Robotic Welding as a Quick, Efficient Alternative

Robotic welding is quickly becoming the standard for many companies. Advances in robotics have shown that manufacturing tasks (specifically welding) are perfect for robots; already, roughly one-fifth of industrial robots are welders.

The process of robotic welding is entirely automated. Machines handle the parts and perform the welding, from start to finish. In fact, if a human participates in preparation, the entire process is no longer considered to be robotic (with partial human involvement, the process is sometimes called “automated” instead of robotic).

Robotic Welding as a Relatively New Application

In an industry as old as manufacturing, the use of robots for spot welding is relatively new, having only taken off less than 30 years ago in the auto industry. However, robotic welding has exploded in manufacturing. In North America, the number of robots performing welding jobs has topped 60,000.

The process has become more specialized with time, and robotic tasks are becoming more complex. Today, robots perform arc welding; functions include both physical movement through a robotic manipulator, and mechanical controllers are capable of doing the robots’ “thinking.”

Upsides 

Many manufacturers are turning to robotic welding for reasons related to speed and convenience. Robotic welding is known to boost production speed while increasing manufacturing efficiency. Over the long term, robotic welding saves operators a significant amount of money.

For manufacturers who contract welding work, robotic welding certainly makes sense, as a company can enjoy larger orders and quicker turnaround times.