The family-run company Ernst Kern GmbH realises both complex industrial projects and private construction projects. The steel and metal construction specialists have been using a CLOOS welding robot with the QIROX RoboScan programming system in their production since mid-2022. Thanks to the minimal programming effort and simple operation of the intelligent robot system, the company can automatically weld workpieces in batch size 1. "We opted for the robotic welding system because we want to reduce the workload on our employees," explains Robert Kern, who runs the company together with his father and sister. "The satisfaction of our employees is an important success factor for us."
Counteracting the shortage of skilled labour
The company is also very much aware of the shortage of skilled labour due to its location. Fewer and fewer qualified manual welders are available on the labour market. To counteract this trend, better absorb order peaks and further increase the level of quality, the company decided to invest in a robotic welding system in 2021. "The physically heavy and monotonous tasks can now be taken over by the robot and the operators have more time to concentrate on other demanding tasks and process monitoring," says Kern. "In addition, the general risk and exposure to arc radiation and welding fumes is reduced."
Image 1: The new robot system is used to weld various components for steel and metal construction.
Focus on quality
With more than 70 employees in Großheirath near Coburg, Kern covers the entire spectrum of steel and metal construction - from planning and design to execution. Its core competences lie in the design, manufacture and assembly of architecturally sophisticated steel and metal constructions for a wide range of applications and customer groups. Kern sets itself apart from the competition in particular through its high level of quality. The company aims to further extend its quality lead by continuously investing in modern machinery. The precision of the new welding robot has enabled Kern to further improve the quality of the weld seams compared to manual welding and at the same time increase the welding speed.
Automated welding in batch size 1
This is the first robot system for Kern. In the past, automated welding in steel and metal construction was often not worthwhile - due to the high programming effort caused by component tolerances and the large variety of products. This is why they decided in favour of QIROX RoboScan from CLOOS. "We manufacture many different components for our customers," explains Stephan Ilgner, Head of Steel Construction at Kern. "The CLOOS robot with scanner offers maximum flexibility for our welding production."
Welding at the touch of a button
First, the operator positions the workpiece on the system's work station. A special device for inserting the workpieces is not required. The scanner mounted on a longitudinal carriage then scans the work surface of the component and saves the result. The system recognises weld seams such as fillet and corner seams as well as butt and lap seams and converts the stored data from the scanner into a 3D model, which appears on a screen. The welding programme is automatically generated by comparing the 3D model with the component geometry stored in QIROX RoboScan. The operator can check the result and, for example, make corrections to the weld seam length or change the welding direction. QIROX RoboScan then transfers the fully generated programme, including all welding data, to the robot controller. The operator can then start the welding process simply by pressing a button on the control monitor.