Why the Welding Industry is Turning to Robotic Solutions
Welding is the backbone of manufacturing. From automotive assembly lines and heavy machinery to structural steel and energy infrastructure and structural steel, over 50% of manufactured products involve welding at some point in their production cycle.
Manual welders have a level of skill and adaptability that a robot or cobot can’t (yet!) achieve. But for high-volume or batch work, automated set-ups, whether industrial robots or cobots, really come into their own.
Over the last decade, manufacturing has evolved. Automation has moved out of high-volume automotive plants and directly into everyday fabrication shops. Manufacturers aren’t looking to robots to just replace skilled welders, they’re adopting them to stay competitive, protect and support their workers and keep up with demand.
Real-world commercial pressures are driving the shift towards a balanced approach, combining manual, robotic and cobot welding.
Addressing Workforce Demands
A primary operational challenge facing manufacturing today is not a lack of demand, but a shortage of skilled labour. A large proportion of experienced welders are nearing retirement, while too few people are entering the trade.
In the United States alone, the AWS indicates that around 20% of welding professionals are nearing retirement, with more than 320,000 new welders needed by 2029 to meet demand and replace those leaving the workforce. The average age of a welder in the U.S is 55 years old; older than the general workforce, meaning a significant level of experience is set to exit the industry in the coming years.
In the UK, WorldSkillsUK research suggests a shortage of more than 35,000 welders by 2027, driven the ongoing need for skilled workers in construction, manufacturing and infrastructure. Similar challenges are reported across Europe, where companies are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain skilled welders.
In Asia Pacific, rapid industrial growth is adding more pressure, with some regions experiencing large gaps between the demand for skilled welders and the number of trained individuals available.
These trends highlight a wider global issue: maintaining a workforce of skilled welders is becoming increasingly difficult. Labour shortages, combined with rising production demands and cost pressures, are encouraging manufacturers to explore automation. While the initial investment in robotic systems can be significant, these costs are often offset over time by gains in productivity, consistency and reduced rework. As a result, many manufacturers are considering, or have already adopted, robotic and automated solutions as part of their long-term strategy.
Consistency and Process Control
Beyond workforce shortages, consistency is a major factor driving the adoption of robotic welding. Even highly skilled welders can be affected by fatigue, challenging joint access or environmental conditions over time. Automation helps reduce variability in the welding process, supporting more consistent results, lowering the risk of rework, and supporting continuous improvement.
Maximising Productivity
Robotic welding can also improve productivity by increasing on-arc time. By automating repetitive welds and reducing time spent on positioning or handling, manufacturers can achieve higher productivity without placing additional strain on their workforce.
It’s also worth noting that automation is no longer limited to large-scale production. While robotic welding is often associated with high-volume automotive lines, advances in collaborative robots made it far more accessible. Smaller and medium-sized businesses can now introduce automation in a more flexible way, it’s not an all-or-nothing solution! By applying automation selectively, rather than committing to fully automated lines, manufacturers can introduce it in a more cost-effective way, using robots or cobots alongside skilled welders to add value without the scale and investment of full system automation.
Safety and Working Conditions
Welding environments are physically demanding, involving heat, fumes and repetitive movement. In particular, exposure to welding fume is now widely recognised as a serious long term health risk. Reducing the amount of time workers spend directly exposed to these conditions has a real impact on both safety and long-term health. Robotic systems allow this exposure to be limited, while still maintaining production output.
This also has a knock-on effect for workforce retention. Safer working environments are increasingly important in attracting and keeping skilled workers in the industry.
Modern Manufacturing Requirements
There is no doubt that the world is becoming more data-driven, and welding is no exception. There is growing emphasis on traceability, process control and quality documentation.
Robotic welding systems can support this through integration with monitoring tools and broader production systems, providing greater visibility and control over welding parameters.
This level of insight supports continuous improvement and reflects the wider move towards more connected and data-driven manufacturing, often referred to as Industry 4.0.
The growing use of robots and cobots in welding reflects a combination of practical pressures. Faced with workforce challenges, quality expectations and the need for greater efficiency, manufacturers are increasingly looking to automated solutions.
For most manufacturers, automation is not simply about replacing skilled welders. It is about using the right tools in the right areas: improving consistency, maintaining output and allowing experienced operators to focus on tasks that require human intuition, critical thinking and adaptability – qualities robots can’t replicate.
At Cobarc, our focus is on developing robotic and cobot solutions that combine advanced engineering with complete manufacturing control to deliver smarter, more scalable solutions for industries worldwide.