Automated welding solutions are used in a range of industries, most commonly in the automotive industry, and arc welding has been automated since the 1960s as a reliable manufacturing method that improves accuracy, safety and efficiency.
The main driver for automated welding solutions has been to reduce long-term costs, improve reliability and productivity.
Now, however, a new driving force has emerged, as robots are being used as a way to address the skills gap in the welding industry.More experienced welders are retiring in large numbers, and not enough qualified welders are trained to replace them.
The American Welding Society (AWS) estimates that the industry will be short of nearly 400,000 welding operators by 2024.Robotic welding is one solution to this shortage.
Robotic welding machines, such as the Cobot Welding Machine, can be certified by a Welding Inspector.This means the machine will pass the exact same tests and inspections as anyone looking to get certified.
Companies that can provide robotic welders have a high upfront cost to buy a robot, but then they have no ongoing wages to pay.Other industries can rent robots for an hourly fee and can reduce the additional costs or risks associated with them.
The ability to automate welding processes enables humans and robots to work side-by-side to better meet business requirements.
John Ward of Kings of Welding explained: “We are seeing more and more welding companies having to abandon their business due to labour shortages.
“Welding automation is not about replacing employees with robots, but a critical step in meeting the needs of the industry. Large jobs in manufacturing or construction that require multiple welders to operate sometimes have to wait weeks or months to find a large group of certified welders.”
In fact, with robots, companies have the ability to allocate resources more efficiently to achieve the best results.
More experienced welders can handle more challenging, higher-value welds, while robots can handle basic welds that don’t require much programming.
Professional welders usually have more flexibility than machines to adapt to different environments, while robots will achieve reliable results on the set parameters.
The robotic welding industry is expected to grow from 8.7% in 2019 to 2026.The automotive and transportation industries are expected to grow the fastest as demand for vehicle manufacturing increases in emerging economies, with electric vehicles becoming the two major drivers.
Welding robots are expected to be a key element in ensuring fulfillment speed and reliability in product manufacturing.
Asia Pacific has the highest growth rate.China and India are the two focus countries, both benefiting from government plans “Make in India” and “Made in China 2025″ which call for welding as a key element of manufacturing.
This is all good news for robotic automated welding companies, which present excellent opportunities for businesses in the field.
Filed Under: Manufacturing, Promotion Tagged With: automation, industry, manufacturing, robotics, robotics, welder, welding
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Post time: May-31-2022
