Automated surfacing of rotationally symmetrical parts
Everything from a single source – it‘s more than just a advertising promise! Over 50 drawings of varied parts served as the premise for the automation resolution developed by EWM for pump protection valve producer, Schroeder Valves GmbH in Germany. All of the main specialist’s parts did have one thing in common, they had been all rotationally symmetrical. This was the start line for welding machine manufacturer EWM in their mission to develop a customized automation resolution tailor-made to this multifaceted problem.
Automatic Recirculation Valves / Minimum flow valves from Schroeder Valves are used all round the world for transporting liquids using centrifugal pumps. Their areas of software include refineries, energy plants and nuclear vegetation, within the transport of liquefied natural gas (LNG), as nicely as in offshore rigs. They are additionally used throughout the chemical and manufacturing industry (steelworks, pulp, sugar, distilleries) and within the utilisation of renewable energies.
Different sizes – one application.
The purpose is to weld all pump protection valve elements mechanically. These valves are related directly to the pumps and ensure steady operation of the pumps to forestall them operating dry or being broken by cavitation during minimal move situations. The pump safety valve is largely made up of the valve body and the cone, which strikes contained in the valve body. The sealing surfaces between the valve body and the cone have to be completely air and watertight. This is the only method to ensure proper functioning of the pump protection valve for many years to come back. Normally, these elements are made using low-cost development steel DIN 1.0460. The sealing surfaces are reinforced with chrome steel DIN 1.4370. This process was beforehand performed manually, nonetheless, due to both the scarcity of excellent welders and rising high quality assurance requirements, automation of this step was essential. The internal diameter of the valve bodies and the cone diameters had been between 32 mm and 400 mm. The components being moved also differed vastly in weight, ranging from a quantity of hundred grams to 2 and a half tonnes. But the entire elements had one factor in common: they had been all rotationally symmetrical, making them perfect for an automatic process. With this as a place to begin, EWM was able to get the system planning ball rolling.
From Small to Big – Multiple Processing Stations
It soon turned clear that solely a robot system would match the invoice when it came to automating this particular process. Having to take care of so many different part sizes was a cause for concern. Large elements require a big welding positioner. These, however, can not provide the dynamics required for the smaller elements. This shortly gave rise to the concept of three processing stations: one giant L-positioner with tilting perform for the massive valve our bodies, one small turning/tilting positioner on a system bench for the small valve our bodies, and a third station with a system bench without positioners for another parts. The top of the constructing was additionally a specific challenge. The components had to have the power to be positioned on the benches with the crane. The crane hook, nonetheless, was solely roughly three metres high – extremely small for an industrial utility. To guarantee accessibility whereas making certain extraction, both the extraction hood or the system benches had been made to be cell. The robotic was fitted in an extremely small booth within the centre between the three stations. This booth also contains both the power supply and a Titan XQ. These are positioned behind the L-positioner at the large processing station. The Rob 5 drive 4X wire feeder mounted on the robot arm ensures safe wire feeding. Access to the Fanuc Arc Mate one hundred iD in all three stations at all needed positions can be ensured thanks to the intense arm length of two metres and optimised space inside the cubicles.
Special torch for extreme areas
Each valve body is supplied with a cone information which is welded from above. With an inside diameter of just 32 mm, entry is extremely tough. For handbook welding, the welder is unable to see the weld seam and as an alternative should rely on their expertise. Even for automated welding, these areas are very uncommon. EWM was solely in a position to accept this job because they manufacture the torches, emphasising the importance of the welding torch for this application. The welding torch for Schroeder Valves is a special construction with a particularly small torch head and unconventionally lengthy torch neck. Of course, the special software had to be tailored to accommodate this unusual design: as a outcome of dilution between the mother or father metal and the armouring must be as low as potential, solely slightly energy is used. This ensures secure heat dissipation regardless of the extreme welding torch dimensions.
Secure welding outcomes by way of outlined parameters
As the parts were rotationally symmetrical, it was easy to show the elements; educating is at all times based mostly on the identical packages. Even new elements could be welded routinely shortly. Users simply need to set the radius, number of passes and the geometric dimensions of the surfaced components and the robotic management will deal with the remainder. The desired welding result is all the time assured because the welding procedure is outlined with all of its parameters. The high quality may also be proven retrospectively as all welding parameters are continuously monitored and recorded. Even though the system was originally designed and intended for one specific utility, Schroeder is already thinking of new ideas and uses. Schroeder would like to check out a number of the various welding procedures which might be included within the Titan XQ welding machine as commonplace. This will permit to further optimise totally different sorts of surfaced components. Schroeder are additionally seeking to broaden and improve the vary of welding tasks.
There are hundreds of Schroeder Valves installed in plants in southern Africa protecting belongings at companies like Sasol, Eskom, Mondi and Sappi to name a couple of. Sulzer & KSB routinely use Schroeder valves to guard their pumps. Full repair and reconditioning amenities can be found at Valve & Automation’s Secunda and Durban Valve Repair Centres. Please ร้านซ่อมเครื่องวัดความดัน @valve.co.za, www.valve.co.za or phone 011 397 2833 or 0861 103 103 to be taught more.
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