With the rising welder shortage, more companies are moving toward automation to combat the decline
of expert welders. Southeastern Hose, a company nexAir has worked with for over eleven years, has also
experienced the increasing pressures of the industry. In order to achieve an optimal solution to this
growing issue, their Territory Manager collaborated with them to evaluate their production processes.
Through this evaluation, they discovered two highly skilled TIG welders were also spending a
considerable amount of time working on various MIG welding projects. As this was not the most
efficient use of their time and skillset, their Territory Manager suggested the integration of a Lincoln
Cooper Cobot to perform these simpler MIG welding operations. With the provided cobot training, they
were able to make this transition quickly and efficiently to avoid potential delays in production. This
switch to automation has increased quality and consistency throughout the production of pump
connectors, piping, and expansion joints while also reducing the pressures of the welder shortage.
Now, Southeastern Hose can utilize their highly skilled welders in a more efficient manner for the
company, increasing their production capabilities. Ultimately, the company estimated this move to
automation has saved them approximately $75,000 by applying their TIG welders to more accurate
projects for their skillset.