We’re excited to share that our partner ESCCO will be exhibiting at the Hillhead Show 2026, the UK’s largest exhibition dedicated to quarrying, construction, and recycling equipment.

Held every two years in the impressive Hillhead Quarry in Buxton, the event brings together over 600 exhibitors and nearly 20,000 industry professionals from across the sector, making it one of the most important trade shows in the industry.

During the exhibition, Escco will showcase a range of advanced Welding and Engineering solutions, including Cobot Welding, CNC Plasma Cutting, Welding Tables, and Lifting Magnets, designed to improve efficiency, precision, and productivity across industrial applications.

📍 Visit Escco at Stand V18 and discover the latest innovations in automation and engineering technology.

Claim your free ticket here: https://eventdata.uk/Forms/Form.aspx?FormRef=Hil66Visitor&TrackingCode=Website

Event Dates
Tuesday 23 June 2026 09:00 – 18:00
Wednesday 24 June 2026 09:00 – 18:00
Thursday 25 June 2026 09:00 – 16:30

Cobot Welding Comes to a 160-Year-Old Shipyard

Helsinki Shipyard has been a fixture in Finnish industry since 1865. Over its 160-year history, the yard has carried many names, including Masa-Yards and Finnyards, and is today known as DNY Finland Oy after the Canadian Davie Group acquired the business at the end of 2023. The Helsinki Shipyard name lives on as the brand most people still recognise. The yard sits almost in the centre of Helsinki, which is quite an unusual address for a shipbuilder. Over the years its footprint has grown more compact, but the company has stayed put. Its core activity is tied to building everything from large cruise ships to the ice-going vessels it has become known for in recent years: icebreakers and ice-class research cruisers built for some of the harshest conditions on earth.

We invest in new construction, which is our core business. And alongside that, we also do ship repair projects when possible.

– Juha-Pekka Keltanen, Welding Engineer in
Helsinki Shipyard

A Common Myth About Shipyards

When people picture welding inside a shipyard, they tend to picture huge ship blocks being joined together: the kind of work that calls for heavy manipulators, conveyors, and a lot of manual welders. That part of the operation is real, but it is far from the whole story. Jussi Martiskin from ProWeld Finland, the integrator behind the Helsinki Shipyard installation, has seen the same misconception in workshop after workshop:

Many people think that at a shipyard only large blocks are welded together, and that you need manual welding equipment or light conveyors. But there are many small parts: piping, prefabricated parts, all sorts of things made at the shipyard, just like in other workshops. So a cobot is just as suitable for a shipyard as for any other workshop.

– Jussi Martiskin, ProWeld Finland

Helsinki Shipyard fabricates piece goods, pipe prefabrications, and a wide variety of sheet-metal components in-house. It is exactly the kind of mix that defines almost any modern workshop, which is repetitive but varied, with a steady pull on the most skilled and experienced welders. The question is the same one any production manager will recognise: how do you free your people from the most repetitive runs so they can spend their time where they make the biggest difference?

Why a Hybrid Cobot Welding and Plasma Cutting Solution Made Sense for a Shipyard

The path to cobot welding at Helsinki Shipyard started with a trial. A cobot station equipped with both welding equipment and plasma cutting equipment was brought in for a couple of weeks of testing. From there, the case for investment built quickly.

For Juha-Pekka, the team wanted three things from automation:

• Flexibility. The workshop produces a wide mix of parts: piece goods, pipe prefabrications, and sheet metal. Whatever the team invested in had to handle that range, not lock production into a single product line.
• Resilience in staffing. Skilled welders are getting harder to find (a global welder shortage), and a cobot’s short learning curve helps offset that. “It is good in that sense, because users can be trained quite quickly to use the cobot,” Juha-Pekka notes.
• Quality and standardisation. On the welding side especially, the team wanted the kind of repeatability that only an automated tool can deliver.
  

The hybrid configuration closed the deal. One station handles both plasma cutting and welding, with a quick changeover between torches and settings. As Jussi Martiskin at ProWeld explains, that was the point of the design from the beginning:

The idea was that you could switch the torch and station settings between these processes very quickly. For example, after cutting the pieces, you can weld them in the same place. There’s no need to move the pieces anywhere.

At a shipyard, this hybrid application is good because you can do both welding and plasma cutting with the same device, which increases its utilisation rate and makes it a more sensible investment.

– Jussi Martiskin, ProWeld Finland

Crucially, the same operating logic in SmoothTool covers both processes. As Jussi also notes, anyone who can program a plasma cut on the cobot can also program a weld and vice versa. That keeps training simple, removes the need for separate cutting and welding operators, and lets a single person take a part from raw stock to finished assembly without it ever leaving the station.

From Delivery to First Production Parts in About an Hour

One concern about bringing automation into a long-established workshop is always disruption. At Helsinki Shipyard, it never materialised.

After delivery, it took maybe an hour or an hour and a half before the first production parts were cut. So in that sense, implementation was quite fast and convenient.

– Juha-Pekka Keltanen, Welding Engineer in Helsinki Shipyard

The reception inside the workshop followed a familiar arc: a moment of unfamiliarity, then real curiosity, then engagement. Juha-Pekka notes that a new cobot station inevitably causes some initial confusion when it arrives, but interest takes over quickly, and the operators using the stations have been consistently satisfied. A big part of that, he says, is the software:

The SmoothTool software is very easy to use. Anyone can learn it. That was also a big reason why we chose these stations, because they are very user-friendly.

Today, two to four operators are actively using the cobot station each day. The first runs have focused on piece goods and sheet-metal parts. The next horizon is pipe prefabrications, including T-branch insertions and similar joints, where SmoothTool’s ongoing software development is making programming faster still.

Standardised Welds for High-Strength and Ice-Class Steels

For a shipyard working with high-strength steels and ice-class vessels, welding quality is not a nice-to-have. The window of successful welding parameters narrows the stronger the steel, and getting it wrong is costly.

Juha-Pekka points to the cobot’s ability to standardise the essential variables as the practical answer: transport speed stays constant, torch angles are set as standard, free wire length stays consistent, and the welding process can be precisely adjusted. That precision matters most on stronger steels, where the parameter window is narrower than on basic steels, and it is exactly where the cobot proves its worth as a tool for achieving consistent weld joints.

On the plasma side, the cobot replaces older oxy-acetylene cutting that left a lot of grinding and finishing work behind. Jussi Martiskin sees the impact every time he commissions a new station. Plasma delivers a cleaner cut than the traditional method, which significantly reduces finishing work and improves throughput. The ergonomic gain is just as real: where a welder or pipefitter used to cut a part and then spend serious time grinding it to get the surface quality and fits right, plasma now produces the result in one pass, leaving only a quick wipe before welding begins.

Throughput, ergonomics, and consistency all improve in a single change.

Faster Production, Smarter Design, and Top Marks for SmoothTool

The cobot has clearly made cutting and welding more efficient at Helsinki Shipyard. The cutting process moves faster, the finished result is in a different league from manual work, and post-processing is reduced. Across a full job, the time savings add up.

The team has also started to think differently about design. Components that lend themselves to cobot production are flagged and prioritised, and once a part has a saved program, scaling up is straightforward. Pipe-flange assemblies, for example, can be welded once, then modified and re-run in different sizes with simple program adjustments.

Asked about Smooth Robotics as a partner, Juha-Pekka scores SmoothTool a perfect 10. The support has been strong, the team’s specific requirements have been taken into account, and product development feels directed at the workshop’s actual processes.

What’s Next: More Cobots, More Integration

The hybrid cobot station now in the workshop is a start, but there is more to come.

This cobot station will probably be integrated with other workshop equipment in the future, and we will consider increasing automation in many ways. It is not out of the question that more cobots will be acquired later. With these two [setups], we can at least get started…

– Juha-Pekka Keltanen, Welding Engineer in Helsinki Shipyard

The Takeaway: Big Production Has Repetitive Work Too

Helsinki Shipyard’s story is a reminder that the size of a production line says less about its fit for cobot automation than the nature of the work happening inside it. Shipyards, like any other workshop, are full of recurring, repetitive welding and cutting tasks that wear down skilled people and bottleneck delivery.

Putting a hybrid cobot station in the middle of that work does not replace shipbuilding craftsmanship. One device welds and cuts, with one operating logic and one operator, and it frees the craftspeople to spend their time on the parts of the job that only they can do.

Curious how SmoothTool could fit into your production? Download the Product Sheet or request a demo.

Is a Cobot Welder Suitable for a Shipyard? (FAQ)

Key Takeaways

• Cobot welding fits big production too. Shipyards produce a constant stream of small parts, including piping, prefabricated components, and sheet-metal pieces, that are ideal candidates for cobot automation.
• Hybrid welding + plasma cutting raises utilisation. One station handles both processes, with quick torch changeovers and the same operating logic in SmoothTool. This makes it a more sensible investment than two single-purpose machines.
• Fast implementation. First production parts cut about an hour after delivery.
• Standardised quality for demanding steels. Constant transport speed, torch angles and free wire length deliver consistent welds, especially important on high-strength steels used in ice-class vessels.
• Easier training, smaller skill bottleneck. Operators can be brought up to speed quickly with SmoothTool, easing the pressure on hard-to-fill welder roles.
• Better ergonomics, less rework. Cleaner plasma cuts mean less grinding; the cobot takes over the most repetitive runs.

The Helsinki Shipyard installation was delivered in partnership with ProWeld Finland.
The solution consists of a hybrid cobot station from Smooth Robotics, combining a Universal Robots cobot with SmoothTool, EWM power source and Hypertherm plasma cutting machine for welding and plasma cutting.

Helsinki Shipyard (DNY Finland Oy) is part of the Davie Group and has been building ships in central Helsinki since 1865. Its recent focus is on ice-going vessels, specifically icebreakers and ice-class research cruisers.

Learn more about Helsinki Shipyard: helsinkishipyard.fi

In welding operations, even small errors can quickly become expensive. Rework, scrap metal, and wasted consumables all add up. This is where collaborative robots (cobots) can make a tangible difference.

Solutions such as SmoothTool, the cobot welding software developed by Smooth Robotics, further support this process by making it easier for operators to program precise and repeatable weld paths. The software simplifies complex welding programming and helps teams maintain consistent weld quality, reducing the risk of errors that lead to scrap and rework.

Reducing waste where it matters most

One of the biggest challenges in welding is maintaining consistent quality over long production runs. Human welders bring valuable expertise, but fatigue, repetitive work, and complex weld paths can lead to variation and errors. 

Collaborative robots help address this challenge by delivering high precision and repeatability. Once programmed, a cobot can execute the same weld path consistently, reducing the likelihood of defects that lead to scrap metal or costly rework.

For manufacturers, this translates into a direct operational benefit:

• Less wasted material 
• Fewer rejected parts 
• Lower costs related to rework and consumables 

According to insights shared by Universal Robots, reducing material waste through precision and repeatability is one of the key ways cobots support more efficient manufacturing processes.

Improving Welding Operations 

Robotic welding has long been associated with improved production efficiency. With cobots, this capability becomes more accessible, particularly for small and medium-sized manufacturers.

By automating repetitive welding tasks, cobots help stabilize production output and maintain consistent quality across batches. A A recent academic research in MDPI Sustainability Academic on robotic welding stations also shows that optimized robot programming and motion paths can significantly improve process efficiency while reducing unnecessary rework and material waste.

Instead of replacing welders, cobots typically take over the most repetitive and physically demanding tasks, allowing skilled operators to focus on programming, quality control, and supervision.

Tools like SmoothTool enable welders to quickly generate advanced welding paths through an intuitive interface, without requiring deep robot programming expertise. This approach allows manufacturers to automate repetitive welds faster while maintaining high precision and productivity.

A practical approach to Sustainability 

In many cases, sustainability in manufacturing does not come from a single breakthrough technology. Instead, it comes from incremental improvements that reduce waste and improve efficiency across the production process.

In welding operations, collaborative robots contribute to this progress by helping manufacturers: 

• Reduce scrap metal and material waste 
• Minimize costly rework 
• Improve process consistency
• Support safer and more sustainable working conditions for welders 

By focusing on waste reduction and operational efficiency, cobots demonstrate how sustainability can move from an abstract concept to a practical advantage on the shop floor.

Company: Peverk Oy
Industry: Railway
Location: Järvenpää (Helsinki), Finland
Cobot System: Universal Robots UR12e with SmoothTool

Keeping Finland’s Railways Running For 30 Years and Counting

Peverk Oy is not a typical machine shop. Based in Järvenpää, the company designs and manufactures specialized systems that keep Finland’s railway switches working through every season, such as snow melting systems, switch turning assistance, and monitoring solutions that tell signaling systems whether a turnout has moved correctly.

Their customers are infrastructure owners, track owners, and maintenance operators across the Finnish rail network, and in the Baltics.

The company was founded by Antti Pappila’s father, who started his career as a turner at the Pasila machine shop and built up nearly six decades of railway industry experience before establishing Peverk. Antti joined five years ago and immediately started looking for ways to move things forward.

“When I joined the company, I saw that we could still improve things,” he says. “We have tried to innovate, not just our products, but also our production processes.”

With a team of around five people handling everything from CAD design and prototyping to assembly, welding, and customer delivery, Peverk is small, dynamic, and deeply hands-on.

The Challenge: Taking Production to the Next Level

“We noticed that we do a lot of similar work,” Antti explains. “And if you think about what automation can achieve, it definitely brings more muscle to what we do.”

Having identified opportunities to enhance their workflow, Antti set out to find a solution that would elevate the business and remove production bottlenecks.

One of his motivations was resilience. In a small team, one welder’s sick leave could bring welding to a standstill.

The other motivation was time. If the robot handles the repetitive runs, the team is free to develop new products, respond to customer needs, and push the business forward rather than simply maintain it.

The Answer: UR12e with SmoothTool and EWM

Peverk selected a Universal Robots UR12e cobot with the SmoothTool welding solution from Smooth Robotics, paired with an EWM welding power source. The complete system was delivered and implemented by Smooth Robotics’ Finnish partners, Oy Machine Tool Co. and ProWeld Finland.

For a company like Peverk, three things made this combination the right fit.

1. Flexibility was essential. The cobot welder isn’t bolted to a fixed cell. It can be moved to where the work is, which matters in a workshop where space is limited and production setups vary. Rather than redesigning production flow around the robot, the robot adapts to the flow.
   
2. Ease of use was non-negotiable. With a small, mixed team, some with deep welding knowledge, others more comfortable with software, the system needed to work for everyone. The approach Peverk landed on was collaborative programming: the welder brings the process knowledge, Antti or another team member handles the interface, and the finished program goes into the catalogue for anyone to run in production. No one person has to know everything.
   
3. Space and mobility closed the deal. Peverk’s premises simply don’t have room for a traditional robot cell. The cobot’s compact footprint and the ability to move it out of the welding area when not in use made the investment physically possible in a way a conventional system wouldn’t have been.

Curious how SmoothTool could fit into your production setup?

From Delivery to Production in a Day

ProWeld Finland handled the implementation with a straightforward philosophy: deliver the system ready to use. The cobot welder was lifted from the van into Peverk’s workshop, connected to power, and work began. The first day covered the basics. By the second day, production had started with a help of new welding jigs and fixtures.

Half the Production Time. More Order Flexibility.

The results at Peverk have been tangible. Before the cobot welder, certain welding batches took two weeks to complete. Now, the same batches can be done in one week. This presents a fundamental shift in what the business can promise its customers.

“If we have needed to get products to the customer faster, the stress about whether we will succeed or not disappears,” says Antti. “With the welding robot, a certain task can be done in a week, when it used to take two weeks.”

Beyond speed, Peverk has restructured how batches work. By running larger production batches, they keep more components ready for assembly at any given time, which smooths out the entire delivery process and means customers get faster, more predictable responses to their needs.

“From the customer’s perspective, this means we are a better and more reliable supplier, even more flexible than before. I see that as perhaps the greatest value that this acquisition brings us.”

What the Welders Think

Initial skepticism from the welding team was real and understandable.

“At first, there was the thought of ‘Do we even need this?'” Antti recalls.

The answer came from experience. After a few moments where the cobot welder stepped in and saved the day by handling a demanding run without stress or physical toll, the attitudes shifted.

“The thumbs have gone up and they’ve said, ‘Antti, you were absolutely right to get a cobot.'”

The ergonomic improvement has been particularly meaningful. Large production batches used to mean doing the same physically demanding welding work for days or weeks at a stretch. Now, the cobot handles the repetitive runs while the welder can tend to other tasks, like finishing work, tacking, or simply stepping away from the welding fumes for a while.

“Even though we have masks and air purifiers, it’s always nicer to breathe in other parts of the hall than in the welding shop,” Antti says.

The cobot welder has also changed how the team works together physically. Where previously only one person could work in the welding shop at a time, it’s now possible for a manual welder to tack components while the cobot does the final welding simultaneously.

The Investment Case: Courage Pays Off Over Time

Antti is clear-eyed about the cost. A cobot investment is many times the price of a welding power source alone, and for a company Peverk’s size, that requires genuine commitment.

“It takes a certain amount of courage to make such an investment,” he acknowledges. “But in the end, when you think about it over ten years, it is not impossible. Especially if job satisfaction and productivity improve.”

A Tool Worthy of the Work

Antti’s father built Peverk on a simple principle: you need to have proper tools. Sixty years of railway industry experience, from the Pasila machine shop floor to founding a business that now exports Finnish engineering to the world, produced a company that takes quality seriously at every level.

“Maybe today, for welding, the cobot is the proper tool,” Antti says.

For Peverk, the decision wasn’t about chasing technology for its own sake. It was about equipping their people to do better work, protecting the business against future pressures, and building the kind of reliability that customers feel on the other end of every delivery.

The robot is running, batches move faster, and welders are more satisfied. Antti now spends more time developing the next product than solving production bottlenecks.

That’s what the right tool does.

The Peverk Oy implementation was delivered in partnership with Oy Machine Tool Co. and ProWeld Finland. The solution consists of a Universal Robots UR12e, SmoothTool by Smooth Robotics, and an EWM welding power source.
Learn more about Peverk Oy: peverk.fi

From shoulder pain to renewed purpose – how cobot welding and SmoothTool gave seasoned welder Jacky a second career.

A proud welding legacy at Breman Machinery

Breman Machinery in Genemuiden, the Netherlands, has been working with steel since 1864. Over five generations, the company has evolved from a local blacksmith’s shop to a world-class supplier of complex steel components and complete products shipped across the globe.

Inside Breman’s 25-metre-high workshops, with crane capacities up to 320 tonnes and a state-of-the-art range of machinery — craftsmanship and precision are still at the heart of everything they do. And few represent that craftsmanship better than Jacky, a seasoned welder who has been part of the Breman team for decades.

When experience meets limitation

After years of welding by hand, Jacky developed severe shoulder pain that made manual welding nearly impossible.

“Before, I could handle manual welding fine. I loved doing it by hand,” Jacky recalls. “But now, I couldn’t keep up.”

For a craftsman like Jacky, whose identity was built around his skill and precision, stepping away from welding wasn’t an option he wanted to accept. That’s when Breman Machinery introduced collaborative welding robots — Cobots — equipped with SmoothTool from Smooth Robotics.

A new way to weld – powered by SmoothTool

With SmoothTool’s intuitive yet powerful software, Jacky quickly learned how to operate the Cobot and apply his deep welding experience in a new way.

“Honestly, it’s gone better than I expected,” he says. “Because I can barely handle my mobile phone… but with this, I’m getting further than with those dang phones!”

SmoothTool allowed Jacky to control and refine every detail of the welding process — dwell times, weaving, push or drag, and stitch settings — just like in manual welding.

“With SmoothTool, you can optimize all of that. It has all the techniques built in,” Jacky explains. “It even lets you refine things manually. I can linger longer on one side or adjust dwell time, just like I would by hand.”

Precision, productivity, and purpose

The results at Breman Machinery have been clear — and measurable.

“Now that we’re using Cobots with SmoothTool, productivity has clearly increased,” says one of Jacky’s colleagues. “The welds are longer, tighter, and more consistent. And the quality has definitely improved.”

But for Breman, the impact goes beyond output. The Cobot takes over the heavy strain and repetitive movements, allowing experienced welders like Jacky to stay active, share their expertise, and continue doing what they love.

Breman’s Q&A Manager, Ruben van der Kamp, has seen firsthand how Cobots can make a difference:

“There are cases where welders with physical limitations can still be deployed thanks to the Cobot,” he says. “Jacky’s a perfect example, his shoulder wore out, and he couldn’t weld anymore. But with the Cobot, he can keep welding until retirement, hopefully.”

A future-proof approach to craftsmanship

At Breman Machinery, tradition and innovation go hand in hand. With SmoothTool, the company not only improved productivity and consistency, it also kept invaluable welding experience in the workshop.

“With the Cobot, I can still contribute,” says Jacky. “This could keep me working for another ten years.”

For Breman Machinery, SmoothTool has proven that automation doesn’t replace craftsmanship — it amplifies it.

Key Takeaways

• Human-centered automation: SmoothTool helps welders like Jacky continue contributing their expertise.
• Higher quality and consistency: Longer, tighter, and cleaner welds with optimized Cobot control.
• Increased productivity: Faster welding cycles and less manual strain.
• Workforce sustainability: Keeps experienced welders active even with physical limitations.

Tackling Wear and Tear in a Demanding Industry

At HJHansen Recycling Group, heavy machinery is essential for handling large volumes of iron and scrap metal. Central to this operation are the company’s powerful grabs, which lift, move, and transport scrap across Denmark and to international destinations.

Over time, however, the grab blades face extreme wear and tear. To keep operations running efficiently, HJHansen’s team spends significant time reinforcing these blades with hardfacing coatings — a maintenance task that is both time-intensive and physically demanding.

“We continuously maintain our grabs, and hardfacing the blades is an important part of making them last longer in such a tough environment,” explains Emil Bjerg, Technical Manager at HJHansen Recycling Group.

Why Cobot Welding?

Hardfacing is a repetitive and monotonous welding task that demands precision but does not fully utilize the creativity and expertise of skilled blacksmiths. That makes it a perfect fit for automation.

“The task of laying coating on a grab blade is good to use a robot for, because it is very monotonous work and there is a lot of the same. This way we can free up our skilled blacksmiths to focus on higher-value welding tasks,” Emil notes.

First Impressions with UR10e and SmoothTool

During the test, HJHansen’s blacksmiths worked with a UR10e cobot equipped with SmoothTool to automate hardfacing on grab blades. The results were promising:

• The weld quality was considered “a fine piece of craftsmanship” by HJHansen’s own blacksmiths.
• The user interface was praised for being relatively user-friendly, making setup straightforward.
• The potential for the cobot to continue working during downtime or breaks was highlighted as a key efficiency advantage.

“So far it looks positive. The blacksmiths themselves think it’s a fine piece of craftsmanship that the cobot makes,” Emil shares.

Looking Ahead

While the test was focused on hardfacing, HJHansen sees opportunities to apply cobot welding in other areas of their operations as well. With promising initial results, the company is now considering how collaborative welding robots might fit into their long-term maintenance and production strategy.

For Smooth Robotics, the project highlights how cobot welding can take over repetitive, heavy-duty tasks, freeing skilled workers to focus on the jobs where human craftsmanship adds the most value.

👉 Want to see how cobot welding can fit into your production? Book a meeting with Smooth Robotics to explore the possibilities.

1. What is Seam Tracking?

Seam Tracking is one of the newest and most advanced features in SmoothTool, available as an optional add-on module for a selected range of supported power sources. This feature uses Through Arc Seam Tracking (TAST) to automatically adjust the robot’s welding path in real time—compensating for any deviations from the originally taught path.

Instead of reprogramming every time your parts or fixtures vary slightly, Seam Tracking lets the arc do the guiding—keeping your weld on target, even if your part shifts or warps slightly during production.

2. Core Functionality

• ⚡ Real-time welding path correction via TAST (Through Arc Seam Tracking)
• 🔌 Available for selected power sources with Seam Tracking compatibility
• ⚙️ Comes with SmoothTool-tested default parameters for fast setup
• 🛠️ Two easy-to-adjust parameters for fine-tuning results
• 🧠 Advanced parameter access via the gear icon for deeper control
• 🔁 Works with both Weld and Surfacing nodes

3. Key Benefits

• 🎯 Improved weld quality – stays centered on the seam even if the part shifts
• 🕒 Saves time – fewer touch-ups and less manual correction needed
• 🔧 Simple setup – just adjust two parameters or use default values
• 💡 Highly adaptable – advanced controls available when needed
• ⚙️ Works seamlessly with your existing SmoothTool weld and surfacing nodes

4. Use Case Example

A metal fabrication shop is welding long Tee joints on slightly warped steel panels. Despite good fixturing, minor gaps and inconsistencies occur across batches. Instead of re-teaching paths or dealing with inconsistent welds, they enable Seam Tracking on the weld node. The system uses TAST to make real-time path adjustments, keeping the arc perfectly aligned with the joint—delivering uniform results with zero rework.

5. Pro Tips & Best Practices

• Use SmoothTool’s default seam tracking settings as a starting point—they’re tested and tuned for real-world use
• Tweak the main control parameters to match your specific joint type and weld speed
• For advanced use cases, press the gear icon to unlock fine-grained control
• Combine Seam Tracking with Touch Sense or Angle System for even more robust process reliability
• Make sure your power source supports TAST and is configured correctly before enabling

6. How to Access This Feature in SmoothTool

Seam Tracking can be found under the Parameters tab on both Weld and Surfacing nodes.
You’ll see it as an available option only if the Seam Tracking add-on module is installed and your power source supports it. From there, you can adjust basic parameters directly or open the Advanced settings using the gear icon on the right.

7. Why It Matters

In real-world production, no two parts are exactly alike—and even small deviations can ruin a good weld. Seam Tracking bridges that gap, letting your robot dynamically adapt to the seam in real time. With SmoothTool’s smart defaults and easy tuning, you don’t need to be a seam tracking expert to get reliable, repeatable results.

👉 Curious if Seam Tracking is available for your welding setup? Reach out to our team and we’ll help you find the right solution.

8. FAQ about Through-Arc Seam Tracking (TAST)

Chicago, IL – September 8, 2025 — At this year’s FABTECH trade show in Chicago, Universal Robots (UR) has officially launched the UR8 Long, a new collaborative robot (cobot) designed with welding applications in mind. With a 1750 mm reach and 8 kg payload, the UR8 Long offers a unique combination of extended reach, compact footprint, and precision motion control, making it ideal for tasks such as welding, pick-and-place, and quality inspection 

The UR8 Long is part of UR’s latest generation of cobots, which aim to deliver unparalleled performance and adaptability across industries. Its advanced joint architecture and accurate torque control enable high-speed acceleration and precise linear motion—key features for modern welding operations.

One of the most enthusiastic voices about the new cobot comes from Smooth Robotics, a Danish company specializing in welding automation software. Their flagship product, SmoothTool, is a user-friendly cobot welding package that simplifies the programming of advanced welds. It includes features like Touch Sense, Weaving patterns, Multipass, and the newly introduced Seam Tracking, which allows welders to auto-adjust paths through the arc for longer, more consistent welds 

Erik Mønster, CEO of Smooth Robotics, shared his excitement:

“We’re very excited about the new UR8 Long and happy that Universal Robots has listened to feedback from the market and delivered a welding-specific cobot.

The UR10e and UR20 are still great robots for welding, but the UR20’s 20 kg payload is total overkill for most welding tasks. With the UR8 Long, we get the same reach as the UR20 but at a lower cost due to the reduced payload.

We believe many of our customers will opt for this new cobot—it perfectly complements the features of SmoothTool.”

Mønster also highlighted improvements in freedrive functionality, which allows welders to guide the robot manually using SmoothTool’s programming flange. “The freedrive on the UR8 Long feels smoother than on the UR20, and the extended reach enables longer welds, which pairs beautifully with our Seam Tracking feature,” he added.

Smooth Robotics has actually also played a minor role in the development and launch of the UR8 Long, assisting Universal Robots with welding-specific testing and collaborating with their marketing team to ensure the cobot meets the needs of real-world welding professionals.

With over 100,000 UR cobots already deployed globally, the UR8 Long marks a significant step forward in collaborative automation—especially for industries facing a shortage of skilled welders. By combining UR’s hardware innovation with Smooth Robotics’ software expertise, manufacturers now have a powerful, cost-effective solution to scale their welding operations with precision and ease.

Get the data sheet for the new UR8 Long here

Collaborative robots (cobots) are increasingly becoming a go-to solution for welding tasks, offering flexibility, safety, and a faster return on investment than many traditional automation options. In welding applications, ease of programming, software capabilities, and ecosystem support can make all the difference.

We’ve compared six leading cobot brands for welding based on five key factors:

• Ease of use – How quickly an operator can learn and program the cobot.
• Welding features – The richness of built-in or add-on welding capabilities.
• Support and documentation – Availability of help, manuals, training, and community resources.
• Quality – Precision, robustness, and reliability.
• Price – Affordability relative to performance.

We also list each brand’s global cobot market share (across all applications, not just welding) to give an idea of market maturity and integration possibilities.

Universal Robots

Cobots: e-series (Ur3e, UR7e, UR12e, UR16e), UR Series (UR15, UR20, UR30)

Welding Software: Smooth Robotics, Hirebotics, Vectis Automation, Wecobot, and more

Global Cobot Market Share: 33,60 %

Scores: Ease of use – 5 | Welding features – 5 | Support – 5 | Quality – 5 | Price – 3

Total Score: 4,6

Universal Robots (UR) leads both in market share and user-friendliness.

With a huge ecosystem of welding software options and a simple programming interface, UR is a favorite for both beginners and experienced welders.

While the hardware comes at a premium, the strong support network and flexibility justify the investment.

  ABB

Cobots: CRB 15000 (GoFa 5, GoFa 10, GoFa 12)

Welding Software: ABB Cobot Arc Welding Package

Global Cobot Market Share: 14,30 %

Scores: Ease of use – 3.5 | Welding features – 4 | Support – 4 | Quality – 5 | Price – 4

Total Score: 4,1

ABB combines high-end hardware quality with robust, integrated welding software.

Their cobots are precise and reliable, though the learning curve is slightly steeper compared to UR.

An excellent choice for companies that value long-term performance and advanced features.

 Fanuc

Cobots: CRX-5iA, CRX-10iA, CRX-10iA/L, CRX-20iA/L, CRX-30iA

Welding Software: Fanuc ArcTool software

Global Cobot Market Share: 11,50 %

Scores: Ease of use – 3 | Welding features – 4 | Support – 4 | Quality – 5 | Price – 3

Total Score: 3,8

Fanuc’s CRX series offers highly durable hardware and proven reliability.

ArcTool software provides solid welding features, but the programming interface is less intuitive, making Fanuc best suited for teams with technical expertise or prior robotics experience.

 AUBO

Cobots: AUBO-i3, AUBO-i5, AUBO-i7, AUBO-i10, AUBO-i12, AUBO-i16, AUBO-i20

Welding Software: Copilot / IntelliSet (Miller)

Global Cobot Market Share: 2,80 %

Scores: Ease of use – 3.5 | Welding features – 3 | Support – 3.5 | Quality – 3 | Price – 5

Total Score: 3,6

AUBO stands out for its affordability, especially for smaller welding operations.

While it doesn’t match the build quality of higher-priced brands, its cost-effectiveness makes it appealing for lighter workloads or budget-conscious businesses.

  Doosan

Cobots: A-series, M-series, H-series

Welding Software: Third-party solutions

Global Cobot Market Share: 4,20 %

Scores: Ease of use – 3 | Welding features – 3 | Support – 3.5 | Quality – 4 | Price – 4

Total Score: 3,5

Doosan delivers solid performance with good build quality, though welding features depend heavily on third-party integrations.

It’s a capable mid-range choice but lacks the ecosystem depth of UR or ABB.

  Han’s Robot (Huayan Robotics)

Cobots: Elfin series, other collaborative models

Welding Software: Third-party solutions

Global Cobot Market Share: Small but growing in Asia

Scores: Ease of use – 3 | Welding features – 3 | Support – 3 | Quality – 3,5 | Price – 4

Total Score: 3,3

Han’s Robot is a rising player in the cobot market, with competitive pricing and an expanding presence in Asia.

Welding solutions generally require third-party software, and global support infrastructure is still developing, but it’s one to watch for cost-effective deployments.

Final Thoughts

Our comparison shows that Universal Robots remains the top choice for welding applications, thanks to its ease of use, rich software ecosystem, and strong global support.

ABB and Fanuc offer high-quality, reliable alternatives, while AUBO and Han’s Robot deliver budget-friendly options. Doosan sits in the middle ground, with good quality but fewer welding-focused tools out of the box.

Disclaimer: This review and its scores are based on research conducted by Smooth Robotics. We work closely with Universal Robots, and our SmoothTool welding software is built specifically for UR cobots. While we’ve aimed to keep this evaluation as objective as possible, our experience inevitably gives us deeper insight into the UR ecosystem.

1. What is the Angle System?

The Angle System in SmoothTool is a powerful tool that lets you define the work and travel angles of the welding torch for your welds—ensuring optimal arc control, penetration, and bead shape. Rather than manually adjusting the tool orientation for every path point, the Angle System allows you to focus on positioning, and then apply your desired angles in a clear and consistent way afterward.

Correct angles are essential for achieving high-quality, repeatable welds—and this feature makes getting them right much easier.

2. Core Functionality

• 🎯 Set desired work and travel angles for the entire weld or for individual segments
• 🧠 Automatically applies torch angles based on your defined values
• 🔄 Separate control of start and end angles (introduced in SmoothTool 1.13)
  • Ideal for tight spaces or limited torch access at the beginning or end of a weld
• ✅ Enable/disable angle system per weld node with a simple checkbox
• 🧩 Seamlessly integrates with your existing weld path and program structure

3. Key Benefits

• 📐 Improves weld quality – ensuring consistent and correct angle throughout the weld
• ⏱️ Speeds up teaching – focus on torch position first, then apply angles later
• 🎯 Better access in tight spaces – set different start/end angles for hard-to-reach areas
• 🤖 Reduces human error – angle control is programmatic and repeatable
• 💡 Enables optimal torch orientation for different welding techniques and positions

4. Use Case Example

A welder is programming a fillet weld inside a narrow corner. The start of the weld requires the torch to enter at a sharp angle due to space constraints, but once inside, the ideal work angle is more open. With SmoothTool’s Angle System, the welder sets a specific start angle for the tight entry and a standard angle for the rest of the weld—ensuring full arc coverage from start to finish, without having to manually adjust every point.

5. Pro Tips & Best Practices

• Use the start/end angle feature when welding into or out of tight corners
• Always double-check that the checkbox labeled “Use Angles” is enabled for the weld node
• Combine with the 3D Universe for better visualization of how torch angles affect the path

6. How to Access This Feature in SmoothTool

Open the Angles tab inside any weld node to configure the work and travel angles.

• To enable the feature, check the box labeled “Use Angles”
• You can apply angles globally to the entire weld, or set different values for individual segments
• In SmoothTool 1.13 and newer, you can also define start and end angles for more complex welds

7. Why It Matters

The Angle System gives you greater control, better consistency, and higher-quality welds—all while making programming faster and easier. By separating path position from torch orientation, it removes one of the biggest friction points in cobot welding.

👉 Want help dialing in the perfect torch angle for your welds? Schedule a quick session with our team and we’ll guide you through it.