Using firearm accessories to turn a welding robot into a cutting torch.....

[Guest Kamikaze]

I work in a fab shop, as part of my duties I program and run a welding robot and a cnc plasma/oxy fuel table. Recently there was a job that came up that needed plate to be cut on lots of weird angles and tapers. We do not have a taper head for the cnc table and the plasma would not cut the 5" plate anyway. Well the solution came to me in a stroke of insanity..... I'll just strap an oxy fuel torch to the robot and teach it to cut.

Getting the torch on there was the easy part. The catch is when programming the cnc burning table you just draw you part in cad, run it through some cam software and cut it out. The robot welder however is much different. You actually have to move it around and teach it what to do. I have spent 15 days teaching a part that runs in 2 hours.

So I needed a way to line up my torch that was accurate and faster than just eye balling it and hoping for the best. Being a welder and fabricator as well as a firearms enthusiast led me to the only rational solution...... A laser sighted torch tip.

Easy enough, $29, 5 minutes in the lathe and a strip of masking tape later I had it. The best part was my boss bought me a .38 caliber bore slighter. It actually got kicked back from purchasing before I had to go explain why the company was ordering gun stuff.

[Guest Kamikaze]

[Guest Kamikaze]

Plans for tomorrow are to wire it up so I can use AA batteries and a switch so I don't have to take the tip out every time I need to turn it off. The best part is the laser diameter is nearly identical to the kerf width of the torch.

[Mr. Brooks]

That is absolutely full of win!!

[Dolomite_supafly]

Glad to see you were able to find an easy solution to make life easier for you. I am sure you are not the only person programing it the way you were. Now you need to make life easier for others. I would make an easily attachable, universal laser, patent it then sell it or lease manufacturing rights to a major distributor.

Just out of curiosity, how much time did it save or will it save you? That could be a big selling point if you can save setup or programming costs substantially. I would also check to make sure the company didn't have rights to anything built on their time and dime.

Dolomite

[Guest Kamikaze]

I called Panasonic about putting a torch on there robot. I have seen water jets and plasmas on them before. They told me they didn't have anything and I was on my own. As far as anyone else doing it this way, I'm sure someone has tried it before. It is for sure I time saver. If the laser traces the line then that's where it cuts it. No guessing. As far as the company owning anything on there time, my guess is they don't because I have signed over patent rights several times before. Not sure how marketable this is anyway, I doubt there are many torch cutting robots in the world. Usually when you drop $200 grand on a machine you don't mind a little more for a water jet attachment. I can't say the same for our shop....

[Caster]

Awesome!

Not to go of topic, but this just reinforces an old saying I learned in the 13 yrs I was a machinist. The Machinists Second Amendment Creed: I will give up my right to know how to construct a hollow tube, enclosed on one end, capable of lauching projectiles at high velocities, when you pry the knowledge from my cold dead brain.

Skills like yours are valuable now, and may be infinitely more so in the future. Keep thinking outside the box friend!

[Mike]

Nice job.

What's the part for with the tapered cut?

Mike

[Guest Kamikaze]

It's not a part, just one of the first cuts I made when I set up the torch. Just needed to see if it would work. I took a video, I'll put it on YouTube in a minute.

[Guest Kamikaze]

[MacGyver]

That is pretty dang cool!

[Guest Kamikaze]

Butter..... 4.5" plate

[Guest Kamikaze]

Programing this morning.

[peejman]

Cool. The robot doesn't care what's hanging off the end. We've done the same thing with our metal spray robots, we just used a cheap laser pointer. We also use drinking straws cut to the right length to set the gun stand-off.

[Glock30]

Nice, Jeff! Always knew you were a smart guy!

[Guest 6.8 AR]

That is cool! I'm very impressed.