Connecting Past Lessons to Future Success at the Welding Automation Exposition and Conference

“It works!” exclaimed Dave, a senior welding engineer from a large equipment manufacturer, as he watched the runoff of his company’s million‑dollar robotic welding system at Wolf Robotics in 2011. He was excited and relieved because he had lived the nightmare of a failed robotic welding system 26 years before. Dave and team had shoved the 1985 robotic welding system into a corner, covered it with a tarp, and did not want to talk about robotic welding with anyone for many years. 

Unfortunately, this was all too common at the time. In the Wild West of robotic welding in the mid-1980s, there was widespread ignorance on both the buying and supplying sides. As a young robotic welding application engineer, I saw this firsthand. Hungry robotic welding integrators, anxious to make a mark in the overhyped robotics market of those days, often made promises and commitments they could not keep. In many cases, they just did not know any better. First-time user-buyers often wanted to automate their most difficult and challenging applications, rather than starting with simpler subassemblies that could succeed. They often tied payments to very stringent runoff requirements that could not be met, leading to cash-starved integrator suppliers going bankrupt.

This early “failure era” highlights why events like the upcoming AWS Welding Automation Exposition and Conference (WAEC) matter. Sharing best practices and building industry connections helps ensure better outcomes for both users and providers. 

In the 80s, the parts fed to robotic welding systems were often inconsistent. This was before the proliferation of CNC laser cutting, CNC press brakes, and well-designed welding fixtures that could reliably locate parts while maintaining good robotic access. Inconsistent incoming components paired with less-capable sensing systems made for a problematic combination.  

At the WAEC, discussions with industry experts on upstream manufacturing processes and emerging technologies give new and existing automation users the chance to learn from this history rather than repeat it. 

Leading Wolf Robotics from 2003 until 2016, I enjoyed applying lessons learned from those early days and building a competent, customer-focused technical team that could execute large projects for customers like Dave in 2011: on time, on budget, and with grade-A quality. Dave’s company went on to buy millions of dollars more of robotic welding equipment because they could trust it would work. 

Today, robotic and automated welding continues to advance and address applications that were not economically or technically feasible in the past. In 2019, we created Vectis Automation to pioneer cobot welding and cutting systems for high-mix/low-volume applications. Cobot welding systems are easily taught by the manual welder; have smaller factory footprints; and are less expensive to acquire, install, and implement than traditional robotic welding systems. We initially thought cobot welding would be used primarily by small and medium enterprises that could not afford or justify traditional robotic welding solutions.  That proved true, but we’ve also seen large enterprises embrace cobot welding for high-mix/low-volume work, even for “one-off” applications. Cobot welding has opened new opportunities for automation. 

The WAEC will highlight these types of advancements — including cobot welding and cutting — and present case studies demonstrating their successful deployment. 

It has been a rewarding journey in robotic welding over the past 40 years. The technology and capabilities of the equipment have certainly advanced, but more importantly, the people — guided by hard‑earned lessons — are now better equipped to implement robotic welding successfully. To the extent I’ve helped support that progress, I am proud.

The third WAEC will be held June 2–4 in Minneapolis, Minn. Many welding automation experts will present, and attendees can tour local installations. It’s a valuable opportunity to learn and network with industry professionals. From previous conferences, we know that whether you’re new to automation or highly experienced, there is much to be gained. We hope to see you there. To learn more, visit aws.org/community-and-events/conferences-and-events/welding-automation-expo-and-conference (https://www.aws.org/community-and-events/conferences-and-events/welding-automation-expo-and-conference/). 

This article was written by Doug Rhoda (Vectis Automation and conference chair) for the American Welding Society.