By Larry Haftl, special to WDF

Used robots could have a lot of productive life left in them.

There are many used robots available on the market.

Paint and restoration can make used robots look nearly new.

Last November General Motors announced it would close nine plants and reduce annual production by one million vehicles. Ford Motor Co. more recently announced that it would close 14 plants as part of a restructuring plan. As these plants close, it would appear that automakers would be dumping thousands of used robotic welding units into the marketplace. However, the robots that GM and Ford are terminating either are technologically obsolete or too specialized to be used in other applications or simply too worn out to be worth refurbishing. For example: More than 700 robotic spot welders recently were taken out of a Lansing, Michigan automotive plant and most of them sold to scrap metal buyers in an by-the-pound transaction.

On the plus side, the market for used robots already is flooded with product, and there are many excellent opportunities for small operations to automate their welding processes at affordable prices.

While a new robotic arc-welding setup can cost $80,000 to $120,000, the same setup using refurbished equipment currently goes for about $25,000 to $50,000, depending on tooling. It is definitely a buyers' market, but buyer beware. Setting up a cost-effective and productive robotic work cell is not just a matter of buying the equipment and bolting it to the shop floor. It is a process that begins with deciding what a shop wants to accomplish with an automated system.

Is the shop having problems finding enough skilled welders? An automated system can do the work of two to three welders and can be operated by a person with no welding skills.

Is the shop trying to improve product quality and reliability; reduce scrap and rework; increase production capacity, flexibility and productivity while decreasing time to market; or remove workers from a hazardous environment? The right automated system accomplishes all this and at an affordable price.

In manufacturing, robotic welders are used in two ways: as part of a production line or as a stand-alone unit doing batch processing. Shops making the transition from manual welding to an automated system usually succeed by focusing on just one simple application using a stand-alone turnkey system.

But not all applications are good candidates for automation. Robots excel at performing repetitive tasks on identical pieces held in fixtures that involve welds in more than one axis or where access to the weld locations is difficult. Any need for human intervention in that task, such as examining each part to decide if it is okay or needs rework, makes that process less desirable for automation. Shops can upgrade a robotic system to do the work of a human inspector, but the upgrade may outweigh the benefits of automating.

After determining an application is a good candidate for automation, shops should secure the services of a system integrator. Robotic automation projects require knowledge and skills that most welding fabricators simply don't have in their operations. The right systems integrator can provide the personnel resources needed to make the project a success without increasing a shop's payroll.

These resources include:

• Sales engineers who are familiar with the latest and most effective automated solutions.
• Application engineers who know welding and how to successfully integrate robots and other equipment into a cost-effective robotic work cell.
• Service technicians who can install the equipment, and provide troubleshooting, maintenance and upgrade support by phone or on-site.

Integrators should understand their customers' businesses and know how to produce these customers' products with or without robotics. Integrators sell solutions and not just hardware, and the earlier a shop involves them in the planning process the greater the likelihood of a successful outcome. However, shops should not let the phrase "full-service distributor" mislead them. While most integrators can supply robots and tooling, some may be unable to provide fixtures, safety gates, host computers and other necessary equipment.

Questions for choosing a systems integrator

• Do they service markets that are the same as or similar to mine? A shop that welds steel drums would not find a good match with an integrator who specializes in aluminum welding.
• Do they have successful experience with applications similar to mine? If a job shop is doing low volumes of many parts, an integrator specializing in setting up highvolume single-product applications may not be the right choice.
• Does the integrator service my geographic area? Some integrators limit their service area while others go anywhere nationwide or even worldwide.
• How large is the integrator? Two guys working out of their basement (yes, it happens) are less likely to provide adequate support than a company with a dozen or more employees.
• Does the integrator have the experienced personnel on staff needed to handle the applications and systems engineering and programming my system will need, or will the have to bring in outside contractors? Using outside contractors might work for initial setup. But, will they be available in a timely way if programming changes are needed quickly?
• What kind of training does the integrator provide? Not just where the training can be delivered (integrator's or fabricator's site), but what type of training (objective and performance based or cognitive learning and rote memorization). Shops with training departments should have them review a potential integrator's training manual and program to verify that they are performance and objective based.

Ask to see a copy of the typical documentation the integrator provides. Ideally this will be something application-specific that was prepared for another customer.

• Does an integrator have an adequate stock of spare parts? Do they have an in-house inventory? Do they have a spare parts inventory in my area? Do they offer a repair service or just new parts? Going to the manufacturer for parts could involve paying a premium.
• Shops that cannot afford to train and maintain a staff of service technicians should ask integrators if they do normal on-site system servicing.
• What kind of warranty is available? How long and based on how many shifts? When does the warranty begin: the day the equipment is shipped, the day it is installed, or the day it is turned on and used?

In addition to answering these questions, the integrator should be willing and able to provide a list of satisfied customers. These references should be checked out and visited, if possible, to see how well the integrator supported the customers before, during and after installation.

Established robot base According to the Robotic Industries Association (RIA), the industry's trade group, there are more than 158,000 robots currently installed in American manufacturing operations with an average uptime of 99.95 percent. Last year, North American manufacturing companies ordered a total of 18,228 new robots valued at $1.16 billion, an increase of 23 percent in units and 17 percent in dollars over 2004 totals.

Locating used equipment Buyers' directories and the Internet are likely places to begin searching for used equipment. These sources provide listings of used welding-robot suppliers. Robot manufacturers, such as Fanuc, Motoman, Kuka, ABB, Panasonic and Nachi, are also sources for used equipment and for system integration.

Contributors to this report included: Edward Easton, President of Robotic Concepts Inc., Highland, Mich. (www.roboticconcepts.com) Tom Snow - President of TJ Snow Company, Inc., Chattanooga, Tenn. (www.tjsnow.com) Bob Lieblang, President of Rebotics, Inc., Rochester Hills, Mich. (www.rebotics.com) Erik Shafer, President of Industrial Robot Supply, Sharpsville, Pa. (www.industrialrobotix.com) Kevin Kozuszek Marketing Representative for KUKA Robotics Corp., Clinton Township, Mich. (www.kukausa.com) Kevin Fahring, Operations Manager for ENCOBOTICS, Derby, Kan. (www.econbotics.com) Bill Levy, Sales Engineer for Turner Industries, Grand Rapids, Mich. (www.turnerindustries.com)