A robotic welding cell is a guarded production station where a welding robot welds parts safely and continuously. It contains more than the robot: the welding power source, fixture, positioner, safety and fume extraction all work together. In this article we explain the parts of a welding cell, single and two-station layouts, and what to consider when planning a cell.
Parts of a welding cell
- Welding robot: Usually a 6-axis robot arm. Models with the torch cable running through the wrist reduce tangling.
- Power source and wire feeder: Supply current and wire, and receive welding parameters from the robot.
- Torch and torch cleaning station: Removes spatter from the nozzle and cuts the wire, keeping quality up over long runs.
- Fixture: Clamping that holds the part in the same place every time.
- Positioner: Rotates and tilts the part to bring the seam into the best welding position.
- Safety: Fencing, interlocked doors or light curtains; welding curtains against arc light.
- Fume extraction: A hood or extraction that captures welding fumes at the source.
- Control and operator panel: Start, stop and program selection.
Single or two-station?
| Layout | How it works | When |
|---|---|---|
| Single station | The operator clamps the part, the robot welds, the operator removes the part. | Long weld times, short loading times. |
| Two-station | The robot welds at one station while the operator loads the other, using a turntable or two separate tables. | Series work where the robot must not stand idle. |
Planning the cell
- Part and seams: Size, weight and seam locations of the largest part determine the robot’s reach.
- Reach check: Can the torch reach every seam at the right angle? This should be verified with kinematic analysis before the cell is built.
- Fixture accuracy: A classic robot goes to the taught point. If the part sits a few millimetres differently each time, seam tracking is a must.
- Cycle time: The balance between weld time and load/unload time shows whether one or two stations are needed.
- Layout and safety: Forklift routes, material flow and door positions should be planned from the start.
The hard part of a welding cell: programming
Once the cell is built, every new part needs a robot program. In series production this is done once; in small batches programming time can exceed welding time. See welding robot programming for details.
On DKT’s AI welding robot the welder marks the weld spot with chalk; the robot’s camera recognises the mark and welds the nearest seam. During welding the camera and 2 laser sensors track the seam and the torch distance. Small fixture differences are compensated and no program has to be written for a new part.
Not every job needs a cell
For long seams on tank, silo and pipe shells it makes more sense to bring the robot to the part than the part to a cell. A rail-guided welding carriage is more suitable and economical for these jobs.
Summary
- A welding cell consists of the robot, power source, torch cleaning, fixture, positioner, safety and fume extraction.
- Two-station cells stop the robot from waiting for parts.
- Reach and cycle time should be checked before the cell is built.
- In small batches, chalk marking and seam tracking reduce the programming load.
Let’s plan your welding cell together
Send photos, dimensions and monthly quantity of your part; we will look at cell versus welding carriage together.
For all our welding solutions see the welding robots page.