Success literally came overnight for Holztec-Leitner from Schliersee in Upper Bavaria: company boss Franz Leitner had barely put his self-designed and handmade swing and relaxation loungers made from larch and spruce wood in an online store when the first orders started coming in. Today, the 'sky loungers', which are protected by European design standards, can be found on terraces, in gardens and parks as far away as Mallorca and Italy. In order to be able to deliver the high quantities required on a permanent basis, a partner was needed to manufacture the solid metal swivel frames, as the 'sky loungers' can be rotated 360°.

In his search for a suitable specialist company, Franz Leitner found what he was looking for at Stöckl Maschinen und Gerätebau in Schliersee. Founded in 1989, the company specializes in the manufacture of welding and assembly components made of steel, stainless steel and aluminium. These are used in traditional machine and equipment construction, but also in rail and special vehicles, for example. Until the inquiry from Holztec-Leitner, however, the designs were usually only produced in small batches and predominantly manually. Nevertheless, at the end of 2020, Managing Directors Kamil Kowalski and Christian Strobl took on the challenge of welding several hundred bogies per year in the future - automated welding. They were looking for a compact robotic welding system that was both quick to commission and easy to operate.

Stöckl Maschinen und Gerätebau now automatically welds up to 1000 bogies per year.

© Yaskawa Europe

The choice fell on the 'Weld4Me' cobot welding cell from Yaskawa, which combines the advantages of a collaborative robot and a simple user interface with professional welding functions in a compact form. The manufacturer is thus enabling small and medium-sized companies that have previously welded by hand to enter the world of automated robotic welding.

The cell went into operation at Stöckl Maschinen und Gerätebau at the beginning of 2022. As a special feature, it is equipped with magnetic holders instead of the usual clamping devices. "The cut-to-size profiles are simply inserted and held in place magnetically at the touch of a button," says Kamil Kowalski, describing the process. "This ensures that the components are always in exactly the same position."

In detail, the cell consists of a Cobot 'HC10DT IP67', a 'YRC1000' controller with functional safety unit (FSU), welding table, glare shield and other optional features and extensive welding functions for MIG/MAG welding. The collaborative robot is designed in protection class IP67 and is therefore protected against welding spatter in the production process.