AMADA CO., LTD. (Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan, President: Tsutomu Isobe) has announced the newly developed three models in its “FLW” series of welding robot systems that solve the diversifying problems of customers.

In the sheet metal processing industry, in addition to the issues of shortening delivery times, the low-volume production of a wide variety of products, and the diversification of human resources resulting from the labor shortage caused by the declining birthrate and aging population, there is also a major issue with the passing on of expert skills. Furthermore, welding workplaces need the sophisticated techniques and experience of skilled workers for tasks such as manually feeding the torch during TIG welding processes and maintaining a constant height between the workpiece and the nozzle. Manual welding places a burden on workers.

AMADA has newly developed the fiber laser welding robot systems, “FLW-6000ENSISe”, “FLW-3000Le” and “FLW-1500MT+CR”, that respond to the needs of the customers. In addition to improvements to safety and ease of operation, these systems also save energy and space. The FLW-6000ENSISe and FLW-3000Le are equipped with the newly developed NC equipment, “AMNC 4ie”. By making it possible to use facial recognition to activate the operation screen according to the level of proficiency, and enabling the monitoring of CO2 emissions, this expansion and improvement of the lineup has not only made welding easy for anyone but also made the welding more environmentally friendly.

The AMADA Group will solve the issues and needs of customers and contribute to manufacturing by developing new solutions that help reduce the burden on the environment and also address the need for automation and digital technologies that eliminate the need for skills in processing and allow skills to be passed on more easily.

Main features of FLW-6000ENSISe:

As a high-end model machine, welding is not only possible for large volume lots, but also for v-mix, v-lot production. It offers the best solution for sheet metal processes.

1. Realisation of fiber laser welding automation. With the new “AI-TAS” correction function, AI automatically detects the weld lines in real images and 3D images and the equipment moves to the correct weld location. In addition, the AI performs the correction work, so the operator can be performing other work during that time, which greatly improves the work efficiency. Furthermore, the operator previously had to continue viewing the Z-direction indicator and adjusting the height, but the new “automatic nozzle gap adjustment” feature automatically focuses the image captured by a camera mounted on the head and adjusts the height of the nozzle.
2. High quality and stable processing are achieved with the unique AMADA “ENSIS technology” and a high-output oscillator. By using a 6 kW single-module oscillator and technology to melt a wide range on the weld without reducing beam power, the equipment achieves stable welding for a variety of materials, sheet thicknesses, penetration shapes and joint shapes, from thin sheet metal to deep penetration.

Main features of “FLW-3000Le”:

As a mid-range model, this machine was designed with a focus on the needs of the precision sheet metal industry for a compact size and high precision.

1. Space-saving to be applicable in urban factories. This system is equipped with a 3 kW oscillator, but requires 35% less installation area, so we also propose it to customers in urban areas where the installation of the conventional fiber laser welding robot systems is difficult due to space constraints.
2. A compact head expands the range of processing in narrow areas. The compact design of the processing head enables welding inside 300 mm square containers. In addition, even if the product is long, pulse processing realises a uniform weld bead and results in a low-strain finish without excessive melting.

Main features of “FLW-1500MT+CR”:

As an entry-model machine, a collaborative robot is implemented for hand-held welding to reduce the workload and improve quality.

1. The collaborative robot makes stable welding possible by anyone. When welding long joints, it is difficult with hand-held welding to move at a constant speed with the same torch angle, which can result in varying bead widths and unstable penetration depths. By simply indicating the start point and end point, it is possible to perform the welding while maintaining a constant speed appropriate for the processing conditions. In addition, it is easy to use either the robot or the hand-held welding to suit the purpose, so the hand-held welding can be used for temporary fastening, short welds, and parts that are difficult to teach.

Specifications of the machine:

* The information in this release is subject to change without notice. We would appreciate your understanding in advance.