The Benefits of Automated Welding in Three Dimensions

For most automated welders, the welding heads can only move along a flat plane. You can program X and Y coordinates into the welder, but all too often, there are vertical welds that need to be completed as well.

For the vast majority of automated welders, a vertical weld requires that either:

1. The weld is handled manually, slowing the welding process down which drives up production time and cost and reduces quality and negating the advantages of automation.
   OR
2. The piece being welded is removed and re-positioned manually so that the “vertical” weld can be done. This reduces the chance of a quality part since when removing the part from the work holding fixture, it is time consuming and likely to cause accretive tolerance issues.

Neither of the above solutions are truly optimal. Both require manual labor to work around the limitations of the automated welder, and carry with them all of the risks associated with doing the weld work manually.

This is why an automated welder with three-dimensional weld capabilities is the best way to ensure the best weld quality in metal forms. Thankfully, with the arrival of the IDEAL welder, Marlin Steel now has a welding machine with the ability to handle welds on the X, Y, and Z axes.

Benefits of 3D Welding

Because the IDEAL welder can move in three dimensions, it can perform all of the welding actions that are required to complete large parts (10’ feet x 4’!). This ensures a consistent quality of welds from the first part that goes into the machine to the last.

Unlike people who get fatigued after performing repetitive tasks for hours on end, an automated welder will never miss an intersection. Not only that, but automated welders can complete weld operations much faster than a human can, reducing the chances that blisters and other heat stress deformities will occur.

Also, because the machine can move the welding head vertically as well as left and right, there is no need for a human operator to move the piece being welded, which means there is no downtime as the part is manually adjusted so that the welder can reach a specific intersection. Less downtime equals more welds being completed, which means more parts being finished per hour than what would be possible if the machine required manual assistance to reach certain intersections of the parts being welded (and far more than doing it by hand would).

For many parts that require a high level of precision in the final dimensions of the product, the IDEAL welder is perfect for performing welds. Not only does an automated welder never miss an intersection that it’s been programmed to weld, but with the minimal deformity of the welds made by this machine, large-scale welding of parts for a product line can be made almost effortless. Every weld done by the IDEAL welder will be consistent, from the first weld to the 10,000th weld, so delicate parts with specific shape requirements can be mass-produced using one of these machines.

Bringing an IDEAL Level of Safety

One of the biggest benefits of a 3D welding capable machine is that it provides a greater level of safety than a standard machine that needs manual adjustment and assistance in completing complex welds.

With a machine that only welds along a flat plane, human operators have to step in and help the machine by hand flattening the part. Sometimes they warp the part too much one way or the other and certainly stress all the welds almost breaking them.

With a 3D-capable welder, the operator can safely stay away from the part being processed, and minimize his or her exposure to welder-related work injuries.

In short, the three-dimensional weld capabilities of the IDEAL welder makes weld jobs quicker, more consistent, and safer than ever before. To learn more about our new automated welder and how it affects the manufacture of your wire forms, contact Marlin Steel today!