How One Fabrication Shop Reduced Welding Time by 40%

Dave Widlund is a senior manufacturing automation advisor at Capital Machine with decades of experience supporting fabrication shops through technology-driven transformation. Dave has worked with manufacturers across North America to implement press brakes, robotic welding cells, and advanced fixturing solutions that increase productivity, reduce labor dependency, and deliver measurable ROI.

Known for his practical, results-first approach, Dave specializes in aligning automation technology with real-world shop floor workflows. His work focuses on helping leaders adopt robotics strategically — not reactively — ensuring long-term scalability and competitiveness in an evolving manufacturing landscape.

Robotic welding has moved from a “nice-to-have” to a strategic necessity for many fabrication shops.

Labor shortages, rising costs, and increased customer demand are forcing manufacturers to rethink how work gets done on the shop floor. But successful automation doesn’t happen by accident — it requires the right technology, the right training, and the right leadership mindset.

This is the story of one fabrication shop that didn’t just adopt robotic welding — they scaled it.

The Starting Point: Strong Foundation, Growing Pressure

This customer had been working with Capital Machine for years, purchasing multiple press brakes as their business grew. Their welding department, however, remained heavily manual.

They faced challenges common across the industry:

• Increasing part complexity
• Difficulty finding and retaining skilled welders
• Bottlenecks in welding and fabrication flow

Many of their parts were ideal candidates for robotic welding — repeatable, high-mix, and time-intensive when done manually.

Seeing Is Believing: The Power of Demonstration & Training

During a shop tour and live demonstration, we showed the customer how robotic welding cells could be integrated into their workflow.

This wasn’t a sales pitch — it was a hands-on, real-world demonstration paired with operator training. The goal was simple: let the process speak for itself.

That experience changed the conversation from “Can this work?” to “How fast can we implement?”

Phase One: First Robotic Welding Cell

Once installed and trained:

• Welding time dropped by 30% compared to manual processes
• Operators gained consistency and repeatability
• Throughput immediately increased

However, one limitation surfaced quickly — fixturing setup time.

To solve this, the customer implemented Camtech fixturing software, dramatically reducing setup and changeover times while improving weld quality and repeatability.

Phase Two: Compounding Gains with a Second Cell

The cost savings and productivity improvements from the first robotic welding cell funded the second.

With two cells running:

• Welding times dropped by 40% total
• Overall welding productivity increased by 40%
• No additional welders were required

This is a critical point: automation absorbed growth, rather than forcing new hires in an already tight labor market.

Industry Insight: Why Robotic Welding Adoption Is Accelerating

Across the fabrication industry, we’re seeing three major trends:

1️. Labor Scarcity Is Structural, Not Temporary

The skilled welding gap is not going away. Robotics allows shops to protect output while reallocating skilled labor to higher-value tasks.

2️. Productivity Must Scale Without Headcount

Growth today must come from efficiency. Robotic welding enables predictable, scalable throughput.

3️. Software + Hardware Integration Is the Differentiator

Robotic cells alone aren’t enough. Fixturing software, training, and process design unlock the real ROI.

Shops that treat automation as a system, not a machine, outperform those that don’t.

Looking Ahead: Planning the Third Robotic Welding Cell

After three years and two successful robotic welding cells, this customer is now planning their third cell.

That decision says everything.

Robotic welding didn’t just solve a short-term problem — it became a long-term growth strategy.

Final Thoughts: Automation Is a Leadership Decision

Robotic welding isn’t about replacing people.
It’s about protecting margins, stabilizing production, and building resilience in an unpredictable manufacturing environment.

The most successful shops don’t ask if they should automate — they ask how strategically.

About Capital Machine

Capital Machine partners with manufacturers across the Midwest and North America to deliver press brakes, robotic welding systems, automation solutions, and hands-on training that drive measurable results.

If you’re considering robotic welding, start with a conversation — not a purchase.

 Contact our Solutions Team Today