Tag Archives: FANUC

3 Industries That Benefit from Robots & Laser Manufacturing

Posted on by
Reply

By Alanna Ritchie

It is getting easier to produce parts for products like land, sea and air vehicles.

With the combination of lasers and robots, engineers and their companies are enjoying increased manufacturing speed, better material affordability and better rates for their clients. The pairing also facilitates streamlined processes for welding, cutting, and lightweighting. Furthermore, laser manufacturing which uses robotics provides better precision, customization, speed, and safety.

Explore how laser manufacturing and robots are transforming some of America’s top industries below.

Innovations in Robots & Laser Manufacturing

A FANUC robot equipped with a laser for welding applications (Credit: AdvancedManufacturing.org)

1. Automotive

In a recent article for Advanced Manufacturing, senior editor Bill Koenig describes how automotive and aerospace manufacturing benefit from these complementary technologies. Over the last few years, the utilization of lasers and robots has evolved in the automotive space. Hydroforming is a successful metal-forming process for making large vehicles and was improved with lasers used to trim parts once removed from the die. Koenig also explained how lightweighting and welding are major manufacturing applications using lasers and robots, which help drive production costs down.

2. Aerospace

Koenig’s article also offers a summary of benefits in the aerospace industry. Today, lasers are commonly utilized to repair and clean parts. Robotics.org says robots are the tools for choice for a variety of industry manufacturing operations, including drilling, fastening, sealing, painting and composite part production. Aviation and aerospace are also top areas using robots and laser manufacturing for advanced welding, as described below.

3. Shipbuilding

FANUC America Corp.,  a pioneer in industrial robots and automation parts, is one of the companies using robots in laser manufacturing to create and improve new parts and systems. ABB, Kawasaki Robotics and KUKA are also using industrial welding robots, according to the February 2017 report, “Global Industrial Welding Robots Market 2017-2021”. The report found that shipbuilding is a leading industry using this technology for advanced welding techniques. It also identified customized robotic systems as the next significant trend and predicts that from 2017 to 2012 this market should grow at a rate of 6.91%.

FANUC shared some of the benefits of its laser cutting robotic products. The facility’s senior director of manufacturing writes, “Since we implemented the new FANUC robotic laser cutting system, we have been able to increase throughput, eliminate overtime, and improve the safety conditions of that workcell. In addition, the overhead robots provided a safer work environment, higher throughput and reduced work in process.” (FANUC America Corporation).

Report for the Global Industrial Welding Robots Market (2017-2021)

Improving & Automating Manufacturing with Lasers & Robots

Andy Hrodmadka of Trumpf, a leading fabricating machinery and industrial laser manufacturer, explained in an email to Advanced Manufacturing how robotics and laser technology benefit one another. “Laser welding and cutting cannot be done by hand,” Hromadka said, “Automation is required in some form and we collaborate with robot manufacturers and robotic systems integrators to implement laser processing systems.”

Interested in diving deeper into laser manufacturing and robotics? Learn more about the future of laser technology here.

You can also get email updates regarding recent developments in laser manufacturing and safety by subscribing to the Lasers Today blog here.

Five Things You Should Know About LIA’s Industrial Laser Conference

Posted on by
Reply

There’s more to this inaugural conference than you think. 

Have you heard the buzz about our inaugural Industrial Laser Conference?  This one-of-a-kind industrial laser event is presented by Laser Institute of America and will be held at the September 2016 International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in Chicago. It is the foremost way for you and your team to learn how to incorporate lasers into your manufacturing processes, so you can stay competitive – and grow – in the current high-tech market.

Debuting on Tuesday, September 13, 2016 at the world-renowned McCormick Place, the Industrial Laser Conference will cover the spectrum of industrial applications of lasers, such as Additive Manufacturing (AM), Cutting, Welding, Marking, and more. Most importantly, the experts at the conference will show you exactly how to apply lasers to increase your organization’s profits and efficiency.

We couldn’t possibly pack every engaging detail about the conference in one Lasers Today blog post, but we can share with you our five favorite things about the first-annual event. Here are the top five things you can expect at the Industrial Laser Conference – and this is just the beginning:

1. The Industrial Laser Conference will be held at the famous IMTS

IMTS will run in its entirety from September 12-17, 2016, and will showcase over 2,000 exhibiting companies and more than 114,000 attendees.

If you’re already attending IMTS – the Industrial Laser Conference is a great complement to inspiring your skill set and furthering your company. Enjoy the entirety of the IMTS event, plus the Industrial Laser Conference – or travel to Chicago to learn about leading edge industrial laser manufacturing over a course of a day.

 2. The conference is perfect for Production Pros, Manufacturing Engineers, Directors of Manufacturing, Design Engineers, Technicians – and more.

From manufacturing directors to automation engineers to production specialists, every member of the industrial manufacturing workforce can benefit from attending this conference, learning over the course of a full day how to leverage lasers into their manufacturing processes in a high-tech, high-demand market.

 3. It is chaired by FANUC America Corporation’s Elizabeth Kautzmann

Take it from us – Industrial Laser Conference Program Chair Elizabeth Kautzmann of FANUC America Corporation is ready to kick off this future-forward inaugural event. As Kautzmann explained to us in a recent interview, the innovative techniques on center stage at the Industrial Laser Conference are emerging and revolutionizing the industry to meet market demands, all rooted in the field’s collective understanding of conventional machining. You can read more about what this industrial laser leader has to say about the conference here.

 4. It’s Industrial Laser Content-Packed

Anyone who works in industrial laser manufacturing can benefit from this event. From the “Tracking Trends in Lasers” program that will discuss today’s industrial laser opportunities in depth, to the latest advances in Additive Manufacturing, Hybrid Manufacturing, and Kautzmann’s favorite, “Trends in the Trenches,” there is something for everyone at the Industrial Laser Conference. View the full program here.

5. It’s Future-Forward – and Focused on You

This event is perfect for both industrial manufacturing professionals who want to improve their laser program – and those who have considered lasers as part of their processes before, but haven’t made the leap just yet. From the novice to the expert, every member of the industrial manufacturing spectrum can benefit from this future-forward event that is 100 percent focused on your individual and collective success.

Learn More about the Event – Sign Up Now! Click to register. If you have any additional questions, we’d be happy to help. Contact our Conference Team: conferences@lia.org, or +1.407.380.1553.