dustry. The frame that supports the flame-retardant material of the shelter attaches directly to the pipe (Fig. 10) and can be configured to meet different slopes or elevations. Setup is done with pins and lanyards, eliminating the need for special tools or hardware. Three different sizes are available weighing 139, 167, and 213 lb to accommodate pipe sizes from 3 to 56 in. Hex-Hut, www.hexhut. com The Warrior power source from ESAB was literally unveiled at FABTECH — Fig. 11. This new introduction took a fast track for development requiring only ten months. By working directly with welders, the company got quick feedback with prototypes that were tested in the field. What welders said they wanted was a machine easy to use, with simple controls, robust enough for tough working conditions, and performance. ESAB claims to have incorporated this wish list into the Warrior. All controls, as well as the power switch, are accessible on the front of the machine, and the knob design takes into account the wearing of gloves. It is a multiprocess machine that performs FCAW, GMAW, GTAW, SMAW, and arc gouging. The unit can deliver up to 500 A at 60% duty cycle, and it can be used in general fabrication under roof, or outdoors in remote locations. ESAB, www.esabna.com Fig. 11 — The Warrior, a multiprocess power source designed for many different applications, was introduced by ESAB. A new promotion for Motoman is its MC2000 robot intended for high accuracy laser cutting — Fig. 12. The gear design has taken out the “backlash,” allowing repeatability within 0.07 mm accuracy in cutting rectangles, ellipses, pentagons, hexagons, and circles. This sixaxis robot can handle up to a 50-kg payload. In addition to cutting, it can also be used for welding. Yaskawa America, Inc., Motoman Robotics Div., www.motoman. com Fig. 12 — The Motoman MC2000 robot’s gear design allows repeatability within 0.07mm accuracy. The FIT RITE system consists of fixtures designed to optimize the speed and accuracy of pipe fits. The system’s inventor, Kayworth Mann, said the idea for the precision pipe fitting system came to him in a dream. He had been working as a consultant on a job and felt that because of the time spent fitting pipe some profits had been lost. That bothered him, so he began thinking of another way. The system’s primary fixture is the fitting cradle that holdes pipe or flanges and the fitting rests to properly position alignment — Fig. 13. Included are two fitting cradles; one fitting rest each for pipe nipple, short pipe, T, short radius elbow, and 45-deg elbow; and a patented tri-spacer for alignment of spacing. The tri-spacer can also be used to adjust roundness of the pipe or tube. The system comes in sizes ranging from 1⁄2 through 12 in. nominal. Universal fixtures are available in sizes ranging from 14 in. through 24-in. nominal. Fixtures for pipe from 26 to 72 in. can be produced by special order. Fit Rite, www.fitritefast.com Lincoln Electric introduced its latest virtual reality arc welding training product during this year’s show. The VRTEX® Mobile (Fig. 14) delivers basic, entry-level training. It comes with a preinstalled basic GMAW package providing training for flat plate, 2F and 3F joints, and 1G, 2G, and 3G grooves. A SMAW package is optional. The virtual SMAW device is at a fixed 90-deg angle. It comes with a monoscopic, facemounted display with touchscreen user interface, and a tabletop coupon stand. Deanna Postlethwaite, marketing manager, Automation Div., said, “What we found with the first (VRTEX™ 360 system,) was that people were moving it all the time, and it wasn’t really designed for that.” The new smaller, less expensive, more basic version offers the mobility customers were looking for. The Lincoln Electric Co., www.lincolnelectric.com A lot of people took a look at Baxter™ during the show, and it seemed that it was looking back at them — Fig. 15. The brainchild of Rodney Brooks, former director of the artificial intelligence laboratory at MIT and one of the founders of iRobot, Baxter is a robot with a somewhat human appearance that can perform a variety of production tasks while safely and intelligently working next to people. A key feature is that anyone can program it. The robot “learns” its tasks through demonstrations of what it needs to do. It was designed with a safety system that allows it to work in close prox- 34 JANUARY 2013 Fig. 13 — The FIT RITE pipe fitting system, shown here with its inventor Kayworth Mann, provides flange alignment and bolt hole orientation in seconds and can be used in the shop or field. Fig. 14 — The VRTEX® Mobile offers basic GMAW and SMAW virtual reality welder training, and can be moved to wherever it’s needed.
Welding Journal | January 2013
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