Lean Compact Cells
Your first step to robotised welding

Welding has always been a traditional craft carried out by specialised workers who spend many hours creating solid joints of steel. Although the technology of automated welding has progressed, there are still a lot of companies that weld manually. We discovered that the main reasons for manual welding are:
• high investment costs of other methods
• lack of production volume
• unfamiliarity with automation.

These reasons made it difficult for robotised welding to be adopted on a broad scale. But things are changing! AWL has developed a series of automated welding cells that make robotised welding interesting, even for smaller companies.

Plug & play

AWL has created a unique line of “plug & play welding” cells which give companies the opportunity of introducing automated welding into their own production processes, and taking the first step to robotised welding. With AWL’s lean compact cells, the time when only highly-trained people were able to operate and programme a robot has gone. Anyone can operate and programme robots for the LCC. Our slogan, ‘just plug it in and go’, is not an empty phrase, it is true. This cell is completely ready to weld your product. Just programme the robot, adjust the current jig, put in the plugs and weld.

Benefits of automated welding

Although nothing is more flexible than traditional welding, automated welding provides sufficient flexibility to weld small batches in a repeating pattern. The major benefits can be found in the high consistency of weld quality, the durability and the economic advantages. The lean compact cell is affordable; it is up and running for under €100,000. It is compact, so it does not take up much floor space and, as it is placed on one (level) base frame, it can easily be moved to another location..

Quality & output

Using an AWL LCC guarantees you good welding quality. Not only is the welding consistency extremely high, it is also very clean. There is therefore no need for any post-processing. Materials are ready to go. The machine has a strong repetitive pattern enabling a calculated output. It has no stress, does not get sick or want days off. This gives you the freedom and the flexibility to plan ahead and schedule tasks the way you want to.

Durability

The LCC is a machine that has proven its reliability. All components are solid and well balanced. Furthermore, this machine can run a 24/7 production for more than 14 years. The sound structure gives excellent ergonomics and has optional air-flow management, which creates a safe working environment. The user-friendly intuitive control panel makes operating the LCC easy.. With a little bit of practice anyone can operate the robot-controlled welding torch. Once you know how to programme the robot, the possibilities are endless.

Economic advantages

An LCC is a solid investment which will help you to upgrade your production process. Introducing an LCC into your production could save up to three operators per cell. Of course, having a cell, a robot and a fixture is not enough to create a welded product. The robot needs to know what to weld and how to weld it. AWL integrated state of the art programming software in the robot, so you can teach the robot various welding patterns.

Automated vs manual turning

There are numerous options if you are thinking about introducing automated welding into your organisation. As a standard, the LCC is manually operated. This means that the turntable (on the turntable a fixture is mounted in which to place the parts) has to be turned manually by the operator to be in the welding section of the cell. The option is to upgrade to an automated turn table, in which case the operator places the parts in the fixture, presses a button and the turntable automatically turns towards the welding section. The choice for one of these options is mainly based on the type of product and the size of batch.

More benefits

By choosing an LCC you create a high return on your investment. The output of such a machine is three times higher than the output of manual welding, without losing flexibility. In fact, you increase the consistency and quality of the welded products. Furthermore, you are no longer dependent on skilled welders, who are becoming scarce. Due to the automated welding process you only need an operator.

Keeping on top of demand

One of the companies that purchased an LCC from AWL is Dekker Constructie & Machinebouw, a Dutch company that is involved in turning, milling and welding. They started working with AWL’s LCC In 2008.

Wim Dekker, General Manager of Dekker Constructie & Machinebouw explains the purchase of the machine: “We found that it was difficult to have enough qualified personnel working for us. Therefore it was sometimes a struggle to maintain our high output and keep our deadlines”. Dekker purchased the LCC to ensure that there was not a gap between customer demand and the manpower required to fulfil this demand.

The machine is used for small batches that have a repeating pattern. “The biggest advantage is the consistency of the welding process. With no interruptions and an excellently tuned welding process, the quality of the weld is guaranteed. There is also no need for any post-processing. The result looks excellent.”

Although during these tough economic times the company is not reaching the desired goal set for the amount of products to be welded, Dekker is very positive. “We are able to learn from the machine and vice versa. We now have good insight into what the machine is capable of and how much we need to invest. Because of this we are able to hold a strong position in the market and really understand the value we can offer customers”.

Dekker also says “The quality of the welded material is very good. Not only is the consistency tremendous, but the neatness is also remarkable. We have great plans for this machine in the future”.

Find out more about the AWL Lean Compact Cells