Gullco equipment used to automate and improve productivity in side panel welding at Caterpillar
The Caterpillar Stockton (UK) Ltd. Plant selected Gullco International (UK) Limited to supply weld automation equipment/ systems to improve quality and efficiency in a variety of M.I.G/ M.A.G. welding applications. Gaffney Industrial and Welding Supplies Ltd. Was chosen to support the sale and later service the Gullco equipment.
Dual torches guided by Gullco Kat-Trackers simultaneously weld both sides of the work piece.
One of the applications involved Side Panel welding utilizing a twin torch system. The scope of supply was for 4 complete, custom designed welding machines to be used for different jobs at the Caterpillar Stockton works facility. The unit pictured above shows a large Gullco travel carriage complete with wire feed units, fume extraction equipment, control equipment and two
Gullco Kat-Tracker seam trackers. ITW, Miller welding torches were selected for these demanding welding applications. Fume extraction equipment was supplied by Nederman. These large 6 to 12 meter long “turnkey” units were assembled totally “in-house” at Gullco's Appley Bridge, UK facility from 60% standard Gullco products. This enabled Gullco to meet critical delivery deadlines established to ensure Caterpillar production schedules were maintained. The machines are controlled by Mitsubishi PLC's programmed by Gullco (UK). .
Dual torches are used in these machines to substantially increase productivity and improve efficiency by welding two sides of a component simultaneously.
Gullco Kat-Tracker probe with replaceable tip can be seen in the bottom left of the photo. They are precisely positioned relative to the torch prior to operation using a micro-cross-slide
GBM-28-U produces clean machined bevels on the underside of plate at up to 2 meters per minute using the rotary shear method of metal removal.
Welding accuracy and quality are dependant on precise seam tracking and a reliable electrical interface of all the components via the PLC. In order to meet the production and quality requirements at Caterpillar, the Gullco Kat-Tracker WSG-1200 was selected. These tactile seam trackers continually sense the slightest variation across the weld seam and automatically correct the position of the weld torch. They provide precise right/left and vertical/horizontal tracking plus automatic “tack detection” and “end-of-plate” detection. In total, eight Gullco Kat-Trackers were used in the 4 Machines. Some use 100mm x 100mm Slides where the work piece is approximately parallel to the fixture and each joint is approximately parallel to the other. In other cases the trackers were supplied with 150mm x 350mm slides to accommodate tapered work pieces.
As part of this project, Caterpillar purchased a Gullco GBM-28-U high speed portable, self propelled plate edge beveling machine. It is used to produce a clean machined bevel with no thermal distortion on thick sections plate at 2m/min. This beveller with adjustable beveling head can produce bevel angles 22 1/2° through 55°.
The rotary shear principle incorporated by this machine results in low noise/ vibration and high speed operation. This GBM-28-U unit bevels the under side of the plate.
