improve the mechanical structure and motion control to achieve higher path accuracies with improved laser output response. Many features that enhanced the CO2


market are readily


available to robot users, including laser height control to adjust the focus, automatic power control to adjust the output so that it’s constant to the travel speed, and laser monitoring. Robotic applications are more flexible because they are not dependent on the rectilinear motion envelope. A six-axis robot has the ability to work with other robots and on the same part. By coordinating or sharing the laser output, efficiency can be improved with a smaller investment and with a more compact


has matured from the cumulative learning experience of CNC applications while offering the utmost in flexibility


Robotic laser control


cutting path can be programmed offline, maximising valuable laser on-time. Path control allows a robot to self-tune motion performance to get the most accurate feature. Laser power is controlled through output level, duty, and pulse rate, providing the best cut quality. Tese functions are automatically adapted to the robot speed, easing the programming. A popular welding application is


footprint, since the robot takes up only a ‘slice’ of vertical space in the work cell. Opportunities are rife for robotic


laser applications and it is being largely driven from new materials and construction techniques in the automotive market to the latest in 3D printing technology. Te requirements for the Café fuel consumption standards and the increased weight of car safety equipment, has forced manufacturers to seek improvements in material strength-to-weight ratio. Components that are made with hot-pressed steel are more difficult to trim to shape and weld. Fibre lasers offer flexibility to work in these areas by using the robot to cut and trim hot-stamped components. Robotic fibre laser cutting is a natural extension of the robot’s work envelope, to process a variety of formed parts that have a 3D profile. Offline programming provides maximum uptime of the laser system, allowing quick changeover since the


remote scanner welding, where the beam delivery is controlled by a galvanometer system to steer the beam while coordinating the motion of the robot through its path. Tis technology is well suited to high throughput applications in automotive body welding and speciality applications for marking. Control techniques to coordinate the robot, scanner, and laser offer precise positioning and are easy to use through a single point of control. Higher throughput is achieved when the robot and scanner’s movements are coordinated with simultaneous control. More nameplate manufacturers are using aluminium for automotive body structures. Complex body shapes are popular, as well as further integration of sensors for safety. Te challenge is to form the body shapes and hide the sensors so they do not disrupt the cars’ aesthetics. Wire-fed laser welding solutions help support these initiatives by providing a well- controlled feed rate of filler wire into a body seam, while precise laser power control causes the weld to form. All of the welding functions are controlled through the robot. A high quality weld is formed without the operator programming special ramping techniques with program outputs. Robotic laser control has matured


from the cumulative learning experience of CNC applications while offering flexibility. Te future looks bright as more laser processes and markets mature, such as material conditioning, 3D printing, and future flexible robotic laser uses.l


Michael Sharpe is a staff engineer in the Materials Joining Group at Fanuc America.


www.lasersystemseurope.com | @lasersystemsmag


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