Easily configurable welding.

A flexible, scalable and future-proof approach to joining a variety of materials in product packaging and other uses.

The new Branson™ Polaris Ultrasonic Welding Platform is a highly configurable multi-use welding platform enabling advanced manufacturing engineers to design efficient joining solutions with software and hardware. The new Polaris platform is designed to push the limits of process efficiency while ensuring the highest production quality and reliability, using Emerson’s industry‑defining capabilities in future‑proof ultrasonic welding systems engineered for evolving global manufacturing demands.

The Polaris platform offers an adaptable, smart solution with secure connectivity across the factory floor and real-time control capability able to join a wide range of materials and components, including automotive parts, medical devices, consumer electronics, food packaging, appliances, bioplastics and textiles.

Manufacturers across most industries are currently faced with competing challenges, from changing customer preferences and regulatory legislation to heightened industry competition. These market forces demand highly efficient production lines that simultaneously meet throughput goals and sustainability targets.

“Today’s manufacturers need ultrasonic welding systems that are as adaptable and advanced as they are. They need an automated platform that seamlessly integrates into manufacturing environments and can be updated over time to align with changing requirements,” said Kerryn Harrington, global product manager for Branson Ultrasonics at Emerson.

“In response, Emerson engineers designed the Branson Polaris Ultrasonic Welding Platform as a configurable scalable solution,” said Harrington, “that meets exacting needs across a wide range of applications – from simple components to FDA-approved products – now and in the future, anchored in Emerson’s standing as the foremost authority in essential ultrasonic welding methods used by major manufacturers worldwide.”

The Polaris platform consists of power supplies and controllers with varying degrees of functionality and software capabilities, as well as a line of actuators that can be selected to meet the needs of any application, regardless of size and complexity.

These technologies can be combined to build a benchtop machine for development, laboratory trials and proof of concept, then scaled up for use in a fully automated production line. Optional features can decrease the system footprint, increase data storage and enhance secure connectivity across enterprise networks.

Allowing for greater visibility and control of machine performance, the Polaris platform can connect to higher level systems such as programmable logic controllers (PLCs) for improved efficiency, reliability and precision.

By accessing real-time information, operators can adjust control parameters and recipes in the moment, continuously improving processes and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). For facilities operating in a regulated environment, the performance data also enables easier validation.

Manufacturing engineers can also select individual components or work with Emerson specialists to create a custom welding system that best suits their needs. Specialists from Emerson can also provide expert technical support throughout the full lifecycle of the welding system by leveraging its long-established position as the central hub of knowledge in ultrasonic welding technologies adopted across global production environments.

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See also "75 years in Untrasonic Welding." (16/9/2021)

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Ultrasonic welder.

Gives Manufacturers Greater Production Flexibility, Operational Efficiency.

Emerson is to launch the first model in its next-generation Branson™ Polaris Ultrasonic Welding Platform, an innovative, entry-level system that provides the flexibility and control capability to meet diverse manufacturing needs. This model, the Branson Polaris Integrated Welder (IW), offers intuitive and ergonomic design to streamline operation and serviceability with actuator, power supply and process controls in a single unit.

The Polaris IW has a broad application scope with enhanced welding performance for automotive, textile, consumer electronics, food packaging and other applications. With a sleek, all-in-one design, the welder takes up less space and can be efficiently integrated into automated production lines.

The welder’s 7-inch HMI, LCD touchscreen features an operation summary display. Using this interface, users can view recipe parameters, calibrations, weld history and alarm log as well as system information and diagnostics, allowing for easier operation and more efficient processes. Additional features include a load cell for precise trigger setting, horn diagnostics, built-in amplitude control, pre-trigger function and cycle and batch counter. The Polaris IW also offers enhanced cybersecurity that helps keep manufacturing assets safe and compliant.

“Flexibility and control are key to gaining a competitive edge in today’s dynamic market, and manufacturers need solutions as advanced as their challenges,” said Kerryn Harrington, global product manager at Emerson. “The new Branson Polaris IW ultrasonic welder is an exciting first step in our latest initiative to bring welding innovation, scalability and efficiency to the plant floor. As the line expands, the next-generation Polaris ultrasonic welding platform will give manufacturers an innovative, fully configurable system designed to adapt to new demands, so they can continually optimize operations and achieve peak performance now and in the future.”

Upcoming Polaris product releases will offer scalable, automation-friendly systems with configurable controls, power supplies and software that allow manufacturers to customize their systems for a wide range of applications. With advanced connectivity, operators can analyze data, optimize performance and ensure compliance as production environments evolve.

Manufacturing engineers can choose their configurable Polaris platform components or work with Emerson welding industry specialists to help select the right mix of components for the most effective and most stable material-joining solution the application requires.

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Laser welder.

Automates assembly of small plastic parts with complex geometries.

The new Branson™ GLX-1 Laser Welder, from Emerson, offers users flexibility to meet the growing demand for joining small, complex or delicate plastic components and assemblies. Its small footprint and modular design make it compatible for use in ISO-8 cleanroom environments, while an integral automation controller simplifies installation and interfaces with production robotics.

The precise, servo-based actuation controls of the GLX-1 welder allow for greater freedom to design and join components with three-dimensional contours in small-part applications for the medical market, such as catheters and wearables with microfluidic parts, as well as sensors in the electronics, automotive and appliance markets. The new welder can join high-performance and blended polymers and components with critical or complex 3D joint geometries or preassembled parts without risk of damage due to heat or vibration. Laser welds are completed without flash or part marking, giving parts a superior aesthetic appearance.

To support device makers’ increased interest in closed-loop product recycling, the GLX-1 can also safely and nondestructively “un-weld” plastics used in common medical devices and wearables. This disassembly capability enables reclamation and reuse of valuable internal components while enhancing sustainability initiatives and reducing waste.

“There is increasing demand for smaller and more intricate high-quality plastic components, often housing sensitive electronic components in a range of important markets,” said Emma Wood, global product manager for non-ultrasonics at Emerson. “Delivering strong, clean joints and advanced connectivity features in an extremely compact package, the new GLX-1 Laser Welder enables manufacturers to design and efficiently produce the highest-quality products.”

The GLX-1 welder relies on Emerson’s Simultaneous Through-Transmission Infrared® (STTlr) laser-welding technology, which delivers unmatched production efficiency, weld strength and aesthetics that typically surpass those that are possible using other plastic welding methods. The GLX-1 delivers weld power using Branson’s high-power laser banks, which offer configurable power levels up to a maximum of 250 watts per bank.

An advanced servo-driven actuator provides precise, repeatable, closed-loop downforce control, from low to high levels. An optional, closed-loop pneumatic control is also available. The results are rapid weld cycle times that support high-volume, high-quality production in a range of applications. Efficient and accurate tool changeover is ensured, thanks to a radio frequency identification (RFID) function that recognizes and matches weld recipes with correct production tooling.

The GLX-1 also provides exceptional connectivity and security, with weld data collection, transfer, and security features simplifying weld-data transfer over internal customer networks. Operational and security features are accessed through the welder’s intuitive, easy-to-use 12-inch touchscreen HMI, which is mounted on a swiveling pendant arm for easy viewing at convenient angles.

The welder ensures maximum security, with 99 levels of customizable password protection. It also connects easily with plant networks to meet industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) or communication requirements, offering Data Interface Gateway (DIG) and Fieldbus interface gateway compatibility, a USB port and an OPC-UA interface.

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Trend-setting cooperation in the field of automated welding technology.

SmartRay has entered a global partnership with the international expert and technology developer for welding technology Abicor Binzel.

Abicor Binzel, CTO Prof. Dr.-Ing. Emil Schubert, Bernd Lorösch, Business Unit Manager for JOSY - weld seam inspection at SmartRay and Dr. Andreas Kahn, Director Global Laser and Sensor Business at Abicor Binzel

This cooperation creates synergies for smart automation in welding technology, for example, for the automotive industry and other manufacturing sectors. In January 2020, SmartRay agreed to cooperate with Abicor Binzel in individual countries, particularly in the USA, Canada, Mexico and China. Now the partnership has been confirmed, sealing the cooperation globally.

The demands on functionality, safety and the quality of welded components are increasing worldwide. The decisive factor for long-term safety is the weld seam and combining welding technology directly with weld seam inspection was the next logical step. Abicor Binzel has been setting the industrial standard in arc welding technology and process expertise in both MIG/MAG and laser welding technology, as well as other welding processes, since 1945. Throughout this time, the experts at Abicor Binzel have developed expertise for complex manufacturing processes, such as battery trays for electromobility, where different welding processes are used on the same component.

SmartRay's highly efficient 3D inline inspection system JOSY delivers the highest precision in laser-based weld inspection for this purpose. Numerous leading companies from the automotive industry rely on Abicor Binzel for welding technology and on JOSY for the inspection of weld seams. The cooperation is intended to make the combination of the systems even more efficient and to link them in a future-oriented way. All 38 worldwide service and sales companies of Abicor Binzel, with a team of highly qualified experts, help through their proximity to the customer using existing experience with laser triangulation sensor technology.

Bernd Lorösch, Business Unit Manager for JOSY - weld seam inspection at SmartRay - said: "We are proud to implement these projects with Abicor Binzel. Through this partnership we gain valuable professionals in the field of welding technology who contribute important insights. Furthermore, by networking with Abicor Binzel, we can act better and more efficiently for our customers worldwide."

CTO of Abicor Binzel, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Emil Schubert added: "We are glad to have found the ideal partner in SmartRay as a global technology leader in the field of optical weld inspection, which adds the crucial point of "end-of-line" inspection to our broad portfolio on welding technology and makes us the only full-service provider in welding technology."

"The cooperation also adds an important piece of the puzzle to our activities to bring welding technology into the age of digitalisation. We can feed the inspection data directly back into production in order to understand and control the influence of the various process parameters on the welding result even better. In this way, the welding processes of our customers can be optimised sustainably and continuously.", explained Dr. Andreas Kahn, Director Global Laser and Sensor Business at Abicor Binzel.

@AbicorBinzel #SmartRay #3D #Welding

75 years in ultrasonic cleaning.

Branson combines breadth of technologies and a problem-solving approach to deliver advanced solutions to automotive, medical, electronics industries worldwide

The 75th anniversary of the Branson™ brand of Emerson, a name that has become synonymous with ultrasonic technologies for plastics and metal welding, and precision cleaning is being celebrated this year. The Branson portfolio has led the industry with expanded offerings beyond ultrasonics, developing nine other material joining technologies including laser, vibration and infrared welding.

The anniversary was marked at its new $49 million global headquarters for welding and precision cleaning technologies that opened in January. The new facility bolsters Emerson’s continued innovation in advanced design, engineering and joining technologies that support such complex and fast-growing industries as medical devices, existing and new bio-based plastics packaging, electric cars and next-generation batteries.

“We are extremely proud of our history and how we revolutionized the use of ultrasonics in so many remarkable ways,” said Vernon Murray, president of Emerson’s assembly technologies business. “Our goal has always been to deliver proven performance, unequaled expertise, and the broadest technology portfolio for material joining and precision cleaning applications. We look forward to continuing our stewardship in the field as we make advancements that benefit everyone.”

The Branson brand traces its history to Norman G. Branson, a research engineer who founded a company in Danbury, Connecticut, in 1946 to harness the power of high-frequency ultrasonic energy for cleaning and degreasing applications as well as nondestructive testing and gauging. But it was ultrasonic welding — developed in 1963 at Branson Sonics and Materials, which was acquired by Emerson Electric Co. (Emerson) in 1984 — that represented the real breakthrough for the company and for manufacturing. It set in motion a monumental change in the way plastics, and later metals, were joined.

Since its beginning, Branson has been driven by the spirit of innovation, and today ultrasonics is just one of many cleaning and joining technologies offered by Emerson’s Branson portfolio. Other welding methods include spin and vibration welding, staking and swaging, and a new patent-pending “dynamic mode” of ultrasonic welding that can automatically adjust itself to part-to-part variabilities and unique materials. “Clean welding” approaches, such as Contoured Laser Technology, Clean Vibration Technology and Contoured Infrared Technology, are being adopted with ever greater frequency.

Continuing the Commitment
Given this depth of technical resources, Emerson application engineers are able to utilize a process-neutral approach to help manufacturers evaluate, select, implement, and optimize the right joining solution, regardless of the application or complexity.

This high level of customer support is enhanced by the technological capabilities available at the new 146,000-square-foot Branson headquarters. The facility includes an expanded research and development lab, increased manufacturing space, a dedicated training workspace for seminars, and training classes, technical services and other resources.

The 75th anniversary represents a milestone that Emerson will recognize throughout the next several months as the company continues its path of inventiveness, delivering advanced Branson products to solve critical industry challenges.

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Actuators for resistance spot welding (RSW) applications.

New ServoWeld® actuators from Tolomatic are redesigned for higher performance and are lighter weight compared to other screw technologies. Featuring roller screws designed and manufactured by Tolomatic, the ServoWeld actuators are made especially for resistance spot welding (RSW) applications in the automotive industry. The ServoWeld actuators deliver 20 million welds or more, much longer than competing technologies such as ball screws and inverted roller screw actuators, according to Tolomatic.

“We developed the ServoWeld SWA and SWB actuators based on nearly 15 years of experience in the industry, and we understand what it takes to make actuators and roller screws for resistance spot welding applications,” said Bill Graber, ServoWeld global business director, Tolomatic. “The result of our efforts is the broadest line of 7th axis RSW actuator products, which allow our customers to select the right ServoWeld product for their application.”

The ServoWeld Advanced (SWA) actuator is based on the highest level roller screw technology available to deliver the maximum number of welds. The ServoWeld Base (SWB) actuator is built on an alternate roller screw design to provide longer life than typical ball screw and inverted roller screw technology, but at a more economical price than the SWA actuator.

The SWA and SWB ServoWeld models are available in two sizes: a smaller size 3 for lighter-duty weld schedules; and a size 4 for heavier-duty applications. Both sizes are available in a variety of roller screw thread pitches (5mm and 10mm), motor voltages (230Vac & 460Vac) and multiple options for rod ends, feedback & connectors, and water cooling. These models can produce actuator forces at the rod up to 4,000 lbf/17.8 kN, lasting 20+ million welds and holding +- 3% force repeatability over the life of the actuator. Each model comes equipped as standard with a re-lubrication port to easily service the actuator without disassembly from the weld gun to maximize its life.

• Tolomatic has extensive experience in the automotive resistance spot welding industry with its predecessor product, the GSWA ServoWeld actuator. Because of this experience, the ServoWeld SWA and SWB actuators have motor files for seamless robot integration with all the major suppliers including ABB, Comau, Fanuc, Kawasaki, Kuka, Motoman, Nachi and many more.

@Tolomatic #Automotive #Pauto 

Strain sensors in monitoring of welding of “difficult” materials!

World leading manufacturer of resistance welding technology, Sciaky Electric Welding Machines Ltd, is using Kistler piezoelectric strain sensors to meet the demands of the aerospace industry for the precise monitoring of the welding process. The Kistler strain sensors are easier to fit, simpler to replace, more reliable and longer lasting than the load cells previously used.

With experience spread over 80 years and an impressive worldwide customer list, which includes most of the leading automobile and aerospace companies, Slough-based Sciaky has led the way in the development of resistance welding, especially of “difficult” materials. In particular, aerospace applications, where very clean aluminium and titanium are welded, demand reliable monitoring of the welding process. A critical parameter is the force exerted by the welding electrodes, which was previously measured by a load cell installed inside the ram connecting the weld cylinder to the electrode control mechanism. This required special machining and significant dismantling when replacement was needed. By contrast, the Kistler piezoelectric strain sensor, mounted externally on the main structure of the machine, requires only simple machining to provide a flat seating and a single tapped hole for mounting the sensor.

Unlike the load cell, the piezoelectric strain sensor measures the force at the electrodes indirectly by reference to the strain on the main body of the machine. The conversion from strain to force is achieved using a Kistler Type 5073A single channel industrial charge amplifier which is mounted on the machine remotely from the sensor.

In addition to fitting the sensors to new welding machines, Sciaky now retrofit the Kistler strain sensor whenever the old-style load cell needs replacing. According to Sciaky Managing Director, Louis Kunzig, the strain sensor is now fitted as standard to all Sciaky Resistance welding machines supplied for aerospace applications and for critical applications, such as manufacturing steering components, in the automobile industry.

Test & inspection service ensures welds are fit for purpose

Usually regarded as the most economical way of joining two or more metal components, in terms of fabrication costs and materials usage, welding technology is central to many engineering and manufacturing processes, from producing wings and fuselages in the aerospace industry and platforms and pipelines in the energy and petrochemicals sector, to automotive and rail components, white goods and metal furniture. Since these welded joints are subject to various loads and fatigue during their service life, possibly giving rise to safety and quality issues, it is vital that rigorous testing and inspection procedures are applied, to examine the structure of completed welds and their conformation to specification, as well as determining the skill levels of the welding operators.

Keighley Laboratories offers a comprehensive weld testing and inspection service, including welding procedure consultancy and approval, welder qualification tests, on-site weld investigation and, through its newly-upgraded Test House, a complete range of destructive, non-destructive and metallography testing facilities.

Under the direction of Divisional Technical Services Director, Matthew Mellor, the weld test and inspection team’s resources are broadly divided between the specialist aerospace field, led by Peter Hanson, and general commercial welding, headed up by Jeremy Duignan, both of whom are fully qualified metallurgists. Unusually, Matthew, Peter and Technical Director, Keith Blower, are also approved by the Civil Aviation Authority as Weld Specimen Supervisors, able to witness and verify critical aircraft-related welding on the authority’s behalf and invigilate at customer sites.

Keighley Labs is UKAS accredited for weldment testing and certification across a growing list of professional specifications, including relevant commercial BS EN ISO and ASTM standards and aerospace primes like BAE, Rolls Royce, Westland Helicopters, Airbus, Bombardier and the CAA, with the final assessment process now underway for NADCAP approval.

The team is familiar with testing weld coupons only millimetres thick in titanium, aluminium, nickel and cobalt alloys and other exotic metals for aerospace fabricators, as well as carbon steel and stainless steel test plates several inches thick for commercial welders and manufacturers. It covers all forms of welded joint, including butt or groove welds, fillets, lap, edge and tee joints, corners and cruciform, both plate-to-plate and tube-to-tube in similar or dissimilar materials, which are produced using all manual and automated welding methods, from stick and oxy-acetylene techniques, to TIG, MIG, MAG and plasma arc, even brazing and soldering.

Keighley Labs employs a complete array of test and inspection procedures to qualify welding procedures, welding operators and welding processes, by examining completed welds to establish their quality, integrity and compliance with specifications. Non-destructive testing techniques extend from visual inspection to check for surface defects and weld sizes, through to magnetic particle, liquid penetrant and ultrasonic examinations for detecting surface and near-surface discontinuities invisible to the naked eye, locating weld leaks and any internal flaws, in addition to meeting specific codes and specifications. Radiographic inspection for determining the internal soundness of welds is also provided on a sub-contract basis.

Weld coupons are also examined for soundness, strength and toughness using a range of mechanical testing equipment in Keighley Labs’ on-site Test House, which includes a dedicated CNC machine for producing weld test plates from customer-submitted samples. Options here include Brinell, Rockwell, Vickers and Knoop hardness testing, for providing information about metallurgical changes caused by welding, weld bending for evaluating the ductility and soundness of welded joints, Charpy and Izod impact testing for measuring resistance to mechanical shock, and digital equipment for fatigue life testing.

In its newly-enlarged Optical Suite, Keighley Labs offers metallographic inspection of sections of welded joints, at macro levels up to 50x magnification and micro examinations up to 1000x, employing powerful stereo microscopes. Metallurgy is used to check the extent of the heat affected zone and any weld defects such as cracks, pores, swivels and lack of fusion. Meticulous surface preparation of samples is essential for revealing details of the microstructure and the suite boasts semi-automated precision cutting, grinding and polishing equipment.

With customers as far afield as South Africa and the Mediterranean, as well as closer to hand amongst the North West Aerospace Alliance, of which it is a member, Keighley Labs enjoys strong demand for its weld test and inspection services, with a track record of repeat business.

“We have a good reputation within the aerospace industry and amongst commercial fabricators and, given the increasing need to comply with welding procedures and employ skilled welding operators, it is an expert service that many customers and their clients value,” says Keighley Labs’ Peter Hanson. “Being independent, we have no vested interest in any particular welded joint, we’re just concerned with whether it passes or fails. If it fails, we can identify precisely why it did so and offer remedial advice for meeting the required specification.”

“A good looking joint was often considered a reliable indicator of a high quality weld, but surface appearance alone does not guarantee good workmanship, internal integrity and compliance with welding procedures,” he adds. “Nowadays, you need access to non-destructive mechanical and metallurgical examination techniques to judge whether a weld is fit for purpose and achieves the necessary acceptance criteria. And that’s what we do.”