27-juillet-2022
[EN] Main welding problems (and how to overcome them)
[EN] The problems related to welding and lack of welders have given rise to a situation that will progressively worsen and increasingly penalize the production of factories and companies.
Welding is a process that requires a lot of attention and skill, and not just anyone can be a good welder, or even a welder. In addition, the profession entails many risks for those who exercise it.
What are the main problems related to welding?
In the most diverse companies, welding problems can cause several problems at the level of operations and production:
- Delays in orders, compromising the relationship with the customer and giving rise to penalties;
- Loss of business, for not being able to respond to all orders;
- Loss of trust of customers and consequent loss of customers;
- The company potential is not maximized.
But what causes these problems?
Lack of manpower
There are fewer and fewer welders on the job market.
A study carried out by Eurofound, the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, showed that welding is one of the areas with the greatest shortage of workers in the European Union.
Any industrial entrepreneur or production manager who needs welders ends up with a very difficult task, sometimes even impossible.
But why does this happen?
A risky profession
A welder is exposed to several risks, such as:
- Uncomfortable posture and need to lift heavy objects;
- Splashes and sparks in the ears, eyes or skin;
- Exposure to noise;
- Exposure to electromagnetic fields from power cables and welding equipment;
These risks are linked to occupational accidents such as suffocation, poisoning, fire or explosion and also to various diseases such as asthma, lung cancer, heart attack, lung diseases, allergic dermatitis and infertility.
Injuries and casualties
These factors contribute to the fact that welders, even when complying with all safety regulations at work, are injured and often need to be on sick leave. This gives rise to production breaks and stoppages.
Aging of welders
The risk associated with the class also makes the new generations not want to bet on the profession, opting for other areas where work is not so physical and dangerous.
From Motofil's experience, we can see that the team of welders is made up of men, with an average age of around 40-50 years.
Welding quality
The energy and concentration with which he welds at the beginning of the day is completely different from the performance that a welder presents at the end of a grueling work day, after welding an endless number of the same parts.
This causes inconsistencies in the welding, mostly in the appearance of the parts.
And apart from the fatigue factor, a welder can hardly weld two pieces in exactly the same way.
Cycle time/Productivity
Welders, no matter how good they are, have their physical and psychological limitations.
If a company accepts a huge order and doubles its workload, the welder cannot do that double work in the same 8 hours, nor can he stay working for 16 hours.
That is, when an abnormal amount of work comes in, companies automatically feel “growth pain” and often cannot keep up with a faster pace of production.
“So, am I doomed to lose money?!”
Of course not.
For every problem there is a solution, for welding problems there is robotic welding. By automatizing this process, you will be able to solve the vast majority of these production problems.
If you don't know where to start when it comes to robotic welding, get in touch with our team of specialized technicians.
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