match the actual position of the steel, rather than the theoretical one.

2. Operator Resistance and Upskilling

Initially, the veteran welders in the Bursa shop viewed the Collaborative Arc Welding System as a threat. However, by positioning the tech as a “Power Tool” rather than a replacement, we saw a shift in morale. The welder no longer spends 8 hours under a hood inhaling fumes; they now act as a “Cell Lead,” managing the parameters of the Automated Welding process.

3. Thermal Management in Multi-Pass Welds

For the 15mm structural joints, a single pass was insufficient. We programmed a three-pass sequence (Root, Fill, Cap). The challenge was the interpass temperature. In the Bursa facility, ambient temperatures can fluctuate significantly between morning and afternoon.

Technical Fix: We integrated an infrared pyrometer into the system’s logic gate. The Collaborative Arc Welding System was programmed to pause the Automated Welding cycle until the interpass temperature dropped below 250°C, ensuring the grain structure of the Structural Steel welding remained within ASTM specifications.

Performance Metrics: Manual vs. Collaborative Automation

After 30 days of continuous operation, the data yields the following comparisons:

Throughput

Manual welding of a standard structural bracket took an average of 14 minutes (including positioning and slag removal). The Collaborative Arc Welding System completed the same cycle in 6 minutes. The consistency of Automated Welding removed the “afternoon fatigue” dip in productivity.

Consumable Efficiency

By optimizing the wire feed speed and reducing over-welding (a common habit in manual Structural Steel welding where operators add extra “meat” to a weld for safety), we recorded a 15% reduction in wire consumption. Gas shielding was also more efficient due to the precise torch angle maintained by the robot, reducing turbulence in the gas plume.

Lessons Learned and Future Recommendations

The Bursa deployment confirms that the success of a Collaborative Arc Welding System is 30% hardware and 70% process integration.

Key Takeaways:

1. Wire Quality Matters

In Automated Welding, wire cast and helix issues that a manual welder would unconsciously compensate for will cause bird-nesting or arc instability in a cobot. Moving to high-quality, matte-finished wire significantly reduced downtime.

2. Spatter Control

Even with a 3000W power source providing a stable arc, spatter is inevitable in Structural Steel welding. We learned that an automated torch reamer station is non-negotiable. Initially, we manually cleaned the nozzle, but this negated the “collaborative” time gains. Integrating an automated reaming cycle every 10 welds stabilized arc starts.

3. Software Logic over Brute Force

The “collaborative” nature of the system means the arm is less rigid than a 2-ton industrial robot. To compensate for this during high-speed movements, we had to adjust the acceleration/deceleration ramps in the Automated Welding software to prevent “oscillation” at the end of a weld bead.

Conclusion

The deployment in Bursa demonstrates that for medium-to-heavy Structural Steel welding, the Collaborative Arc Welding System is the most viable path to Automated Welding for mid-sized enterprises. It provides the precision of high-end automation with the flexibility required by the variable conditions of a working steel shop. The 3000W system delivered higher penetration, lower rework rates, and a safer environment for the workforce.

Future phases will involve integrating the system with a rotary positioner to allow for full 4-axis Automated Welding, further expanding the complexity of the structural components produced in the Bursa facility.

Signed,
Senior Welding Engineer, Field Operations