Vortex Companies Cuts Overtime, Lifts Profits, and Accelerates Production with the Cobot Welder

Vortex Companies, based in Salina, Kansas, designs and manufactures precision-engineered components for dry bulk material handling – from slide gates to diverters to custom steel systems trusted by global brands like Nestlé, DuPont, and Rio Tinto.

With over 420 employees and a network spanning 120+ countries, they’ve built a reputation for delivering high-quality solutions on time. But like many manufacturers, they faced a critical challenge: a growing backlog and too few skilled welders to keep up.

“We couldn’t find enough qualified welders in the region – and traditional robots just weren’t the answer. They still needed constant supervision.”

Ryan Hansen
– Thomas Cook, Production Manager, Vortex Companies

The Challenge

Skilled Welders in Short Supply

Located in Central Kansas, Vortex found themselves up against a familiar pain point: labor shortages. Their robotic systems required trained welders to run them. Meanwhile, demand kept rising, and the overtime hours were stacking up.

It wasn’t just a capacity issue – it was a profitability one.

The Solution

A Smarter, Simpler Way to Weld

Vortex turned to Hirebotics and the Cobot Welder to streamline operations and free up their skilled welders for high-value work.

Unlike traditional automation, the Cobot Welder didn’t require advanced programming or robotics experience. Operators – even those new to welding – could be up and running in minutes.

“The training was extremely simple. It was fun, actually,”

– Power Glover, Robotic Weld Tech

“The system is self-explanatory. The monotonous parts go to the cobot. That takes the pressure off our team.”

– Power Glover

The Results

Hours Saved, Capacity Gained, Teams Empowered.

What used to take 25 minutes by hand now takes 5. A five-minute weld? Just 37 seconds. A 3-hour job? Done in 20 minutes.

Reduced overtime

Manual welders went from 55-hour weeks down to a balanced 40 – without losing income or job security.

New opportunities

Instead of cutting roles, Vortex created three new positions after implementing the Cobot Welder.

Profitability up

With fewer overtime hours and faster turnaround, margins improved across the board.

“If you’re building more than 100 of the same part, use a cobot. You’ll reduce errors and increase throughput. It’s that simple.”

Ryan Lockhart — Robotic Weld Lead at Spectrum Metalcraft (a Vortex Company)

Looking Ahead

Growing with Cobot Welders

Vortex isn’t just meeting demand – they’re scaling to stay ahead of it. The Beacon Cobot Welder has become a central part of that strategy.

By offloading repetitive tasks to the cobot, the team has unlocked capacity, protected quality, and given their welders more meaningful work – all while improving work-life balance.

“Nobody lost their job. People just got more time – and more opportunity.”

– Ryan Lockhart

Hirebotics builds solutions that help manufacturers like Vortex Companies do more – with less strain on their team.

If you’re ready to produce faster, empower your welders, and grow without compromise, the Cobot Welder is here to help.

Let’s build what’s next – together.