Did you know that the ancient Egyptians used welding to join metal pieces together? The art of welding has been around for centuries! Over the last few decades, however, technology has led to significant advancements in welding. Today, a variety of manufacturing processes make use of welding automation. Yet, despite it's popularity, understanding the different types of welding automation (and which is best for your process) can be an overwhelming challenge.
In this blog, we'll explain and simplify the main types of welding automation to help you start to understand which would be the best choice for your manufacturing process.
Sections in this post:
Welding automation is a term that describes a diverse range of equipment, software, and devices that help automate the process of welding. The best and most efficient automated welding systems are designed specifically for your operation and aren’t cookie-cutter solutions. Depending on the process (or particular stage of it) you are trying to automate, there are varying degrees of automation possible.
To learn more about what welding automation is, check out this resource: What is Welding Automation?
There are several process improvements and benefits that welding automation can help provide. Some of the challenges an automated welding system may help address are:
To learn more about the benefits of welding automation, check out this resource: The benefits of Welding Automation
It's easy to understand how the word automation draws quick associations in people's minds to robotics. Robots are part of cartoons, movies, and everyday conversations. You can imagine what a robot might look like, you know they can do things automatically, and how they can help us with a variety of different tasks. But automation refers to more than just robotics. So, investing in welding automation doesn't always mean you're purchasing a robotic arm with a torch head to carry out your welding (although in some cases, it might be that!). There are more options available and possible.
Welding automation can be split into different types or categories. For example, this is a list of category names common to the industry:
People use some the names in the list above almost interchangeably, but generally, there are two main groups (or types) of welding automation:
To explain the difference between the two types here's bullet point break down:
Here's a side-by-side comparison:
When determining what type of welding automation might be the best for your process, our team at IRCO Automation also considers the level of interaction and involvement you want your welders or operators to have with the system. We break it down into three levels and describe it as Crawl, Walk and Run:
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You might have a better picture now of what type of welding automation is available.... But what are you're next steps? What are some things your team can talk through before even calling a specialist or requesting a quote? We have a new resource coming soon on this specific question.
In the meantime, keep in mind that the best and most efficient automated welding systems will be designed specifically for your process. Generic products on the market might offer to thousands of different options, but you're likely interested in only a few specific things. Take a moment to determine to reflect on your manufacturing process and determine what your most significant challenges are.
What's Next?
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