If you answered yes to some or all of the questions above, welding automation is likely to benefit your business.
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The critical differences between welding automated systems are:
Some welding automation systems, like collaborative robots, are designed for low to medium-volume automation. You can flexibly automate one-off jobs, 10-part batches, or 200-part batches, and quickly switch from batch to batch. Collaborative robots are easier to program than traditional robots and don’t require advanced safety measures.
Welding tractors also work for one-off or low-volume jobs, but tractors are far less flexible. They are a good choice for long longitudinal, circumferential, and even curved weld geometries on large welded pieces in heavy industries. However, they aren’t suitable for high-mix parts with a relatively small size.
Other systems, like traditional industrial robots or large welding manipulators, typically require higher welding volumes to justify their use and aren’t as flexible. For example, the automotive industry uses industrial robots for mass vehicle production, or large structural steel fabrication can use a manipulator for all-day production of beams, piles, and trusses.
With the right system, you’ll cut costs, boost production, reduce rework, and increase capacity. All in the market with labor shortages! With fewer professional welders entering the industry than retiring, welding operations must adapt with automatic welding systems.
Welding automation can drastically increase the production rate and nearly eliminate rework.
For example, our Cobot Welder can skyrocket production with consistent weld quality. Human welders will eventually get tired with a large part batch, but our cobot won’t.
“If a hand weld time took 25 minutes in the past, it now takes us five minutes. If it’s a five-minute part, it takes us 37 seconds.”
— Ryan Lockhard, Robotic Weld Head at Spectrum Metalcraft, a Vortex Company
Automated welding means fewer weld defects and no excessive overtime costs. You can improve profits on these two alone. Not to mention a drastic boost in welding output that’ll let you complete jobs faster and earn more.
Automation can also cut costs in less obvious areas. For example, our Cobot Welder can help reduce consumable costs like filler wire, thanks to much better efficiency.
“In addition to decreasing production times, we have increased the reliability and uniformity of each part compared to using traditional robots.”
— Ernest Key, Operations Manager, Athena Manufacturing
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To work on jobs in higher-value industries, your welds must be on point. Manually, it can be done. But consistently and with acceptable labor costs? Not always, especially with large orders requiring repetitive welding.
Welding automation can help you with the capacity AND quality that’s necessary to take on more demanding jobs.
“One of the biggest benefits that we've seen from buying Cobot Welder is our ability to go after contracts that we weren't able to get before. I would tell anybody if they're on the fence or questioning it, go for it. They won't regret it.”
— Mark Moye, Advanta Southeast
With the right system, welding automation can be incredibly easy to deploy.
We’ve designed Beacon, our robot welding software, grounds up specifically for metal workers. No clutter, no excessive popups, no TCPs, and no XYZs. You can teach new parts to the cobot in just a few minutes, and switch from part to part all day long.
“We had welders learn how to use Cobot Welder in about half an hour. Hirebotics’ Cobot Welder has allowed us to let non-welders operate the machine. They don’t need to learn the programming language.”
— Matt Blowers, IMS
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No more programming. Power your cobots with Beacon
Welding Cobot Made For Welders
Plasma Cutting Cobot For Fabricators
Higher Productivity With Advanced Welding Features
Calculating the welding automation ROI requires considering tangible and intangible benefits. You also need to consider the entire system cost. A welding cobot requires a power source and a welding table, among other elements. So, the total cost of the system includes more than just a robot arm. The same goes for many welding automation equipment, like welding manipulators, welding tractors, orbital welders, and others.
The key tangibles for any welding automation ROI calculations are:
work shifts you expect the system to be welding
labor cost savings in relation to the annual labor cost the automation system will supplement
cost of worker training to use the system
Thanks to Beacon, our Cobot Welder doesn’t require special training. You can use it right out of the box with a simple guide on programming the welding robot. So, you’ll experience faster ROI with less investment.
Besides a significant welding output per paid labor hour, the Cobot Welder will provide you with many intangible benefits. Your worker’s safety can improve with cobots, and their talents won’t be used on repetitive welding tasks but where their skills matter the most. You’ll also have better operational stability. If one of your welders calls in sick, another operator (not necessarily a welder) can operate the cobot on previously set parts.
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