Robotic (Automated) & Manual Welding

Metal fabrication determines whether your business should operate using robotic (automated) welding or manual welding. Technology has made great strides in the manufacturing industry, and while every great handy operating system comes with pros, they also come with cons.

Whether you’re looking to reduce costs or increase workflow efficiency, It’s best to look through the advantages and disadvantages to get an idea of what will work for you and your team.

 

Robotic Welding 101

If you’re looking to increase workflow and potentially reduce delays, robotic welding is the way to go. This form of welding eliminates the need for extra staff and reduces the need for overtime.  You’re also able to automate applications such as spot welding, MIG, FCAW, TIG, laser welding and PAW welding.

Robotic welding or welding robots are either fully-automated or semi-automated. Where a semi-automated process is concerned, an operator will manually load and offload metal once the application is complete. The automated setup deploys machines to move the materials to be welded from start to finish

 

Advantages of Robotic Welding

Reduced Costs

When you invest in robotic welding, the costs of labour and material significantly reduce. The accuracy with automated robots reduces the risk of human error, resulting in less wasted materials and keeping consumable costs low.

Better Quality

Maintaining weld integrity is just one of the many positive factors. An operator can steady the quality using electronic weld controllers. The accuracy is greater than that of a manual welder, reducing risks and resulting in less scraps.

Increased Workflow

Automated robotics can operate at faster speeds. Essentially, production output is constant and welding processes can go for longer hours without breaks. You can also reconfigure different programs for various tasks.

Improved Safety

The workers who are faced with hazardous tasks can take it easy with safety. Robotic welding essentially reduces the risk of injuries because of its advanced state of accuracy, endurance and performance.

 

Disadvantages of Robotic Welding

Equipment Cost

Automated welding requires considerable investing, but in the long run, your operations increase and benefits from this investment.

Training

Workers will need to be trained to operate robotics. However, the team are able to upskill and work coherently with robotic welding applications.

 

Manual Welding

Highly trained workers are able to operate and manually deal with metal fabrication. They really bring a high level of expertise to production and are still very much relevant to the manufacturing industry today.

 

The Advantages of Manual Welding

Consistent

Qualified workers will acclimate accordingly as they’re trained for each welding application and will benefit from operating automated welding processes.

Quality Assurance

Workers will have an eye for the work that they produce. It’s easier to find errors along the way and fix them on the spot.

 

Disadvantages of Manual Welding

Risk With Safety

Workers eventually face hazardous tasks. If a worker has been injured, this could put a delay on production and add an additional cost to expenses.

Increased Costs

Training workers and hiring expert welders can inflate expenses.

Accuracy is compromised

Manual welding can result in less accurate work, errors can arise with poor weld quality.

 

Overview

There’s no real downside to either application, automated or manual. It really comes down to what your manufacturing needs are and how you want operations to continue. 

Contact us for more on robotic welding.