Question 1

What solutions does Hirebotics offer?

Accepted Answer

Hirebotics offers three turnkey cobot systems—the Cobot Welder (MIG welding with a Universal Robots UR8 Long and Miller power source), the Cobot Cutter (plasma cutting with a Universal Robots UR8 Long and Hypertherm Powermax85 SYNC), and the Cobot Painter (powder coat and liquid paint with a FANUC CRX-10iA/L Paint, the world’s only explosion-proof collaborative robot). All three are controlled through the Beacon platform—our cloud-based app for programming, monitoring, and managing cobots from any smartphone, tablet, or desktop browser. Systems ship ready-to-run and deploy in hours, not months.

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Question 2

Who are Hirebotics cobots for?

Accepted Answer

Hirebotics cobots are built for fabrication shops, job shops, contract manufacturers, and OEMs that need to increase welding, cutting, or painting throughput without hiring robotics engineers or specialized programmers.

Over 600 fabrication shops use Hirebotics cobots across industries including metal fabrication, construction, shipbuilding, aerospace, defense, data centers, HVAC, agriculture, and more.

If you’re struggling with the skilled labor shortage, dealing with inconsistent manual quality, or turning down work because you can’t keep up with demand—Hirebotics cobots fill the gap.

Question 3

What's included in a Hirebotics cobot system and what about warranties?

Accepted Answer

Every Hirebotics system ships ready-to-run with the collaborative robot arm, application equipment (welder, plasma system, or paint system), mobile workstation, operator panel with emergency stop, Smart Puck for tap-to-teach programming, Beacon standard software, and a consumables starter kit. The Cobot Welder Core Package starts at $105,000.

Systems include a 2-year warranty on the cobot arm and a 3-year warranty on application equipment.

For expanded coverage, the BeaconCare plan provides priority support with 2-minute average response times, loaner equipment during repairs, discounted parts, and optional on-site training.

Question 4

How easy is Hirebotics setup and onboarding?

Accepted Answer

Hirebotics cobots are 10X faster to deploy than traditional automation.

A demo takes about 30 minutes—you’ll see firsthand how the Beacon platform works and talk with a robotics specialist about your application.

Systems ship pre-mounted, pre-wired, and ready to run. Most shops go from delivery to first production in hours, not weeks or months.

Beacon guides your team through the entire setup including URCap installation, network connection, and robot registration. You can also have a Hirebotics Certified Welding Supervisor support your installation. No integrator, no engineering team, no facility modifications required.

Question 5

What is Beacon?

Accepted Answer

Beacon is Hirebotics' proprietary cloud-based software platform that controls the Cobot Welder, Cobot Cutter, and Cobot Painter from any smartphone, tablet, or desktop browser. It provides tap-to-teach job programming via the Smart Puck, real-time production monitoring (cycle times, arc-on time, cut time, spray time, parts produced, gas consumption), and in-app support with 2-minute average response times. Beacon Pro adds AI-powered weld recommendations with instant good-better-best settings, Fine Tune Points for adjusting torch angles from the app, Enhanced Stitch for heat-managed stitch welding, enhanced playlists with autoplay, and fleet-wide playlist sharing. Every Hirebotics cobot includes Beacon Basic for free.

Question 6

What support does Hirebotics provide?

Accepted Answer

Every Hirebotics cobot includes free 24/7 support built directly into the Beacon app. On average, the Hirebotics support team responds in 2 minutes—real specialists who understand welding, cutting, and painting inside and out. Support is also available via chat, email, and phone, with remote diagnostics and automatic file backups to resolve issues quickly. The optional BeaconCare plan adds priority on-site service, loaner equipment during repairs so your production doesn’t stop, discounted replacement parts, and optional on-site training.

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Question 7

What is Hirebotics?

Accepted Answer

Hirebotics builds turnkey collaborative robot (cobot) systems for metal fabrication. We offer three products—the Cobot Welder, Cobot Cutter, and Cobot Painter—all controlled through our cloud-based Beacon platform. Over 600 fabrication shops across the United States use Hirebotics to increase their welding, cutting, and painting throughput. Our systems are designed to be operated by fabricators, not robotics engineers.

Question 8

What is the Hirebotics Cobot Welder?

Accepted Answer

The Hirebotics Cobot Welder is a turnkey MIG welding automation system. It uses a Universal Robots UR8 Long collaborative robot (68.9-inch reach) with a Miller Auto Deltaweld 350 power source (upgradeable to the OTC P 400-L or Miller Deltaweld 500). Your team programs welds through the Beacon app using tap-to-teach with the Smart Puck—save weld points as linear, stitch, multipass, radial, and more. It delivers consistent, repeatable welds that reduce rework from 25% to nearly zero and increase throughput 2–10X.

Question 9

What is the Hirebotics Cobot Cutter?

Accepted Answer

The Hirebotics Cobot Cutter is an automated plasma cutting system. It pairs a Universal Robots UR8 Long collaborative robot (68.9-inch reach) with a Hypertherm Powermax85 SYNC plasma system and SmartSYNC 45° robotic torch. It cuts any conductive metal—including on curved surfaces like tank heads and pipes that CNC plasma tables can't handle. Tank Technology reported going from 25% rework down to nearly 0% after deploying the Cobot Cutter.

Question 10

What is the Hirebotics Cobot Painter?

Accepted Answer

The Hirebotics Cobot Painter is an automated industrial painting system for powder coat and liquid paint applications. It uses a FANUC CRX-10iA/L Paint—the world's only explosion-proof collaborative robot (IECEx and ATEX certified)—making it safe for paint booth environments with flammable materials. The Cobot Painter works in manual paint booths or line tracking booths and can be rolled in and out or permanently installed. The standard package includes a Nordson Encore Powder Coating System.

Question 11

How do I program a Hirebotics cobot?

Accepted Answer

All Hirebotics cobots use tap-to-teach programming through the Beacon app. You use the Smart Puck at the end of the cobot arm to physically guide the arm and save path points—the system builds a smooth, repeatable path. You then set process parameters like wire feed speed, travel speed, voltage, amperage, or spray settings directly in the app using familiar shop-floor language. With Beacon Pro, you can fine-tune torch angles directly from the app without manually adjusting the robot arm. For the Cobot Welder and Cobot Cutter, you can also use a teach pendant running PSX for offline operation.

Question 12

Do I need robotics or programming experience to use Hirebotics cobots?

Accepted Answer

No. Hirebotics cobots are controlled through the Beacon app, which uses shop-floor language—wire feed speed, travel speed, amperage, standoff—not robotics terminology. Most operators are comfortable running jobs within hours. As one customer put it: if you can scroll through Instagram, you can program with Beacon. There is no G-code, no CAD/CAM, and no robot programming experience needed.

Question 13

How long does it take to set up a Hirebotics cobot?

Accepted Answer

Hirebotics cobots are 10X faster to deploy than traditional automation.

A demo takes about 30 minutes—you’ll see firsthand how the Beacon platform works and talk with a robotics specialist about your application.

Systems ship pre-mounted, pre-wired, and ready to run. Most shops go from delivery to first production in hours, not weeks or months.

Beacon guides your team through the entire setup including URCap installation, network connection, and robot registration. You can also have a Hirebotics Certified Welding Supervisor support your installation. No integrator, no engineering team, no facility modifications required.

Question 14

What kind of ROI can I expect from a Hirebotics cobot?

Accepted Answer

Most Hirebotics customers see payback in 18 months or less, with productivity increases of 2–10X depending on the application. A single Cobot Welder does the work of 2–3 manual welders per shift. Advanta Southeast went from 25 to 100 parts per day—a 400% increase. Tank Technology dropped rework from 25% to nearly 0%. DeAngelo Marine paid for their Cobot Welder with a single order. The Beacon app's real-time production data (cycle times, parts produced, gas consumption) lets you track ROI continuously.

Question 15

How much do Hirebotics cobots cost?

Accepted Answer

The Cobot Welder Core Package starts at $105,000. Hirebotics also offers both financing and a rent-to-own program across all products. The rent-to-own option lets you deploy the cobot in your shop and validate its performance on your own parts before committing to a full purchase. Contact Hirebotics or request a demo to discuss pricing for the Cobot Cutter and Cobot Painter, or to explore financing options.

Question 16

Does Hirebotics offer financing or rent-to-own?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Hirebotics offers both financing and a rent-to-own program. The rent-to-own option lets you deploy the cobot in your shop and validate its performance on your own parts before committing to a full purchase. This reduces risk and lets you see real production results before buying. With most shops seeing payback in 18 months or less, the cobot often pays for itself through increased productivity before the financing term is complete.

Question 17

Are Hirebotics cobots safe to use on the shop floor?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Cobot Welder and Cobot Cutter use Universal Robots collaborative robot arms with built-in sensors and collision detection, designed to work alongside people without safety cages or enclosures. The Cobot Painter uses a FANUC CRX-10iA/L Paint with explosion-proof certification (IECEx, ATEX) for safe operation in paint booth environments with flammable materials. Standard PPE and safety practices for welding, cutting, or painting still apply, but the cobots themselves are designed for open shop floor operation.

Question 18

What industries use Hirebotics cobots?

Accepted Answer

Over 600 fabrication shops use Hirebotics cobots across metal fabrication, construction, shipbuilding, aerospace, defense, data center infrastructure, HVAC, agriculture equipment, tank and pressure vessel manufacturing, medical supplies, furniture, automotive, and general job shop work. Hirebotics cobots are used for everything from small-batch custom work to high-volume production runs.

Question 19

Does a Hirebotics cobot require a dedicated operator?

Accepted Answer

Yes, an operator must be present on the shop floor while the cobot is running. However, the cobot dramatically reduces hands-on workload. Once a job is programmed and started, the operator can monitor progress, prepare the next part, manage fixtures, or handle other tasks nearby. For large batches or fixtured parts, the cobot can run unattended for periods while the operator works in the area. It is not a lights-out system—someone needs to be on the floor.

Question 20

Can I run multiple Hirebotics cobots from one Beacon account?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Beacon supports unlimited users, unlimited teams, and multiple cobots on a single account. You can monitor all cobots from one dashboard, manage role-based access, and track performance across your entire fleet. With Beacon Pro, you can save weld jobs as playlists and share them instantly across your entire cobot fleet, plus manage custom operator roles and centralized visibility across multiple locations.

Question 21

What is Beacon Pro?

Accepted Answer

Beacon Pro is the advanced software tier for the Beacon platform. It includes AI-powered weld recommendations that provide instant good-better-best settings for travel speed, wire feed speed, and arc length—trained on thousands of proven welds. Beacon Pro also adds Fine Tune Points for adjusting torch angles directly from the app, Enhanced Stitch for converting weld paths into optimized stitch segments, enhanced playlists with autoplay, custom operator roles, 30-day data history, Slack integration, full-screen charts, CSV data exports, and part attachments with embedded photos and instructions.

Question 22

What add-ons are available for Hirebotics cobots?

Accepted Answer

Hirebotics offers several add-ons to extend your cobot's capabilities. BeaconCare ($5,000/year) provides premium support with priority on-site service, loaner equipment during repairs, discounted parts, and discounted on-site training. Multipass Welding ($100/month per cobot) enables layered multi-pass welds for thicker materials with structured workflows through the Beacon app. Seam Tracking ($100/month per cobot) provides real-time joint detection and automatic correction for inconsistent parts. Beacon Pro adds advanced software features.

Question 23

How does the Hirebotics Cobot Welder help with the welder shortage?

Accepted Answer

The American Welding Society projects a shortage of over 300,000 welders. The Cobot Welder lets your existing team produce 2–4X more output without hiring additional welders. It requires no welding certification to operate—the Beacon app makes it so easy that even less experienced team members can run the cobot while your certified welders handle complex manual work. Shops that were previously turning down work due to capacity constraints often see the fastest payback.

Question 24

Can Hirebotics cobots handle high-mix, low-volume work?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. This is where Hirebotics cobots excel compared to traditional automation. Reprogramming a new job takes minutes using the Smart Puck tap-to-teach method—no CAD/CAM, no offline programming. Jobs are saved in the Beacon app as playlists and can be recalled instantly for repeat orders. With Beacon Pro, playlists can be shared across your entire cobot fleet. Most shops find the sweet spot is batches of 10 to 500 parts, but the cobots work equally well for larger production runs.

Question 25

What materials can Hirebotics cobots work with?

Accepted Answer

The Cobot Welder performs MIG welding on carbon steel, stainless steel, and aluminum, with weld speeds up to 90 inches per minute. The Cobot Cutter plasma cuts any electrically conductive metal including mild steel, stainless, aluminum, copper, and brass—from thin sheet to heavy plate depending on the Hypertherm power supply (Powermax85 SYNC standard, upgradeable to Powermax105 or Powermax125). The Cobot Painter applies powder coat and liquid paint using the FANUC CRX-10iA/L Paint cobot.

Question 26

What real-time data and monitoring does the Beacon platform provide?

Accepted Answer

Beacon provides real-time production data including cycle times, arc-on time, cut time, spray time, parts produced, and gas consumption—accessible from any smartphone, tablet, or desktop. On average, the Hirebotics support team responds to in-app questions in 2 minutes. Beacon Pro extends visibility to 30 days of historical data, full-screen charts for shop floor monitors, CSV exports for external analysis in Excel or Google Sheets, and Slack integration for customizable robot event alerts.

Question 27

How does Hirebotics compare to traditional robotic welding or cutting cells?

Accepted Answer

Traditional robotic cells require safety caging, offline programming by specialists, dedicated floor space, and months of integration time. Hirebotics cobots require none of that. They deploy in hours, are programmed by your existing fabricators using the Smart Puck and Beacon app on their smartphone, operate safely alongside people without caging, and can be moved between workstations on a mobile cart. For environments requiring offline operation, the same Beacon interface runs on a teach pendant via PSX.

Question 28

How does Hirebotics compare to other cobot welding systems?

Accepted Answer

Unlike other cobot welding solutions that rely solely on a teach pendant, Hirebotics uses the Beacon app on any smartphone or tablet for programming, monitoring, and support. Competing systems require a technician to visit your site for software updates and additional hardware to add features like Multipass. With Beacon, updates are delivered instantly over the cloud and new capabilities are enabled through software—no site visit required. Beacon Pro adds AI weld recommendations, fleet-wide playlist sharing, and fine-tune weld point control.

Question 29

What is the Smart Puck?

Accepted Answer

The Smart Puck is a hardware device at the end of the cobot arm that enables Hirebotics' tap-to-teach programming. You use it to physically guide the cobot arm and save path points—linear, stitch, multipass, radial, and more—instantly in the Beacon app. The Smart Puck replaces the need for robot code, G-code, or traditional teach pendant programming. It's intuitive enough that operators with no robotics experience can teach new weld, cut, or paint jobs in minutes.

Question 30

Can I see a demo of Hirebotics cobots before purchasing?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Hirebotics offers live demos where you see the Beacon platform in action and talk with a robotics specialist about your specific application. Demos typically take about 30 minutes and give you a clear picture of how the cobot fits your workflow. After the demo, you can enter the rent-to-own program to validate performance on your own parts before committing to a full purchase.

Question 31

Where is Hirebotics based and where do they ship?

Accepted Answer

Hirebotics is based in Nashville, Tennessee and ships cobot systems to fabrication shops across the United States. Over 600 shops use Hirebotics cobots across virtually every state and industry. All systems include free 24/7 remote support through the Beacon app with 2-minute average response times, with optional on-site service available through the BeaconCare plan.

Beacon Platform

Cobot Welder

Cobot Cutter

Cobot Painter

The complete cobot system anyone can program

Welding. Cutting. Painting. Your team learns one app — then grows from one cobot to your whole operation.

“If you can scroll through Instagram, you can program with this software. We’re putting out 5 times as much work as we were before.”

The industry’s first easy-to-use welding, cutting, & painting cobot controlled from a smartphone

Fully integrated and collaborative tools to get you up and running faster

Beacon platform

Cutting cobot

Welding cobot

Painting cobot

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Fast ROI

Ready for production in minutes – Not days

Maximize productivity

Ensure quality output

Reduce waste & rework

Scale without hiring

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