Valk Welding: 2003

With the successful deliveries of the first plasma cutting lines to greenhouse construction manufacturers, Valk Welding now offers a concept suitable for a broad range of applications in the world of steel construction. The 3D plasma cutting lines, provided with a plasma cutting robot and feeding and discharge system are able to cut tube, cylinder and profile material completely automatically in all kind of forms. They not only offer an enormous increase of flexibility and efficiency compared with traditional lines with loose drilling, punching and sawing machines, but they are also a good alternative for an expensive tube laser.

The solution realised at Boeters Kassenbouw is a fine example in view of the enormous productivity battle in the world of steel construction. For greenhouse constructions, various cylinder profiles are being used. From standard lengths, the required number is first cut to the precise length and then positioned under the punching and drilling machines for the required holes and notches.

In order to improve this production process, Boeters Kassenbouw wanted to robotise the process and replace punching and drilling by plasma cutting. The manufacturer developed its own feeding and discharge track, and demanded Valk Welding to integrate a plasma cutting robot and to develop software to rapidly generate cutting programmes. Valk Welding supplied a Panasonic robot with Hypertherm plasma cutting system to achieve this.

Beside the standard DTPS programming system custom-made software (Custom Made Robot Software) was written for programming,  in order to read products from the existing CAD-programmes, after which only the desired hole size and position have to be entered. This custom-made software contains macros of the most commonly used standard forms, based on parametric designs, and ensures conversion to the robot control; the latter calculates the programmes and finally the profile can be cut according to the correct parameters.

In the mean time, other green house manufacturers have followed this solution. For the feeding and discharge system, Valk Welding is collaborating with Voortman Automatisering in Rijssen.
Voortman supplies the feeding and discharging systems, whereby the material is supplied from a bundle and after processing also discharged as a bundle. The rest material is collected separately.

This company, specialised in processing machines for the world of steel construction, also provided the communication with the robot control. The robot calculates the most efficient processing sequence and controls the transport system accordingly.

Valk Welding sees a broader application for these plasma cutting lines in branches where a lot of tube, cylinder and profile material are being processed. Earlier, Valk Welding delivered a plasma cutting robot with exchangeable welding head to sprinkler manufacturer Wolter & Dros, where the installation is being used for a comparable production process.

The advantages are not only found in logistic automation, such as less material transport and less production phases, but also in the higher cutting quality. Due to the shorter cycle time per product and great savings in personnel expenses, the investment costs will be recovered in no time.

For work preparation, the system also meets all demands. The standard programming system DTPS smoothly fits in with all existing CAD-systems. The employment of the system is even efficient for series of 5 pieces, thus again proving the high flexibility of a robot system.

(Source: various professional magazines)