IMTS 2024 Conference: From Crisis to Catalyst: Cobot Welding - The Answer We Weren’t Looking For

Thursday September 12 1:15 PM CST
IMTS63 Room W194-A

About the presentation
Despite dire warnings from the American Welding Society in 1999, the skilled welder shortage continues to cripple manufacturing in 2024. Back then, 72% of industry professionals saw a long-term crisis brewing, and 25 years later, their prediction rings tragically true. Traditional solutions have simply not kept pace with the aging workforce and changing realities of the industry.

This session proposes a revolutionary approach: empowering existing skilled welders through collaborative robots (cobots). Cobots aren't job replacements, but partners that alleviate repetitive tasks, enhance safety, and unlock greater productivity. Join us as we explore how cobots can revitalize the welding industry, making jobs safer, and more fulfilling, thereby attracting a new generation of talent and retaining the existing workforce.

Every year, we are witnessing an increase in the number of open positions in the manufacturing industry, particularly in skilled trades like welding. There are several reasons behind this trend, including an aging workforce that is approaching retirement age, a decreasing number of new entrants from the younger generation due to outdated ideas about what manufacturing entails, and an education system that has lost touch with the current business needs and is emphasizing college as the only viable career option. All of these factors have contributed to the creation of a significant employment gap that needs to be addressed.

Trade schools are not able to meet the demands of the industry. Although they produce entry-level welders, the knowledge and skills required are being lost faster than new workers can learn them. The automation of welding has failed many companies because most welders in manufacturing work for small companies that handle a high mix of low-volume work. The cost and complexity of traditional robotic welding are often too high for these small shops, which cannot afford the space, expertise, or cost of automating jobs that may change daily. In addition, traditional robot cells merely replace one skilled position with another; a robot programmer who knows welding is just as difficult to find as a skilled welder.

Collaborative robots (cobots) are industrial robots that can automate tasks that were previously too difficult or costly to automate. This makes them an effective solution for reducing workforce gaps and attracting and retaining new talent in welding production environments. They work alongside human workers, eliminating the need for large safety enclosures. However, welding still poses certain risks, such as hot parts, arc flash, and fumes. It's important to note that cobots do not eliminate the need for safety equipment, such as welding gloves and sleeves, protective eyewear, and proper ventilation. But this is no different from what operators wear today in manual weld booths. Cobots have an advantage over traditional robotic weld cells because they can be quickly learned by a large number of employees. Cobot welding also allows for operators to work in a safer and cleaner environment, which can be appealing to younger generations who do not want to work in repetitive, dirty environments. Worker safety is improved by removing the operator from the immediate source of contaminants such as welding fumes, which is especially critical when welding certain materials such as galvanized steel and stainless steel.

In this session, we will be comparing different industry offerings and contrasting them to understand how they can positively impact the global welding workforce. We will use case studies to highlight real-world examples of companies that have embraced this new technology and the benefits they and their employees are experiencing. Some of the benefits that we will be discussing are retaining existing employees, increasing productivity, enabling companies to be competitive in a global marketplace, growing their revenue, and ultimately hiring more employees.

Addressing the welding labor shortage demands a multi-pronged approach that involves collaboration, innovation, and a shift in perception. By investing in workforce development, promoting the rewarding nature of welding careers, embracing technological advancements like cobot welding, and creating positive work environments, the manufacturing industry can secure its future and thrive in the years to come.

Meet your presenter
Matthew Bush has over 25 years of experience in operations management and engineering in a wide variety of manufacturing environments including both continuous and discrete processes. Prior to co-founding Hirebotics, Matthew was the director of operations for SFEG, a Berkshire Hathaway company, director of business development at BAND-IT-IDEX, director of operations at BAND-IT-IDEX, director of operations Class 1, Six Sigma Master Black Belt at IDEX Corporation, and started his career at Viking Pump as a foundry engineer. Along with his partner, Rob Goldiez, Hirebotics was founded at the end of 2015 to make robotic automation easier. Matthew has a BS in Mechanical Engineering and MBA from the University of Florida and a MA in Industrial Technology from the University of Northern Iowa.