Difference between revisions of "DEWBOT IX Welding"

Revision as of 14:44, 21 December 2012

Welcome to DEW Robitics Welding Team

The welding team is crucial to the success of the robot. We build the frame that literally holds the whole robot together. Our ability to weld robot frames and other parts gives team 1640 a competitive advantage over those teams that can not. Welding the robot frame results in the frame being lighter, stronger and easier to build to precise dimensions. In addition, having competent welders allows us to repair tools or equipment that would otherwise be discarded, saving time and money

As you might expect, such a valuable skill comes at a cost. Welding requires knowledge and practice. There is simply no way around this fact. Therefore, we have developed a program for interested students to get the neccessary training and practice so that the quality of our welding work is as good as it can be when it comes time to build the next robot.

Most of the training and practice is done in the off season by working on welding projects such as building tools, repairing equipment, or making alterations to the robots.

When students feel they are ready, they may take a qualification test that, upon passing it, will qualify them to weld the new robot chassis independently with a minimum of oversight. The document link below describes the complete qualification process and requirements.

Above all we want the welding team to succeed, learn valuable skills, take pride in their work and contribute significantly to the success of DEWBOT IX.

Keith Williams,
Welding Mentor

Important Links:

File:WELDING SHOP GROUND RULES 1.doc The MIG welder is by far the most powerful machine we have at the shop. It is capable of delivering more than 7,000 watts of welding power. The danger of serious burns, eye injury, fires and electric shock is very real. The welder and spool gun are also expensive pieces of equipment that need to be treated with care. Please be familiar with the Ground Rules, as they are to be followed at all times in the welding area.

File:DEW Robotics - Welding Qualification 2012-13 v1 2.doc This document is a complete description of the DEW 1640 welding qualification process. Included are test descriptions, rules, materials, and more. Please read through it, and feel free to ask any questions about this process. We will also go over the requirements together as a team when qualification time is near.

File:Miller MIG Guidelines.pdf This document, published by Miller, the leading manufacturer of welding equipment and technology, is an excellent general guide to MIG welding.

Current Projects:

Tool Cart Modification - We heavily modified a cart to accept two toolboxes, and have a work table on top. Doug and I did the welding with steel fluxcore wire.

Welding Table - 2012's summer's project was to build a substantial steel welding table. Various students worked on this project which was a much needed addition to our welding shop.

Welding Screen - Currently (dec/12) we're working on a screen to protect the eyes of our colleagues working in the machine shop area.

WELDING NEWS

Friday, December 21, 2012
Welders, assuming the world does not end today, the shop will continue to be operational until next week for practice and qualification. If you will be helping pack up tonight, please carve out at least an hour to do the welding test. If you will be at the warehouse any other days, please email me and I will come in to get you certified. Let's see how many of you can get certified before the welding equipment is moved next week.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012 Session
Welding screen frame needs to be cleaned up (maybe painted?) and put into use. Anyone needing something to work on could take care of this. Welders, we will be welding aluminum, and passing qualification tests. All the experience you've gained with flux-core on steel will serve you well. Please remember to bring a baseball-type hat.

Monday, December 17, 2012
Made a spooler to load small 1 lb spools from the big 13 lb spool of Al MIG wire. Cut some Aluminum practice pieces, also suitable for test pieces.

Wednesday, December 11, 2012 Session
We will finish the welding screen and start practicing on Aluminum. Welders please remember to bring baseball hats. Other things on our to do list include:

• Load some 4 inch spools with .035 Aluminum MIG wire.
  
• Cut up the scrap robot frames underneath the table into flats, angles and channel pieces to use for practice.
  
• Students also need to cut their test pieces. Might as well kill two birds...
  
• The welding table needs have the weld beads, lumps & bumps ground down flat.
  
  

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 Session
Marina, Kira and Patrick finished some of the filet welds (including vertical-up and overhead welds!) on the legs of the welding screen. We ran out of flux core wire, so Patrick helped set the welder up to MIG weld aluminum and got to try out MIG'ing aluminum. Each student needs to cut their test pieces for when they are ready to take the test. There is an appendix in the back of the qualification document above which lists the number and sizes of all pieces you will need.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Replaced 2 missing screws on the spoolgun. Cut some contact tips in preparation for Al welding with .035 wire.

Monday, December 3, 2012
Brad had a good question about the testing process. To paraphrase, Brad asked, "Can we weld multiple test pieces and submit the best one?". My thoughts are these. The test is meant to simulate a real world situation. On the real robot, you can practice as much as you want, but you only get one chance to do a weld on the robot. So the answer is 'No'. The student must identify the piece which will be evaluated (the 'final' one) before any welding begins. The testing process document (above link) has been updated accordingly. Any questions, feel free to ask.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012 Session:
Made excellent progress on the welding screen. The frame is tacked together, ready to finish weld. Good work by Brad, Marina and Kira.