Welding with collaborative robots is more efficient and safer than traditional robots or manual welding. The use of collaborative robots for welding can help manufacturing enterprises strike a balance between flexibility and safety, thereby achieving greater efficiency improvements.
Industrial welding robots have been around for quite a long time. Nowadays, collaborative robots (cobots) offer a middle ground between fully automatic and fully manual workflows. Although traditional robots have some advantages, using collaborative robots for welding often brings more benefits to enterprises.
Traditional robots replace employees, while collaborative robots work side by side with employees. The effect produced by this kind of human-machine collaboration is better than that produced by humans or machines working independently. Here are eight reasons why collaborative robots are very important in the field of welding.
1.Higher accuracy
Welding automation helps to avoid human errors, thereby improving the accuracy of welding. Components and processes that are sensitive to geometric shapes, such as welding, have the highest risk of errors during assembly, and thus are ideal application fields for robotics technology.
Although traditional robots can also solve these human errors, machines still have the possibility of making mistakes. They may not be distracted, but they have poor adaptability, so any abnormal situation (such as misalignment of parts) is more likely to cause errors. Using collaborative robots for welding can minimize these risks to the greatest extent.
The workflow based on collaborative robots benefits from both the precision of robots and the adaptability of humans. Staff can prepare parts before welding and monitor the performance of collaborative robots to prevent abnormal errors. Therefore, compared with traditional robots, collaborative robots produce fewer errors and waste less materials during welding.
2. Achieve efficiency improvement
Similarly, the collaborative robot welding process is also more efficient. Part of the reason for this efficiency lies in that robots can move faster than humans. Fewer errors and the elimination of injury risks further enhance their ability to weld faster.
However, the robot itself is far from perfect. Any process deviation may lead to serious disruptions and shutdowns of traditional mechanized devices. In contrast, collaborative robots are more adaptable due to their close cooperation with human workers.
This adaptability means that the collaborative robot workflow can maintain optimal efficiency for a longer period of time in a constantly changing environment. Therefore, some manufacturers increased their throughput by 300% after implementation.
3. Enhance security
Welding with collaborative robots is also safer than manual welding or traditional robots. These machines handle the most dangerous part of the task – actual welding, keeping workers away from the risk of burns and other dangers. They can also prevent musculoskeletal diseases because workers do not perform so many fine movements.
Traditional robots can have similar advantages, but they are also very dangerous in themselves. Large and fast-moving machines may hit employees, fail to sense nearby workers, accidentally burn them, or create pinch points. Since collaborative robots are designed to work side by side with humans, they adopt more safety measures, such as detecting workers through sensors and reducing sudden movements.
4. Increase normal operating time
Another reason why collaborative robots help enhance welding automation is that they can extend uptime. These machines are usually easier to program than traditional systems and require the least amount of accompanying equipment or space. Therefore, manufacturers can implement them without too many disruptions.
Collaborative robots can extend their normal operating time throughout their entire service life because their collaboration with human workers can take more preventive measures. Problems with wire feeding in fully automatic systems may lead to downtime and material waste. With the help of collaborative robots, the team can monitor the wire feeding to ensure its smooth progress, thereby preventing these accidents from happening.
Similarly, as conditions change, employees can reprogram or otherwise adjust collaborative robots quite quickly. In this way, the production line can adapt to the constantly changing demands without the need for long shutdowns.
5. Alleviate labor force challenges
Manufacturers can alleviate labor challenges by using collaborative robots for welding. When robots handle the most repetitive and time-consuming tasks, the equipment can maintain a high output level without additional assistance.
Compared with traditional robots, collaborative robots can also increase the retention rate. Since collaborative robots do not replace employees, they do not pose a threat to perceived job safety. They can also automate the parts of work that people usually don’t like, but leave room for people to perform more attractive and dynamic roles. These factors can enhance job satisfaction and reduce staff turnover.
6. More cost-effective
In the long run, collaborative robots are often more cost-effective than traditional automation. This economic efficiency is partly due to the fact that collaborative robots do not require any supplementary infrastructure. Therefore, although the robots themselves may be more expensive, this is the only purchase that manufacturers must make to implement them.
Collaborative robots are also very flexible in design, so programming them doesn’t take as long, thus achieving a faster return on investment. Similarly, if manufacturers have to change their work processes to meet the constantly changing demands of consumers or optimize their operations, they can also adapt. This undisturbed feature minimizes ongoing costs to the greatest extent.
7. Enhance flexibility
This adaptability itself is a key advantage of collaborative robots. For today’s manufacturers, merely enhancing efficiency is not enough; they must also be flexible, as disruptions are common and the frequency of trend changes is increasing. Relevant data shows that in 2021 alone, there were over 11,500 supply chain disruptions. Therefore, the inflexibility of traditional robots will soon become an obstacle.
The flexibility of collaborative robots has improved processes that are entirely operated manually. It is more adaptable than traditional robots and more efficient than human employees. Therefore, compared with manual workflows, they can get into the working state more quickly after shift changes.
8. Job security
Finally, using collaborative robots instead of traditional robots for welding helps prevent social problems related to job security. Although automation creates more jobs than is needed, it may cause unease around workers.
Collaborative robots are different because they are complementary to humans in design. Relearning is still possible, but not mandatory, and there is no threat of layoffs when using these machines.
This enhanced sense of job security will improve employees’ moods and enhance the company’s public image. Manufacturers can enjoy the efficiency and reliability brought by automation without being questioned for replacing workers.
Automation is crucial for maintaining competitiveness in today’s manufacturing industry, but solutions that rely solely on robots are not perfect. Using collaborative robots for welding can help organizations take advantage of the benefits of this technology while managing its shortcomings. A completely manual workflow is both slow and error-prone. Traditional robots lack flexibility and may not be safe. Collaborative robots are the balance point between the two, which helps manufacturing enterprises gain greater profits.
Post time: Jun-13-2025
