It’s safe to say that in the food processing industry, keeping a clean and sanitary workspace is absolutely crucial to success. Robotic welding actually plays a huge role in ensuring clean and consistent welds in stainless steel food processing systems. This technology has been a game changer for the industry – and continues to evolve daily. At nexAir, we have years of KnowHow in the welding and food processing industry, and we continue to educate our customers with what we have picked up along the way. Keep reading as we dig a bit deeper into how robotic welding is transforming the industry, along with how it is improving hygiene, efficiency and overall product quality. 

 

Why welding? 

This may come as a surprise, but welding plays a vital role in food processing systems – especially in the construction of stainless steel equipment. Ensuring that you have properly welded joints is an essential factor in maintaining the integrity of processing tanks, conveyors and other important pieces of equipment that come into contact with food. The welds must be smooth, free from defects and most importantly, easy to clean to prevent the growth of bacteria and other contaminants. Some of the more traditional welding methods may not always provide consistent, high quality outcomes, and require extensive post-welding cleaning. This can all easily be avoided with the introduction of robotic welding. 

 

Robotic Welding: Producing Cleanliness and Consistency

As we mentioned, robotic welding systems offer major advantages over manual welding in the food processing industry. Some of these are: 

 

• They can be programmed to perform consistent and repeatable welds
• Uniformed joint quality
• Minimizes human error
• Ensures welds meet specifications
• Reduces the risks of leaks or weak points
• Reduces need for excessive post-weld cleaning 
• Saves time
• Saves resources
• Maintains cleanliness 

 

Sanitation Benefits

One of the greatest benefits of robotic welding in the food processing system is the ability to enhance hygiene and sanitation. The robotic welders can perform in enclosed environments with controlled atmospheres, significantly reducing the risk of contamination during the welding process. Along with that, the automation eliminates the need for human contact with the equipment, reducing the chances of introducing other contaminants. Maintaining a clean and sanitized space is absolutely crucial when working around or with food production. 

 

Efficiency 

Robotic welding systems bring remarkable efficiency and cost-saving benefits into the stainless steel food processing industry. With their high-speed capabilities and continuous operation, the welding cycle times are reduced, resulting in increased productivity. This also reduces the need for repairs or rework, excessive material usage, waste and the need for human welders. All of these factors alone improve the overall performance for food processing companies. 

 

In the end, robotic welding has and continues to revolutionize the food processing industry by ensuring clean and consistent welds in stainless steel equipment. As the industry continues to prioritize cleanliness and productivity, the incorporation of robotic welding technology will keep expanding, along with many more beneficial advancements. With all of the new, one thing remains the same – nexAir’s ability and promise to keep our customers up-to-date with the latest KnowHow in order to Forge Forward with every project they tackle.