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Are You Considering Automation For Your Metal Shop?

Keeping up with your competition in the metal fabrication business can be challenging, especially if you do not remain aware of the latest advancements in technology. Today, more and more metal shops are including automation robots for reaching daily production levels. If you are thinking about the addition of robots to your shop, check out these tips for helping you make the right choices.

Choices About Robotic Welding Arms

When it comes to purchasing robotics, you should focus on the kind of fab work you need to have done the fastest. Some robotic systems are designed for bending and cutting sheet metals while others ones are designed for tasks like MIG welding. So maybe you would benefit from having more than one automated system. Taking the time to think about your and your customer's needs is smart when choosing the right robotics systems for fulfilling them.

Never Scrimp On Your MIG Gun

When you are choosing the best MIG gun, think about durability first. The gun you choose will be in a metal box, crashing and colliding with the walls while also being attacked by various welding gases. So to avoid downtime in your production, choosing the MIG gun with strong, sufficient armor is necessary for experiencing fewer system failures.

Your Robotics System Will Require Supplies

Having an automated robotics system set up in your shop does not mean the end of the story. Every system will have requirements for running full time and without fail. For example, if you have a MIG welding automated robot set up in your fab shop, you will also need to provide welding wire. You will need to select a wire that will produce a consistent, reliable starting arc. If you do not select the right wire, you could end up with several interruptions in your production.

Robotics Require Some Consumables

Consumables for your new robotics system will most likely come out of your overhead costs. By making the right choices about the particular robotic system best for your fab shop, you can also make determining choices about the consumables you will need to pay for on a regular basis. For example, estimating a figure for the cost of power it will take to run your automated robot is important. You will also need to consider the cost of supplies like welding wire and the regular maintenance of your system.

Converting some of your manual fab production over to automation can be expensive and time consuming, so making the right choices early in its set up is essential to avoid profit losses. For more information about metal fabricators, talk to professional companies, like PWC Fabrication Inc.