Multi-Axis Welding Table

Welding table with 5 degrees of motion – unlimited adjustments to the variable sizes of parts being welded.

A large welding contractor required a multi-axis welding table as part of a lean manufacturing initiative to be able to weld a wider variety of parts in a given work cell – instead of dedicating certain stations. The customer approached Autoquip to develop a flexible, ergonomic welding station that would accommodate a wide variety of parts, provide optimum ergonomic work heights, and minimize changeover time from one type of welded component to another.

After a review of the various parts that the customer needed the welding table to accommodate, the Autoquip design team recommended a special welding table that would have five degrees of motion and adjust-ability: Lift, Tilt, Rotate, Front-to-back, and Side-to-side. This was accomplished by mounting a hydraulic, 90-degree tilter with double-acting cylinder onto a hydraulic scissor table, then attaching a powered industrial turntable with a round, 3/4″thick steel deck on top of the tilter. The round turntable deck was supplied with T-slots every 30 degrees to be able to secure the various welded components onto the turntable surface.

The lift, tilter, and turntable each had their own dedicated drive assembly/power unit to control the unit in every direction and in whatever increments were required. This unique combination of tilt-lift-turn provided optimum ergonomic benefits as the welder/operator could adjust the work in every axis/direction to keep work in the welder’s ergonomic “power zone.” The customer has been completely satisfied with this workstation improvement, and overall productivity of this assembly line has never been higher.

Overall Specifications for this Unique Application:

Turntable Model: SRP-48-25

Tilter Model: STE90-48-40

Welding Table Capacity: 2,500 lbs.

Vertical Travel: 24″

Degree of Tilt: 90 Degrees

Degree of Rotation: 360 Degrees

Welding Platform: 24″ Diameter with T-slots

Actuation: Lift & Tilt – Hydraulic

Turntable: Mechanical

Through the addition of this multi-axis welding table, manufacturing flexibility has been greatly increased and worker productivity maximized through applied ergonomics.