Engineering

Volume 6, Issue 1 (January 2014)

ISSN Print: 1947-3931   ISSN Online: 1947-394X

Google-based Impact Factor: 0.66  Citations  

Improving the Use of Robotic Welding of Aluminum Boats through Modularization

HTML  XML Download Download as PDF (Size: 670KB)  PP. 42-49  
DOI: 10.4236/eng.2014.61007    5,844 Downloads   8,364 Views  Citations

ABSTRACT

The level of automation in the manufacture of recreational aluminum boats is very low. Robotized welding is rarely utilized, although it is commonly considered as the most effective way to reduce costs and increase competitiveness. A reason for the under-exploitation of robotics can be found in the construction of aluminum boats; boat models and their detailed structures are almost without exception individual pieces. A new stiffener structure for an aluminum recreational boat hull is developed in this work. Construction of the stiffener as a module allows exploitation of the advantages of modularization. The number of different parts is reduced and the structure simplified improves the applicability of robotic welding and provides benefits accruing from mass production. The same module can be used in several boat models. The modularity also makes it possible to use the same advanced robot welding fixture for a variety of boat models.

Share and Cite:

Kah, P. , Hiltunen, E. and Martikainen, J. (2014) Improving the Use of Robotic Welding of Aluminum Boats through Modularization. Engineering, 6, 42-49. doi: 10.4236/eng.2014.61007.

Copyright © 2024 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc.

Creative Commons License

This work and the related PDF file are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.