Tier 1 Auto Manufacturer Hits the Spot for Welding With Advanced Automation

Automotive Tier 1 manufacturer E&E Manufacturing boosts its aluminum spot welding capabilities with advanced KUKA robotic automation at its new Decatur, Tennessee plant.

Tier 1 Automotive Manufacturing

For more than 50 years, E&E Manufacturing has been stamping out a variety of heavy-gauge fasteners and components for a global automaker customer base. With its Plymouth, Michigan location in operation since 1962 and an Athens, Tennessee, facility commissioned in 2004, the Tier 1 manufacturer opened a new plant in Decatur, Tennessee, in March 2024 to expand its robotic welding capabilities.

Expanding Operations for Advanced Welding

With three vertically integrated plants and a workforce of 400, E&E has the capacity to process a variety of materials from aluminum to stainless steel for domestic, foreign, luxury and military vehicle manufacturers. In the new Decatur shop, the company produces large aluminum skid plates for auto undercarriages that require spot welding, which was a new process for the company.

E&E implements advanced welding automation for automotive Tier 1 manufacturing.

Meeting the Challenge of Aluminum Spot Welding

Facing the new challenge of commissioning a welding cell for aluminum components, E&E partnered with Detroit-based integrator IMG for guidance. The custom automation solutions provider designed and built the complete cell at its facility using KR QUANTEC robots to weld and move the skid plates along the line. E&E’s team went to the integrator’s shop to learn and refine the cell prior to it being shipped to Decatur.

A positioner holds the skid plate as a KUKA robot spot welds.

Why KUKA Was the Clear Choice

Though new to aluminum spot welding, E&E was familiar with KUKA quality and reliability.

“In our Athens plant, all we had were four KUKA robots in a welding cell for the longest time for high-speed projection welding,” said E&E Manufacturing’s Automation Technician Dillon Givens. Working with the company’s engineering department to administer new cell implementation, Givens said KUKA durability was a major consideration in determining which robotic technology to use.

“The KUKA’s we’ve got in our Athens facility have been there for years and lasted a long time with minimal wear and tear,” he said. “Some of the other robot manufacturers have run into gear wear and failure, but we’ve yet to experience that with KUKA.”

Automotive welding automation cell featuring KR QUANTEC robots performing spot welding and handling.

A KR QUANTEC robot utilizing KUKA.RoboSpin software to optimize aluminum spot welding

Inside the KR QUANTEC Welding Cell

In Decatur, 24 KR QUANTEC robots operate as material handlers and welding gun carriers. An operator loads a table with the first fixture that has a subassembly welded to it with two spot welds. The assembly is removed from the table and flipped to receive a cover plate, then a material handling KUKA moves the component down the line where additional welds are performed.

The six-axis KR QUANTEC family of industrial robots has a redesigned smaller footprint and optimized energy supply system, allows for easier simulation and is well-suited for cost-effective cell planning such as the one commissioned at E&E. The KR QUANTEC also has many software add-ons available that make it particularly adaptable to a variety of applications.

Welding robots integrated into a custom automation cell for efficient Tier 1 production.

Software Innovations for Aluminum Welding

One such add-on is KUKA.RoboSpin, which is a package that can be added to KUKA.ServoGun software to optimize aluminum spot welding. During each weld, the workpiece is rotated around the tool center point (TCP). This rotational action prevents tip sticking and promotes longer tip life. Cycle and downtime are also reduced by not having to dress tips as often, and overall weld quality is improved in the challenging application of aluminum welding. Spin angle and time are defined numerically or via teaching, and the controller calculates the required spin velocity.

The KR QUANTEC’s add-on capabilities were essential in refining cell production. “We were new to this process,” Givens said, “and KUKA had the software we needed to accomplish our goals.”

Aluminum spot welding with KUKA.RoboSpin technology prevents tip sticking and extend electrode life.

24 KR QUANTEC robots operate as material handlers and welders.

Training, Support, and Problem-Solving

In addition to the speed, precision and durability KUKA brought to E&E, its support played a significant role in getting the cell into full production mode. KUKA trained the E&E engineering and production team on the general and specific capabilities of the technology and provided ongoing support as the cell was fine-tuned.

The KUKA smartPAD enables intuitive control of the spot welding robots and welding software.

“With any new project, you have issues to overcome,” Givens said. “And if we had an issue that we simply couldn’t figure out, we just make a call and always get someone from KUKA to jump in and help us on any issue. It’s been a real benefit having KUKA on our side, and, really, there is no issue that we can’t figure out now.”

KUKA robots handle automotive skid plates at various stages of the spot welding process.

Learn More About Welding Robots

KUKA offers expertise in all areas of robotic welding, especially for automotive suppliers. Download our welding ebook for more real-world examples of applying intelligent automation to automative manufacturing.

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Future Growth with KUKA Automation

With KUKA’s history of durability at E&E’s Athens plant and the success of the new welding cell in Decatur, plans are in the works for KUKA to drive further automation and robotic expansion for E&E production. Several new KUKA based robotic cell designs are currently in process across the company, and long-term plans call for additional robotic expansion capabilities over the next five years.

“As it stands right now, KUKA will be doing every bit of that expansion,” Givens said.

Robotic welding software ensures consistent weld quality and reduced downtime in automotive production lines.

Automate Manufacturing. But easier.

With the success of the new Athens facility welding cells and the company’s future expansion plans, Givens said selecting KUKA as E&E’s current robot supplier is an easy choice for one simple reason.

“With the overall craftsmanship KUKA uses to build these robots along with their durability and precision, it makes our automotive manufacturing really easy,” he said.