VirtualArc

The concept of the traditional welder .3 work in his Imithy is being replaced by a more high-tech view of the craft. Who isn't familiar with pictures of robot welders at work on production lines? Designers and maufacturers take precise and clean mass- produced welds for granted. But teaching a robot to weld isn't as easy as it may seem. Whereas a human welder draws on experience and intuyion in choosing the correct welding technique and settings, a robot welder must be instructed in everyi detail of the procedure. Despite the availability of considerable theoretical knowledge, a series of test runs are often required to determine the correct settings. Such runs waste test materials and block robots that could otherwise be seeing revenue generating use. The costs and time involved mean that the number of test scenarios must be limited and the optimum can easily be missed. ABB has developed a software tool enabling programmers and process engineers to reliably determine the result of a weld. VirtualArc permits a rapid yet detailed evaluation of scenarios. The reduced need for test runs cuts costs whilst optimizing productivity and quality