WELDING PRESS: FROM INCONSISTENCY TO PRECISION CONTROL: HYBRID ACTUATORS IMPROVE PROJECTION WELDING PROCESS

A leading OEM of resistance welding equipment for high-volume industrial production needed a more precise actuator for their projection welding equipment —one that could deliver speed, precision, and durability without the drawbacks of legacy systems.

The existing pneumatic and air-over-oil system cylinders constrained performance with several key limitations:

• Spring-like follow-up led to inconsistent weld quality
• Kickback during thermal expansion reduced control and stability
• Slow response times and high air consumption impacted efficiency
• Performance variability created challenges in high-throughput environments

The company sought to replace its pneumatic and air-over-oil cylinders with a fast-response actuation system capable of handling shock loads while delivering precise position and force control. Traditional hydraulics were ruled out due to maintenance concerns, and EMAs lacked the responsiveness and durability required for rapid material collapse and shock load conditions.