Collaborative robots can weld parts without having to move them. Parts that require welding positioners are better suited to traditional robots. Image source: Asieta Inc. LLC
Over the past 10 years, the industry’s view of automation has changed dramatically. Ask small factory managers about the robotics of the day, and they’ll likely tell you they simply didn’t have enough automation capabilities. Some of you may have had bad experiences in the past, and they may be referring to the idle robot sitting in the corner. They may have had a large welding job where the robot was once a perfect fit, but it has never really fit since.
Manufacturers today are investing in automation to prepare for an unpredictable future. Yes, this may seem counterintuitive to a store manager who 10 years ago had a robot sitting in the corner. Orders come and go. If I invest in automating important work now, what happens when that work disappears? Now, they say, welders simply cannot be found. If I don’t automate, I can’t grow.
How can this growth and the overall manufacturing environment be made more predictable? First, focus on your employees, including what they know about automation, the type of workday they prefer, and what they hope to get out of their careers.
All of this leads to the next step: changing your mindset. If you work for a custom or contract metal fabricator, you probably won’t want to cut your cycle time. You’re working with a lot of products, so a welding robot doing the job in seconds usually doesn’t have a significant impact (of course, it can in some cases). Well-designed automation cells operate reliably and predictably. These characteristics will change the way your company grows and prospers.
Manufacturers looking to automate often cite labor shortages. If more people could learn technical skills, they might not have to turn to automation, they said. They are turning to automation to continue to grow, even if they have no choice but to hire less skilled labor.
The real shift to automation is a bit noticeable. Yes, welding robots allow people with poor manual welding skills to produce good parts, but the key word is “manual welding skills.” Automation actually requires different skills. They need to know something about manual processes, but they also need to learn how to maintain, program and run automated equipment. They think about how automation fits into overall operations, including which parts fit into specific automation cells and which don’t, and work with partners, including customers and integrators, to develop strategies for what to automate and why. .
I speak from experience here. I started my career as a manufacturing welder but gradually moved into welding automation. I love working with my hands, but I also love electronics and other technology, so it made sense to pursue robotics.
However, robotics is not for everyone. I used to think age mattered. Of course, those nearing retirement, those who have built successful careers out of manual welding, will not be interested in learning how to program a suspension. Likewise, people who grew up with iPhones will always love robots, right?
It is not always so. Many young people, having graduated from welding school, understand that manual welding is indeed their true calling. Of course, they don’t want to be bored out of their minds at work, welding one simple job after another, day after day, year after year. They love variety and continually improve their flexibility to produce the perfect weld in even the most difficult welding positions.
But not every welder is like that, including me. I learned the basics of welding and then saw how robotics was evolving. I believe manual welding will never go away, but robotics will soon find a permanent home in most factories. This will be a new way for manufacturers to scale.
Welders in production undergo training in pendant programming. Some welders can weld by hand throughout their career. Others may focus on automation-oriented careers.
In some cases, manufacturers couldn’t find many welders or machine operators even if they wanted to. But even when they can, they often find that they achieve a better fit with robotics—that is, providing career opportunities for people that they can support, maintain, and make the most of automation. Interested people want to know more about robotics, and for automation to flourish, this knowledge must be put into practice. In other words, automation creates an environment in which people want to work.
Without such support and acceptance, automated investing becomes purely transactional. When a particular production job is completed, the robot moves to a corner and begins collecting dust.
Part of employee engagement is driven by an open mind about automation. First, learn about all the new technologies, but never look at a technology in isolation and think that this new development will eventually solve all your problems. Think of technological advances as additional tools in your automation arsenal. Just because you have a new tool doesn’t mean you have to throw away or ignore all your other tools.
Let’s look at offline programming. In many cases, this technology can change the world. No more need for operators to use a teach pendant and waste unproductive time on site setup, right? The truth is again more nuanced. It really depends on the job, especially when it comes to parts with complex welding geometries that take a long time to program using the teach pendant.
What about simpler welding jobs? Let’s say someone simulates a robot program for a simple or straight workpiece offline, and then sends that program to the shop floor, where the operator still needs to use a teach pendant to polish it. Although offline programming no longer requires workshop resources, it still requires dedicated staff to spend time programming, and the program still requires on-site customization. In this case, it may be easier for the welding machine operator (again, someone trained in robotics and familiar with the teaching pendant) to do the programming from the beginning.
Similar ideas apply to collaborative robots. A few years ago, they were considered the next big thing, one that would change manufacturing forever. Well, they didn’t change the world, but they improved it. For example, if a shop has a workpiece that does not need to be moved during the welding process, it may be an ideal candidate for a collaborative robot. If a positioner is required to complete the welding operation of a part, a traditional robotic cell is best suited.
At the same time, the influence of the speed of the welding robot should not be overestimated, especially between welds. Welding speed is the speed of welding. The welding speed of cobots and traditional robots is the same, or at least similar. The real difference is how quickly the robot’s arm moves between the welds. Traditional robots are much faster than cobots and can accelerate between the end and start points of a weld. The extent of this difference in speed depends on the job and the number of parts involved.
Speed is only one factor and cannot be viewed in isolation like other automation factors. Let’s say you’re focusing on speed and squeezing every ounce of efficiency out of a weld cell designed for a specific product. Then the client stops his business or the product line changes. What do we do now? So much for making an amazing life predictable.
Broaden your focus and the story changes. Let’s say you have a product line or recurring orders. Instead of designing a table specifically for this order, try a larger open table that can accommodate multiple fixtures. If demand for this recurring order drops, another part can be started on the same table during downtime. In short, an open workspace setup accommodates changes in demand, while robots provide scalability—the ability to quickly increase productivity as customer demand increases.
Additionally, not every robot needs to focus on a specific process. Some modular systems may be initially configured for welding and then reconfigured weeks or months later for another process, such as equipment maintenance or assembly and placement tasks. Modular robots are not designed to move around a plant every day (for example, they won’t weld in the morning and help with assembly in the afternoon), but they do help adapt to changing product mixes and changes in customer demand.
Labor shortage is a sore point for many as it creates chaos. Metal fabricators around the world, especially in workshops, must respond to changes in demand. As the reshoring trend evolves, customers are looking for metal fabricators that have spare capacity. For many, “additional capacity” means working overtime and perhaps adding a second or third shift, which is even harder to fill. The increase in newly hired manual labor led to great changes as people came to work. Training may be brief as customers wait for their parts. Timely delivery and quality suffer, as does the manufacturer’s reputation.
Compare this to manufacturers implementing automation. As demand increases, robots continue to produce high-quality parts. Their cycle times are programmed and predictable. Well-trained and dedicated employees ensure work automation and product flow. Throughput increases and overall process variability decreases. This consistency in metal production will create a more predictable future over time.
Clients also want consistency, which is why many are now asking for their work to go through some level of automation. These new opportunities spurred growth and hiring—not the frantic kind that happens when a store desperately needs help, but the cautious kind that tries to hire people who can fit the store’s needs and culture over the long term. This might include someone like me a few years ago – a welder fascinated by robotics and the electromechanical wizards of modern manufacturing and eager to learn more.
Editor’s Note: This article is based on “Robots Prepare Manufacturers for an Unpredictable Future,” presented at this year’s FABTECH show by Tyler Pulliam, welding automation manager at Acieta LLC.
Fabricator is the leading magazine for the North American metal fabricating industry. The magazine publishes news, technical articles and case reports that enable manufacturers to do their jobs more efficiently. The manufacturer has been serving the industry since 1970.
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Post time: Jan-09-2024
