Valk Welding sets out to maintain a high level of service and support for its clients. Valk Welding has kept pace with the rapid growth in the number of installed welding robots and the activities outside of the Benelux region by enlarging the base for the provision of service and support. For that purpose most of the service departments of the foreign establishments in Denmark, France and the Czech Republic have been strengthened with our own service staff. That means that systems built at Valk Welding in the Net-herlands can be serviced by the foreign establishments themselves, without placing an added burden on the national activities.

New establishment in DenmarkValk Welding’s expansion strategy aimed at continuing to extend its position as European system integrator recently led to the esta-blishment of a company and the occupation of new business premises in the centre of Denmark. Valk Welding has already been selling welding robot systems in Denmark for some years, as a result of which the number of robots installed in that country has risen to fifty. The new facility houses sales, technical support, software support, parts storage and a demo/technical centre. There is also sufficient space for continued growth in the years to come. Only the assembly of welding robot systems will remain concentrated in the Netherlands.

Valk mailing

Also in this issue

a publication of Valk Welding 8th

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© Valk Welding BV, 2008Alle rights reserved.

Service & support up to full strength

• Customer Support to optimise welding

production. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

• New: DTPS G2 support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

• Ron Snijder, Linido: “Staff knowledge also needs maintenancecontract . . . . . . . . . 3

• Kemi sees its own mentality mirrored at Valk Welding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

• Complete welding robotcell delivered from stock within 1 week . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

• Welding robot and DTPS create peace at Hekamp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7

• Voortman integrates Valk Welding cutting robot in beam coping system. . . . . . . . . . . . 7

• Construction of huge Bollegraaf system in its final stage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

3 technicians of Valk Welding DK A\S and 2 part-timers at Valk Welding’s new busi-ness premises in Nørre Aaby, Denmark.

Broadly trained service techniciansWith 7 service technicians in the Benelux region and 5 beyond for 1600 instal-led robots, Valk Welding has a relatively small service team. That has everything to do with the low sensitivity of the robots to malfunctions. Also, most of the faults that do occur can be solved by telephone. According to Valk Wel-ding’s service manager for the Benelux region, Ad van Boxel, the fact that service technicians regularly have to solve faults on location is usually down to operating errors. “Properly training the people who operate the welding robots minimises the number of call-outs.

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Customer Support

to optimise welding

productionWith its leading specialists in offline and online robot

programming, Valk Welding makes it possible to screen

existing welding robot systems and their program-

ming and to advise on their continued optimisation.

The Customer Support department, indirectly headed

by technical director Adriaan Broere, not only provides

customers with practical programming support, but can

also be hired on a consultancy basis. Adriaan Broere:

“Customers are usually satisfied with their welding robot,

but are not getting the most out of it. It usually turns out

that the robot can do more than the customer thinks.

When we go through the system with the client, we often

find a number of potential improvements that can ulti-

mately increase output. By way of example, a customer

recently hired one of our programmers for 2 days to

screen a new welding robot system, and we were able to

increase its output by 5%. That ultimately covered much

more than the consultancy fees.

High level of know-how With almost 30 years’ experience in welding robotisation and a very low personnel turnover, Valk Welding is way ahead in know-how in this field. That is clearly underlined by the fact that Valk Welding programmers are asked by the American Panasonic office to give DTPS training courses. This follows from the close partner-ship between Valk Welding and Panasonic’s Japanese programmers, which have worked for years on making the software suitable for small series production in Western Europe. The number of specialists in the Valk Welding organisation work-ing on DTPS has increased to six. That knowledge base has also increased internally to about 25 people, including robot program-mers and technical advisors who work with the system on a day-to-day basis.

Software specialists Daniël de Baat, Hans Hazelebach, Paul van den Bos, Bastiaan Hardam, Adriaan Broere and Anton Ackermans (not in the photo)

New: DTPS G2 support contractTo keep pace with the sharp growth in the number of outstanding licences for offline programming and simula-tion software for welding robots, DTPS G2, Valk Welding is planning to deliver support and updates on a contract basis. DTPS users will then be able to rely on specialists provid-ing telephone support, email support and remote service for a small fee, and will also receive an annual update. For the time being the support contract is only be offered to customers in the Benelux region, and only under conditions beyond.Information: adriaan.broere@valkwelding.com

Broadly trained service techniciansFaults are often caused by incorrect programming, which can result in the robot crashing. In those cases we have to repair the damage caused to the robot. The technicians also solve faults arising from the robot or robot control system. Our service technicians need to be able to carry out that kind of work from start to finish. For that reason they are given broad training in the mechanical, electrical and programming areas. Even though the robots do not require much maintenance, they do need preventative maintenance, such as lubrication of the tracking for the peripheral components, the

replacement of batteries and checking the robot for safety aspects, etc., so that it remains in tip-top condition. Clients sometimes forget or skip the preventative maintenance owing to the demanding production schedules. Valk Welding can also carry out preventative maintenance on the basis of subsequent costing or a maintenance contract. But in cases where a client has a robot system breakdown, we are expected to provide a fast response. On that point we are the client’s first port of call. Our aim is to get a technician to the client’s premises within 24 hours of receiving the call. That is the strength of our service organisation.

Continued form front page...

As Procurement and Production manager responsible for Linido’s production continuity, Ron Snijder does not have much contact with Valk Welding in the service area. Ron Snijder: “The robots themselves require little maintenance and complete their cycles without prob-lems day in, day out. That says something about the reliability of the robot systems, which we are more than satisfied with. But that does not mean that there is nothing our supplier can do for us. Valk Welding’s wide ranging facilities and services in the training area are very important to us. This year Valk Welding gave two of our people refresher training in programming. The robots themselves do not require maintenance, but the knowledge of the people who operate

Linido in Pijnacker develops and produces safety appli-

ances for use in the bath, shower and toilet by elderly and

disabled people. The company is one of the world’s leading

specialists in this field, and has a streamlined organisation

and modern production systems.

Linido has been working in partnership with Valk Welding

in the welding technology area since 1991. The current

welding robot has been running for about twelve years, and

is virtually maintenance-free. Four years ago the company

commissioned a handling robot for the tubes on a Mewag

bending machine. Despite the low maintenance require-

ment, Ron Snijder has a clear opinion on the service of

Valk Welding: “We hardly ever see Valk Welding people for

maintenance, but we do need them to keep the knowledge

of our personnel up to standard. We regard the broad

support provided by Valk Welding in that area as an impor-

tant maintenance task for a supplier.”

Ron Snijder, Linido:

“Staff knowledge also needs maintenance”

Procurement & Production manager Ron Snijder with the collapsible toilet brackets that are bent with the bending cell.

The handling robot on the Mewag pipe bending machine processes a bulk of 500 tubes. The cell is placed in a separate hall that is only entered for logistics (incoming and outgoing materials)

Staff Linido training by Valk Welding up to date in the field of robotics.

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and programme them does. You have to keep up with the state of technology in order to continue to make full use of the functionali-ties of the robot and the programme.”

Linido this year initiated an optimisation study for the welding robot. That revealed that if the necessary knowledge was available, the robot would be able to weld more products in small series. Ron Snijder: “When our assistant foreman left he took a large amount of the knowledge in this area with him, and we weren’t even entirely able to make improvements to the welding robot. Valk Welding responds to those situations with an excellent range of courses, for outdated and the very latest welding robots alike. Valk Welding has now taught two of our people all the ‘tips and tricks’ in the program-ming area, and we are now able to efficiently programme the improvements and new products using the teach pendant.”

www.linido.com

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Kemi sees its own mentality mirrored

at Valk Welding

After his father had bought the first

welding robot at Valk Welding in

1978, Anton Smits of Kemi once again

opted for Valk Welding 25 years later.

Because the TIG welding of thin-

walled products is very precise work,

intensive cooperation was needed to

come up with a successful applica-

tion. Anton Smits: “We set out to

present ourselves to our clients

as a supplier with a constructive

approach. That idea and approach

is mirrored at Valk Welding.”

Anton Smits Jr. and Fons Smits Sr. with technical consultant Bas van Haagen of Valk Welding (middle)

Successful TIG welding applica-tion through close partnership

intensive cooperation was needed to

come up with a successful applica-

tion.

present ourselves to our clients

as a supplier with a constructive

approach. That idea and approach

is mirrored at Valk Welding.

The welding robot systems have since been running at Kemi for four years without any problems, and that is exceptional by any standards.

When it comes to the TIG welding of thin-walled work pieces it is important to make sure that the seams are connected very closely together. A tolerance of 10% of the plate thickness is by no means exceptional. Anton Smits: “The use of welding jigs is extremely important to TIG welding with the robot. The work piece has to be supported over the entire length so that the tolerance remains consistent all along it. The suppli-er’s support was especially important in the start-up phase. It is precisely in the develop-ment of the welding jigs that you have to work in close partnership. That has enabled us to lay a good foundation. It might be the technology that determines success, but the supplier’s know-how is important too.”

Always the latest technologyKemi (Kempische Metaalwaren Industrie b.v.) was the first customer that Valk Welding

delivered a welding robot to in February 1979. Kemi used that welding robot to weld steel frames for scaffolding, which made Kemi one of the first suppliers to invest in that kind of process automation. The company also owned the first NC-control-led angle bending machines and punching machines. That investment strategy is still reflected in the company’s machinery to this very day. Continuously investing in the latest technologies has enabled Kemi to develop into an all-round plating supplier with a thickness processing range from 0.2 to 3 mm and lengths up to 4 m.

Getting the basics rightThe company’s growth can be largely attrib-uted to investing in state-of-the-art technol-ogy. “But what you do with it is even more important, says Anton Smits. Despite the wide variety of welding processes we only use the welding robot for the TIG welding of a limited number of thin-walled products. It is important to get the basics right: the machine, the jig and the product must be precisely geared to each other, especially when it comes to plating. The product must join up perfectly, with a tolerance of 10% of the plate thickness. That also calls for an extremely precise punching and bending process.”

Simple concept, high technologyThe robot cell delivered by Valk Welding 4 years ago is a standard H-frame design with two 3 m clamping units and a standard Panasonic VR welding robot. Anton Smits: “Because the TIG welding process calls for a high level of precision, the welding robot is only operated by professionals who under-stand the parameters that could disrupt the process. They keep an eye on the welding process and also clamp the products on the other side of the station.”

Very low maintenance“Because the welding robot is virtually maintenance-free, we haven’t yet had to make much use of Valk Welding’s service. Most of our problems have already been solved by telephone. On the occasions when a service engineer has been called out, that has mostly been to answer questions about using and programming the machines. We have designed the programmes on a self-teaching basis, making grateful use of the tips provided by Valk Welding’s technical consultant Bas van Hagen. What we regard as an important advantage is that after a collision the robot can easily be recalibrated, which makes it possible to continue using the programs as before.”www.kemi.nl

A satisfied customer for thirty years

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Hydrospex, The Heavy Lift Company, specialising in heavy transport, has developed into one of the world’s biggest suppliers of hoisting, raising and lifting systems. Without this company’s products and expertise the London Millennium Wheel would never have been put in place and the Russian submarine Kursk would probably still be resting on the seabed. At the establishment in Hengelo some 100 people develop solutions and build them for the world’s most widely ranging hoisting, lifting and tackling projects. Hydrospex recently delivered the control system and hydraulic components for the world’s biggest crane, which was comprehensively covered by the TV programme RTL Transport on 12 October 2008.

All disciplines under one roofThe fact that the hydraulics, mechanics and elec-tronics disciplines work in close partnership at the company makes it possible for Hydrospex to quickly gear the various technologies to each other. Each department is therefore well equipped and uses the latest CNC equipment for fast, efficient and high quality work. Production is organised in small series ranging from 3 to a maximum of 10 articles. At the steel construction department, all of the construc-tion sections are welded by hand by 30 people working in 3 shifts.

Valk Welding was asked this summer by

Hydrospex, a hydraulic heavy lifting systems

producer, to deliver a welding robot with a

short lead time. The company needed to weld

a series of 800 tubular products for a new

developed system in just a few months, a task

that would involve temporarily employing

15 extra welders. A welding robot would be

able to get the job done in 17 working days

under fully continuous production. Managing

Director Tjerko Jurgens wanted a welding

robot cell straight away and could not afford

to wait 3 months. Valk Welding was able to

meet this demand and delivered an M3100

preferred welding cell, ready for use, within 1

week. The M3100 is a complete welding robot

cell based on an H-frame concept with two

3m work stations, process control and full

CE protection.

Hydrospex puts first welding robot into operation

Complete welding robotcell delivered from stock within 1 week

First large seriesThe requirements for heavy transport are becoming increasingly stringent. Tjerko Jurgens: “Whereas the maximum used to be a few thousand tons, it is now around the 10,000 ton mark. The systems needed for that are getting bigger and bigger, but because of the far-off destina-tions they still have to be transported in sea containers. For that reason we build large systems such as these in smaller, transportable sections. Since you need a lot of small parts to build something big, the number of articles is increasing, and so are the series sizes.”

New systemThis is clearly illustrated by one of the new concepts currently being developed by Hydrospex. It is a new hoisting system consisting of hexagonal, tubular parts with a length of 1m, which are hydrau-lically lifted one by one up to a total height of 70 m. The concept is unique in terms of transport and fast construction at the location. 800 tube sections are needed for the first prototype.

Saving of 3 hours per productWelding the tubular sections by hand takes about 3.5 hours, including weld-ing on the top and bottom plates. The welding robot takes 30 minutes for the same task. With two stations, the M3100 welding robot cell makes it possible to clamp a product on one side while the robot welds the other. In the meantime, the operator can pre-attach and preheat the next sections in order to absorb the tension in the material during the weld-ing process.

Good investmentTjerko Jurgens does not expect the welding robots to be set aside once this project is finished. If the new concept catches on, the production could run up to 1 a month. “You can rest assured that now that Hydrospex has a welding robot, it won’t be long before it is used for more products. A good investment and a valuable addition to our production process.”

www.hydrospex.com

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Welding robot and DTPS create rest in productionprocess at Hekamp

The practical approach of Valk Welding and the func-

tionalities offered by the programming system DPTS G2

persuaded father and sons Kampert of Hekamp Werktuigen

en Aanbouwdelen to purchase a new welding robot system

from Valk Welding. At the beginning of this year Valk

Welding delivered a robot unit and programming system

for the welding production of complete shovelling and

loading buckets for the agricultural and excavation sectors.

Marco Kampert: “Our experiences with an existing

welding robot that no longer had enough capacity for our

current production level made us more open to a practical

approach than to glib sales arguments. Valk Welding not

only delivered the system, but also continued to support

us afterwards until the final 10% was solved.”

Driving through the farming area in Kootwijkerbroek, the last thing people would expect to see is an ultra-modern production company. This is where in the nineteen-fifties Henk Kampert Sr. began to manufac-ture shovelling and loading buckets for the local farming sector. That activity has since developed into a modern family firm produc-ing machinery and accessories with some 800 customers in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Denmark and a production level of around 4000 products a year.

Ample capacity with 4 clamping unitsHekamp contacted Valk Welding to ask whether it was possible to have its large products weighing more than 1000 kg welded with a robot and to programme the entire system offline. To facilitate maxi-mum flexibility and sufficient capacity for large products and separate parts alike, Valk Welding proposed a solution with 4 clamp-ing units, operated by 1 mounted welding robot. The system ultimately delivered by Valk Welding comprises a Panasonic TAWERS TA 1900 WG welding robot on an 18.5 metre freely programmable track that can be used on 4 clamping units. The first 2 stations are for heavy products and are therefore equipped with 3000 kg manipulators and a moment of up to 10,000 n/m. The third

station has a clamping unit with a 1000 kg manipulator. A fourth station is intended for small sub-assemblies, and is therefore fitted with a preliminary turntable. The four clamp-ing units make it possible to weld series and varied single items with the robot without having to keep changing the clamping jigs.

Completely produced in-houseThe products are manufactured and coated completely in-house with a lead time of about 3 weeks. Most of them are variants of standard products which differ between clients in terms of length, width, height and mounting. For this purpose Hekamp has its own plasma cutting system, a forming and welding department and a powder coating department. For each order the items are delivered as a construction pack to the weld-ing department, where Hekamp personnel compile the orders and provisionally attach them to an external station.

Final welding with the robotCompletely assembled and provisionally attached buckets often weighing hundreds of kilos are transported from the external stations to the welding robot. A bucket weighing 500 kg, for instance, is completely welded by the welding robot with an A6 welding height in about two hours. Marco Kampert: “Despite the fact that you can programme much more accurately with DTPS than online, you have to bear in mind that the actual model is always a bit differ-ent from the 3D simulated product.” That’s why for the final welding of this type of rough product, the starting position of the weld is located by means of tactile search-ing. A welding seam monitoring system is then used during the welding procedure. That way, minor differences in pre-opening and positioning are perfectly welded shut. That makes it possible to use offline programming without correction.

DTPS easy to learnAll of the products are designed and detailed in Solidworks. Article lists are then generated for the cutting of the flat parts. Solidworks files can be imported directly in DTPS to create the welding programs for the robot. Marco Kampert: “In the initial stage, a program had to be written for the welding robot for all the products. We programmed

Production manager Marco Kampert maintains regular contact with Alex Hol, techni-cal consultant of Valk Welding

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the first products together with Alex Hol of Valk Welding, and after that we were soon able to continue on our own. We’ve now pretty much got the hang of the programme, and it’s also possible to copy many exist-ing cycles from an existing programme and paste them into a new one.”

Combination enhances flexibilityMarco Kampert: “All in all the system with

4 work stations and external programming have helped us to achieve a high degree of flexibility. Whereas the previous system was programmed online and was only cost-effective for series work, we can now make several products in small series. That means that we can limit the stocks we keep and weld more products with the robot without having to keep changing the jigs. External programming is an important element of

this as it makes it possible for you to visu-alise the entire scenario of product, jig and robot and simulate the whole welding cycle. You can also plan production on that basis. With the support of Alex Hol, we quickly got the hang of the system. But it came as a complete surprise that we were able to use the system so soon.”

www.hekamp.nl

Valk Welding designed a oxyfuel

cutting robot for Voortman of Rijssen

(NL) to cut out different types of steel

profiles, such as I, H and U profiles,

tubes, angles and steel plating.

Voortman develops and builds dril-

ling and sawing systems for the steel

construction market. Integrating the

cutting robot - a 6-axis Panasonic

TA-1400 fitted with an oxyfuel cutting

torch - with its existing beam coping

system has made it possible for Voort-

man to upgrade the system into a

fully automatic CNC-controlled beam

coping system.

This CNC-controlled beam coping system stands out for its high processing speed and extremely accurate cutting process. The ac-curacy of this system is the result of a highly technical design with the robot mounted at the top of a solid frame. The frame is placed over the roller conveyors. To control the fee-ding of the profiles the system is fitted with a measuring roll positioning system. That makes it possible to position the profiles in the beam coping system at high speed and fully automatically.

The process control software makes it pos-sible to import DSTV data. Manual processing based on macros is also possible.

The first system was delivered to the German company Stahlbau Queck GmbH. This company supplies steel structures for the architectonic steel building sector, industrial building, sports complexes, high-rise buildings and industrial halls. Queck was looking for a replacement for its existing, outdated drilling and sawing system and for a beam cutting system. The new system had to feature higher output, minimal remnant material and a higher level of automation.

Voortman integrates Valk Welding cutting robot in beam coping system

A Hefkamp loading bucket being welded

The programming is done at the office in DTPS G2 while the robot welds

Overview of the complete cell at Hekamp

foto's : Voortman

The cutting robot is mounted on a robust frame placed over the roller conveyor. The 6-axis robot makes it possible to cut into the body and the flanges of the profiles. The robot can also apply welding seam preparations. See www.voortman.net (NL-version) for a video (search under V806M).

Colophon

‘Valk Mailing’ is a twice-yearly publication of Valk Welding B.V. and is sent free to all business relations. If you want to receive this publication

in the future, please send an email to info@valkwelding.com

The Netherlands:Valk Welding B.V.

Staalindustrieweg 15P.O. Box 60

2950 AB AlblasserdamTel. +31 78 69 170 11Fax +31 78 69 195 15

info@valkwelding.comwww.valkwelding.com

Belgium:Tel : +32 (0)3 685 14 77Fax : +32 (0)3 685 12 33

France:Valk Welding France

Tel. +33 (0)3 20 10 00 39Fax +33 (0)3 20 10 01 12

Denmark:Valk Welding DK A\STel. +45 44 68 31 81Fax +45 44 68 31 87

Czech Republic:Valk Welding s.r.o.

Tel. +420 596 790 198Fax +420 596 790 199

Production:Steenkist Communicatie, NL-Haarlem

steencom@tiscali.nl and Valk Welding B.V.

Photography:Valk Welding B.V.

and Steenkist Communicatie

Trade Fairs and Events

Valk Welding Users'clubAlblasserdam, Netherlands

May 2009

Eurowelding – MSV 2009 Nitra, Slovakia

19-22 mei 2009

Schweissen und SchneidenEssen, Germany

14-19 September 2009

Following the expansion of its consumables department, Valk Welding now has a team of 5 product specialists that can compre-hensively advise on you welding wire, weld-ing torches, wire conduction systems, weld-ing masks, personal protection and spare

parts for welding torches.Our product specialists are highly trained: not only in terms of product knowledge but also regarding the applications in day-to-day welding practice.

5 Product specialists advise you on welding consumables

At the assembly department of Valk Welding in Albasserdam, the finishing touches are now being made to the construction of a huge welding robot system for Bollegraaf Recycling Machinery in Appingedam. This welding robot system, with a longitudinal travel of 33m and equipped with 2 manipu-lators for 5 and 25 tons, is the biggest of its type ever built by Valk Welding for a Dutch client.

Bollegraaf Recycling Machinery delivers machines for the recycling industry all over the world, including bale presses for old paper and systems for the processing of industrial and domestic waste.Bollegraaf will be using the welding robot system to weld sub-assemblies and complete frames for its bale presses alike.

Valk Welding has been in contact with Bollegraaf for ten years, and that contact has gained momentum with the completion of a large number of welding robot systems for the Polish trailer building Wielton.

Valk Welding started building the system in September. At the same time Valk Welding programmers wrote the welding programmes for all of the products in DTPS G2. In the final stage those programmes were simulated one by one in DTPS in order to detect any conflicts at an early stage. While the system was being built, Bollegraaf people followed a DTPS G2 training course at Valk Welding’s Technical & Training Centre in Alblasserdam.The system is being put into operation at Bollegraaf at the beginning of 2009.

Construction of huge Bollegraaf system in its final stage