How Robotic Welding Machines Have Changed the Alternative Energy Industry
Energy is often categorized into two buckets: traditional and alternative. Traditional consists of energy sourced from fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas. Conversely, alternative energy does not utilize fossil fuels. There are several forms of alternative energies, with solar, wind, hydroelectric and fuel cells being some of the most common. Alternative energy sources are important as they eliminate much of the pollution and greenhouse gas emissions associated with traditional energy processes. Additionally, alternative energy provides a more diverse supply chain, reducing the reliance on fossil fuels and imports.
The alternative energy industry has grown significantly in recent decades as companies and consumers become more focused on renewable and sustainable energy sources. When it comes to competing with traditional processes, alternative energy faces a key challenge: the cost per megawatt is often higher than fossil fuel processes – a factor that can make or break an alternative energy project.
Alternative energy processes were historically manual with little automation. As demand for alternative energy grew, the manual approach was not sustainable. To solve this problem, the alternative energy industry turned to process automation, such as robotic welding machines. Robots are now employed in the fabrication of equipment for many alternative energy processes including wind, solar, fuel cells, and hydroelectric. Robots have been instrumental in reducing the cost per megawatt for alternative energies – making projects more economically attractive and competitive with traditional energy sources. Below are some key ways that robotic welding machines have changed the alternative energy industry.
- Raise Productivity: robots are designed to execute a specific job, typically a repetitive task, and are known for their efficiency on the shop floor. Robots are able to work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with no breaks except for occasional maintenance. For this reason, robots are capable of higher welding productivity and throughput. Higher volumes and faster cycle times translate to lower costs that provide a critical competitive edge to alternative energy manufacturers. For example, robotic welding machines are used for heavy welding of structural components for wind turbine towers and blades as well as wickets for hydroelectric plants. Multi-axis robots are able to reach difficult welding locations that are common on turbine blades and wickets due to their large size and unique geometry. Employing robots speeds up the manufacturing process, reduces costs, and enables more through-put for the alternative energy industry.
- Increase Precision: some alternative energy equipment is very large with an intricate geometry, and some of these parts undergo tremendous stress. For these reasons, the welds must be consistent and precise, and free of voids and contaminants, in order to ensure stability and longevity of the part. Human welding can often introduce variance and inconsistencies, whereas, robotic welding machines are known for their excellent precision and quality. Many alternative energy processes, such as solar, wind, and fuel cells, require high precision and alignment of parts that are challenging – if not impossible - to achieve with manual welding. Since robots produce more consistent welds with fewer errors, they are an excellent choice for alternative energy processes that demand high precision and require a high level of production consistency.
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- Improve Safety: robots often perform welding tasks that can be hazardous to humans. The use of robotic welding machines removes operators from higher risk processes, improving personnel safety across the alternative energy sector.
- Solve Labor Shortage: in recent years, many companies have observed a shortage in the number of skilled welding personnel. Robotic welding machines help solve the labor shortage by reducing the number of welding personnel required to fabricate equipment for various sectors, including the alternative energy industry.
ABS Fabrication and Robotic Welding Services
Established in 1971, ABS Machining has grown to become the recognized global leader in large machining, fabrication, and assembly for OEMs. The key to our success has been exceptional people, unparalleled facilities, and an unwavering commitment to quality. Our people are experts in their given field. Their expertise is matched only by their passion for serving our clients. We continue to invest in our people with education programs, cross training and in our internal accredited apprenticeship center.
ABS Heavy Fabrication is a full-service facility certified to CSA47.1 (AWSD1.1) and ASME Boiler Vessel B31.1 and 31.3 standards. Our welders are certified by CWB/AWS and ASME, and are fully trained on flux-core, gas metal, submerge arc, tig and stick electrode welding techniques. Individual customer requirements are followed and enforced in conjunction with our in-house certified weld inspectors. (CWI Level 2's). Below are some of our fabrication services:
- Robotic Welding
- Flux Core Welding
- Forming
- Metal Fabrication
- Mig Welding
- Full Penetration Welding
- Sub Arc Welding
- Metal Core Welding
- Laser Cutting
We offer a unique combination of medium to high volume production machining and welding services. Our team is committed to producing an un-paralleled level of quality and throughput, while also focusing on cost. We also offer secondary services such as mechanical assembly, making ABS a true single source solution for the most challenging programs of today and for the future.
Contact us today to see how we can help with your fabrication project, or give us a call at 1-844-227-6224.
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