Robotic Welding

admin

"Well first I would like to say that welding to most of us is art. Over the years my feelings towards that philosophy have not changed. The feeling of creating something with your hands is a feeling like no other. Can a robot outperform a human? Guess what most of our answers are, not no but hell no.Ok this will certainly start a new debate in the welding Industry. Recently I was given the opportunity to learn the inner workings of this system from a certified expert. As you can imagine having a passion driven welder with old school training go toe to toe with this beast of a machine was um, different. Before this goes into what/who is best for the job let me just say this. Depending on the application Robotic Welding will win hands down. Must stress the word "Application". Yes in a manufacturing facility with a large production line the Robot will win simply by numbers. Would you work 2 shifts without a break and never take a day off? Ok that's where it wins hands down.For this machine to function to it's fullest capacity you will need a highly skilled welder program it'sactions and monitor it's performance. After everything is set it will perform ten foot welds perfectly with out missing a beat. Can a highly skilled human do that, of course. Would that same person want to perform that same weld over and over with out stopping for 20 hours, I don't think so.That is the plus of this process. But what if you had a stainless steel pipe burst at a chemical plant that had to be fixed right away. Would you be able to efficiently have a robot perform this? Well the answer is no. At this time human ingenuity will win hands down every time. Lets say you brainstormed a great design for a one of a kind motorcycle and had the money to have it built. Once again in this situation a skilled human would be the most efficient way to accomplish this. Of course we could go on and on of the pros and cons of Robotic Welding. My feelings on this is the technology is advancing but a skilled human will always be in demand. Thank you for reading, hope this sheds some light on the battle of human versus machine in the job market."I'm curious to know what everyone's thought's are on this subject. It seems that some think that a robot will replace all welders.
Reply:If you want miles and miles of repeatable welds the robot is the way to go. I work in an industry that uses mostly robotic welding for manned and unmanned flight systems. You still need some real hands from time to time though.  No getting around it.Two turn tables and a microphone.
Reply:The Human love to try to work hemself out of WORK.TO INVENT  YOU NEED A GOOD IMAGINATION  AND A  PILE OF JUNK'' - THOMAS EDISONMost Of The Time People Don't see The Quality of a Good Job Unitl they see a Bad Job !! -Scott Esplin
Reply:Yes I agree, there is already a shortage of skilled welders across all industries. Now that Robotic Welding is taking hold of certain job positions the future is still unknown. Glad to hear your replies on this, I feel that it is something that us as welders should be aware of.
Reply:Productivity is the name of the game in the eyes of then men in the suits. Robots dont have to drop the hood, stop for water, have workmans comp, take an hour lunch, or go on strike. Therefore we are being outsourced.
Reply:Originally Posted by MarkWilliamHowellOk this will certainly start a new debate in the welding Industry.
Reply:Originally Posted by MinnesotaDaveHow is this a new debate?For your next trick, are you going to invent the wheel?
Reply:MinnesotaDave and Shovelon, your both right. Wasn't thinking with that sentence. It was just my first time around one of those machines. Most of the welders I know don't know much about them, except they have gotten many hard working people laid off. Still new to the forum and didn't know it was old news.