Autonomous Manufacture of Large Steel Fabrications (NOMAD)

EC Project: G1RD-CT-2000-00461

Introduction

European, structural steel fabrication companies have difficulty in responding to the increasingly turbulent, competitive markets into which they sell and to customers who are ever more demanding about cost, quality, performance and lead-time. They are also subject to shortages of skilled labour, legislative pressure and the demand for safer working conditions.

Typically, large-scale fabrications, such as earthmoving equipment and pedestrian bridges, will be many cubic meters in volume and weigh up to 50 tonnes. Currently such fabrications are produced using either manual welding or dedicated automatic (robotic) welding processes. Manual welding is highly flexible in terms of adaptation to size and shape but is characterised by high cost (labour), low production rate and variable quality. Dedicated automated processes are acceptable for producing high and consistent quality at high production rates but lack the flexibility required for multiple product variants.

The automation of the welding activity in an environment producing customised products has potentially far-reaching and wide-ranging economic benefits for many other industries such as construction, shipbuilding, off highway vehicle, structural fabrication, military vehicles, and heavy handling equipment. The majority of these benefits arise through the ability to provide customers with high value-added products at competitive capital and operating costs.

Schematic of concept
(larger image)

NOMAD aims to develop and demonstrate an autonomous, flexible, robotic welding system capable of fabricating individually customised products as easily and quickly as large multiples. The system will involve the development and integration of innovative technologies into a demonstration work cell.

The project will contribute towards Autonomous Robotics development from an Industrial Robot perspective. With customisation currently achieved only by manual methods the project will enable the application of automation, thereby contributing to the vision of Mass Customisation.

Structure

The NOMAD project derives its name from the nomadic nature of the robot system. The full project title is:

Autonomous Manufacture of Large Steel Fabrications.
Project Number; G1RD-CT-2000-00461
It was launched in March 2001 and will finish in August 2004.

NOMAD is a collaborative European Community Framework V project, conducted under the Competitive and Sustainable Growth program.

The project consortium consists of:

Caterpillar Belgium SA (Coordinator),
TWI Ltd (UK),
ESAB AB (Sweden),
Delfoi OY (Finland),
Reis Robotics (Germany),
Fraunhofer Institut Fabrikbetrieb und Automatisierung (Gemany),
Robosoft SA (France),
Nusteel Structures Ltd (UK).

Contact

To find out more about the Nomad project, contact NOMAD@twi.co.uk.

More information about the partners and links.

More information on EU framework projects.