In fact, as electronics become smaller and manufacturers are under greater pressure to improve efficiency and yield, traditional hand soldering methods no longer meet the requirements. While welding is performed by well-trained skilled workers, the ability to simultaneously improve speed, accuracy and consistency is a near-impossible task for humans—but not for industrial robots.

As the Fourth Industrial Revolution sweeps through manufacTurin, industrial robots are bringing numerous benefits to the factory floor, whether it’s machine maintenance, assembly, pick and place, or even welding, increasing productivity and profitability.

1. The speed of the welding robot

A major benefit of automating the welding process is increased speed and efficiency. Not only are welding robots fast when it comes to completing tasks, they don’t need to take breaks, annual leave, or slow down due to eye strain or fatigue. If needed, the welding robot can operate 24/7, greatly increasing the output. 

Additionally, training robot operators is relatively quicker, easier and less expensive than highly skilled manual welders. Combined with the fact that one operator can load, unload and supervise multiple robotic stations, savings in training costs and manpower start to add up.

2. The accuracy of the welding robot

Welding robots are not only faster than manual welding, they are also more accurate. Year after year, electronics are getting smaller, and the demand for smaller, lighter electronics is only expected to grow. Today, many printed circuit boards (PCBs) are densely packed with components, making it easy for solder joints to be mis-soldered or completely missed. To make matters worse, errors in manual soldering are inconsistent and difficult to detect. 

On the other hand, once the robot is programmed to a certain path and quality level, it repeats it precisely, welding each connection point precisely, and not missing a single one. Any errors that do occur can be easily corrected by reprogramming. By eliminating human error, fewer defects will be found - reducing the amount of rework required and increasing yield.

3. The versatility of welding robots

A third reason to automate welding operations is versatility. Whatever the welding application, from single pins to battery cables, there is a welding robot in the world to match. 

The pressures of today's electronics production lines make the accuracy, efficiency, and consistency that industrial robots provide invaluable. While handheld soldering irons may have been the best solution for the past 125 years, welding robots are the future.

Turin 6-axis and SCARA industrial robots

The emergence of Industry 4.0, and the associated developments in automation, have had a decisive impact on the industrial sector and its applications. To anticipate industry needs, Turin Robotics has designed a series of unique industrial robots with many advantages: compact size, wide working range, high speed, high precision, ability to withstand all types of environments, and most importantly, the flexibility to adapt to various an environment. various tasks.

Turin6-axis articulated robots offer increased dexterity and flexibility. These robotic arms maximize cell work space and are ideal for handling, machine management, assembly, testing, packaging, filling, cutting, cleaning, deburring, polishing…

Their universal CS9 controller with optional SIL3-PLe safety features enables high productivity and human-machine collaboration. 

The Turin SCARA robot (Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm) shares the same structural parts as the 6-axis Turin robot, offers the same footprint for high modularity and optimized development time, and the same CS9 controller. 

They can perform precise and repetitive tasks such as loading and unloading, assembling, packing, palletizing, pick and place, handling, sorting, piling, spacing… at very high speeds.