Rotating positioner

[waqasmalik]

Dear all

I deal with TIG Welding of hollow cylinders each of 600 mm in diameter. I want to automate the process. I want to design a rotating positioner to rotate the work piece while keeping the torch steady. Hence the resulting position will be 1G.
Can anyone help in designing the positioner for cylinders.

My idea is to clamp a three jaw chuck in a vertical rotary table and rotate that vertical table with motor aor any other thing like that. Is this practical?

All opinions will be highly appreciated.
Thanx all in advance.

 

[berkshire]

Why don't you talk to people who already make these machines?
B.E.

You are judged not by what you know, but by what you can do.

 

[kingnero]

As above. Buy one, those are standard equipment.

 

[robyengIT]

if welding is only circumferential you can buy or design something like this

 

[Tmoose]

Depending on the urgency of the project and what's hanging around the shop the price could be quite low.

Google "DIY weld positioner" and several come up.

Driving a rotary table with a variable speed drill is pretty slick.

http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/threads/46599-Rotab-Slip-Ring-For-Welding

http://weldingweb.com/showthread.ph...ics-plan-for-a-turntable&highlight=positioner

http://weldingweb.com/showthread.ph...ics-plan-for-a-turntable&highlight=positioner

 

[tbuelna]

600mm is a large circumference. What is the wall thickness of the cylinder being welded? What is the application of the welded cylinder? Is the welding always performed in a manufacturing facility rather than at an off-site location? Does the production quantity of each cylinder weldment justify the cost of the automated machinery? A human welder can quickly switch from one type of weld to another, unlike an automated welding machine.

Automated TIG welding would definitely cost less and give more consistent quality than a manual TIG process for production parts once implemented. But there is some cost and effort associated with implementing the automated TIG welding process. In theory, if you had expertise in welding, metallurgy, machine design, digital controls, and software, you could purchase the components required and construct your own automated TIG welding machine. But in reality it would be far cheaper and less hassle to purchase an existing system.