The welding market is becoming highly competitive, and the shortage of professional, skilled welders can make it challenging for companies to persevere. Collaborative robots (cobots) can help businesses keep up with high demand while taking repetitive and strenuous workloads off their workforces. These robots help scale welding operations by improving consistency, collaborative work and safety.
Industrial robots boost efficiency, precision and safety in the welding industry. They’re beneficial for automating large-scale, repetitive jobs. While Industrial robots remain popular for such tasks, they aren’t as effective at more complex ones.
However, cobots can handle more intricate jobs alongside human welders. They assist with routine tasks like quality control and assembly, allowing welders to prioritize more complex work.
Cobots are robots designed to assist and work alongside human operators. Unlike traditional robots, they aren’t limited to safety zones but still ensure a safe workspace. Safety features like sensors allow cobots to detect humans in their vicinity and adjust accordingly, allowing businesses to harness the strengths of robotics and human workers simultaneously.
While traditional robots are ideal for automating heavy-duty, repetitive welding jobs, cobots are more flexible and versatile, making them better for complex operations. They’re designed to be easy to program, integrate and reprogram so humans can interact with them more effectively. Workers can use them for various applications, boosting adaptability and productivity.
Cobots are easier and more cost-effective to integrate into an existing workspace than traditional robots. That’s because of their smaller size, built-in safety features, and collaborative design.
Contact a Meritus Gas team expert for more information on cobots.
Automating your manufacturing line using welding cobots can save your company money, boost productivity and improve safety. They can transform how your welding operations function through the following benefits:
Fewer young people are pursuing careers in welding, and the United States is expecting a welder shortage of around 330,000 by 2028.
Many companies are addressing the welder shortage through automation. They’re using industrial robots to take on the bulk of simple, repetitive tasks and cobots to aid welders with more complex and routine jobs. These applications allow human welders to prioritize more creative and intricate work.
Companies can maintain higher production levels by automating specific welding tasks despite having fewer welders. Cobots also help small-to-midsize enterprises (SMEs) account for these shortages even without the volume of work required to implement industrial robots.
The most significant expenses involved in welding include reject and rework costs, labor costs, non-value-added tasks, and post-weld operations. Automation helps reduce all of these in a large section of the industry.
Cobots reduce labor costs by taking over routine and time-consuming jobs and helping welders complete more complex tasks efficiently. They also create cleaner and more precise welds, reducing the number of defects and errors. Fewer reworks or scraps result in lower overall production costs.
Another area where cobots save money is their cost compared to traditional automation solutions. Their initial expenses are typically lower than those of industrial robots. They’re also more affordable to maintain and require less infrastructure to install and integrate into a workspace.
Automation in manufacturing is more precise and consistent. For example, cobots consistently produce uniform welds, reducing human error and increasing weld quality. Studies show that when staff cooperate with a cobot, task complexity is decreased, which reduces human workload and improves output quality.
Quality standards are high, and cobots ensure the same level of quality is achieved with every weld. They maintain these standards throughout production without variation, even in areas human welders struggle to reach.
Automation solutions like industrial robots require complex and expensive installation and maintenance. However, a cobot’s user-friendly interface makes it easy for operators with little to no technical knowledge to set up and maintain them.
Programming cobots is straightforward. Common methods include lead-through programming, graphical tablet interfaces using interlocking drag-and-drop blocks and even standard programming languages.
Automation makes your manufacturing process safer for your workers. Industrial robots require safety zones, removing humans from hazardous environments. Cobots improve safety while working alongside human welders and operators. They have reactive sensors that detect workers and objects and prevent accidents by adjusting their movements accordingly.
Automation solutions make your manufacturing line more flexible. While traditional welding robots handle high-volume repetitive tasks, they require extensive programming and setup. However, cobots are more adaptable because they’re designed to be easy to reprogram. As production needs change or require customization, cobots can be easily adjusted to perform different welding tasks or added to existing fleets.
Fatigue is a significant factor affecting human productivity. However, cobots can consistently and uninterruptedly provide high-quality welds. Incorporating cobots into the workload positively impacts the organization’s overall performance. Using them for routine, time-consuming jobs allows human welders to prioritize skilled and intricate tasks, reducing lead times and boosting productivity.
Companies can leverage the problem-solving and decision-making skills of human welders and the endurance and precision of cobots.
While automation solutions depend on your company’s needs and goals, they typically reduce operating costs and increase output, quickly covering the initial investment.
Welding cobots can yield exceptionally high ROIs in a short amount of time. They increase productivity and quality and reduce labor, maintenance, and waste costs. Cobots are even more effective in SMEs with low-volume production.
Welding cobots can improve productivity, competitive advantage and efficiency in your manufacturing process. However, it’s essential to consider these key factors when implementing them into your workspace:
Contact a Meritus Gas team expert for information on cobot repairs and maintenance.
At Meritus Gas Partners, we’re experts in assisting companies with streamlining welding operations and cutting costs through our innovative cobot solutions. Our experts help companies cut gas costs by tailoring the right package for their needs and offering competitive prices.
Additionally, we partner with robotics companies to provide you with the most advanced technology. MOD-WELD cobots from APT Manufacturing Solutions have a user-friendly interface that enables workers to perform complex or tedious tasks consistently.
Find a partner near you or speak to one of our experts for more information on integrating cobots into your welding operations.
