STEP welding robots lead their niche market—fully demonstrating the technological capabilities that empower partners to achieve differentiated competitiveness.
2022-11-04
Today, welding technology—often referred to as the “industrial tailor”—is increasingly being integrated with industrial robots. With its mastery of core robotic technologies, STEP, backed by its keen insight and accurate judgment of trends in the welding industry, is collaborating with a host of industry-leading companies to jointly overcome technical challenges in robotic welding applications and drive continuous progress in the sector.
On October 28, the “2022 Welding Robot Technology and Application Summit,” hosted by Gao Gong Robotics, was held in Shenzhen. Mr. Ma Jiafeng, Sales Director of STEP Robotics, delivered a keynote speech on-site titled: Master Core Technologies, Lead Niche Markets The keynote speech introduced STEP technological expertise and product advantages in the welding field, shared STEP deep-rooted commitment to the robotics welding niche industry and its remarkable application achievements, and showcased its technical capabilities that empower partners to achieve differentiated competitiveness.
Xin Shida Sales Director, Ma Jiafeng
As a technology-driven enterprise, STEP has consistently invested heavily in R&D. It is one of the earliest domestic manufacturers to master the full-system, independent, forward-looking R&D of robotic bodies. The company has fully mastered motion control, servo drives, software algorithms, and body technologies, thereby establishing a comprehensive technological leadership advantage. The entire series of welding robots... With the support of advanced dynamic algorithms and leveraging technologies such as vibration suppression, path feedforward, and full-parameter compensation, we have successfully addressed the issue of low-speed jitter in welding robots, enabling smoother and more fluid operation. Based on a brand-new variable-inertia, time-optimal trajectory planning technique, we’ve achieved a 30% increase in cycle time.
In terms of the ease of use of welding robots, STEPeng is also meticulously refining its products to deliver a better user experience. After more than a year of rigorous development, STEP has launched a brand-new teaching pendant specifically designed for welding. 58 fully physical keys, supporting blind operation, greatly enhance programming and debugging efficiency. The control cabinet specially designed for welding robots features an integrated drive-and-control design, significantly reducing its size for easier integration and installation. It also boasts enhanced communication capabilities and is compatible with mainstream power supply brands available on the market. In terms of welding function packages, STEPeng has developed more than ten mature arc-welding software packages. Numerous large-scale, well-established application cases exist for features such as arc tracking, high-voltage positioning, laser tracking, coordinated welding with additional axes, and dual-robot collaborative welding. Meanwhile, for small-batch, multi-variety welding products that exhibit certain regularities in terms of product structure and dimensions, STEP can assist partners in developing targeted parameterized programming solutions that eliminate the need for teach-in, thereby establishing a differentiated competitive edge.
At the customer’s site, these software packages effortlessly handle various welding challenges, ensuring stable production by welding robots. At a fuel tank welding site belonging to XCMG Group, STEP achieved the ultimate performance from its robots’ high-voltage positioning and arc-tracking functions. By developing a low-current adaptive arc-tracking feature, STEP successfully addressed technical challenges such as large assembly errors in thin-plate fuel tanks, positioning deviations, and easy deformation during the welding process. As a result, they have successfully implemented 110A welding applications on 3mm galvanized steel fuel tanks. Since 2019, the customer has repeatedly repurchased multiple fuel tank welding workstations from STEP, all of which have demonstrated consistently stable welding performance. Furthermore, in the construction machinery industry, leveraging its advanced external-axis coordination technology combined with robust high-voltage positioning and arc-tracking capabilities, STEP has assisted its partners in delivering robotic welding workstation projects for typical components including boom arms, stick arms, main platforms, upper and lower frames, track beams, and motor mounts. STEP was the first to break through the “6+6” 12-axis high-precision interpolation and synchronization capability, providing its partners with even more flexible solutions.
Step by step, STEP has never stopped refining its welding product line. The upcoming SA6/2000H, equipped with a brand-new advanced dynamics algorithm, The repeatability is less than ±0.05 mm, and the cycle time has been improved by 20%. Featuring a completely new mechanical design, the arm span has been extended to 2010 mm, and the wiring harness is built-in for smoother operation. This model was developed with careful consideration of the application requirements in the automotive parts industry. Prototype units have already been delivered to several automotive parts manufacturers for testing and are fully meeting the industry’s demands for high cycle rates, high precision, and high stability. It will undoubtedly become a powerful tool for STEP to demonstrate its capabilities in this sector.
In terms of potential industry applications, Ma Jiafeng pointed out that markets such as power transmission towers and steel structures for construction offer vast opportunities—these are blue-ocean markets waiting to be further developed. As a pioneer in this field, STEP has already completed its strategic layout ahead of time and achieved market leadership, particularly through innovations like parameterized programming without teach-in and 3D vision-guided intelligent welding systems, which have greatly expanded the application boundaries of welding robots and addressed the challenges of heavy-duty welding production. In the future, STEP will continue to collaborate with its partners to overcome more challenges in specialized industries, develop even more competitive welding solutions, empower our partners, and jointly promote the advancement and growth of China’s robotic welding industry.
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