Welding robots mainly consist of two parts: the robot itself and the control cabinet (hardware and software). Welding equipment, such as arc welding and spot welding, is composed of welding power sources (including their control systems), wire feeders (for arc welding), welding clamps, and so on. For intelligent robots, a sensor system should also be included, such as laser or camera sensors and their control devices.
If the workpiece does not require any positioning changes throughout the welding process, it can be secured on the workbench using fixtures, making the system as simple as it gets. However, in actual production, more workpieces need to be repositioned during welding to ensure the weld seams are in the best possible position (orientation). In such cases, the manipulator and the robot can move independently, meaning the manipulator repositions first and then the robot welds; or they can move simultaneously, with the manipulator repositioning while the robot welds, which is commonly referred to as coordinated movement between the manipulator and the robot. At this point, the combined movement of the manipulator and the robot ensures the weldClampIn relation to the workpiece movement, it can both meet the welding path and the welding speed requirements.ClampAxis requirements. In fact, at this point, the axis of the transposer has become part of the robot. This welding robot system can have up to 7-20 axes, or more.
The control cabinet for robots can coordinate the movement of 12 axes for two robots working together. One is a welding robot, and the other is a handling robot used as a positioner.