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  • Welding Automation and Enhanced Work Safety

    Welding Automation and Enhanced Work Safety

    Welding automation has become widely used in various industries especially in manufacturing due to its numerous benefits. Higher output, fewer human errors, and reduced hazards have made robotic welding a good capital investment for businesses that value profits and people.

    Because of welding automation, increased productivity and increased employee wellbeing have become less mutually exclusive. Business owners don’t need to choose one and compromise the other. They can have both.

    Since welding involves heat, gas fumes, and electricity, manual welding means exposure to health and safety risks. When hazards like these are constantly present in one’s line of work, dissatisfaction may soon follow. Physical and mental fatigue can put a strain on workers that can lead to frequent sick leaves, higher attrition rates, and inefficiencies.

    Clearly, automated welding processes, whether partial or full, significantly enhance worker safety. With the right training and procedures, it can create a better environment for employees that result in optimum performance.

    Here are some of the main benefits that welding automation offers in terms of health and safety:

    Reduces Accidents and Injuries
    According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), common welding-related injuries include eye or hand damage, cuts, burns, and electric shock.

    Even with proper personal protective equipment (PPE), accidents can still happen in a split second with one wrong move. Even seasoned professionals with the steadiest hands, great attention to detail, and good eye-hand coordination aren’t exempt from this risk.

    Programmed automation has mechanized units in place that are powered to perform precise actions. As such, it takes the bulk of the precarious work away from welders and eliminates risk by handling automatic repetitive tasks. The machine tackles the dangerous aspects of the job, putting the worker out of harm’s way.

    Limits Exposure to Respiratory and Skin Health Hazards
    Manual welding requires working closely with welding materials which can mean ingesting or being in contact with toxic fumes. This can result in respiratory illnesses like pneumonia, asthma, throat irritation, upper respiratory diseases, or lung cancer. Skin problems like burns, skin ruptures, and irritation can also happen.

    With automation, operators don’t need to be near the welding process and are therefore less exposed to noxious gases. With the proper PPE and the appropriate work protocols, health risks are significantly reduced.

    Eliminates Work-Related Posture Problems
    Prolonged and uncomfortable positions while working can cause musculoskeletal disorders. These can have adverse permanent effects on a welder’s posture and locomotor movements. Also, constant physical strain on their hands, wrists, arms, neck, shoulders, and backs can lead to chronic pain and worn bodies.

    The good news is that welders no longer have to be subjected to such physical stress. 

    Welding robots are designed to perform repeated tasks that humans have limited capacity for. Automation units are structured and engineered to perform specific work and only need regular maintenance to keep them running smoothly and efficiently.

    Reduces Stress in the Workplace
    When workers know that the company promotes safety in the workplace, they gain peace of mind and satisfaction. When the potential for harm is reduced, anxiety and stress become much lower. Workers who have less mental and physical stress perform better at work.

    This often results in a lower attrition rate and a more positive and productive atmosphere on production floors.

    Forge Forward with Employee Safety and Wellbeing
    At nexAir, we help you empower your people by providing them with safe work environments through automation. With our shared KnowHow, you can optimize your processes, productivity, and output. 

    Employee well-being has a great impact on your company’s performance and how your workers perceive you. With welding automation, you can promote employee health and safety while reaching for success. 

     

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    Manufacturing downtime costs American companies billions annually. When production lines halt due to gas supply issues, every minute translates to lost revenue, missed deadlines, and frustrated customers. At nexAir, we've spent decades developing solutions that keep manufacturing operations running smoothly.

    The Hidden Costs of Gas-Related Downtime

    When manufacturers calculate downtime costs, they typically focus on labor and lost production. However, gas supply disruptions create cascading effects that multiply these losses:

    • Production rescheduling that disrupts carefully optimized sequences
    • Rush shipping fees to meet customer deadlines despite delays
    • Quality inconsistencies when processes restart after interruptions
    • Overtime costs to catch up after unplanned stoppages
    • Reputation damage when delivery commitments are missed

    For a typical mid-sized manufacturer, each hour of downtime represents $5,000-$10,000 in direct and indirect costs. Our analysis shows that gas-related issues cause 7-12% of total manufacturing downtime - a substantial opportunity for improvement.

    From Reactive to Proactive: The Supply Continuum

    Most facilities follow a predictable pattern in their gas management evolution:

    Stage 1: Reactive Management At this stage, facilities order gas when they notice supplies running low or, worse, after running out. Emergencies are common, and disruptions are accepted as "part of doing business." One automotive parts supplier operating this way experienced 14 production interruptions in a single quarter.

    Stage 2: Calendar-Based Management Facilities advance to scheduled deliveries based on estimated usage. While better than the reactive approach, this method still results in either excess inventory (tying up capital and space) or shortages when usage spikes occur. A plastics manufacturer following this model maintained 40% more cylinder inventory than necessary while still experiencing occasional stockouts.

    Stage 3: Consumption-Based Management Our telemetry systems monitor actual gas consumption, automatically triggering orders based on usage patterns rather than calendar dates. This approach virtually eliminates both stockouts and excess inventory. 

    Stage 4: Integrated Supply Management The most advanced approach connects gas management directly to production planning systems. Upcoming production requirements automatically adjust supply parameters, ensuring resources are precisely aligned with needs. A medical device manufacturer using this approach reports zero gas-related downtime for 27 consecutive months while operating with minimal inventory buffers.

    Our expert KnowHow™ in industrial gas applications allows us to guide customers through this evolution at a pace that makes sense for their operations.

    Customizing Solutions for Maximum Uptime

    Manufacturing environments vary dramatically in their gas requirements and operational constraints. We've developed flexible approaches that address these differences:

    • For high-volume, consistent usage operations, our bulk systems eliminate the cylinder handling that frequently causes supply disruptions. Bulk installations include telemetry monitoring and automated ordering to prevent outages.
    • For variable-demand environments, our microbulk delivery systems provide the benefits of bulk supply with lower volume commitments. These systems reduce handling requirements while maintaining the flexibility needed for changing production schedules.
    • For specialized applications requiring multiple gas types, our gas management programs combine cylinder tracking, usage monitoring, and automated replenishment. This comprehensive approach ensures that specialty gases are always available when needed, regardless of how infrequently they might be used.
    • For multi-site operations, our enterprise supply programs coordinate deliveries and optimize inventory across locations. By treating the organization's gas requirements holistically, we minimize both stockouts and excess inventory across the network.

    This consultative approach ensures that manufacturers receive solutions aligned with their specific operational patterns rather than generic "one-size-fits-all" systems.

    Beyond Traditional Supply: Integrated Services for Total Reliability

    Maximum uptime requires more than just reliable gas delivery. Our integrated services address the full spectrum of gas-related reliability factors:

    Equipment maintenance programs that prevent system failures before they impact production Technical gas specialists who resolve application issues that could otherwise cause production problems Safety training that prevents accidents leading to downtime events Emergency response capabilities that minimize impacts when unexpected events occur Supply chain redundancy that ensures continuity despite regional disruptions

    These services complement our supply solutions to form a comprehensive reliability strategy. By addressing both everyday operations and exceptional circumstances, we help manufacturers Forge Forward with confidence that gas-related disruptions won't derail their production targets.

    Measuring Success: The Results That Matter

    The ultimate measure of any downtime reduction strategy is its impact on production metrics. Our manufacturing customers consistently report significant improvements after implementing our comprehensive gas management solutions:

    Downtime reductions of 85-95% for gas-related issues Inventory cost decreases of 20-30% through optimized supply management Administrative time savings of 5-10 hours weekly through automated ordering and tracking Production schedule adherence improvements of 3-7% due to improved supply reliability

    These performance gains translate directly to bottom-line benefits that typically deliver ROI within months rather than years. More importantly, they allow manufacturers to confidently make delivery commitments, knowing that gas supply issues won't compromise their ability to perform.

    Don't let gas supply issues impact your productivity. Contact us today to explore our tailored solutions.

    Looking out for your future

    Get your career going on the right track with nexAir

    Industry Knowledge and Expertise

    Find out how nexAir KnowHow has impacted businesses all over the Southeast

    nexAir in the news

    Our expertise makes us more than a valuable partner, it makes us headlines

    nexAir is always open!