Keel was awarded a program by a prestigious customer in the maritime defense industry. In its entirety, the project totaled one-hundred and forty beam sets, resulting in the delivery of three sets per month.

As the project progressed, the need for a faster, more economical approach to welding the beams was required. With the customer’s large project in production and stringent delivery requirements, our experts began to assess the efficiency of the production process.

With no available solution on the market, we relied on our team of skilled engineers to modify weld operations by designing a fully automated welding Collaborative Robot (Cobot) with a programmable seventh linear axis that extended the work envelope. By achieving this task, the customer received the quality and timely delivery they have come to expect from Keel.

Business Challenges

1. Labor Hours: Utilizing in-house AWS Certified manual talent would not meet the customer’s stringent delivery needs. In addition, each beam set required a significant number of weld hours. We needed to implement an automated welding system that would easily collaborate between automated systems and humans to reduce the number of labor hours and meet the customers delivery.
2. Non-Existent Equipment: Our team’s dedication to the success of the customers project shined when there was no available equipment option on the market. We needed to rely on our skilled team of engineering experts to design a solution that would accommodate two automated welding systems and a fifteen-meter rail to create a programmable seventh linear axis.
3. Delivery: With no readily available equipment and a stringent requirement of three beam sets per month, the team needed to quickly create a manufacturing plan to meet the customers delivery.

Approach and Solution

With the need to improve the rate of production quicklywith no available solution currently on the market, Keel’s engineering team – assisted by Fanuc and a local Midwest University – designed the industry’s first programmable seventh linear axis.

To execute the new approach to welding the beams, we capitalized on the six automated welding systems already secured by the company, utilizing two robots and fabricated machine steel to create a continuous fifteenmeter rail to achieve more reach and longer welds more efficiently. The result: a fully automated, programmable seventh-axis servo for rail position with integrated torch cleaning stations.

Once the design was complete, Keel’s integration team worked to implement the system. Assembly took place at the Midwest’s integration facility and then moved to the 400,000 square-foot welding and fabrication facility where it fit cohesively into the production process. With the enhancement to operations, set-up times were considerably condensed resulting in increased monthly production allowing us to meet and exceed deadlines.

Value Delivered

It begins with the ability to turn challenges into solutions. To build a better, faster, more efficient path for customer projects and having the ability and manpower to execute. Keel is built to provide support throughout the entire project, from initial design through assembly and integration. Our well-appointed facilities, equipment and skilled team is comprised of controls, mechanical, and FEA engineering, including specialty and controls design.

With locations in the Southeast and Midwest and a skilled team behind the high-tech equipment, Keel has taken the reins as a high-end defense manufacturer across naval, land, and space applications to exceed the expectations our customers come to expect. We are committed to delivering precision and excellence, and to providing innovative solutions that support mission-critical naval programs. We are Keel, and what we build,
builds us.