Trumpf unveils its TruLaser Robot 5020 welding cell. This unit features numerous innovations that will not only make getting into laser welding considerably easier. They will also increase productivity significantly for customers who manufacture in large quantities. Almost anyone making the conversion from conventional welding to laser welding will find the chucking and clamping unit to be a challenge. In the past it had to be made up separately for each part. This involves considerable effort when fabricating prototypes. Trumpf provides relief here. The modular chucking system, available for the first time at the Euroblech, is a flexible solution for clamping components of differing sizes and shapes – from simple sheet metal parts to bended profiles – with a single jig in preparation for laser welding. The clamp is quickly matched to the workpiece and the laser welding process can start right away. Here it makes no difference whether you’re doing conduction welding or deep penetration welding, long seams or corner connections.
Once the part has been selected and the clamping unit set up, a highly productive manufacturing process is needed. Even the standard model for the TruLaser Robot 5020, fitted with a hand-operated turntable, will enable high productivity. The new model, featuring an automatic rotation changer with turning axes, boosts productivity even further and permits high-speed, round-the-clock operation to turn out larger piece counts. The robot in the TruLaser Robot welds the part once it has been clamped. The motions for the turning axes are matched exactly to the robot’s moves. This guarantees maximum productivity during machining. While the joining process is taking place inside the cell the operator can set up the next part on the outward-facing side of the highly accessible changer. This reduces downtimes to a minimum. Whenever the operator is setting up new parts, he is protected by an extensive system of photoelectric beams. Only when the footstep sensor inside the rotator’s turning radius recognizes that the area is completely free will that rotator turn at a rate of up to 90° per second. Depending on the size of the part, several components can be welded simultaneously, in a single process step. The load-bearing capacity of the changer is 750 kilograms per side. The predefined interfaces at the turning axes make possible custom solutions for part holders at the rotation changer.

More information at http://www.trumpf.com