Automation of robotic welding line thanks to the interplay of gearboxes, pinions and racks

Constructions for greenhouses in the horticultural sector consist of a large number of steel elements that are partly welded together. Maurice Kassenbouw from Horst has been using the Yaskawa welding robots for the welding processes for twenty years. When these were due for replacement, the company expressed the wish to automate the production as much as possible. In response to this request, a completely new production line was developed by Roboflex where ten handling and welding robots on tracks move via pinions over racks from Apex Dynamics. This precise, automated solution the number of people required for the production process has been drastically reduced.

Gearboxes, pinions and racks

Finally, to set up an accurate and reliable production line, a stable construction is needed. For a line of several tens of meters long, this means extra attention to the gearboxes, pinions and racks on the basis of which the robots move. For this type of product, Roboflex has been working with Apex Dynamics for some time now.

This company supplied four sets of AF 100 planetary gearboxes with a transmission ratio of 7:1 and six sets of AF140 planetary gearboxes with a transmission ratio of 10:1 for the automated welding line. All gearboxes are equipped with a spline (DIN5480) output shaft, which enables high accuracy and the desired power transmission.

Read the full article from trade magazine AT Aandrijftechniek here…