Success with Robotic Welding

When production slows down or floor space starts to feel tight, it’s often a sign that a manual process has reached its limit. Many manufacturers reach this point as demand grows and efficiency becomes harder to maintain.

At Westlake Tool & Die, we help clients identify these bottlenecks and uncover streamlined ways to work. One recent project shows how the right blend of automation and hands-on expertise can transform output, improve quality, and allow customers to reclaim valuable square footage on their shop floor.

Finding a Bottleneck

One of our clients was welding and fabricating in-house by hand. While this had worked for them in the past, they realized that they were struggling with long lead times and a crammed floor space filled with equipment and product when their production volumes increased. Additionally, they struggled with the manual fabrication process, as it required many workers and created production delays. This client reached out to us, seeking to reduce lead times and optimize their production space.

Of course, they wanted to maintain the same great quality, while simplifying the process of welding, fabrication, and assembly.

Improving Lead Times and Elevating Product Quality

Our solution involved the use of two robots and some human help. Our team worked with the client to create tooling and fixtures for robotic welders, and this helped ensure repeatability and precision. We then applied advanced MIG robotic welding systems and completed assembly by hand with a finished weld. Not only did this reduce lead times by several weeks, but it also freed up a large amount of floor space for our customer.