Your Essential Guide on How to Program a Robotic Welder

Begin by opening the Beacon app on your device and heading over to the "Parts" tab. Here, you’ll notice a plus button situated in the bottom right corner of the screen - this is your gateway to creating a new part.

When you tap this button, you’ll be prompted to name your part. Choose a name that’s both unique and descriptive for easy identification down the line. 

After assigning a name, tap "Next" and you’ll be given two choices:  select predefined weld settings or enter the settings manually.

In our example, we’re using the predefined settings. Simply select the settings that suit your requirements best, and voila - you’ve just created your first part! 

For a linear weld, the process is as follows: 

1. Using the green button on the smart puck, move the robot to the start of where your linear weld will be.
2. Once in position, press the blue button to save this starting point. You’ll notice that the app acknowledges this by populating a point.
3. Next, click the green button and move the robot to the second point, and press the blue button once more to save the endpoint. 

Just like that, you’ve created your first linear weld! 

A radial weld requires a minimum of three points around the circumference of your part.

1. Start by positioning the robot at the beginning of your radial weld, then hit the blue button to save this starting point.
2. For your second point, move the robot to the midpoint of your circle and, again, click the blue button.
3. Finally, move it to the end of the radius and hit the blue button for the third time. 

Now, you have your three points defining your radial weld!

1. Start by pressing and holding the green button to maneuver the robot into the desired position for your tack weld.
2. Once you’re happy with its position, click the blue button to save the point. 
3. Should you wish to create multiple tack welds, simply repeat this process. Use the green button to position the robot and the blue button to save each point.
4. When you’re finished, hit "Save" on your device to finalize the process.

Now for the best part - hit "Play" and watch as your robot accurately executes the tack welds you’ve just programmed.

Position your robot at the starting point of your desired stitch length and press the blue button to save this point. Repeat the process for the endpoint of your stitch length.

After saving these points, it’s time to define your stitches.

1. In the app, select the first point you created.
2. Here, you’ll be able to specify both the number of stitches you want along the length and the length of each stitch. For example, you might want four stitches, each two inches long.
3. After setting these parameters, hit "Save" once again.

Now, all that’s left is to hit "play" and watch as your robot seamlessly executes the stitch welds just as you’ve programmed.

To get started, select the "Teach Air Moves" icon. The process of teaching these moves is similar to any other weld points.

To teach an air move, grab the smart puck. Use the green button to move the robot. Start by moving the robot straight up to navigate around any obstruction.

Once you’re content with the height, save that point by clicking the blue button.

You can add as many of these sequential moves as needed. Once the air moves are set, you can go ahead and set up your linear weld.

Once done, head to your "Playlist" screen, the second tab on your device, and you’ll see "Part A" listed on your playlist.

If you want to run back-to-back parts, return to your "Parts" screen.  Select the additional parts you want to run and add them to your existing playlist. When you return to your "Playlist" screen, you’ll notice that the parts have been sequenced in the order they were added.

To start the sequence, just hit "Play". The robot will run the parts as they are listed in the playlist. Without going back to the app, you can simply press "Play" again, and it will proceed to run the next part of the playlist. 

The Operator Box comes equipped with five buttons:

• E-Stop button
• Play and pause button
• Stop button
• Operator input button
• Arc On/Off Key

Here is an example showcasing how easy it can be to teach a whole assembly with multiple weld types.

Let’s take a look at how we can adjust a point in your part.

1. Select the first point on your device, and use the "Move Here" icon to instruct the robot to move to the specified location.
2. To start moving, hold the operator input button (blue) on the operator box. 
3. Now that the robot is at the original point, we can fine-tune details like the torch angle or distance from the point using the "Touch Up" icon.
4. Make the necessary adjustments and then click the smart puck blue button again to save the new position.

Here’s how you can do it:

• Grab your device, and set up a linear weld as usual by teaching the robot the two points that define the weld. Once you’ve established your points, hit "Save".
• The next step is selecting both of these points and selecting the "Shift" icon. The system is now ready to learn a new origin point. 
  
  
  
• Now, move the robot to the start of where you want your linear weld to be moved to. Click apply, then "Shift Points". 

Select all the points you’ve set up that you wish to pattern and click on the "Shift" icon.

Now, you need to establish a new origin point. This point could be, for instance, the starting point of your first linear weld at the new location. Once the origin point is taught, hit "Apply", then select "Pattern Points".

To view your data, all you need to do is navigate to the home screen.

Here, you'll find a variety of charts that populate automatically. They offer an at-a-glance view of your ongoing welding processes, displaying critical parameters and metrics.

To access this feature, swipe to the left on your app interface, and select the "Support" option. Within this section, you get access to two key functionalities.

The first is a vast library of articles and video tutorials. These resources cover a broad spectrum of topics and are all searchable within the app.

For instance, if you need help setting up a linear weld, just type "linear weld" into the search bar. Click on the most relevant result, and you’ll find a detailed video tutorial from our team.