Dual-Robot Welding Cell for Automotive Suspension Parts

Project Overview

A Tier-1 automotive supplier approached AMD Machines with a capacity challenge. Their suspension component production line was bottlenecked at the welding station, where skilled manual welders could not keep up with the volumes their OEM customers required.

Engineering Approach

Our engineering team conducted a thorough analysis of the existing process, identifying several key opportunities:

Part Analysis

The part required welds across multiple planes. Manual welders were spending significant time repositioning parts and could only weld one joint at a time.

Process Optimization

By designing a custom H-frame positioner with dual fixtures, we enabled:

• Loading/unloading on Station A while robots weld on Station B
• Both robots welding simultaneously on opposite sides of the part
• Automatic rotation to present the weld joints to the robots

Quality Integration

Laser seam tracking addresses inconsistent torch positioning caused by stamping variation. Real-time weld data monitoring flags any welds outside the programmed parameters before the part leaves the cell.

Implementation

The project was executed in phases to minimize production disruption:

Phase 1: Engineering, robot simulation, and fixture design Phase 2: Fabrication and assembly at AMD facility Phase 3: Factory Acceptance Testing with customer parts Phase 4: Installation, commissioning, and production ramp