1. STAPLA Ultrasonics Corporation
Detailed System Description
STAPLA CONDOR Universal Ultrasonic Metal Welder (3kW)
The CONDOR, STAPLA's 20 kHz universal ultrasonic metal welder, is designed for a variety of
applications. Designed and built for the production environment, the CONDOR can be
configured as a bench top unit or integrated into an assembly line.
• The transducer assembly moves in a purely vertical motion applying uniform static force
to the welding interface. This vertical motion is guided by precision linear bearings.
• Two, four or six, user-selectable cylinder actuation governs the weld head movement.
This allows a wide range of welding forces.
• The "Nodal" support is STAPLA's unique transducer assembly support structure, which
minimizes horn deflection to ensure consistent quality with every weld.
• Modular design allows simple set-up and maintenance.
• Simple knob with locking screw allows fine adjustment of the positive stop.
• The transducer assembly is clamped with one screw.
• A specially designed ring allows automatic alignment of the Horn.
• The transducer assembly can be adjusted axially for ease of alignment.
• The compact welding unit can be mounted on STAPLA’s designed shuttle or “X-Y”
tables (optional).
• A standard sub assembly (modular anvil brackets) mounted above the weld head will
allow easy access to welding area (optional).
• Modular design allows easy integration with shuttle and rotary transfer systems.
STAPLA Controller/Generator
Controller USC2
The STAPLA USC2 controller features a high performance 3KW power generator, designed
specifically for metal welding applications. Furthermore, it is designed for high efficiency and
utmost performance. The following are the most prominent features offered by the USC2:
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2. STAPLA Ultrasonics Corporation
1. Power Module
The power module is a completely independent unit inside the Controller.
Communication with the Main Control Board takes place through a dedicated RS-485
serial port.
Frequency:
The frequency tolerance range is internally programmed to +/- 400 Hz from the base
frequency. The standard base frequency is factory set to 20.080 Hz, though this may be
adjusted up or down if necessary. Frequency measurement readings are displayed
during set up mode and can be used as an aid in maintenance operations.
Advantage: Within this preset range, changes in frequency due to external factors will
have negligible effects on the weld quality. However, should the frequency go out of
range, the controller will go into alarm condition and provide a corresponding system
error message, indicating a suspect weld.
Amplitude consistency:
During the weld, the auto-tuning board checks the status of the oscillating system at a
rate of 1250 times a second, and keeps the amplitude constant to the preset value.
However, the only limitation to this is if you are using high amplitude output when line
voltage is very low; there may be cases in which the power module will not be able to
drive enough energy into the oscillating system, thus causing the amplitude to drop due
to a phenomenon known as Sinewave clipping. Under adequate line voltage conditions,
the standard amplitude selection range is between 35% and 100% (expressed in terms
of its maximum rating).
Advantage: Consistent amplitude values are required to achieve consistent weld
results. The more accurate the amplitude stays during a weld, the more consistent the
amount of energy transferred into a weld. In the case of small splices, amplitude
consistency is highly critical. Therefore, more accurate and consistent small welds can
be made with this controller.
• Amplitude Range:
The controller provides two different ranges of Amplitude, selectable by a simple option
key on the display panel.
Advantage: This enables the welder to have a wide range of Amplitude for the very
small and the very large splices.
• Power Correction Capability:
Due to the design of the power module, STAPLA now can over-ride problems associated
with the inconsistencies of welding material such as wires. Oxidations, oil, and insulation
material can cause very poor welds. The Power correction Capability (PCC), patent
pending, resolve such problems.
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3. STAPLA Ultrasonics Corporation
Advantage: This will eliminate scraps and rejects and relaxes stringent quality
requirements for material consistencies by the manufacturers.
Energy efficiency:
The output/input power ratio of this controller is about 70%. The higher this ratio, the less
power is used to generate heat (and therefore lost) inside the Controller. This means
that 70% of the consumed power (over time) is actually converted into weld energy.
Advantage: More consistent weld quality results from this high efficiency, especially in
small welds, where the energy setting is typically very low.
Energy measurement:
The energy control board is integrated into the USC2 power module and ensures
accuracy to within about +/- 1W, under nominal conditions. Other controllers have the
Energy control board separate and not built into the power module. The range for power
measurement can be adjusted through software, thus making it possible to provide a
higher resolution at lower power usage.
Advantage: An accurate energy (i.e. power * time) measurement ensures that exactly
the requested amount of energy is used when welding to energy, as well as providing a
precise control over the energy used when welding in one of the other modes. Our
quality control system is based on precise values, enabling a more accurate
identification of weld problems.
Line voltage:
The USC2 controller is designed to work reliably with a line voltage of 220V +/- 15%
(~195…~250V).
Advantage: Within this range, any variations in line voltage will not noticeably affect the
weld quality. However, should the line voltage exceed this range, the controller will give
an appropriate alarm and message for corrective actions.
2. Control Board:
Controls:
The control board (with its central microprocessor) manages every single function of the
USC2 Controller.
Memory:
Our current welding equipment only uses about 30% of the available program memory
(e.g. RAPTOR Software), and about 25% of user memory (i.e. reserved for parameters,
splices, sequences and all other quality information) that is stored in the Controller. In
the light of this fact, it is a relatively simple matter for a programmer to program our
USC2 Controller to implement even fairly large and complex control functions (i.e. the
functions that usually require the addition of an external PLC).
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4. STAPLA Ultrasonics Corporation
Advantage:
In terms of RAPTOR or other machines, one can use additional components such as the
Servomotor for Height adjustment.
The capability to build complex control functions into the controller eliminates the need to
add an external PLC (and consequent development time), since there is only one
software application to be developed, rather than two separate programs for each control
unit.
STAPLA controller software controls all functions from one central unit. In case of
software updates, there is no distinction between the program for the Controller and that
for the PLC.
Debugging is made easier, since there is only one programmable component to be dealt
with. Assemblies involving the adoption of an external PLC connected to a welding
station generally lead to issues relating to the communication between the two units, as
well as with troubleshooting the origin of a malfunction, since there is more than one
component taking control over the welder.
• Status and error messages/ SDS:
This software feature reports the operational status and any possible malfunction
relating to the oscillating system and other controlled units (e.g. frequency too high/low,
line voltage too low, non-conforming calibration parameters, power overload conditions,
power graphs, etc.).
Advantage:
Provides accurate identification of system-related issues. This is a helpful aid in
identifying the origin of a technical problem, since the information displayed on the
Controller will point to the problem area. This special feature is the basis of our so-called
Self Diagnostic System.
• Absence of EPROM for software updates/changes
Software on the USC2 controller no longer resides on an external EPROM chip to be
exchanged inside the controller. Software updates and/or changes are loaded onto the
new controller through a PC, set up with a special download tool, and with a suitable
download cable connected to the Datapack connector on the rear panel of the controller.
Advantage:
New and/or updated software can be prepared by the software engineer at STAPLA,
Wilmington, and sent via email to the customer’s site within minutes after testing and
approval at the factory. This means it is no longer necessary to send overnight packages
by courier with a single EPROM chip to the customer, thus saving also on transport
costs.
It is no longer necessary to open the controller to insert the EPROM chip, thus reducing
risks associated with electrical shock and/or accidental short-circuiting of controller
boards.
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5. STAPLA Ultrasonics Corporation
• High-speed connections with external serial devices
Serial data transfer is faster than with our older “200” controller (and 3 times as fast as
the other controllers available in the market).
Advantage:
With PC data acquisition software, this reduces the “dwelling” time between welds.
• Graphical display
Text and graphics can be displayed on the new display panel.
Advantage:
More appealing presentation and room for setting and/or configuration information on the
screen.
3. Controller Connectivity:
- 16 available Digital Outputs (0V / 24V) for control of pneumatic solenoid valves,
sending signals to external electronic servo-control units and/or any other custom
circuitry.
- 19 available Digital Inputs (0V / 24V) for retrieval of incoming information from
proximity switches, external electronic servo-control units and/or any other custom
signal sources.
- 3 available Analog Outputs (0…10V) for control of any kind of external analog
device.
- 2 available Analog Inputs (0…5V) for retrieval of any kind of external analog signal to
be measured.
- Supply voltages (+5V and +24V) for connecting external devices.
- Input for an external LVDT sensor (i.e. Schaevitz height sensor or similar)
- Output ports for 2 independent stepper motors
- 2 high-speed (i.e. 57,600 baud) RS-232 serial ports for connecting an optional
Barcode Scanner, a PC, a Printer, a “Datapack”, or most other kinds of serial
communication devices.
- A connection for a touch screen will be done through a connected PC.
- The speed of the internal processor is fairly high (i.e. 40 MHz), meaning that the
control function capabilities of the USC2 controller are generally only limited by the
capabilities of the external components being controlled.
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6. STAPLA Ultrasonics Corporation
Advantage:
Availability of enough inputs and outputs (both digital and analog) for most custom
functions enables control of special complex systems with the STAPLA USC2
Controller. The high operating speed of the Controller provides enough resources for
practically any application.
The ability to connect external devices through different interfaces provides the
flexibility to adapt to almost any existing system without having to build custom
hardware.
Connection and communication of custom devices such as special barcode readers,
PLCs, motion controls, etc. can be made directly with the controller.
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