Robot Seventh Axis Track: Expanding the Operating Boundary of Welding Robots
1. Technical Principle and Core Advantages
The robot seventh axis track (also known as the robot external axis or walking axis) uses high-precision rails and servo drive systems to enable welding robots to break free from the limitations of fixed positions and achieve movement along straight lines or curves. Its core advantages include:
Multi-station coverage: A single robot moves along the ground track, replacing multiple fixed robots and covering long-distance, multi-station welding tasks. For example, after an automotive component manufacturer in Malaysia introduced a 14-meter heavy-duty ground track, a single robot could continuously complete welding at 8 stations, increasing production capacity by 20% and reducing labor costs by 30%.
High-precision positioning: Utilizing Skybron linear guides, precise reducers, and gear rack transmission, the repeat positioning accuracy reaches ±0.05mm, ensuring precise and controllable weld seam trajectories.
Strong load adaptability: Supports welding robots ranging from lightweight (50kg) to heavy-duty (4 tons), meeting the needs of different workpieces. For instance, in shipbuilding, a 4-ton load ground track can transport large segmented structures for welding.
High environmental adaptability: With a protection level of IP65, equipped with dust covers and waterproof sealing rings, it can adapt to oil stains, dust, and humid environments in metal processing workshops.
2. Application Case in Malaysia
Automotive industry: A Malaysian automotive component manufacturer adopted the "1 robot + 28-meter ground track" solution to achieve cross-station welding of the vehicle body frame, increasing welding efficiency by 35% and reducing equipment占地面积 by 40%.
Steel structure manufacturing： In the production of building steel structures， the ground track is equipped with robots to complete automated welding of long straight weld seams， increasing the weld seam qualification rate from 85% to 98% and significantly reducing the rework rate.
III. Welding Positioning Machine： Solving Complex Weld Seam Welding Problems
1. Technical Principle and Core Advantages
The welding positioning machine adjusts the workpiece to the optimal welding position through the lifting， rotation， and flipping movements of the worktable， enabling the weld seam to be in a flat welding or ship welding posture， thereby simplifying the robot's welding path planning. Its core advantages include：
Full-position welding capability: Supports 360° unlimited rotation and ±90° flipping, capable of handling complex structures such as spatial curved weld seams and ring weld seams. For example, in pipeline welding, the position changer rotates the pipeline to a horizontal position, and the robot can continuously complete ring weld seams.
High precision and stability: Uses RV reducers and servo motors for drive, with a repeat positioning accuracy of ±0.1mm, and adjustable running speed (0.1 - 1.8m/s), ensuring a smooth and undisturbed welding process.
Safety protection design: Equipped with load self-locking function, automatically stops operation when the workpiece is overweight, avoiding equipment damage; anti-spray mask and sealing structure extend equipment lifespan.
Collaborative control capability: Can be integrated with the robot controller to achieve synchronous movement of the position changer and the robot, such as dynamically adjusting the workpiece angle during welding to ensure the welding gun is always perpendicular to the weld seam.
2. Application cases in Malaysia
Shipbuilding: A Malaysian shipyard introduced a three-axis welding position changer, which, in conjunction with robots, completed the vertical and upward welding of ship body sections. The welding speed increased by 2 times, and the weld seam formation quality reached international standards.
Pressure vessel production: In the welding of liquefied gas tanks, the position changer rotates the tank to a horizontal position, and the robot completes the ring weld seams. The welding efficiency increased by 40%, while avoiding the risk of manual high-altitude operations.
IV. Collaborative Application: An Automation Solution of 1+1>2
The collaboration between the robot's seventh axis track and the welding position changer can achieve dual optimization of "space coverage + posture adjustment", constructing a full-process automated welding workstation. Its typical application scenarios include:
Long straight weld seam welding: The ground track extension robot expands the working range, and the positioner adjusts the angle of the workpiece to achieve one-time continuous welding of long straight weld seams.
Complex structure welding: The ground track mobile robot moves to different workstations, and the positioner turns the workpiece to the optimal position to complete multi-angle weld seams and spatial curve weld seams.
Large-sized workpiece welding: The ground track carrying heavy-duty robots moves, and the positioner rotates the large workpiece (such as ship sections, wind turbine towers), solving the problem of manual handling.
V. Selection and Implementation Suggestions
When Malaysian enterprises introduce automated welding solutions, they need to pay attention to the following points:
Demand matching: Select the track travel, load capacity and degrees of freedom of the transfer machine based on the size, weight and weld type of the workpiece.
Compatibility verification: Ensure that the interfaces between the track, the transfer machine and the existing robot brands (such as ABB, KUKA, Fanuc) are compatible to avoid communication failures.
Environmental adaptability: For the high-temperature and high-humidity environment in Malaysia, choose equipment with high protection level and corrosion resistance.
After-sales service guarantee:
Six. Future trends： Intelligentization and modularization upgrade
With the advancement of Industry 4.0， the welding automation market in Malaysia is presenting two major trends：
Intelligent Upgrade: The ground track and the position changer integrated with IoT modules can monitor the equipment status in real time (such as wear of the guide rail, temperature of the drive system), and issue warnings through the cloud platform to prevent unplanned downtime.
Modular Design: The guide rail of the ground track supports splicing and extension, reducing the installation period from the traditional 15 days to 5 days; The position changer adopts a rapid mold-changing structure, adapting to different workpiece sizes, and enhancing production flexibility.
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