Hand and Robotic Welding Services: 3 Ways They’re Worlds Apart

Like landline to smartphone, Blockbuster to Netflix, or newspaper to digital edition, we’ve witnessed a gradual shift in technology from hand welding to robotic welding services. The manual method is alive and well -- and still viable in some cases. But more manufacturers are turning to robotics as a way to increase their return on investment (ROI) -- and yours, too!

We’ll take you through everything you need to know before requesting a vendor’s hand or robotic welding services.

Defining Hand and Robotic Welding Services

Automation refers to mechanical or electronic performance of all or some of the steps of an operation. From arc welding to spot welding, robots are typically favored when the weld in question is repetitive and part of a high-volume project. Here’s the spectrum of welding services:

• Hand welding is when the operator manually guides an electrode with no automation.

• Semiautomatic welding typically means an operator is manually loading parts into the welding fixture. A controller then keeps the welding process, torch motion, and stillness of the parts to preset parameters. After the weld is complete, the operator removes the finished assembly.

• Fully automatic welding involves custom machines loading the workpiece, indexing the part or torch into position, welding the metal, monitoring joint quality, and unloading the finished piece. Additional "part in place" and product quality checks may also be part of the machine. Depending on the process, a machine operator may be necessary.

Robotics can boost the efficiency, consistency, and ROI of your project. Your decision on whether to have a vendor automate your processes should be governed by a few factors:

How Hand, Robotic Welding Differ

Cost

Ideally, your project’s volume will be large enough to justify the costs your vendor is hot-potatoing to you. However, thanks to improving technology, an experienced fabricator may still be able to effectively utilize low-volume/high-mix automation.

Here’s how robotics improve your ROI:

• Labor: With robotic welding, you’re paying for less manpower than with hand welding -- some robot owners report as much as 3x to 4x the part output.
• Equipment/materials: Automation incurs more setup and equipment costs than traditional welding needs. If a robot malfunctions during a run, repairs may be more expensive and it could take longer for the vendor to get your part moving down the assembly line again. But if all goes well, robotics will save you long-term by creating less waste and offering more consistent results.
• Utility: We’ve seen estimates of up to 50% savings on gas and wire with robotic welding. Automated systems conserve energy by running consistently instead of constant stop-and-go production.

Need to know more about welding costs? Check this out.

Time

Robots take no days off -- try that, hand welding! Your part can continue down the line without interruption. Technological advances continue to make part changeovers even faster, further speeding up your process.

Robotic welding services can even eliminate secondary processes (i.e. grinding) that add to your run time.

By increasing output, your vendor will ship your parts more speedily (which also means you make money more quickly). If you’re demanding a short turnaround time, you’d best be paying for robotic welding.

Skills

Your vendor needs to have on hand a few folks who know how to operate the robotics, and they need to properly program the machines. Find a manufacturer that’s trained and has tangible success in using robotics rather than one that’d have to start from scratch in adding robotics capabilities.

One downside of robotics is the need for more accurate part location and orientation, as well as more sophisticated arc movement and control devices. In plain English, that means your vendor needs to carefully plan the weld for it to work.

If everything is pulled off properly, you’ll benefit from the robots creating exact welds -- every time. That’s why robots are ideal for repetitive welds that hand welding just can’t replicate, no matter how skilled the engineer.

What’s Best for Your Project?

Your project will benefit most from full automation it meets one of these criteria:

• Weld quality is critical
• The weld can be repeatable
• Your parts carry significant value prior to welding

If your company needs a limited quantity of a product requiring accurate welds, you might be able to settle for semiautomatic system. And if you insist on paying for human labor and have a very low volume in mind, hand welding is still an option. But overall, you’re best off using robotic welding services to complete your supply chain -- it’ll be like moving on up from dial-up to broadband internet!