Portable arc welding robots - an industrial survey

TWI Industrial Member Report Summary 595/1997

John Weston

Portable robots are devices that are moved to the work. They have been developed by many manufacturers with the objective of developing markets in areas where the workpiece is too large to move.

Background

This paper reviews development, to 1994, of portable robotic and other arc welding devices and discusses their capabilities. In particular, reference is made to two important application areas, shipbuilding and steel construction.

Objectives

• To summarise the capabilities of the machines available
• To review the areas of application.