Case Study

Case Study: Flexible & Consistent Arc Welding
Application: Arc welding
Robot Model: R series arc welding robots

OVERVIEW
As experienced arc welders become an increasingly
scarce resource and mass production amplifies the needfor consistent product quality, many companies are at aloss. They need to weld their parts, but it’s difficult tofind skilled welders who can produce high quality
products, let alone maintain that standard of quality
while meeting daily production goals. Advances inrobotic arc welding have made it possible for companies
to experience the quality and consistency of an expert
arc welder on their best day, every single weld.
In the mid-1980s, Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp.,
USA (KMM) installed their first Kawasaki robots. Growing
tired of inconsistent part fit and the constant struggle tofind enough welders to keep up with production, KMM’s
new robots were put to work arc welding their all-terrain
vehicle (ATV) and Mule and Teryx four-wheeler frames.
Now, 30 years later, the manufacturer uses 71 Kawasaki
arc welding robots, and that number will grow to 84 byJune of 2019.

“Before robotic welding, there wass a lot of frustrationon the floor because you’d get burnrn through when parts
didn’t fit well,” Gordon said. “We foundound that the qualityof our product was dramatically improving
mproving with theimplementation of laser tube cutting
offng andnd tthe
he use orobotic welding.”-Scott Gordon, Chief Engineer,
Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., UUSASA

Inside KMM’s “Type 3” cell

REQUIREMENTS
A Solution for Labor Shortage
For years, KMM had been fighting an uphill battle
against a growing labor shortage in the welding
industry. In order to staff enough welders with thenecessary level of experience, KMM designed a training
course to certify new welders – an exercise that cost thecompany time and money, and still still couldn’t meettheir demand for welders. Their newly trained welders
were having to work overtime in order to meetproduction goals, which was also adding costs.
Now, 80% of KMM’s arc welding processes areautomated using Kawasaki robots, and only 20% of thework needs to be done manually. Trained welders can
do a bulk of the work, which includes double checking
the robots’ work or accessing areas too small for therobot to reach.
Consistency & Reliability
Keeping up with increasing standards for productquality using manual techniques was a challenge.

CHALLENGES• Improve part fit and eliminate chassis distortion• Efficiently weld a wide variety of parts• Minimize reliance on manual welding
KMM wasn’t looking to robots to increase the amount ofvehicles they were producing; they needed Kawasaki
robots to maintain their current rate of production whileproviding a more repeatable frame. Because KMM needed
to weld several different vehicles and models – sportutility ATVs and four-wheeler vehicles – they needed aversatile solution that could weld a variety of parts.

KMM does mostly pipe-to-pipe welding, so they couldn’t
rely on a vision system to keep a robot true to theprocess path – they needed robots with high levels ofrepeatability, so they could run programs without
having to see the path. Kawasaki RA010L robots have a
repeatability of ±0.05 mm, which results in theconsistency Gordon has seen firsthand during his 33
years of experience. They are equipped standard witharc welding-specific software to enable quick and easy
programming of the process path. “Kawasaki robots areby far the most reliable that we’ve seen on the market,”
Gordon said.

Case Study

SOLUTION
Flexibility was a must. KMM needed a solution that
could weld a multitude of parts, and that they could
modify to suit their fluctuating production needs andevolving product line. To accomplish this, KMM
developed five different types of cells using a
combination of Kawasaki R series and F series robots, toweld different components of the ATV and four-wheelerframes. Four of the five cells (called Type 1, Type 2,
Type 3 and “Kneeling Easel” cells) weld parts ranging insize. Once complete, these parts are fed into the “BattleBot” cell, which welds the entire ATV or four-wheelerbody.
The Type 1 cell welds small parts like suspension arms,
and the Type 2 cell welds mid-size parts such as seatsor front guards. It uses a Kawasaki RA010L robot toweld mid-size parts as they rotate on a welding table,attached to a quick-change fixture. The Type 3 cell has a108 in. long and 52 in. wide cylindrical work envelope,making it ideal for welding long parts.
The “Kneeling Easel” cell was developed specifically for
welding large 6 ft. by 6 ft. cab frames, whose
cumbersome shape posed an ergonomic challenge forhuman welders.

The “Battle Bot” cell where vehicle frames are robotically welded.

RESULTS• Four cells specializing in welding different parts
feed the “Battle Bot” cell
• One “Battle Bot” cell that welds the entire ATV orfour-wheeler vehicle frame• 80% of all arc welding is done by Kawasaki R series andF series robots• Manual welds are required for only 20% of work
• Human welders double check robots’ work or weld
difficult-to-access areas• Product inconsistencies have been eliminated due toflexibility and high levels of repeatability found in
Kawasaki arc welding robots
After seeing a drastic decrease in chassis distortion andan increase in consistency over 30 years of use, KMM
continues to grow their fleet of Kawasaki arc weldingrobots.

KMM’s “Kneeling Easel” cell eliminated the ergonomic challenge ofmanually welding large cab frames.

For welding the entire vehicle frame, Gordon designed
the “Battle Bot” cell, which is fed by the other cells.
Because this cell was responsible for welding such an
integral, and visible, section of the vehicle, KMM utilized
a special wave form that combined the strength andpenetration of MIG welding, and the clean look of pulse
welding. With Kawasaki robots, they were able to doboth in the same cell for a high quality product withminimal splatter.

Kawasaki Robotics (USA), Inc.
Corporate Headquarters for Americas
28140 Lakeview Drive, Wixom, MI 48393, U.S.A.
Phone: +1-248-446-4100 Fax: +1-248-446-4200

The company’s reliance on manual welding has
decreased, so they spend less time hunting for workers
in the midst of a labor shortage, and more time on
manufacturing. KMM will continue to use Kawasaki arc
welding robots to weld thousands of ATV, Mule andTeryx four-wheeler frames.

KawasakiRobotics.com