‘Robo Welder’ at Montana Tech giving help to Montana firms

Using a computer panel the size of your average textbook, Megan Saylor wielded a $200,000 machine to kick-off Montana Tech’s robotic welding
center on Wednesday.

By Barbara LaBoe of The Montana Standard

“ It’s not too hard,” she said after welding the let ters R-A-V-E onto sheet metal by punching commands into the control panel. “ It’s just my third
day, and it drives around pretty well. It’s pretty user-friendly.”
The center, located at the Tech College of Technology, will be used to teach students while also allowing small Montana companies to access the
center for their production needs. It’s the first of what officials hope will be several school-busi ness partnerships through the Rocky Mountain Agile
Virtual Enterprises Technical Development Collaborative.
The idea is to allow smaller Montana companies to pool their resources to better attract larger con tracts, said Rich Donovan, a Tech engineering
pro fessor. The program has received a National Science Foundation grant, part of which was used to purchase the robotic welder.
The welding machine enables Tech students and staff to train on state-of-the-art equipment used in industry. Welding engineering students and
control systems students studying robotics will use the machine, Donovan said.
In addition, the Townsendbased PFM Manufacturing will use the machine in off-hours to build its LandTamer all-terrain vehicle, which has been
stalled because of production delays.
Private companies will have to pay a fee to use the center, but Donovan said that will cover costs, not turn a profit.
The robotic welder is sus pended on a large bar between two support beams. The machine moves back and forth on the bar and the arm can “
bend” down in a number of positions proscribed by com mands programmed into the control panel. The version at Tech is large enough to preci
sion-weld trucks and may well be the first robotic welder in the state, company officials said.
“ I certainly don’t know of any other in the state,” said Karl Susz of Lincoln Electric, the company that provides the machines and also will train
Tech staff and students in its use.
Saylor, in fact, will be hired to run the center, while finish ing her senior year in welding and metallurgical engineering. She’ll use the machine this
semester and will travel to the company headquarters in Spokane for further training.
Officials are thrilled with the welding machine, but said it is the first step in the overall RAVE plans. Ideally, Donovan hopes to create a virtual incu
bator for virtual companies, he said.
Donovan hopes to see the $600,000 National Science Foundation grant matched with a $500,000 grant from the state. RAVE is made up of Tech,
the COT, the state Department of Commerce, Montana State University-Northern, and sev eral private companies, includ ing Lincoln Electric.
“ It will be a million dollar project,” he said.

— Reporter Barbara LaBoe may be reached via e-mail at barbara.laboe(at)(at)mtstandard.com.

http://www.mtstandard.com/newslocal/lnews3.html