The KL -118 universal machine
for electron beam welding with 7-axis motion system

• Vacuum chamber design incorporates a dual wall providing greater vacuum integrity with lighter overall weight. High structural rigidity insures motion system of high accuracy and repeatability.
• Multi-axis design, using the Cartesian cantilever.
  
• Programmable CNC 7 -axes motion control, simultaneous control of the 4 coordinates.
  
• Unique high voltage control regulator with vacuum tube detects and suppresses arcing, allowing continuous welding without discontinuities and defects
  
• Welding control with real time automatic seam tracking and observation RASTR secondary electron emission system.
  
• Beam analysis system allows the operator to determine actual beam operating conditions prior to beginning weld development and reduce weld parameter development time.
  
• Lanthanum Hexaboride cathode are used for long life more than 40 hr. at the power 60 kW, prevents "beam walking" when the focus position is changed
  
• CNC + PLC of all machine systems.

  MACHINE DESIGN AND DATA

The vacuum chamber is a rectangular double-wall welded structure of CRES steel. Two sliding doors are moved letting workpieces to be loaded into the vacuum chamber for the welding . Movement mechanism of the EB gun has three moving axes: Х-Х,Y-Y и Z-Z . The accuracy of gun linear positioning along X-X, Y-Y, Z-Z axes is ±0,1 mm. EB gun is mounted on the Y-Y axis table and has two rotating axes: rotation - QG axis and tilt - VG axis. Accuracy of EB gun angular movement on VG and QG axes is better than 0,1 degree. Screws in ball-and-screw pairs, linear guides of all linear modules are covered bimetal shield or encased to protect them from depositions.

Machine is equipped with three rotators: with horizontal rotation axis, with vertical rotation axis and with tilt rotation axis. Two platforms are functionally designed for the placement of mechanisms for mounting of workpieces, their assembling, special control of joints to be welded as well as for their transportation into the chamber. This allows assembling and adjustment of workpieces to be done on the one platform while welding of the other workpieces is being done on the other platform.
Control System is based on open architecture principles of automation systems for Machine Tools.

It provides implementation the following features:

• programmable CNC 7-axes motion control (3 linear gun axes, 2 rotary gun axes and 2 rotary rotator axes);
• any 4 axes of the 7 CNC axes selectable for coordinated contouring CNC motions with linear and circular interpolations;
• full integration with CNC control of all beam parameters;
• operating in a fully automated mode, a semi-automated mode with user defined start and stop locations, and a manual mode including jog function;
• Windows oriented GUI (User Graphic Interface) for programming, system diagnostics, data logging, seam tracking, seam/weld viewing, and real-time process control;
• sequencing blocks of programmed data together into master programs;
• automatic real time teaching and seam tracking via seam tracking system RASTR;
• off-line programming and remote communication;
• PLC control of vacuum system and power supply in all mode;
• Diagnostic tools for troubleshooting faults or errors;
• Data logging of control process parameters.

  Main technical parameters for KL-118 machine