The Welder Shortage by the Numbers
Welding keeps bridges, airplanes, and farm equipment in service, yet the U.S. talent pool is thinning fast. The American Welding Society projects a need for 330,000 new welding professionals by 2028, but the average welder is already 55 years old and many are nearing retirement. Fewer young people are choosing the trade, putting infrastructure upgrades and factory expansions at risk. This skills gap set the stage for Assembly News Now’s latest episode, which asked a direct question: Can automation step in where human welders are in short supply?
Spotlight on the Spartan Cobot Welder
For the welding shortage specifically, BlueBay Automation used the show to introduce the Spartan Robotics cobot welding cell, a turnkey system built from proven premium parts:
| Component | Function in the Cell |
|---|---|
| Kassow Robots 7-axis arm | Adds an “elbow” joint that lets the torch navigate around clamps, weld inside tight corners, and maintain stable travel speed. |
| Fronius Welding power source | Provides a stable arc for steel, stainless, and aluminum; settings are adjusted on a built-in touch screen. |
| Siegmund welding table | Modular fixturing platform for quick part change-overs. |
| Optional Tool Changer | Swaps the torch for a gripper or plasma cutter without manual intervention. |
| Linear or rotary axis (add-on) | Extends reach or allows part rotation without repositioning. |
Operators guide the arm by hand, set weld points through a free-drive button, and store programs with a teach pendant. A pre-built cell starts at ~$80k—close to the annual cost of a single experienced welder—making ROI calculations straightforward for job shops.
How Automation Fills the Gap
Cobots will not eliminate the need for skilled welders, but they can absorb repetitive seams that consume most shift hours. That frees veteran tradespeople to focus on complex joints, first-article checks, or higher-margin custom work. In plants where finding even one certified welder is hard, a cobot keeps production on schedule, lets supervisors redeploy labor, and ensures consistent bead quality.
Key productivity drivers include:
- Seventh-axis dexterity — The Kassow Robots cobot arm welds more sides of a part without new fixtures, cutting down idle time.
- Quick programming — Drag-to-teach and pre-set weld templates lower the learning curve for technicians who know the process but not robot code.
- Compact footprint — No safety cages mean the cell fits where a manual table once sat, ideal for small fab shops.
What This Means for Fabricators
If your back-log is growing because certified welders are hard to hire, now is the time to evaluate cobot welding:
- Cost parity — A turnkey cell can equal one year of top-tier welder wages.
- Fast deployment — Drag-to-teach interfaces get parts moving in days, not months.
- Flexibility — Tool changers and extra axes widen the part mix a single cell can handle.
- Quality control — Consistent torch angle and speed give repeatable, inspection-friendly welds.
Watch the Full Episode
The nine-minute video at the top of this post covers every demo mentioned above and includes footage of the Spartan cell in action. If you’re weighing automation as a way to bridge the welder shortage—or simply want to keep your line running when head-count is tight—give it a look and see which technologies fit your plant.
Can Automation Solve the Welder Shortage? — Key Insights from Assembly News Now