Robot welding of sheet-metal parts

Do you have a (medium to) large series of parts to be welded? Then robot welding is the solution. It is also interesting to consider when it comes to repeat work. It takes a little extra effort in advance, but once the programme and the welding mould are known, a new series of semi-finished products is simply re-produced.  We love the idea of becoming part of your final product with welded metal products that you further process yourself.

Direct quotation for robot welding

Robot welding – how do we do it?

MIG/MAG or TIG

Robot welding is a welding technique in which the welding torch is controlled by the welding robot. The product is clamped, possibly supported by a suitable welding jig, after which the robot arm moves around the product to precisely apply the welds. This is done using of a MIG/MAG or TIG welding process. The robots are equipped with a manipulator, which allows the product itself to rotate. We mainly weld stainless-steel products, but aluminium is also possible. We don't do solid-state welding in-house.

Highly automated machinery with welding robots

We have three robotic welding installations for welding semi-manufactured products.

Technical specifications for robotic welding parts:

• Max. product size 1197 x 646 x 1200mm
• Distance between manipulators 1980mm
• MIG/MAG and TIG welding process

Materials for robot welding

Our specialism is mainly in the field of stainless-steel processing, but aluminium is also one of the possibilities. To prevent contamination, we do not process steel in the welding department.

Sectors and markets for which we use robot welding

The robot welding parts we produce can be found in various sectors:

Project Smart Welding Factory

We are always looking for improvements and innovations in technology, automation and production processes. That is why we are part of the Smart Welding Factory project. Together with eleven other companies and educational institutions, we are joining forces in this project to develop a common procedure. The purpose of this is to improve the efficiency and quality of robot welding small series and one-offs. We do this by automating time-consuming steps and by merging processes. This not only reduces production times, but also cuts the risk of errors. The goal of the Smart Welding Factory project is to program the welding robots completely offline, independent of the brand of the welding robot. We aim to do this by assigning the welding data already to a universal 3D CAD file, so that when we change the composition we can easily generate a new welding programme and export it to the robot.

Benefits of robot welding

Consistent quality and tolerances

A welding robot is never tired, has no concentration problems and can continue working without breaks. This reduces the risk of errors and ensures an even and consistent output, with the same quality and tolerances.

Serial welding with less production time

Robotic welding allows us to significantly reduce production time per product. By letting the robot do the serial work, our welders have more time to deal with large, project-based constructions that are not suitable for the robot.

This means our welders are engaged in complex and interesting welding work, better described as craftsmanship.

Lower production costs

Production costs for robot welding are particularly lower for large(r) series. During the preparatory phase we develop a welding jig and make a robot programme. This takes time, but once it is done, the robot quickly and efficiently completes the welding programme. In this way, you earn back the front-end engineering costs relatively quickly!

Advice as added value!

You know your end product and your market through and through. We have the knowledge and resources for an optimal manufacturing process of the stainless-steel semi-finished products that are essential for this. We prefer to bring the best of both worlds together as early as the engineering phase. By being involved with you and your project as early as possible, we love to partner with you about how best to realise the finest end product together. A small modification can already save a lot of money. In terms of not only the number of operations, but also time or material consumption.

Benefits of Hoekman RVS

Hiring Hoekman RVS as the specialist in creating smart sheet-metal solutions provides you with these benefits:

• Years of experience and knowledge
• Specialist in stainless steel
• Additional operations possible
• Stocks of various types of material
• One-offs, and small and medium-sized series
• High delivery reliability