TELESKOP – Welding case study
Manufacturing telescopic crane booms and container handling equipment for leading businesses such as Liebherr,Faun, Manitowoc and Bromma makes welding a core operation at Poland based Teleskop. Welding represents over 90% of its manufacturing process so control of quality and cost in this area is of paramount importance.
Teleskop currently has eight FANUC Robotics welding robots which it has installed over a three year period and plans to install a further 6 in 2008. Experience gained over this period has given Teleskop’s Team the confidence to undertake complex applications and with each installation it aims to go that ‘little bit further’.
Its latest system comprises a FANUC Robotics ARCMate 120iB mounted in an inverted position on a 15Mt long gantry. Used for welding brackets and fitments to finish assemble crane booms, the system controls ten co-ordinated axes from a single FANUC controller.
Welding discs
Critical to the operation of crane booms is the accurate positioning and welding of the locking discs. These are welded around their circumference by a FANUC ARCMate 120iB which, after the boom has been positioned in the cell, performs a search routine to accurately locate the disc before welding. Once located the robot offsets its programme to compensate prior to commencing welding.
In a large welding hall, which Teleskop is developing as its robot centre there are now five robots welding crane booms. The committed intentions of Teleskop to automate as many operations as possible are plain to see – a programming and development area boasts its own dedicated FANUC Robotics M-16iB robot.
Welding crane booms
This robot is used for developing programmes which when proven are transferred to a specific production robot where locations are adjusted. The facility allows the robot to be base mounted or inverted as required.
Training in programming and operation is regarded as a vital element to success by Teleskop and two training officers also have the use of the development robot.
A two robot system in the ‘Robot Centre’, using two ARCMate 120iB robots, welds container straddle carriers, each robot making three passes along the full length of each carrier.
“We’ve focused on FANUC Robotics for all robots – we get very good information from FANUC on the latest technology such as external axis and seam tracking. In addition they have a good relationship with Lincoln [welding equipment] which is important to us – Lincoln is well represented in Poland,” commented Wim Ceuppens, Production Manager, Teleskop.
So why does Teleskop embrace robotics and further seek areas where they can be utilised? Wim explains, “It’s not that we can’t get welders to work here, we have a list of over 100 welders that we could draw on – we’re well known for looking after our employees. We don’t look at Poland as a cheap workforce – we look at it as a quality workforce and look after our staff appropriately.
“Robots are essential to keep us competitive and keep work in the country – the returns on investment are very good for us when a typical job that takes two men 16 hours can be completed by one man and a robot in 4 hours and as a major bonus looks better as well.”
Teleskop ranks consistently high quality as foremost in its reasons for its dramatic growth rate. Keeping its manufacturing process in-house and under control is seen as core to its high quality levels. Using five machine centres, laser and plasma cutting makes sure that ‘fit-up’ of components in the robot weld cells is consistent.
Teleskop is on target to achieve its target to ‘complete the factory’ by 2009 as growth of the business continues. In reality completion will never be achieved as this business absorbs technology into its manufacturing and continues its dynamic growth.
