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Automated Laser Welding Cobot
Compatible with any LightWELD laser source, the LightWELD Cobot System is a collaborative robot laser welding system that makes automating a variety of welding jobs easy no matter your experience level.
The system is purpose-built to maximize your shop's productivity by automating repetitive welds, optimizing high-mix low-volume fabrication, and freeing up skilled welders for other projects.
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Future-Proof Your Shop by Empowering Skilled Welders
Free up resources by saving the repetitive jobs for your cobot system so skilled welders can focus on more complex welds.
Tear through repeat welds faster and more consistently, scrap fewer parts, and reduce time-consuming grinding and rework.
Enable your welders to get more done with a system that complements their skills and optimizes their time.
As Easy to Learn & Operate as LightWELD
Teach your cobot with manual guidance in minutes by moving the robotic arm through the required steps before saving the job with the push of a button.
An intuitive interface enables operators to select and save welding and cleaning presets, adjust laser parameters, and control the robotic arm, all from a single place.
The LightWELD Cobot System offers the flexibility and range of motion to tackle a variety of welds no matter how you work.
The LightWELD Cobot System is powered by LightWELD, the same laser technology that has revolutionized handheld laser welding and cleaning in shops across America.
LightWELD laser technology enables welders to weld better and weld more with a uniquely productive, efficient, and easy-to-learn tool.
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Maximize Productivity in Any Shop
Easily weld a variety of thick, thin, and dissimilar metals with low heat input, minimal distortion, and improved visual appearance.
Skip manual cleaning and rapidly remove rust and other contaminants from materials to improve weld quality.
Improve visual finishes and remove heat discoloration with no need for dirty and time-consuming post-weld grinding.
The LightWELD Cobot System welds and cleans from the same torch. Simply switch to your desired mode and change out the nozzle, no tools required.
Stainless Steel |
up to 0.315" |
Galvanized Steel |
up to 0.315" |
Mild Steel |
up to 0.315" |
Aluminum |
up to 0.315" |
Aluminum |
up to 0.200" |
Nickel Alloys |
up to 0.275" |
Titanium |
up to 0.275" |
Copper |
up to 0.120" |
Weld Seam Width |
up to 5 mm |
Pre- & Post-Weld Cleaning |
up to 15 mm |
Reach |
1370 mm |
Work Envelope |
360° |
Repeatability |
± 0.020 mm |
Welding Angle |
Any |
Tool Center Point Speed |
up to 2 m/s |
Motion |
6-Axis |
Payload |
up to 12 kg |
Robot Model |
ABB CRB 15000 GoFa™ |
The LightWELD Cobot System combines a LightWELD laser source designed for safe operation with a robotic arm purpose-built for safe collaboration with humans in close proximity.
Flexibility for Any Shop Environment
Get started with just the basics. Requires integration onto your shop floor into a separate enclosed space for safe laser operation.
Add a removable safety enclosure built specifically for the LightWELD Cobot System with integrated fume extraction, dual-channel interlocking doors, and a viewing window.
Customize your workspace with 2 or more laser safe anodized aluminum walls. Built from 4' or 6' modular panels and includes door, viewing window, and laser safety signage.
High-accuracy, robust feeding mechanism enhances LightWELD welding capabilities with both hard and soft wire.
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The LightWELD Carbon Fiber Welding Helmet is a lightweight welding helmet designed to provide unsurpassed operator protection. No ordinary carbon fiber, the unique properties of the LightWELD carbon fiber helmet and lens system produces a weld helmet that is designed to be compliant with EN207 directive and offers impact protection to ANSI Z87+W16 rating.
Features
Benefits
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The precision gas lens nozzle is ideal solution for welders seeking to improve gas shielding performance when welding materials sensitive to oxygen, moisture, or other vapors or gases that may be present in the atmosphere. The improved purging reduces formation of undesirable compounds in the weld that may lead to excessive oxidation or structural defects.
Features
Benefits
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Contact our dedicated LightWELD support team by phone, email or the form on this page to:
Phone: +1 508.506.2877
Email: LightWELD@IPGPhotonics.com
Email: Contact-LightWELD@IPGPhotonics.com
Productivity can be increased, as LightWELD offers the convenience of being easily converted between manual and COBOT operation, particularly for more complex projects not practical for the latter. Additionally, it is programmed with ease for new projects and features fast change over for existing ones. To reduce costs and optimize workforce for better utilization, employees can be upskilled to undertake more productive tasks and critical projects. The use of LightWELD also leads to improved product quality and consistency by eliminating rework and scrap due to COBOT control of laser settings. Furthermore, the robot runs at programmed speeds, ensuring a more uniform weld.
An experienced integrator will be able to provide advice on which applications are well suited for COBOT integration and which require more advanced laser and robotic technology, such as high-volume production applications.
Easy removal of LightWELD for hand held laser welding when COBOT use is not practical.
The angle of the weld tip is precisely controlled for optimum weld melt pool formation, resulting in a superior weld.
Automatic selection of laser parameters increases flexibility and utilization of the LightWELD unit. COBOT capability to control weld parameters enables separate process recipe for the spot weld compared to the seam weld. No need for the operator to change parameters.
Elimination of human inconsistency ensures better production yield. For thinner materials, risk of burn through may be eliminated. The COBOT starts and stops at the same position every time, reducing rework.
The highly repeatable motion profile and capability to set the contact force of the COBOT ensures that the tip stays right on the centerline of the joint during welding.
COBOTs are quick and easy to setup.
Low volume high product mix applications that can be welded by hand.
Repeatable fixturing and part fit up are required to hold the workpiece in correct location for welding.
Fanuc and Universal Robots are currently supported.
No, IPG does not provide COBOT integration services. Integration of the COBOT is solely the responsibility of the system integrator.
A smart button interface enables programing COBOT positions using free drive mode.
Your welder will be interfaced with the COBOT control unit, this allows the COBOT to trigger the laser and set weld parameters.
No, it does not. Traditional robotic welding systems often feature process and equipment monitoring technology and operate at higher speeds and precision. An experienced integrator will be able to provide guidance on applications suitable for COBOTs.
Not at all. LightWELD laser welding technology is easy to learn no matter your welding experience, laser or otherwise. All LightWELD systems come preloaded with more than 100 welding and cleaning parameters for the most common materials and thicknesses. You can also create your own custom recipes to match your travel speed and desired weld penetration.
The LightWELD Cobot System (LWCS) does not require operators to program with code (although that is an option, if preferred). Instead, LWCS is most commonly taught by manually guiding the robotic arm through a welding or cleaning job. The arm can remember hundreds of jobs and will perform the steps and motions for a specific job whenever needed.
No. Just the opposite, actually. Cobots are designed to work alongside humans to help with a variety of jobs and tasks. The LightWELD Cobot System requires a skilled welder to teach it how to perform various welding jobs.
Cobots are like any other tool — they are inteded to help creators and craftsmen be faster and more efficient and to enable the production of higher quality end products.
The LightWELD Cobot System is designed to help skilled welders be more productive. While the system is capable of a wide variety of welding and cleaning tasks, it is particularly well-suited for handling repetitive and unfulfilling welding jobs. Working more efficiently through this type of weld helps skilled welders spend their time on more challenging and interesting welds. As a bonus, the high repeatability and precision of LightWELD Cobot Systems reduces the amount of time welders must spend on rework and grinding.
Laser welding should be thought of as another tool in your welding toolbox and does not replace traditional welding methods in every application. However, laser welding offers a number of advantages over MIG & TIG welding:
All LightWELD products sold in the United States are manufactured in the United States.
LightWELD is a handheld laser welding and cleaning technology designed to maximize productivity and weld quality. LightWELD and handheld laser welding are established solutions for welders and fabricators around the world.
The same LightWELD technology powers the LightWELD Cobot System. If needed, the LightWELD handheld system can be toollessly disconnected from the cobot system for handheld use.
Laser welding requires some safety measures like any other welding method. Laser welding is safe provided operators and bystanders wear the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and the laser is operated in a laser safe enclosure.
Safety is the number one priority for all LightWELD systems, which ship with included laser safety glasses and laser safe welding helmets. LightWELD laser units include features like emergency stop buttons, safety interlocks, and easy integration with welding areas to shut down the laser if the door is opened unexpectedly.
Yes, you can easily weld dissimilar metals like copper to stainless steel or to aluminum, plus parts with different thicknesses across a variety of weld joint types.
You can run LightWELD at 100% duty cycle at maximum laser power.
LightWELD offers seven modes of operation to match your needs:
Wire Welding: standard MIG wire is fed into the laser weld to increase the size of the weld bead or overcome poor part fit-up
Fusion Welding: the laser produces a constant stream of light for maximum penetration and travel speed
Pulsed Welding: the laser produces pulses of light to lower travel speed and heat input, creating a "stacked dimes" appearance
Tack Weld: the laser delivers a controlled amount of energy to produce identical tack welds
Stitch Welding: used for creating multiple tack or overlap welds
High Peak Power Mode: short bursts of high power are used to weld reflective metals
Contact Us and a LightWELD specialist will get back to you ASAP.
LightWELD Cobot Systems are made in the USA for sale in the USA.
Getting Started Is Easy
Not sure where to start? Our laser welding experts can get you up and running quickly with onsite installation and training, application evaluations, and more.
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