Loud extraction devices right next to the worker's ear, unproductive travel times searching for welding wires, and the floor cluttered with cables and hoses – such deficiencies are still part of everyday life in many sheet metal processing companies. However, where the workstation system from Apfel is installed, the welding stations are tidy, free from safety risks, and quiet. The welder has all necessary media and actuators within direct reach and can optimally focus on their core task. The workstation from Apfel is not only a fundamental contribution to process optimization and occupational safety but also helps in error prevention and quality assurance during manual welding.
In many sheet metal processing companies, manual welding workstations still prove to be a bottleneck in process optimization. To provide companies with a straightforward and practical way to tap into the efficiency potentials lying dormant here, we developed the welding workstation SAP,” says Stefan Apfel, managing director of the company of the same name.
This workstation is one of the central themes of Apfel at this year's EUROBLECH in Hanover. It is a compact, freestanding, and movable system that supplies two welding stations with all media and actuators essential for manual welding using classic methods such as MIG/MAG, TIG, arc, or oxy-fuel welding via two articulated arm extensions of four meters in length.
At booth D148 in Hall 11, the equipment supplier demonstrates with a model how this multifunctional workstation system leads both the compressed air and power supply as well as the welding fume extraction from above through the arms into the direct action radius of the worker. The floor remains free of cables and hoses, allowing for easy access. The articulated arm extensions of the SAP feature welding fume extraction hoses with integrated lighting, a reel for power cable and air hose, a robot empty tube, as well as hoses for compressed air and shielding gas. Integrated into the central tower of the workstation system is a tool cabinet – also from the large Apfel range – and the side walls have perforated sheets for attaching important operational and work tools. Atop the tool cabinet – at a hearing-friendly distance from the welder – sits a W3-certified extraction device with automatic filter cleaning behind a perforated sheet flap.
Modernization boost for manual welding
The modular design of the SAP, the ergonomic construction, and the technical equipment have been continuously refined over the years and are the result of intensive practical studies and numerous workstation analyses,” reports Stefan Apfel. The attentive observer quickly recognizes: This workstation is designed for optimal space utilization, maximum user-friendliness, and safe handling.
Especially companies that process large or frequently changing components benefit from the high flexibility of the system and its impressive working width of up to 13 meters (four meters of arms plus two meters of extraction hose plus one meter of tower width).
Unlike loud extraction devices on wheels that workers often leave behind, the installed W3 extraction system guarantees maximum cleaning efficiency and also allows the use of exhaust air to reduce heating costs. Clearing the floor of cables and hoses not only contributes to occupational safety but also preserves their value and reduces follow-up costs – such as for repairs and cable testing. Moreover, this workstation system is open to various optimizations that reduce setup and downtime and lead to increased productivity in manual welding. Typical examples include the installation of a ring line with bundles of gas cylinders – instead of single cylinders – or the use of 200 kg drum spools instead of 15 kg welding wire spools.
Through the minimization of safety risks, the realizable gains in quality and productivity, as well as the elimination of many search and travel times and reduced repair and testing costs, our workstation system usually pays for itself very quickly,” says Stefan Apfel.
In addition to the freestanding SAP base model, there is a wall-mounted variant with a large perforated sheet panel in the central column, as well as fully equipped solo arms for wall or ceiling mounting. Furthermore, Apfel offers mobile welding tables with load capacities of 1,800 kg each, pneumatic height adjustment, and large drawers to match the workstation. A large accessory program ensures that every SAP can also be tailored to the customer's wishes in detail. For example, with a perforated sheet box that docks onto the arm for tools – which can also accommodate a welding device – a power strip with RCD circuit breaker, a vice, an extraction hood, a gas cylinder holder, additional reels, as well as holders and adapters. All components are coordinated with each other and can be easily attached. “And those who know us know: As developers and manufacturers, we always have an open ear for customer-specific special solutions,” emphasizes Stefan Apfel.
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