Robotic Welding

Pick parts that suit repeat welding

Good candidates for a first cell are parts you make in repeat batches, with welds that can be reached from a few torch angles and joints that come together the same way each time. Gather a family of similar parts rather than one, so the cell stays busy as orders change. Look at your rework records to see which welds fail most and why, because a robot will not cure poor fit-up. Large one-off fabrications with variable gaps often stay with skilled welders. Ask each integrator to weld sample parts taken from your own production before you order, and inspect them with the same criteria you apply to manual work.

Spend on fixtures and fit-up control

The fixture decides whether the robot finds the joint where its programme expects it. Budget for clamping that locates each part from the same datums, and for checking incoming parts from cutting and bending, since gap and position errors there show up as weld defects. Seam finding and seam tracking functions can absorb some variation, but they add cycle time and need setting up. A two-station layout, where an operator loads one fixture while the robot welds on the other, keeps the arc on for more of the shift. The FANUC Arc Mate 100iD, listed on this site at about $45,000 in October 2026, is one line in a budget that also covers positioners, fixtures and the power source.

Treat fume and arc light as health hazards

Automation moves the welder away from the arc, but the fume and radiation remain. HSENI, Northern Ireland's health and safety regulator, states that the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified welding fume as a Group 1 carcinogen in 2018, with sufficient evidence that it causes lung cancer, and it lists automating or mechanising the process among the controls to consider. A NSW Resources Regulator bulletin adds that ultraviolet radiation from welding processes was also placed in Group 1. Fit local exhaust ventilation at the torch or an extracted enclosure, screen the arc with suitable curtains or panels, and keep staff out of the plume when they open the cell.

Guard the cell and train the team

A welding cell combines robot hazards with heat, sparks and light, so the safeguarding has to handle all of them. ISO 10218-2:2025 sets the requirements for integrating industrial robot applications and robot cells, and your integrator should show how it was applied to the fencing, light curtains, door interlocks and operator loading station. HSENI notes that natural ventilation through doors and windows will not be enough to disperse fume that local exhaust ventilation has not removed, so check airflow once the cell is enclosed. Train a welder in robot programming and a technician in torch upkeep, because contact tips, liners and wire feed all need regular attention.

Sources and further reading

• Welding fume — Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI).
  Regulator guidance on the cancer risk from welding fume and the extraction and protection employers should use.
• Safety bulletin: welding processes declared a carcinogen — NSW Resources Regulator.
  Bulletin on the IARC reclassification of welding fume and welding UV radiation, with recommended controls.
• ISO 10218-2:2025 Robotics: safety requirements, Part 2: Industrial robot applications and robot cells — International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
  Safety requirements for integrating industrial robots into applications and cells, across the whole life of the system.

Common questions

Is robotic welding worth it for low volumes?

It can be when the same parts recur in batches and fixtures can be changed quickly. Offline programming and standard fixture plates help shorten changeovers. For true one-off work with variable fit-up, manual welding usually remains the practical choice.

Do staff still need protective equipment around a welding robot?

Yes, whenever they enter or work near the cell while fume or arc light is present. Extraction and screening reduce exposure, but HSENI says supplementary respiratory protection should be worn where fume extraction alone cannot provide adequate control.