Welding is undoubtedly an essential part of the manufacturing industry, but many manufacturers today face a massive shortage of qualified welders. In the U.S., the median age of a welding technician is 55, with only 20 percent under 35. According to the American Welding Association, these demographics can mean a shortage of 440,000 welders by 2024, which also extends to Europe and beyond.

To deal with this challenge, both large manufacturers and small and medium-sized welding shops are looking at automation options. While large manufacturers are filling the labour gap with conventional robots, the same cannot be said for smaller and medium-sized welders. Traditional robots are unsuitable for high-mix-low-volume production.

The solution for this problem is collaborative robots (cobots), which is precisely the value that WeCobot brings to the table for smaller and medium-sized welding businesses.

“Our mission is to create a perfect synergy between technology, machine, and operator by offering plug-and-play cobot solutions that facilitate faster, safer, and more efficient production processes,” says Ton Bos, managing director of WeCobot.

Welders and operators don’t require additional training to use WeCobot’s solution. The cobot can be easily programmed without depending on an experienced programmer or software engineer. It works on a bench and directly on a welding piece because of its magnetic base, facilitating perfect reach. Based on their need, operators can easily change the location of the cobot and attach it to any metal base. The robust hardware utilised in the cobot is proven to withstand harsh industrial conditions, making it suitable for high-intensity facilities.

WeCobot’s ‘single button teach’ function lets operators simultaneously teach the cobot when welding a piece. Once it has learned the process, the cobot can economically weld 2 to 10 pieces at once. For heavy parts (offshore industry tooling or heavy machinery), the cobot can be moved from one place to another and utilised for multilayer welding. In some cases, the WeCobot solution can do the job of up to four human welders. This enables welders to concentrate on complicated welding tasks.

The cobot integrates with multiple welding power sources, including Fronius and Kemppi. Besides, clients don’t need any add-ons as WeCobot’s welding kit comes with all the hardware and software for plug-and-play cobot welding.

Apart from being a robotic integrator, WeCobot is a developer of robotic software. The company has developed its own intuitive cobot welding software, which is designed with all the features welders need to make their job easier. It also includes a programming flange that allows operators to manually move the robotic arm during programming to set points and can be directly assimilated by the users. This software is offered to global clients within the company’s reseller partner network.

The robotic arms utilized by WeCobot are manufactured by UniversalRobots, a popular Danish manufacturer of flexible industrial collaborative robot arms. WeCobot’s software can be availed by UniversalRobots’ customers. The process is no different that Apple offering third party software applications in the AppStore. The software is certified by UniversalRobots as UR+, which makes it one of the most preferred cobot software applications for robotic arms.

Started in 2017 by Ton Bos and Bas Rutgers as a provider of custom-made welding solutions, WeCobot is making welding automation more accessible to SMEs. WeCobot is combining design features that enable humans and cobots to work collaboratively in close proximity, revamping how robots can be used in manufacturing for enhanced productivity and business outcomes.