Industry 5.0 is taking the place of Industry 4.0. More and more media sources are publishing articles about how this is affecting companies and the labor market. But what does Industry 5.0 mean for metalworking companies? How is it manifesting itself in the different welding processes in commercial and industrial production? What effect does the digital networking of people, systems and components have, and what advantages does it offer to companies?
Ensuring stable welding processes with low distortion behavior, and analyzing, optimizing, and documenting welding parameters, all while simultaneously increasing cost-effectiveness. These are the fundamental challenges faced by many metalworking companies today. Digitalization and networking play an important role here. In addition to our Prototyping Center, we also run something called a “laboratory mile” at our Wels site, where we demonstrate high-end digital equipment. This allows us not only to offer potential customers the opportunity to completely outsource prototype welding, but also to provide a wide range of examples of what Industry 5.0 can look like in practice.
Many companies program their welding sequences “offline,” i.e. separately to their robot systems. This way, the welding work does not have to be completed before a robot can be taught to perform tasks in the future. The new welding sequences are defined and simulated seam by seam in advance. Offline programming and simulation software like Fronius Pathfinder detects axis limits, calculates start and end points and travel routes, and independently sets positioning points. Interfering contours are visualized and torch positions promptly corrected in advance, and not only during the first welding attempts. Offline programming and simulation optimizes the welding process, increases productivity and saves unnecessary downtime costs.
Efficient and Resource-Conserving: Robots Use Hot Active Plasma Technology for Surface Cleaning
To ensure high-quality welded joints, metal surfaces must be cleaned of dirt and foreign particles when working in automotive engineering, for example. The “Acerios” surface cleaning system developed by Fronius revolutionizes this cleaning process by harnessing the effects of hot active plasma technology. When hot active plasma comes into contact with material surfaces, the gas flow causes mechanical cleaning. The plasma and heat trigger a chemical process which removes organic and film contamination on metals such as aluminum or steel, precisely, quickly, and effectively. At the same time, a robot guides the welding torch over the metal surfaces at speeds of about 6 meters/minute. During this process, the system generates a plasma flame with a temperature of up to 1,000 degrees Celsius. Depending on requirements, the device can be used to treat entire surfaces, or specific areas.
This enables our customers to achieve a significant increase in efficiency. Instead of cleaning as deeply as possible, the high-precision Acerios technology cleans as deeply as necessary. And because Acerios works without chemical cleaning additives, it also saves money and environmental resources.
Stable, low-spatter welding processes require digital welding systems with enormous computing power, not to mention gigantic storage capacities, ultra-fast bus systems and, last but not least, dynamic wirefeeders. Essential properties include excellent root formation, a high deposition rate with reduced heat input, stable penetration behavior, and consistent arc lengths.
With our future-focused welding device platform TPS/i, we take all these requirements into account. The platform facilitates innovative welding processes such as LSC (Low Spatter Control), PMC (Pulse Multi Control), and PCS (Pulse Controlled Spray Arc). LSC is characterized by high arc stability and reduced spattering, while PMC boasts an improved pulse correction function and advanced SynchroPulse method. Both welding processes involve the use of penetration and arc length stabilizers. PCS, in turn, enables welding professionals to switch seamlessly between pulsed arc and spray arc. The problematic intermediate arc is shielded.
Innovative welding processes and characteristics simplify the operation of welding systems, save time, and improve the quality of the welds. Our CMT process, which enables controlled droplet detachment with limited heat input, is still unmatched, particularly for thin sheet welding.
Automated, fully autonomous welding, with flawless weld seams: this is our vision. Welding systems should automatically compensate for air gaps, clamping tolerances and other imperfections. With WireSense, SeamTracking and TouchSense, we provide innovative assistance systems for a range of applications. These systems lead to a considerable increase in efficiency. They enable welding robots to independently adapt the programmed welding lanes to suit different seam profiles. This significantly reduces the amount of rework, as well as the effort required for subsequent reprogramming of the planned routes for the robot. All three assistance systems use the wire electrode both as a sensor and filler metal. There are no restrictions on component accessibility, as is often the case with laser or camera sensor systems.
Companies save on maintenance work and expenses for additional sensor hardware.
Fronius WireSense
Our ArcView camera system provides welding professionals with an unrestricted view of the arc, enabling them to monitor the welding process in real time. When operated with TPS/i welding systems, ArcView delivers high-resolution images. These are produced using pulse-controlled image generation, precisely in the dark phases of the arc. Different exposures are combined to form a detailed HDR image. This makes it possible to intervene at any time if a welding defect, such as pore formation, is detected.
Transparency and safety are common requirements in welding manufacturing. The same applies to increasing productivity and saving time. In order to achieve this, welding data needs to be recorded for analysis and documentation. Direct feedback helps to optimize processes, monitor system statuses, and identify errors. Our WeldCube data documentation software stores all the relevant data from the welding process and enables precise tracking of all welds.
All versions of WeldCube are web-based software solutions. Users can log in on their computer or mobile device and retrieve the details of their welding results. The system documents the progress of the welding work and evaluates each individual weld by means of a traffic light system.
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Our cutting-edge optical measuring system, as used in the Prototyping Center, checks distortion and component deviations in comparison with the CAD design data of the components. For this purpose, a robot positions a special surveying camera at various points on the components. Before the images are captured, a light grid is cast onto the components, which enables the system to detect the contours of the component and generate a three-dimensional image. Any deviations from the original design data are detected and evaluated by the system software. The results from the measurement data are not only used for quality control, but also lead to permanent optimization of the joining work.
A wide range of components of all shapes and sizes require intelligent welding concepts. Our welding automation uses a platform approach in robotics. This makes it possible to combine standardized components into a customer-specific welding system. Among the technology used are welding robots, handling robots, positioners, changing stations for welding torches and contact tips, gripper storage systems, component locks for inward and outward transport, and automated shelving systems. The digital networking of all these components and their management via central system controls ensure fully automated welding and component handling processes, thus ensuring a high degree of autonomy. We also provide interfaces to widely used ERP systems and a web API for transferring data to third-party systems.
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