How Automation is Changing the Welding Industry

These days, with AI invading every area of work, automation and robotics in welding could be a controversial topic. Folks might be concerned about retaining jobs, among other things. But in the world of welding, automation can actually end up helping workers. Here’s what we know and what the future promises.

What Is Welding Automation?

Also called automated welding or welding robotics, this process refers to the use of machines and robots to perform welding tasks. This work is done with minimal human intervention. And it isn’t new, strictly speaking. Automated welding has been used since the 1960s, especially where mass production of automobiles was concerned. Original machinery was far larger and less nimble than today’s robot welding machines, but eventually evolved to be programmable, Computer Numerical Control (CNC), and advanced multi-axis robots that allow for more flexible operation.

Common types of welding automation include:

Fully-Automated Robotics: systems are fully programmed and use industrial robot arms that operate without direct operator control

Collaborative Robots: also called “cobots,” these lightweight robot arms work safely alongside human welders, are smaller and slower than standard industrial robots, and can be directed using a joystick

Semi-Automatic Systems: a hybrid between fully-automated and fully manual welding, these systems pair traditional welding equipment with mechanized aids, and work in tandem with human welders (e.g. feed an electrode to the arc while the human counterpart manipulates the welding gun)

Shops that use these modern, automated systems can employ the use of sensors and AI to deploy real-time monitoring and automatic, fine-tuned adjustments. Today, automation is truly more accessible than ever.

Benefits of Welding Automation

The main claims as to why automation is a benefit to the industry center around a few key considerations:

• Safety: even when welders take precautions and use safety equipment, welding remains hazardous, with real-world risks like burns, fumes, and eye injuries–using automated robotic equipment keeps operators out of harm’s way
• Waste: robots can be fine-tuned using remote equipment to ensure lower waste output that can otherwise result from over-welding and spatter–controllable and repeatable accuracy can lower material costs over time
• Consistency: robots generally do not slip up because they follow a pre-programmed path exactly, each and every time, resulting in identical welds–part quality is guaranteed and the need for rework is reduced
• Productivity: automated welding units take less frequent breaks and can run for long periods of time at a stretch (nearly 90–100% of the time)–shops can see a natural increase in productivity without the risk of fatigue or overwork
• Efficiency: robotics can–either independently or with minimal operation–handle basic and repetitive welds, freeing up skilled welders to execute more complex jobs–shops are able to more efficiently utilize existing staff

All in all, welding automation can help shops to boost output and ensure quality, while also improving safety and reducing repetitive strain on workers. Taken together, the positive benefits of automation can also translate into higher profitability and net gains, once the initial investment is recouped.

Automation and A Changing Industry

New technologies are always unreasonably expensive at the outset and often are snapped up by large companies first. However, as new tech evolves and becomes more mainstream, it offers an attainable solution for welding shops of all sizes. That’s roughly where we are now in the stream of the automation timeline.

Automated machinery and cobots can now be used as training tools, pre-programmed to guide an apprentice’s welding torch and help them to build muscle memory for a specific technique. At the same time, a veteran welder can teach the cobot new welds–human and machine can work in tandem to improve output and increase the equipment’s repertoire.

While it still may sound futuristic to some, welding automation is right here, right now, and it’s a potentially beneficial opportunity for manufacturers of all sizes. Automated welding can allow even small shops that face labor shortages or unrealistic deadlines to be able to meet their production goals and thrive in a competitive landscape. Giving more power and capability to smaller manufacturers is one definite highlight of how automation is a problem-solving tool that is changing the welding industry. Using automated welding technologies can help to future-proof welding operations and remain competitive in an especially challenging and rapidly evolving industry.

And while proponents of automation say that the goal is not to replace skilled workers, it is true that machines can end up filling the roles of less-experienced welders in any given shop. Normally, these folks would work their way up the ranks, gaining experience as they go, but it is plausible that robotic welders could take some space away from this demographic. Experienced and skilled welders are not at risk, since it is their very human reasoning ability that enables them to handle complex situations with intuition and finesse. But it takes time to get to that point, and it is those who are caught in the interim that could be worried.

There is also a global shortage of skilled welders, and with machines easily stepping in to handle low-tier work, it may not be as attractive a career as it once was. Experienced welders in the field could eventually find themselves retiring without a new crew to take their place. Or welders just entering the field may choose to specialize in order to set themselves apart from the crowd. We can’t say any of this for sure; these are just ponderings that are following one potential storyline–everything could change in a few years. Of course, with countless infrastructure projects on the horizon, there’s no doubt that skilled welders will always be in demand. 

Welding Services Near Cleveland

Regardless of how any of us feel about automation, it is here, and it is impacting daily business operations. The goal is not to replace welders, but to center their role more on technology management and more complex tasks, allowing machines to handle repetitive, high-volume, routine work in the background. And that sounds like a win. But you can be sure that whatever comes to pass with automation or other advancements, your professional team at M&M Certified Welding Company will remain one of your premier options among welding companies in Cleveland, whether for our range of welding services or our top-notch welding supplies. We love to know what’s up and coming, but we also know the value of hard-earned expertise.

If you’re in need of an experienced mobile welder, truck body fabrication, custom fabrication, or other welding services near Cleveland, look no further! Contact us today to get a quote on your next welding project. Check out what our customers are saying and visit our gallery to get an idea of what’s possible.