For more than 100 years, the AKG Group has been developing and producing high-performance heat exchangers and complete cooling modules and systems for construction machinery, compressed air systems, industrial coolers, agricultural and forestry machinery, vehicle construction, rail vehicles, aviation, municipal vehicles, household appliances and special applications. More than 3,500 employees manufacture over 2.5 million heat exchangers in various designs every year. In addition to the French site, there are ten other independent production sites and 14 sales companies around the world. As a leading global provider of customer-oriented system solutions, the AKG Group relies on the highest quality standards and therefore on automated welding solutions from Cloos.

The company commissioned the first robot system at the French site back in 2015. This was followed last year by another robot system with high-tech automation components. At the heart of the system is the Qirox QRC-350-E. The long reach of the 7-axis robot simplifies and speeds up the welding of complex workpieces. The C-shaped stand positions the robot overhead on a fixed arm. This position enables better accessibility and simplifies the welding of larger workpieces.

The C-frame is mounted on a floor track that moves the robot in a horizontal direction. The system consists of two stations that can be used for different components. The two-station principle makes it easy to insert the components in one station while the robot welds in the other station. "With the new robot system, we have been able to significantly reduce cycle times compared to manual welding," says Alex Reiff, Head of Welding Production.

Burner-integrated flue gas extraction

The new robot system is equipped with a torch-integrated fume extraction system. This provides safe extraction of welding fumes directly at the source. Up to 95% of the fumes are eliminated directly during the welding process near the arc. With the first system, AKG still had to invest in a complex extraction system with curtains, pipe systems and a large filter unit. With extraction directly at the welding torch, the volume of polluted air is now much smaller.

With the new extraction welding torch system, a flexible hose with a small diameter replaces the complex pipe system for transporting the contaminated air to the filter unit. The smaller volume of contaminated air means that a smaller filter unit is required. The optimized energy efficiency and minimized costs for cleaning and replacing filter components significantly reduce operating costs.

AKG was also able to simplify and speed up the entire production process thanks to the burner-integrated fume extraction system. While the first system had to be loaded by hand, a crane solution can be used for loading and unloading in the new system due to the smaller space requirement. "For me, the biggest advantage of the new system is the direct extraction at the welding point," explains programmer Christophe Vilhelm. "This means there is more space upwards to carry out transport work with the overhead crane." Last but not least, the employees benefit from the clean air and the better working environment.

Due to its sensitivity, aluminum is a particular challenge for the welding process. The robot system is equipped with the Qineo NexT Premium welding power source. The special welding properties and optimum arc control ensure very good results. AKG uses a laser offline sensor from Cloos to compensate for component tolerances.