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In This Issue

1  Automation & Robots
2  A Few Pointers Regarding Hardfacing Automation
4  Humor: Quality of Life Until 80
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Automation & Robots

The welding literature is filled with articles, advertisements and press releases dealing with robotic automation. Robots are becoming very affordable and quite versatile when compared to their introduction over 30 years ago. With labor rates soaring, there's no doubt that many have turned to this technology to survive. At first it would not appear that hardfacing, basically a refurbishing operation, would lend itself to automation, but it does, and has been doing so for many years. Steel mill rolls, crusher rolls, pulverizer rolls, and dredging components have been hardfaced automatically for over 30 years, but not until lately has the world of robots been involved.

Robots require parts that are generally clones of one another in order to function at their highest efficiency. This usually precludes used or worn components from robotic applications. However, this situation is ideal for OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturers) where the components are new and dimensionally consistent from part to part. But even new parts are not always consistent. Fortunately the robot know this and is able to "touch sense" key areas to find out the extremities, etc. in order to perform accurately. Quite simply, it receives the part and touches key areas whose coordinates are fed into its computer, and then produces a path with which to weld or hardface. This concept has opened the door for many OEM's to compete in the spare parts after-market. Up until a few years ago third party hardfacing shops dominated this market. But now the playing field has been leveled a bit. It is interesting to note however that third party hardfacing shops have also adopted this concept as well.

Postle has also embraced this technology and is fast becoming a source for hardfacing automation. No we don't build the equipment, nor do we endorse equipment. But what we do is, act as a sounding board and guidance counselor in setting up and implementing hardfacing automation. A close dialog between customer, machine builder and wire manufacturer is required to optimize automated hardfacing applications.

A case in point: An important Postle customer was depositing a slag containing hardfacing wire on new parts. This was all done with a welder handling each part and hardfacing the component in the appropriate spot. The company wanted to automate and the equipment to do the job was quoted quickly by the machine builder. If Postle was not intimately involved, the valued customer would have faced a very costly operation - slag removal. This operation would have sunk the whole idea of automation. Postle stepped in and developed a metal cored product, free of slag, and improved weldability to accommodate the robotic operation. Out of position parameters were also developed, which was crucial to the whole robotic operation. In the end, the final gas shielded product was less expensive than the open arc product, and contributed even more to the project's cost saving issues.

Hardfacing products are not like joining products. Their chemistries are generally much higher, which can cause problems when welding out of position. Formula changes are required to deal with these issues, and being in on the ground floor when the robotic systems are designed is a plus, for the customer and for the machine builder. Postle products are designed for maximum welder appeal, but when the welder is a robot, well then, we have to change our thinking and usually our formulations.

If you are considering a robotic hardfacing application, please contact us for guidance. We work with a number of robot consultants and machine builders, insuring that you get the best marriage between hardfacing consumables and robotic delivery systems.
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A Few Pointers Regarding Automation

If you are considering a hardfacing robotic application, here are a few pointers:

• Wire Size - Since an actual person will not be holding the gun, smaller diameter wires can be used at higher than usual amperages, and to a great advantage. For the same amperage, smaller wires deliver higher deposit rates. This goes hand in hand with travel speeds. All this means a less expensive operation.
• Pay Off - Cored wire likes to paid off either from a spool or from a drum. If you are using spools now , drums offer advantages in less handling and greater safety. Hardfacing wires come in 100, 250 and 500 lb drums. If drums are used, they must be mounted on lazy susans to avoid wire twisting and feeding problems.
• Gun Cable - A good welder usually avoids kinking the gun cable to allow for free and smooth feeding. Robots don't know any better, and in the course of programming, cable kinks often arise. Care should be given to gun angles, positioning, and general feeding issues.
• Spatter - Clean up is costly. Using the right shielding gas and parameters is essential in minimizing spatter buildup. Special formulation may be required to accommodate this feature in a hardfacing wire.
• Part vs Torch Manipulation - It may be taken for granted that the robot will hold the torch for all the hardfacing required. However if the part has to be preheated, prepped, finish ground, etc. it may be more advantageous to employ the robot to manipulate the part instead of the torch.
• Out of Position - Not all wires are designed to weld out of position. Double check to make sure that the wire you are now using is capable of going out of position. If not, formula changes may be required or power supply changes may have to be addressed.
• Power Supplies - We have found that certain power supplies lend themselves to automation while others do not. Pulse arc may be a candidate or certain Constant Current power supplies offer advantages. What you are currently using may or may not be the most optimum for robotic applications.
• Deposit Layers - Many manual operations deposit multiple layers, but because successive layers present certain problems for robots in terms of positioning, etc., single layer deposits may be more desirable. This may mean that product selection may have to be revisited. Reformulation may have to be considered.

These are just a few of the considerations. There are more and each application has its own set of parameters, etc. Honest, I am not trying to scare anyone off with all these options and considerations. My point is that there are considerations that might go un-noticed when converting a manual or semiautomatic operation over to a robotic operation. While the equipment is certainly more affordable, it's not free, and getting the "most bang for the buck" and optimizing procedures, equipment, and consumables is essential in the final analysis.

This is a wonderful technology and we at Postle are excited about the possibilities that it offers you as a valued customer. If you have questions or comments, please give us a call. We would love to talk with you.
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Humor - Quality of Life Until 80

This is one of those stories that I seriously doubt actually happened, but it makes a point about our perception of the quality of life.

Recently a man picked a new primary care physician. After two visits and exhaustive lab tests, the Doctor said he was doing "fairly well" for his age. A little concerned about that comment, the patient couldn't resist asking him, "Do you think I'll live to be 80?"

The Doctor asked, "Well, do you smoke tobacco or drink beer?"

"Oh no," he replied, "I've never done either."

Then the Doctor asked, "Do you eat rib-eye steaks and barbequed ribs?"

He said, "No, I've heard that red meat is very unhealthy!" .

"Do you spend a lot of time in the sun, like playing golf?" the Doctor asked.

"No, I don't," the man said.

The Doctor said, "Do you gamble, drive fast cars, or chase women?"

"No," he said, "I've never done any of those things."

The Doctor looked straight at him and said,

"Then why in the heck do you want to live to 80?"