Faced with the challenge of fabricating over three miles of bridge fencing in just 90 weeks, a forward-thinking team decided to give welding a smart upgrade. The project, which involves welding fence segments made up of 16 steel pickets with more than 140 welds each, used to take around 10 hours per segment. If you’ve ever battled with time-consuming manual tasks, you’ll appreciate how game-changing it is to cut that work down dramatically.
Properly Works, a well-regarded systems integrator with a knack for automation, teamed up with Seibel Modern to address this hurdle. Initially, they toyed with the idea of a tabletop robotic arm. However, as the project needs grew, it became clear that a more robust solution was required. The team developed a fully automated robotic work cell that reduced labour time by a remarkable 12-to-1 ratio while also slashing post-weld touch-up work by 50%.
This approach not only slashes production time from 12 hours to just 45 minutes, it also exemplifies how embracing robotics can lead to substantial improvements in both efficiency and quality. For those keen to see how advanced automation is reshaping industries, this project offers a practical, down-to-earth example to mull over.
