KR 30-L16 welds agricultural implements at Horsch

The use of two KUKA welding robots has cut production times in half at Horsch

Since 1988, SMT Systemtechnik GmbH – based in the town of Syke in Lower Saxony, Germany – has been developing systems for flexible robot applications and special machines as well as systems for steel and machinery manufacture. From its inception, the company and its 16 employees have focused on serving the growing market for robot applications in various process areas such as welding, cutting, palletizing or even handling.

Fully automated welding process

It was with the goal of achieving higher output and higher quality in the welding process that Horsch Maschinen GmbH, a company based in Schwandorf, Germany, turned to SMT Systemtechnik. Horsch was searching for a solution for the welding of its agricultural implements in which the clamping and accessibility of the product components allowed for full automation of the welding process. The goal was to enable higher output and improved process quality.

Two workstations with KUKA robots

The robot welding system consists of two workstations with two robot systems, which are installed on a C-support gantry in an inverted position. Both systems can be moved on a floor guidance mechanism and are equipped with two rotateswivel-lift positioners. The clamping diameter, the clamping height and the length are all five meters. Beyond this, workpieces weighing up to 4,500 kg can be handled. Tool Center Point calibration (TCP calibration for short) is performed automatically in order to ensure consistently high application quality.

Large work envelope increases production possibilities

Two KUKA KR 30-L16 robots are used which are particularly suited for mediumpayloads. With a reach of up to 3,102 mm and a positioning accuracy of 0.07 mm,they are ideal for carrying out precise welding work. Thanks to the long jointed arms as well as the long link arm, these robots have a large work envelope to open up a whole new range of production possibilities.

The two KUKA KR 30-L16 robots in an inverted position excel through their reach and precision.

Production times cut in half

The implementation of this robot-automated solution brings a significantproductivity advance: cycle time reductions are achieved during welding as well as during handling, thus enabling manufacturing time to be reduced by over 50 percent. The end customer and integrator are convinced by the robot-based solution and are not ruling out further applications.

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