Custom machine · Motorsport
Robotic welding cell with track motion
A welding cell Mexx designed, built and installed for Triple Eight Race Engineering. A track-mounted ABB robot welds roll cages and chassis on two rotary stations, so one side can be loaded while the other is welding.
Project snapshot
The job at a glance
Client
Triple Eight Race Engineering
Industry
Motorsport
Product
Roll cage, chassis and sub-assemblies
Mexx scope
Design, build, install, commission and train
The challenge
Large tubular assemblies, tight control of the weld
The cell had to weld a main roll cage and chassis frame, plus front and rear sub-assemblies: large, complex tubular structures with tight access.
Materials included steel, stainless steel, Inconel and potentially titanium, and the existing process was TIG. The robot needed the same careful control of weld deposition, and the cell had to keep welding while parts were loaded.
What we built
One robot, two stations
The robot travels along a track and coordinates its motion with two rotary manipulators, welding on one station while operators load the other.
01
ABB IRB 2600ID robot
Arc welding robot with integrated dress pack and RobotWare Arc.
02
Interpolation track
A 7,992 mm ABB IRBT 2005 track lets the robot reach large assemblies.
03
Two rotary manipulators
ABB IRBP L-2000 positioners, each rated to 2,000 kg including fixture, for parts up to about 1,850 mm diameter and 4,000 mm long.
04
Fronius CMT welding
Fronius TPS 500i CMT, for multiple materials and low-deposition process control.
05
Torch care
Torch service centre, automatic TCP calibration, collision sensing and SmartTac.
06
Two safety zones
Each station has its own light curtains, interlocks and operator controls.
The result
Load one side while the robot welds the other
Two independent safety zones keep operators clear of active welding, so the cell stays in use while parts are changed over. Mexx programmed the main roll cage and both sub-assemblies, and trained the operators.
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Next step
Planning a robotic welding cell?
Tell us what you need to weld, and how many. An engineer will get back to you within one business day.