What are the advantages of robotic welding versus manual welding?

What is robot­ic welding?

Weld­ing is a process where two mate­ri­als are fused togeth­er through heat­ing, inter­mix­ing, and then cool­ing the mate­ri­als and/​or a filler to form a strong join. From arc weld­ing to spot weld­ing, new and used weld­ing robots are typ­i­cal­ly used in weld­ing process­es where the weld required is repet­i­tive and qual­i­ty and speed are cru­cial. Robot­ic weld­ing is an auto­mat­ed process that increas­es effi­cien­cy, con­sis­ten­cy, and your ROI.

Com­mon weld­ing robots include Fanuc Arc Mate 0iB, Fanuc ARC Mate 120iB, and Fanuc ARC Mate 100iC/​8L, but we offer oth­er mod­els and brands.

Advan­tages of robot­ic welding

There are sev­er­al advan­tages to automat­ing a fac­to­ry with weld­ing robots, includ­ing faster, con­sis­tent cycle times, no break in pro­duc­tion, and bet­ter weld qual­i­ty. Basi­cal­ly, by using weld­ing robot­ic automa­tion, the process takes less time, and man­u­fac­tur­ers can cut the cost of direct labor and safe­ty and con­serve materials.

Robot­ic weld cells pro­vide an even safer work envi­ron­ment, dra­mat­i­cal­ly reduc­ing arc glare, over­spray, and direct con­tact with the robot and part. A robot welder is more con­sis­tent and can move from one weld to the next quick­ly, speed­ing up the entire process.

Takes less time

Robot­ic weld­ing sys­tems will get the job done quick­ly. Whether you have new or used weld­ing robots, they have few­er mis­takes than man­u­al weld­ing. Unlike labor­ers, robots don’t require breaks, vaca­tions, etc. Your work can con­tin­ue with­out inter­rup­tion, ²⁴⁄₇. This in turn, will increase your through­put & productivity. 

Cut the Cost of Direct Labor & Safety

The cost of man­u­al weld­ing can be steep. It requires time, skill, and con­cen­tra­tion. It is also dan­ger­ous. Flash, fumes, sparks and heat make man­u­al weld­ing a tax­ing and haz­ardous job. With robot­ic weld­ing, you will pro­tect work­ers and reduce costs. These sys­tems endure the haz­ards and often increase pro­duc­tion. Insur­ance and acci­dent-relat­ed costs are also reduced considerably. 

Con­serve materials

Even the most skilled welders make mis­takes. How­ev­er, with new and used weld­ing robot­ics, every­thing is reg­u­lat­ed, includ­ing pow­er and wire. Auto­mat­ed used weld­ing robot­ic sys­tems con­serve ener­gy by run­ning con­sis­tent­ly (few­er start-ups). Plus, the welds that are cre­at­ed are more con­sis­tent. The accu­ra­cy of robot sys­tems means there is less wast­ed mate­r­i­al and time. Con­serve your mate­r­i­al and increase your prod­uct qual­i­ty at the same time!

Some com­pa­nies switch to robot­ic weld­ing appli­ca­tions grad­u­al­ly, start­ing with a sin­gle weld­ing cell and slow­ly con­vert­ing to a ful­ly auto­mat­ed weld­ing process. Robots can be help­ful when access to a part is lim­it­ed or dif­fi­cult to reach. Man­u­fac­tur­ers have cre­at­ed designs that allow for a slen­der robot­ic arm to reach small­er areas.

Wor­ried About Jus­ti­fy­ing the Cost? 

A quick look at the ROI makes it clear, how can you jus­ti­fy NOT invest­ing in robot­ic weld­ing? Not only do robots cost less in the long run, but they don’t require vaca­tion, sick days, or a salary. Robots​.com also offers recon­di­tioned weld­ing robots at a frac­tion of the price of a new weld­ing robot.

Robots​.com has a large sup­ply of both new and recon­di­tioned robot­ic welders. We offer top brands such as Fanuc, Motoman, ABB, and KUKA to give our cus­tomers more options. We have over 35 years of expe­ri­ence, espe­cial­ly with weld­ing robot appli­ca­tions, and can help you auto­mate your weld­ing process to improve your over­all production. 

Fill out our con­tact form or call us at 877−762−6881 to get started.