Robot Arm and Welding Machine

During my CAD/CAM class, I had the opportunity to observe my instructor using a robot arm to conduct welding. However, there was an issue with connecting the Mig Gun to the Robot I/O, which they were discussing. After taking a closer look, I realized that a relay could be used to trigger the welder using the signal from the robot arm.

I went to the tool room and searched through some old boxes, and fortunately, I was able to find a relay that could run on 12-24 volts, which matched both the voltage of the robot and the welder. With the relay in place, the issue was resolved, and the welding project was able to continue as planned.

This small project sparked my interest in other projects that could be done with the robot arm, such as following a path and even metal 3D printing using a robot arm and Mig welder.