Have you seen the movie Wall-E? The one about the robot whose job it is to clean up what can only be described as the American wasteland? Sure, it was a great movie — but I’m not sure that robots are quite that advanced yet. Either way, robotics has come a long way, and while we might not be capable of getting the service we would get from Wall-E quite yet, when it comes to things like robotic welding, we’re getting closer and closer.

So, what is robotic welding?

In the most simple terms, robotic welding is exactly what it sounds like — it’s the automated welding of two or more metal pieces by a robot. Generally, there are two varieties of robots for robotic welding service. They include articulating robots and rectilinear robots, which are slightly more difficult to explain.

There are two popular types of industrial welding robots.  The first is the articulating robot, which uses arms with rotating joints that move like a human’s arm, complete with a rotating wrist that can move irregularly. Next, the rectilinear robot moves in regular lines along the X, Y, and Z axes, while also taking advantage of a wrist with rotational movement.

Unfortunately, robotic welding robots don’t roll around autonomously like Wall-E, they don’t "feel" either, but they’re capable of some pretty amazing things — such as the flawless welding of aircraft and automotive components. Recently, a growing aspect of robotic welding services is robot arc welding. Arc welding robots consist of a mechanical unit, which makes the robot move, and a controller that acts as the robot’s brain. To direct the arms of the machines, Arc welding robots use a number of different coordinate systems.

Welding robots are used by manufacturers to fabricate a variety of products faster and more cost effectively, from cars and trucks to large aerospace components. So while the inspiration of Wall-E might not be as lovable as the robots we see on the big screen, you can be sure that robots, such as those responsible for robotic welding, have a huge impact on our world — helping to more quickly and efficiently produce the things we need.