Lincoln Electric Company is introducing a new option for manufacturers adopting automated welding capability for the first time. The Auto-Mate pre-engineered robotic welding cells, available in two designs, are described as “affordable” units that allow new adoptees of automated welding capability to establish the operation in their plant or shop, quickly and easily.

“We are pleased to offer an even more affordable solution to manufacturers or job shops who are thinking about automating their welding process for the first time,” offered Justin Percio, Lincoln’s general manager for automated systems. “And, we’ve created these cells to be delivered in two to four weeks, so buyers can make a capital equipment decision and quickly reap the benefits of automation.”

The Auto-Mate pre-engineered cells – Auto-Mate 5 and Auto-Mate 10 – create “an easy entry point for first-time buyers,” the developer explained, as well as an affordable step toward future, more sophisticated robotic systems.

The first design, the Auto-Mate 5, is a single-zone cell suitable for welding medium-sized to larger parts.

The Auto-Mate 10 is a two-zone cell with the same footprint as the Auto-Mate 5. If a manufacturer is processing smaller parts, the robot can weld on one side as an operator handles parts on the other.Both cells are able to host MIG and flux-cored welding processes by a Fanuc Arc Mate 0iB robot driven by a Lincoln Electric Power Wave R350 power source. The Power Wave software controls and monitors welding processes, to perform optimized welds for steel, stainless steel or aluminum alloy materials, simultaneously collecting production data on the operations.  This promotes product quality and process productivity, both critical contributors to small businesses’ efforts to grow, and become more competitive. 

Lincoln noted the Auto-Mate line is engineered for first-time users of robotic systems, with intuitive and user-friendly set-up and programming, and standard, three-day training available at no cost.