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Up Topic Welding Industry / Metallurgy / Laser welding an Aluminum Car
- - By ssbn727 (*****) Date 01-26-2008 13:40
The Audi A8 is shown being laser welded together in the attached link that has the 16mb MPEG for any one to watch!!! Enjoy!!!

http://www.msm.cam.ac.uk/phase-trans/2003/rofin/rofin8.html

Respectfully,
Henry
Parent - - By Tommyjoking (****) Date 02-06-2008 11:42
I like AUDI'S, I like Aluminum, Lasers are cool.   Dangit HENRY those robots are putting me out of work on something cool!!!!  and yea they would be more more reliable and faster dog gone it!
Parent - - By ssbn727 (*****) Date 02-06-2008 12:03
Yes they can but, they still need someone like yourself to program, maintain, and monitor the robots so if anything, these robots can offer a step up in pay and responsibilities for anyone seriously interested in keeping current or even ahead of the pack, and on the cutting edge of welding & Automation technologies :) :) :)

Remember also that the robot isn't going to be performing the sophisticated repairs that someone like yourself would perform instead do to the complexities involved with the repairs... There will always have the need for humans to work together with robots in some capacity or another so, if you can run the remotely piloted helicopters with a reasonable amount of proficiency, then you can easily learn how to program most robots. :) :) ;)

Respectfully,
Henry
Parent - - By DaveBoyer (*****) Date 02-07-2008 07:24
After some quantum leaps in battery technology I can see Tommy with a TIG capable R/C helicopter reparing a leak in a refinery pipe. :-)
Parent - By Tommyjoking (****) Date 02-07-2008 07:49
DAVE  BWHAHAHAHAHAHA    can you imagine the first 6g helo tig test!!!!!!  better have some REAL good cameras on that thing.....be pretty cool tho
Parent - - By Tommyjoking (****) Date 02-07-2008 07:44 Edited 02-07-2008 07:47
lol well learning the copters takes stubborn will and a wad of cash for parts by yourself   LOL!!!  but its a fun time waster

I run and programmed a FANUC 5 axis with a CO2 laser for a about a year....it was interesting but basically I was the robots monkey making sure it was running right and fed with product. The best thing I got out of the experience was learning how laser welding works, how to manage setups for the weld parameters and to be able to say I have laser welded on my resume (don't see that too often eh?). I like running CNC stuff and robots are no different.  But I can make more $$ with a tig pedal under my foot it seems. Now setting up/designing work cells from scratch...yea there is some money in that I would bet..as well as specialized maintenance....but in the places I have been it seems mostly the engineers got it all in hand not the technicians.    BUT you got a real good point about it all.....that robot is not gonna figure out how to reattach that broken hitch, or fix that crack in that turbine.
Something I read years ago in the field of industrial robotics I found highly interesting....I believe it was Mazak that was working on it in particular......had to do with robots programs being written by physically moving the joints into the positions at each stage of operation and the robotics recording the movements and making the program on the fly.   Basically little to no knowledge of the language, ability to measure accurately, or other skills needed......like teaching a child how to put his toys back in the toybox without speaking.  With the power of todays processors and memory; I see no reason something like that could not be possible and inexpensive in the way of controls.  Kinda a neat concept...sounds like a very productive idea.

how ya doin Henry....everything falling your way bud?

Tommy
Parent - - By ssbn727 (*****) Date 02-07-2008 14:05
Hey Tommy!
I'm ok these days as far as my health is concerned... The big C is in remission again (Praise the Lord!), and I'm even getting a handle on my blood sugar to where it's gone down to the low 130's which is a massive improvement from 686 in December!!! the cool thing about it is that I only have to take one shot (insulin) in the evening, and I'm good for 24 hours...

Hey what can I say!!! Life is just that... Living on life's terms!!! I'm also teaching part-time on site for a local utility company in the evenings which enables me to keep my hand in practice with SMAW, GTAW, and FCAW which is a good thing ;) All in all, things are falling my way little by little, one day at a time... Thanks for asking Tommy :) :) :)

Respectfully,
Henry
Parent - By Tommyjoking (****) Date 02-09-2008 01:16 Edited 02-09-2008 01:20
well thats a blessing Henry I am glad to hear it!!  You know your one of my main sources for technical info on superalloys...the stuff that makes me look like a mensa member to the other welders at work, hahah!   So I need you available a lot!!!  Got a guy at work that has an insulin pump...I have to keep reminding him to stay clear of the weld shop...when his insulin is off he is a tiger to get along with!!!!LOL  Actually I don't want my machine to mess with his pump.   My wifes father is not doing so well with his Cancer....he has a bleeder somewhere and they opened him up but "there is too much scar tissue from radiation" (that sounds odd to me) for them to find it.....all we can do is pray and make sure they are maintaining his associated problems. 

I finally, just today, got the answers I needed to hear on my job...."as soon as you got those welders certified and trained up...you can either head up a crew on graveyard or work any shift you want"   YEA YEA YEA YEA YEA  I am so glad I stuck it out....now I will have a great job and My life back!!!!!!!!!!  So if any of my new welders are reading this: better pay attention and learn quick cause I am ready to go and impatient!!! LOL!!! 

Ribeyes and beer for all I am a extremely happy camper today!

Tommy
Up Topic Welding Industry / Metallurgy / Laser welding an Aluminum Car

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