Product category:
Special purpose joining equipment
News Release from: Siemens Automation and Drives | Subject: Sinumerik 840D and Simodrive 611D units
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 29 May 2003
Control and drives solution upgrades
welders
A state-of-the-art control and drives solution enables a major manufacturer to successfully upgrade the performance of precision friction welding equipment.
Siemens Automation and Drives (A and D) has recently provided a state-of-the-art control and drives solution to enable a major international manufacturer to successfully upgrade the performance of precision welding equipment The use of Siemens Sinumerik 840D and Simodrive 611D units has improved the response time and accuracy of a process that requires the highest attainable quality in complex geometrical applications
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 9 Aug 2000 at 8.00am (UK)
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Gatwick Fusion (Gatwick) is a specialist supplier of high quality welding equipment and the Company's friction welding products are used extensively in the global automotive, medical and electronics industries.
Each machine is tailor made for a specific application and incorporates a high degree of automation and robotics in addition to the primary welding function.
Friction welding is a completely mechanical process in which heat is generated by friction derived from contact between the components to be welded, one of which is rotated at high speed.
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When the correct temperature is reached the components are pushed together to produce a high-integrity welded joint.
Welds can be made between similar or dissimilar metals and the bond strength is generally stronger than the weakest material.
The jointing process is environmentally clean as it does not involve the use of weld metal, flux or shield gas and generates no arcs or sparks.
The development of high-speed automated systems has lead to the widespread use of the process in mass production.
The main advantages being that operators do not require welding skills and the need for surface preparation and cleanliness is no longer a significant quality issue as process friction disposes of small surface irregularities and dirt.
Friction welding demands very careful control of the rate at which heat is generated, the maximum temperature reached and the jointing force that is applied.
As with other types of welding, the key to success is the positional control of the parts being joined and the strength of the weld.
The success of the process control system is the essential element of quality management.
Based at Brighton in Sussex, Gatwick is now using the very latest machine tools digitising package from Siemens to improve the performance of both the electrical and hydraulic functions of friction welding.
With the support of Underwood Electrical Distributors Ltd, a Siemens systems integrator, each machine has been fitted with a Siemens Sinumerik 840D CNC controller and Simodrive 611D/HLA drive units, with a 1PH7 spindle, and is now delivering superb axis control.
Recent international legislation, most notably IEC 61508 (the International Elecrotechnical Commission standard covering electrical and electronic programmable systems) and EN-954-1 (the European Community's Machinery Directive), has enabled safety systems to be fully integrated with operational control and automation platforms using ASi-Safe and Profisafe, the safe developments of AS-Interface and Profibus.
The design developments undertaken by Gatwick Fusion are based on Siemens Safety Integrated concept and include Siemens HLA modules to limit process wiring, safe fieldbus systems using both ASi-Safe and Profisafe, and ET 200S Siguard modules that actively manage every safety function.
The Safety Integrated systems cover all operation and safety functions, including fail-safe shutdown, and performance monitoring.
Comprehensive though the system is, the most striking feature to the inexperienced eye is small number of wires, in most cases the sole occupant of a critical zone is either the yellow ASi-Safe cable or the purple Profisafe umbilical.
The first two machines have now been delivered to a customer in France who is delighted with the high capacity and production quality delivered by the FPE equipment.
As Andy Ward, the Managing Director of Gatwick Fusion commented recently; "The latest technology can deliver immense benefits to customers but OEMs are always concerned about the impact of product design changes on busy manufacturing schedules.
The design improvements to friction welding equipment was supported by Underwoods and specialists from Siemens at every stage of design and manufacture which enabled us to deliver a product with the very latest technology.
The first two machines are already in use and the Customer is delighted with the excellent quality and repeatability of welds with reduced cycle times being achieved.".
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