Lincoln Electric Pulsed GMAW User manual

SUCCESS
Pulsed GMAW
NX-4.310 2/06
Valley Industries was looking to
increase welding productivity and
improve product quality.
• A pulsed GMAW (MIG) process using
Lincoln Power Wave® 455M power
sources embedded with Nextweld®
technologies with FANUC® 120iLB
six-axis robot cells.
• A Lincoln System 40 robotic workcell
with a FANUC® 100iB six-axis robot.
• Lincoln SuperArc® L-50 MIG wire
supplied on 1000 lb. Accu-Trak®
drums.
Valley experienced a 60 percent
increase in productivity, improved
process control and higher quality parts
resulting from the move to automation
with a Pulsed GMAW process.
Valley also improved manufacturing
delivery times and reduced inventories.
-CHALLENGE-
-SOLUTION-
-RESULTS-
s the manufacturer and
distributor of 400 different
trailer hitches and
accompanying towing accessory
components, Valley Industries, LLC
of Lodi, California, was looking for a
way to increase welding productivity
and improve product quality. To do
this, the company made the switch
from a semiautomatic GMAW (MIG)
welding process to robotic GMAW-P
(Pulsed MIG) welding systems from
The Lincoln Electric Company. The
move to automation has resulted in
a 60 percent increase in productivity,
improved process control and higher
quality parts – adding up to a
competitive advantage for Valley
Industries among its OEM and
aftermarket customers.
In addition, the robotic systems,
which combine Lincoln’s Power
Wave® 455M power sources with
FANUC® robots, allowed Valley
Industries to improve order delivery
time on popular products like
receiver style, fifth wheel, and
gooseneck hitches. This, in turn,
reduced inventories for work-in-
process and finished goods.
Brad Ownbey, Manager of
Manufacturing, Maintenance and
Special Projects for Valley Industries,
indicated that half of the company’s
products involve some type of
welding. Therefore, efficient welding
practices are extremely critical to the
57-year-old company’s success.
“Welding, and especially automated
welding, have been key elements in
addressing sales, operating cost,
new products, quality, and
efficiency,” said Ownbey. “Valley is
also very much about people. You
cannot be successful without them.
Sustained business growth, year over
year, has afforded us the ability to
maintain employment levels while
integrating automation into the
operation.”
The Move To Robotics
When management decided that
automation was a viable option for
Valley Industries, the company set
out to evaluate several robotic
Valley Industries
Valley Industries, of Lodi,
California, has produced trailer
hitches and towing accessories
for 57 years.
WAVEFORM CONTROL TECHNOLOGY®
Automation
A

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welding systems. According to Ownbey,
Valley chose Lincoln’s system because it
was reliable, easy to use and had proven
success in numerous other manufac-
turing applications across the country.
“Another factor that helped make our
decision was our ongoing relationship
with Lincoln Electric. We trust their
people and enjoy good experiences with
the Lincoln semi-automatic products
already in our shop,” noted Ownbey.
Installation of the robot work cells was a
joint effort between Lincoln Electric and
Valley Industries personnel. “Since the
work cells are preassembled as three
major components at Lincoln’s
Automation Division, on-site installation
and set up goes quickly,” noted Ownbey.
“In our application, the robotic arm,
controller, and welding equipment make
up one component of the work cell. Two
headstock/tailstock fixture components
are then mounted in a symmetrically-
opposed fashion in relation to the robot
arm to position our product for welding.
Electrical power, welding gas,
compressed air, and several digital
communication and power cables are
hooked up. The Lincoln technician then
ensures that the set up is correct and
programs the system operating functions
and welding programs.” He indicated
that installation and set up are
accomplished in as little as four days
per cell.
Initially, Valley Industries purchased one
robot. However, over the last three
years, they added eight custom-
designed robotic cells as the advantages
of automation became apparent.
Currently, 140 Valley products are
welded using automation.
It’s easy to see the efficiencies robots
brought to the production floor at Valley
Industries. Each of the seven FANUC
ArcMate 120 iLB six-axis robot cells on
the hitch line has two welding stations
that can be programmed to weld the
same part or entirely different parts,
adding tremendous production flexibility
to Valley’s operations.
As indicated, each robotic cell is
equipped with a dual headstock/tailstock
fixture used to position and rotate the
production parts. Coordinated Motion
software is used to synchronize the
motions of the robot arm and the
rotation of the fixturing, allowing welding
and part rotation at the same time.
To maximize system uptime, the
operator unloads finished parts and re-
loads components into one side of the
cell while the robot welds on the other
side. Part program changeovers are
completed quickly and easily using
hand-held robot teach pendant controls.
According to Ownbey, the company’s
previous experience with CNC-type
machines (plasma/punch, tubing bender,
saws) helped to make an easy transition
to operate the Lincoln automation
systems.
In addition, with seven identical robotic
systems on the shop floor, Valley gains
more scheduling flexibility. At any time,
the production team can call up
previously set part welding programs to
quickly duplicate part production on any
number of robotic cells to meet changes
in demand.
For the company’s ball mount products,
Valley selected a Lincoln System 40
robotic work cell. This system features
a sizable 71 inch diameter turntable,
allowing four parts to be completed at
the same time
for optimum
overall
productivity. In
this cell, a
FANUC
ArcMate 100iB
six-axis robot
is used.
However,
robots and
fixturing are
only part of the
story at Valley
Industries. The heart of the welding
systems is the Power Wave 455M power
source with advanced Waveform Control
Technology® capabilities, an element of
Lincoln’s Nextweld® series of innova-
Valley Industries
Automation
“Because these power
sources create such high
quality welds, we are able
to go directly to the paint
stage of our processing,
without having to do any
grinding or finish work on
the welds.”
Pulsed GMAW
WAVEFORM CONTROL TECHNOLOGY®
Brad Ownbey

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tions. Waveform Control Technology® is
Lincoln’s proprietary welding software
platform that controls and shapes the
welding output waveform. Since the
waveform is shaped digitally using
software with an inverter-based Power
Wave® welder, optimized results are
delivered accounting for a specific
material type and thickness, electrode
wire type and diameter, shielding gas
mix and other variables.
In the case of Valley Industries, the
material is typically mild steel ranging
in thickness from 16
gauge to 1-inch. The
Power Wave welding
power source delivers
conventional MIG
welding procedures
as well as Pulsed MIG
welding procedures
for more difficult joint
configurations when
controlling heat input
to minimize distortion
is especially critical.
“The Power Waves
produce a very
consistent, stable arc
and deliver improved
deposition rates. With
automation, faster travel
speeds can be more
easily accomplished
than with manual or semiautomatic
welding,” said Ownbey. “We are able to
manipulate arc characteristics, resulting
in a weld bead that is more uniform in
appearance. We also experience far less
spatter. Because these power sources
create high quality welds, we are able
to go directly to the paint stage of our
processing, without having to do any
grinding or finish work on the welds.”
Valley Industries also uses the real-time
Production Monitoring™ capabilities of
the Lincoln Power Wave power sources
to monitor arc current, voltage and wire
feed speed. Technicians and operators
review the information to assist in
refining weld programs and to identify
and correct problems. As an added
bonus, Ownbey reports the Power
Wave 455M units are very durable in
an inherently dirty environment for
electronics.
Hitch and Towing Components
Valley Industries’ trailer hitches require
an average of 16 welds per unit. Most of
the components are plate and round or
square tubing requiring single pass fillet
joint welds that range from 1/2-inch to
12-inches in length. On average, nine
component parts are loaded into the
work cell fixturing to complete a typical
hitch.
Demand and volume dictate which parts
are welded robotically versus those
completed by manual or semiautomatic
welding. The robots at Valley Industries
are currently running 24 hours a day, 6
days a week to keep up with the
demand. Automation allows the 250-
employee company to produce smaller
batches of parts with greater speed.
All new products are tested using the
transportation industry standard SAE J-
684 test (more commonly known as the
V-5 test) which simulates thousands of
miles of towing under extreme
conditions. “We take much care in the
design stage to ensure the safety of our
products, especially since most of them
will be used to tow recreational and
commercial trailers at highway speeds.
The consistent performance and weld
quality of automated welding are
naturally an enhancement in this area.”
said Ownbey.
According to Ownbey, because the
robotic weld sequence and weld joint
locations are
programmed, the same
exact process is re-
peated time after time.
This makes control of
distortion within the
welded assembly very
manageable compared
to hand welding.
Engineering tolerances
become less of a
challenge, manu-
facturing costs are
reduced, and more
options are realized
in product design.
In tandem with the
Lincoln Automation
system, Valley Industries
is utilizing .045-inch
diameter Lincoln
SuperArc® L-50 MIG wire with a 92%
Argon / 8% CO2shielding gas blend.
The wire is supplied in 1,000-pound
Accu-Trak® drums, which according
to Ownbey, are delivering consistent
performance and are quick to set up.
“The L-50 is the highest quality welding
wire I have used in my 27 years in
manufacturing. Lincoln wire has a
distinct advantage in automation
applications, because it is clean and
very stiff. The copper coating doesn’t
flake, and it comes out of the container
straight. Arc starts are more consistent
and overall feeding problems are
minimal.”
Lincoln Service
“Our experience with Lincoln service has
been excellent. Technicians in Cleveland,
Ohio, are available by phone and often
Valley Industries
Automation
“The Power Waves produce
a very consistent, stable arc
and deliver improved
deposition rates.”
Pulsed GMAW
WAVEFORM CONTROL TECHNOLOGY®

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assist us remotely to solve problems,”
said Ownbey. “We also rely on our
local Lincoln representatives. All are
professional and quick to respond.
Recently, when we developed a
problem with a torch cooling unit, we
called Lincoln. By the next morning
we had a new unit in our shop.”
As far as training, ten of the company’s
robotic cell operators attended Lincoln
training in Cleveland for programming,
maintenance and service of the
systems.
Conclusion
According to Ownbey, the company
is currently pursuing automation in a
number of key areas within the plant.
As to the future of welding automation,
the company looks forward to perform-
ing their own off-line programming
soon.
In the future, look for Valley Industries
to introduce new products and en-
hance the size of current distribution
facilities to meet the growing demand
for their hitch products.
Valley Industries
Automation
Power Wave®455M
Superior Arc Performance.
Revolutionary Communication.
For welding thicker materials in
robotics, hard automation and semi-
automatic applications, choose the
Power Wave®455M. This model
features Waveform Control Technology®
for superior arc performance on a
variety of materials, including steel,
stainless steel, aluminum and nickel
alloys, and delivers custom control
of the arc for each wire type and size
for consistent welds time after time.
The Power Wave 455M is designed
to be part of a modular, multi-process
welding system in which power
sources can be added or removed
to create a series of highly integrated
and flexible welding cells.
SuperArc®L-50
Our most popular MIG wire, SuperArc®
L-50, premium copper coated wire, is
an excellent choice for 50,000 psi (345
MPa) yield strength, carbon steel base
materials. SuperArc L-50 has moderate
levels of silicon and manganese for
deoxidation and cleaning action. De-
signed for use on clean, oil-free, and
rust-free base material. Will tolerate
light millscale. SuperArc L-50 also has
an excellent reputation for feedability
and trouble-free performance. Shielding
gases include argon/carbon dioxide
blends, argon/oxygen blends, straight
carbon dioxide, and three or four-part
gas mixes.
Pulsed GMAW
WAVEFORM CONTROL TECHNOLOGY®
Featured Lincoln Products
WHAT IS NEXTWELD?
The challenges facing industrial
fabricators today are growing in number
and complexity. Rising labor, material and
energy costs, intense domestic and global
competition, a dwindling pool of skilled
workers, more stringent and specific
quality demands all contribute to a
more difficult welding environment
today.
Through our
commitment to
extensive
research
and
investments
in product
development,
Lincoln Electric
has established
an industry
benchmark for applying technology to
improve the quality, lower the cost and
enhance the performance of arc welding
processes. Advancements in power
electronics, digital communications and
Waveform Control TechnologyTM are the
foundation for many of the improvements.
NEXTWELD®brings you a series of
Process, Technology, Application and
Success Story documents like this one.
NEXTWELD explains how technologies,
products, processes and applications are
linked together to answer the important
questions that all businesses face:
• How can we work faster, smarter, more
efficiently?
• How can we get equipment and people
to perform in ways they’ve never had to
before?
• How do we stay competitive?
NEXTWELD is the future of welding but its
benefits are available to you today. Ask
your Lincoln Electric representative how
to improve the flexibility, efficiency and
quality of your welding operations to
reduce your cost of fabrication.
THE LINCOLN ELECTRIC COMPANY
www.lincolnelectric.com
1.216.481.8100