A client from Saudi Arabia contacted us via the UMW official website seeking an automated welding solution for large structural components. The client is a long-standing manufacturer of trailers and transport equipment, primarily producing trailer chassis, frames, and related structural parts. With the growth of market orders, the client sought to optimize their existing manual welding processes, improve weld quality consistency, and alleviate the physical strain associated with repetitive welding tasks.
Client Background
The client specializes in the manufacturing of trailers and related transport equipment; their product range includes trailer chassis, frames, and various load-bearing structural components.
Manufacturers typically assemble trailer chassis by welding various structural components, such as shaped steel and square tubing. These large components require numerous weld seams during the production process. As production demands increased, the client aimed to boost production efficiency and welding consistency—while ensuring high weld quality—and reduce their ongoing reliance on skilled manual welders.
Based on the client’s existing production model and workpiece characteristics, UMW provided a mobile collaborative robot welding solution for the automated welding of trailer structural components.
Specific Workpieces, Materials, and Challenges
This project focuses on welding shaped steel components used in trailer chassis and frame structures.
Key workpieces include:
380PFC Shaped Steel
- Profile dimensions: 380 × 100 mm;
- Web thickness: 10.0 mm;
- Flange thickness: 17.5 mm.
Manufacturers primarily use this type of shaped steel for load-bearing structures in trailer chassis, where weld strength, fusion stability, and seam consistency are critical.
50SHS Square Hollow Section (SHS)
- Profile dimensions: 50 × 50 mm
- Wall thickness: To be finalized by the client
- Common wall thickness for trailer chassis ranges from 3.0 to 4.0 mm.
These square tubes are typically used for frames, supports, and auxiliary structures, requiring a balance of weld quality, heat input control, and weld appearance.
Due to the significant difference in thickness between the workpieces and the large dimensions of the trailer structures, the client required an automated system capable of welding thicker shaped steel while offering high mobility and flexibility.
Client’s Original Processing Method and Pain Points
The client’s original production process relied primarily on manual welding. For large structural components like trailer chassis, manual welding offers some flexibility but reveals the following issues as production volumes rise:
- Welding quality is heavily dependent on the individual operator
Variations among welders—such as welding speed, torch angle, electrode stick-out, and operating habits—make it difficult to maintain consistent quality over the long term, especially for long or repetitive welds.
- Welding large workpieces is physically demanding
Due to the large size of trailer chassis, welders must frequently reposition themselves and maintain welding postures for extended periods, leading to fatigue.
- Production efficiency is constrained by the number of skilled welders.
Certain critical welds require highly experienced welders; as order volumes increase, manual welding can become a bottleneck for scaling up production capacity.
Consequently, the customer seeks to use robots for highly repetitive welding tasks, allowing human workers to focus on assembly, positioning, inspection, and other processes requiring flexible judgment.
Equipment Recommended by UMW and Selection Rationale
Based on the trailer chassis dimensions, profile thickness, welding method, and on-site operational requirements, UMW recommends the following equipment configuration:
E10L Collaborative Welding Cart
Trailer chassis are large structural components; a mobile collaborative welding solution offers greater flexibility than frequently transporting the entire workpiece to a fixed robotic workstation.
Operators can move and redeploy the equipment across different welding zones, making it ideal for large trailer frames, multi-station production, and workpieces of various sizes.
Joystick Control System
Using a joystick to adjust the robot’s position and teach welding points lowers the operational barrier, enabling on-site personnel to intuitively adjust the robot’s path.
It also facilitates easier program modifications when handling different trailer models or changes in specific structural details. Pulse-MIG 500RP Plus
For thicker structural steel components like the 380PFC, stable arc output and strong adaptability to various welding processes are required.
The Pulse-MIG 500RP Plus integrates with the robot to deliver stable MIG/MAG welding, providing tailored welding parameters for structural components of varying thicknesses.
TRM605WPP Push-Pull Welding Torch
The system is equipped with a TRM605WPP push-pull welding torch, designed to enhance wire-feeding stability while also accommodating the customer’s future needs for aluminum welding.
In applications requiring high wire-feeding stability—such as aluminum welding—the push-pull mechanism mitigates instability issues often associated with long-distance wire feeding.
Automatic Torch Cleaning Station
Trailer structures feature numerous weld seams, requiring the robot to continuously execute multi-segment welding tasks.
The inclusion of an automatic torch cleaning station allows for periodic torch maintenance; this minimizes the impact of spatter accumulation on welding stability and supports continuous production.
Actual Processing
Following solution confirmation, UMW conducted robotic welding tests based on the customer’s specific profiles and welding requirements.
During testing, the workpiece was first positioned according to the structural characteristics of the 380PFC and 50SHS, with welding parameters set to match the specific material thicknesses.
Next, a joystick was used to teach the robot the welding start point, end point, and path, while the torch orientation was adjusted to align with the actual weld seam location.
The robot performed automatic welding along the programmed path, with the test focusing on the following:
- Arc stability;
- Weld seam formation;
- Welding path accuracy;
- Arc ignition and crater-filling performance;
- Parameter adaptability for workpieces of varying thicknesses;
- Stability during continuous operation on long weld seams.
Engineers adjusted welding speed, current, voltage, wire-feeding speed, and torch orientation based on the specific structure and weld seam location to ensure the robot’s trajectory matched the actual workpiece.
After testing, the program and parameters were further optimized based on the actual weld seam results.
Specific Advantages of the Equipment in This Application
Better suited for large trailer structural components
Trailer chassis and frames are large in size; using a fully stationary robotic workstation would necessitate addressing challenges related to handling and positioning large workpieces, as well as the workstation’s footprint. The collaborative welding carriage can move close to the workpiece to perform welding, making it particularly suitable for the production environment of large structural components.
Accommodating Profiles of Varying Thicknesses
This project involves both 380PFC heavy-gauge steel and 50SHS square tubing; different structures have distinct requirements regarding heat input and welding parameters.
By coordinating robot programming with welding parameters, specific welding programs can be established for different workpieces, enhancing adaptability across various specifications.
Improving Weld Consistency
Robots can repeatedly execute welding tasks at set speeds, angles, and trajectories, minimizing weld inconsistencies caused by human variability.
This advantage is particularly significant for the numerous repetitive welds found in trailer chassis.
Lowering Operational Barriers
Utilizing collaborative robots and joystick-based teaching methods eliminates the need for the complex programming procedures typical of traditional industrial robots.
On-site operations become more flexible regarding product changeovers, localized weld adjustments, and the introduction of new workpieces.
Facilitating Continuous Welding Production
The welding power source, push-pull welding torch, and automatic torch cleaning station form a complete robotic welding system; this reduces the need for frequent manual intervention during welding and supports continuous equipment operation.
Why Choose UMW?
Achieving automated production in trailer manufacturing involves more than simply connecting a robot to a welding machine.
Factors such as workpiece dimensions, profile thicknesses, weld locations, and the shop floor layout directly influence the final solution.
UMW configures equipment and matches processes based on the customer’s specific workpieces. We provide not only the collaborative robot but also an integrated welding solution comprising the power source, push-pull torch, cleaning system, and a mobile work platform.
To meet specific production needs, UMW offers:
- Workpiece and weld analysis;
- Robot solution selection;
- Welding process testing;
- Welding parameter optimization;
- Robot path debugging;
- System integration;
- Operational training;
- Ongoing technical support.
Rather than purchasing isolated pieces of equipment, the customer receives a robotic welding system configured specifically for trailer welding processes. This lowers the barrier to adopting automation and lays the foundation for expanding robotic welding applications in the future.
Summary
Through the implementation of this robotic welding solution, the customer has successfully upgraded the production of trailer structural components from manual to automated welding. If you have similar requirements, please contact UMW for a customized solution.