Rural Manufacturer Facing Welder Shortage Turns to FANUC’s Arc Welding Robots for Fabrication
The Will‑Burt Co. used FANUC welding robots to overcome labor shortages, improve weld quality, control costs, and increase capacity.
Challenges
- Skilled welder shortage causing staffing shortages.
- Facing rising costs.
- Manual welding of large parts could pose ergonomic and safety issues for employees.
Results
Efficiency keeps production costs low.
Gained production capacity and throughput via extended welding hours.
Increasing employee safety.
Higher quality parts produced with better welds.
Story
The Will-Burt Co. is an international OEM serving many different industries including defense, telecommunications, energy production and more. The campus in Orville, Ohio has over 250,000 square feet of manufacturing and assembly space. Part of the manufacturing activities done here is fabrication of sheet metal used by heavy machinery companies such as Caterpillar and JLG. Located in a rural area, the company was challenged with finding skilled welders and the welder shortage was affecting the company’s ability to take on additional work.
The company went from a manual welding process to an automated robotic arc welding system, integrated by Weldbot, using a FANUC M-710iC/12L robot for their large parts first in 2020 and added another automated system using a FANUC ARC Mate 100iD/8L robot. Will-Burt found that the robots were on average 3 to 4 times more efficient than manual welding, plus yielded better welding quality. For every robotic system added, it has allowed an extra 240 to 320 additional hours of welding per week or approximately $4 million of contract fabrication work. The extra capacity and capabilities allow the facility to control costs, keeping the company competitive while improving the quality of the parts produced.
Future automation projects include automating their CNC machine tending as well as adding another automated robotic welding solution.
I’ve been working with FANUC robots for over 20 years. They've just always proven to be extremely dependable. They've always been well supported on the technical side. And frankly, we've always just found them easy to interface with.
Mike Gibb Vice President of Operations – The Will-Burt CompanyFANUC Products Used
M-710iC/12L
The FANUC M‑710iC/12L is a small to medium payload 6‑axis robot model ideal for all applications to handle medium payloads for up to 12 kg.
- Max Payload:
- 12 kg
- Reach:
- 3123 mm
ARC Mate 100iD/8L
Long-arm arc welding robot ideally suited for working in compact robotic cells where extra reach is required for welding.
- Max Payload:
- 8 kg
- Reach:
- 2032 mm
Meet Weldbot, FANUC Authorized System Integrator
WeldBot is a FANUC exclusive integrator located in Akron, Ohio, focusing on the most challenging application in Robotics—Arc-Welding. With this focus, we are better able to meet the challenges associated with welding. Robotics and welding each require their own expertise, and when combined, a new and unique subset of skills are required to be successful. With being brand exclusive to FANUC, we truly understand the FANUC controller and can push the limits as needed.
About Will-Burt Company
The Will-Burt Company is the world's premier manufacturer of mobile telescoping masts, towers, trailer systems, and pan and tilt positioners. We offer virtually every mobile payload elevation solution and full integration services for defense, government, first responders, telecommunications, energy production and other markets. Will-Burt also offers contract manufacturing, metal fabrication, powder-coating, and rapid prototyping services.
