Böhler Welding: Transforming production
Transforming production: from manual to automated welding
In this white paper, voestalpine Böhler Welding highlights, through case studies, the advantages of moving away from manual welding by adopting more automated solutions, using solutions such as the company’s CO-BRO® FLEX collaborative robot, or mechanised solutions, such as railRunner.
R aising productivity at high-com- plexity levels, while meeting high- quality, flexible production and tight scheduling requirements are universal modern-day challenges for the welding industry. Additionally, tough competition, along with growing skill and competence short- ages, is driving a shift towards automation in this industrial sector. It should also be noted that optimum productivity does not only require the highest possible welding speed, but also fast setup, low downtime and high reliability. As a trusted partner for automated welding solutions, voestalpine Böhler Welding supports fabricators worldwide in mastering their transition to automation with confidence and technical excellence. With smart integration options, user- friendly interfaces, data-driven quality management, and global technical sup- port, productivity gains can be achieved effectively. Whether starting with light au- tomation, exploring collaborative robotics,
or scaling to high-performance industrial robotic welding, voestalpine Böhler Welding can deliver the tools and knowledge to transform production from manual to automated welding.
CO-BRO® FLEX from voestalpine Böhler Welding is a high-tech workstation for robotic collaborative MIG-MAG welding.
Collaborative robotics For fabricating components in small batch- es in facilities where flexible production is the norm, industrial robotic solutions are seen as unattractive to welding shops because they are not versatile enough. Run- ning a robotic welding cell requires signifi- cant setup time and program fine-tuning, which is only feasible for high-volume production cycles. There is an alternative, however, the collaborative robot. The main difference between industrial robots and collaborative robots lies in how they interact with operators in the work area. Due to the lighter weight and slower arm movement of a collaborative robot, the operator can access the working area during operations, directly move the arm to
create a welding program, establish weld- path points, and make position adjust- ments. Consequently, collaborative robot solutions are ‘plug and play’. They are easy to move around the workshop to meet the needs of different welding tasks. A CO-BRO® FLEX success As an example of a typical and successful collaborative robot user, one of voestalpine Böhler Welding’s customers provides turn- key manufacturing solutions for more than 100 different types of small- and medium- sized steel components. The company implemented Böhler Welding’s CO-BRO® collaborative robotic solution using the Uranos NX 3200 GSM welding power source in its manufacturing facility. After a few hours of programming, using the Böhler Welding PulseDrive pulsed arc welding process, it was possible to increase bracket productivity from 250 to 400 pieces/ day while maintaining high quality and reliability. Light automation for longitudinal seams Böhler Welding also offers wheeled- and track-based carriages for longitudinal seams, ideal for large tanks, beams, frames and shipyard applications. Typically, these solutions can reduce welding time by up to 90% compared to manual welding, par- ticularly when using Bohler Welding’s fully mechanised railRunners combined with flux-cored wires in the vertical-up position. This level of productivity is also achievable for longitudinal weld seams on larger tanks. In a welding study involving a 9% Ni consumables for use on LNG storage tanks,
Böhler Welding’s CO-BRO® collaborative robotic solution, using the Uranos NX 3200 GSM welding power source, is in use, welding 250 to 400 brackets per day.
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March-April 2026
AFRICAN FUSION
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