Industry’s response to automation is lukewarm

Q. What’s your area of Specialization in Automation?

ADOR Welding Limited offers standard and customized Automation solutions for different types of Industries, like Ship building, Power Process, Automotive, Heavy Fabrication, Infrastructure and road building, structural work, pipe and pipe mills, wind turbine manufacturing, conveyor roller manufacturing etc.

The wide ranges of ADOR Products include:

1. Standard welding automation products:
   • Column & boom
   • Welding positioners
   • Welding rotator
   • Trolley for linear GMAW welding (MIG AUTOMATION)
   • Trolley for circular shell welding (MIG)
   • Fume extractor
2. Application wise customised products:
   • Square axle welding SPM
   • Robotic welding
   • H beam welding SPM
   • Idler roller welding
   • Cylinder welding SPM
   • Weld Seamer
3. Multi-level automated welding lines:
   • H beam fabrication system comprising of CNC cutting machine for 3.5 – 15 mtr profile cutting (1+8 oxy fuel); H beam assembly machine; Flange & web Assembly and Tack welding with MIG process; H beam full joints welding with SAW process; Beam conveying, turning & tilting arrangement through Beam rotation & transfer; Beam straightening machine for straightening of the flange with respect to the web
   • Twin head welding gantry comprising of welding gantry for idler roller welding; Vision system to observe the process and provide correction feedback; 5 Ton capacity Rotator for job rotation

Q. What are the latest trends in automation in your domain?

The latest trends in Welding Automation  are developments in HNG SAW, HNG MIG, Tandem MIG / SAW, Friction Stir, Electron Beam, Saddle Welding Automation, Robotics, Laser spot welding, Hot wire TIG, Orbital systems,  Automation with hybrid welding systems like Plasma – MIG, Laser – MIG and major advances in the cutting processes (Precision Plasma, Laser Cutting, Water-jet cutting etc.). ADOR Welding is actively involved in absorbing the advanced technologies and processes through state-of-the-art in-house R & D set up, technical collaborations, mergers and acquisitions etc.

Q. What are the benefits of automation to the end-user?

• Consistency in weld result – Error Proofing: A welding supervisor can limit the amount of changes an operator can make during a program, preventing him from accessing the override screen through the use of a key switch or password.
• Multiple parameters for multiple weld-run:  In addition to the ability to adjust parameters between weld passes, operators of microprocessor-based welding machines can also program changes to weld parameters during each pass, which offers distinct advantages for certain applications.
• Store parameter for sharing on other machines with same applications: A microprocessor-based power source can store programmed welding procedures on data cards. This allows the operator to easily transfer programs developed on one machine to other machines being used either in the same facility doing the same type of work.
• Quality control: Microprocessor-based machines can immediately alert the operator if weld parameters fall outside pre-selected limits. Parameters can be directly to a quality-control computer program for storage or statistical analysis. This eliminates time-consuming radiography in many applications.
• Date storage and records: It is now very easy to display a set of welding parameters and operator or supervisor can observe the welding procedure. Moreover, the data can be printed in the form of reports, which can be presented to the customer as quality assurance procedure.
• Quicker Weld-Fault diagnostics – lower repair time: The system can be stopped if the measured values cross a certain preset variation limit. It is possible to stop the machine in out-of-tolerance conditions. This enables the operator to perform timely functions and take necessary steps to prevent the deposit of faulty welds.

Q. How does the user industry react?  Is there inertia in switching to automation for reasons other than the investment involved?

The response from Indian Industries – especially the medium and small scale ones towards Automation is still lukewarm, due to the availability of skilled welders at low wages. But the rising labour costs are driving these industries towards nominal, low-scale partial automation. It is this area where ADOR has a major advantage over many others, having an elaborate team of designers, welding process specialists, application engineers, and their own advanced welding power sources to complete the whole package of jigs, fixtures, handling arrangements, weld torch manipulators and welding power sources, backed up with the abundant range of high quality and productivity welding consumables to suit any process, productivity norms and most stringent quality demands. ADOR is capable of offering low cost automation, specifically customized for the end-user requirements, which not only calls for minimal investment in terms of capital purchase, but extremely high ROI in terms of enhanced productivity, quality and minimizing rejections.

Q. Are we in step with the world by using contemporary technologies?

In fact, to achieve the perfect qualities and higher levels of productivities, most manufacturing processes involving metal joining and cutting are moving towards Automation, partial or complete process lines. Complete Robotic Work cells (unmanned) with intelligent handling, vision control and anti-collision systems have been developed both for automobile as well as other heavier fabrication industries like shipbuilding, heavy structural fabrication etc.

In addition to enhanced performance characteristics, the ability for direct digital control has also markedly expanded the automation possibilities of difficult welding processes. This direct control allows these supplies to become an integral part of the complete system and all of their capabilities to be accessed and controlled from a single controller. With the ability to enable/disable the supplies, change modes between DC and AC, vary current, voltage, and AC phasing, all based on part or torch position, automated continuous root-to-cap multipass welds are achievable.

Waveform Control Technology® is adapted for Root Pass MIG and submerged arc welding. The power supplies provide constant current or constant voltage operation and allow variable frequency and amplitude for AC output. The software-driven AC, DC-positive or DC negative output allows the user to control the deposition and penetration. The result is a more consistent, smoother arc at a wider range of parameters, increased weld speeds, consistently higher-quality welds, and improved efficiencies in a single- or multi-arc environment.

The sophistication of the software based inverter design allows a significant ability to be integrated into an adaptively controlled dynamic system required for the challenging narrow groove environment.  Newer, more advanced power sources and seamless integration into the overall narrow groove system architecture have dramatically enhanced the operating envelope and flexibility of the welding process.

It is important to note that the efficiency of these inverter-based power supplies yields significant savings in operating costs over traditional transformer/rectifier designs. In a typical industrial operating environment fabricating pressure vessels, each machine can potentially save up to  7,00,000 per year in operating costs due to its unique design and use of energy- efficient, high-speed inverters.