FORMING AND FABRICATING AUTOMATION
9.1: Robotic Welding
Cobot Spot Welding: More Welding, Less Handling
I n many fabrication applications, cobots provide safety and ergonomic benefits while reportedly doubling or tripling productivity over traditional manual processes, and spot welding is no exception. The process also harnesses traditional cobot advantages such as portability and ease of programming. It was at Automate in 2023 that we first saw “The World’s First Cobot Spot Welder,” as Pro Spot International tagged its new i5s co- bot-led spot-welding system. Pro Spot, since the early 1990s a provider of automotive col- lision-repair welding technology, leveraged its expertise to team a capable, lightweight welding head with a Universal Robots cobot. The advantages of cobot spot welding over manual spot welding for sheet metal fabri-
cation are many, according to Bob Hamilton, chief technology officer at Pro Spot and the technology’s inventor. “First, cobot spot weld- ing provides two to three times the throughput of manual welding while delivering precise welds. Second, manual spot welding typi- cally involves a human hand-holding a part or component and moving it into position on a pedestal welding machine close to the weld points. The hope is to hit the weld points, keep a foot on the pedal long enough and make sure all of welding parameters are correct. Cobot spot welding automatically takes care of all of that. And third, it’s difficult today to find pedestal-welding technicians willing to do perform that job day in and day out—cobot spot welding eliminates that difficulty.”
Self-contained, this cobot-led spot-welding machine can deliver precise welds at reportedly two to three times the speed of manual welding while automatically hitting the correct weld points. And, it frees personnel from lifting and moving awkward parts, allowing them to perform other functions on the shop floor.
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