A close-up of an industrial welding robot in action, emitting bright sparks and blue light as it works on metal pipes. The machine features a metallic arm and visible wiring, with a brand label on its body. The background is slightly blurred.
Products

Spool Welding Robot (SWR™)

Small Footprint, Big Impact. Lead the industry, Secure more bids, and Speed through projects
Spool Welding Robot

The Only Autonomous Pipe Welding Robot

The Spool Welding Robot (SWR™) is an advanced welding cobot specifically designed for pipe and roll welding applications. Companies using the SWR™ have significantly increased productivity and achieved consistently high-quality welds, enhancing their competitiveness in bidding and boosting margins on existing projects. By adopting the SWR™, you’re not just addressing the global welder shortage; you’re joining a growing number of companies setting new standards for welding quality and efficiency worldwide.

A worker operates welding machinery in an industrial setting, preparing a pipe. A digital timer reads "02:30" with text indicating "Time to start the second weld" in a blue overlay.
Our Difference

The SWR™ Difference

Increased
Productivity

Experience up to 12X increase in stainless steel pipe welding productivity, and 3-5X on carbon steel, breaking new ground in efficiency.

Precision
and Quality

Achieve less than 1% repair rates, surpassing industry standards and ensuring adherence to rigorous testing requirements.

World-Class
Support

Benefit from extended support hours and a response time within two business hours*, ensuring quick, expert assistance to optimize your uptime and mitigate the cost of your downtime.

*With the purchase of NovCare Gold

Financial
Flexibility

With $0 payments for up to 6 months, you can leap ahead of the competition by integrating the SWR™ into your operations now, ready to outperform on future projects without immediate financial pressure.
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Overview

The Head of the Class

The SWR™ has the smallest footprint in the industry, and when you combine our proprietary Welding Vision System with the insights provided from NovData™, you get a world-class solution that will make you more competitive in your market.

Robotic welding arm positioned for pipe welding, featuring a yellow and red design. Includes a control panel with a screen and handheld controller,

Tap a card to see it highlighted on the image.

Three-Axis Robotic Arm

Mimics the movement of the operator's hand, even the weave motion.

Light & Durable Wireless Dependent

Designed for industrial use.

Gives the operator freedom of movement.

Machine Vision

Amplifies the view of the groove, puddle, and stick during welding while simultaneously recording every weld in real time.

Slender Design & Compact Head

Only 2.5" (64mm) offset distance from the nozzle is required.

Pneumatic Manipulator with Adjustable Height

Designed for quick movement between positions for maximum arc-on time and productivity.

EWR 2 NET

Saves up to 60% shielding gas while providing better gas coverage, recording your gas consumption per weld.

Power Source

Lincoln Power Wave° R450.

Easy-To-Use-Human-Machine Interface (HMI) Allows Operator to:

Easily pick the weld procedure and edit as needed.

Stay away from the fumes.

Features & Innovation

The Future at Your Fingertips

Diagram showing sample layouts for a spool welding robot. It depicts the robot with different numbers of positioners in various configurations, alongside dimensions such as 30' height and 4' width. The layouts include two, three, four, and five positioners.
Factory worker in safety gear sits near a robotic welding machine, which emits bright sparks on a metal pipe.
Smallest Industry Footprint
The SWR™ is the only solution in the industry with a compact 4' x 4' footprint that can also work with up to five positioners. This unique capability supercharges your productivity, ensuring you utilize every inch of your fabrication shop. It redefines efficiency, providing you with a formidable advantage in a competitive market.
Collaborative Robot
As a cobot, The SWR™ effortlessly becomes a part of your team. It's engineered for simplicity, removing the hassle of pre-programming, and is built with safety at its core. This enables a harmonious human-robot partnership, free from restrictive safety barriers.
A welder in safety gear works on a pipe emitting bright blue sparks, while another worker in a dark uniform with reflective stripes carries equipment nearby.
A person in safety glasses operates machinery using an orange control device. The setting is industrial, with metal equipment and monitors in the background.
A screen displaying welding diagnostics with various parameters. On the left, a circular gauge shows 76 CW. The center shows a grayscale image of the welding process. A notice reads "Tack Fusion Engaged" in the lower right.
A daily operations report from Novarc Technologies for April 27, 2022. It includes columns for order, spool, run, start and end time, weld time, operator, size, schedule, and procedure. Total weld and setup time are displayed at the top.
Screenshot of a web analytics dashboard displaying data on performance metrics like active users, transactions per minute, and operator activity. It includes line graphs, bar charts, and a table showing activity details over a selected date range.
NovEye™ Autonomy
Hands-free welding from root to cap. No operator intervention. Just set up the Spool Welding Robot (SWR™), hit start, and move to set up another weld.
NovEye™ Assist

NovEye™ Assist records every weld in real-time to provide accountability and traceability for your QA/QC Managers.

  • Enhanced view of the groove, puddle, and stick
  • Every weld is recorded in real-time with key weld parameters embedded on the screen
  • Improve weld quality by analyzing recorded videos in parallel with the weld parameters saved by NovData™
Tack Fusion, Root Save, Repeat Pass
Technology to ensure 100% joint penetration without blow-through at tack locations, and pipe with poor fit-up, and Hi-Lo.
NovData™

Novarc’s comprehensive production monitoring software, NovData™, improves traceability into your production by automatically creating in-depth production reports.

  • Track and Improve your pipe welding productivity with the automatically generated daily operations reports
  • Bid competitively on projects by applying cost savings gathered from daily operations reports
  • Manage and track the critical weld parameters for accurate troubleshooting and enhanced quality control practices with the log reports automatically generated for each weld
NovSync™
The NovSync™ dashboard helps you to track production and machine trends over time by giving you centralized and secure access to weld videos, daily reports, and NovData™ logs. You can now get remote, easy access to actionable insights needed to improve your welding operations and become more competitive in your market.
Options

Customized for Your Specific Needs

A robotic welding arm with the label "Novarc" attached to a metal stand in a dark industrial setting. The arm is equipped with various components, including a nozzle and cables,
Single Torch
The standard torch option with the SWR™.
A close-up of industrial robotic welding equipment with a metallic arm, featuring components labeled "Novarc Technologies."
Dual Torch
Gives you flexibility to meet specific customer requirements such as flux-cored and metal-cored for fill and cap passes along with carbon steel and stainless steel welds.
A close-up of an industrial robotic laser cutting machine against a dark background.
SWR-F
Easier and faster slip-on flange welding.
A close-up of an industrial robotic welding arm with metallic components and a precision nozzle. The background is dark, highlighting the Novarc Technologies branding on the arm.
SWR™ +HyperFill®
Increases heavy fabrication productivity by increasing weld deposition rates while delivering excellent weld quality.
People wearing safety gear work in an industrial setting with robotic machinery and equipment.
Positioner Integration
Integrates with up to five positioners for maximum productivity.


* Maximum four positioners for the SWR-F model

Three laptops display different digital interfaces. The center laptop shows a welding procedure screen with various options and settings. The left screen displays a schematic, and the right one shows a construction layout plan.
BIM Software Integration
The integration allows users to plan their complex construction projects from 3D models, define the properties of pipes and welds in spool assemblies, and track the completion of all fabrication procedures.
Specifications

SWR™ Technical Specifications

Download Brochure
Applications
Pipe and pressure vessels from 2″-60″ (5cm – 152cm)
Height
15 ft (4.5m)
Materials
Carbon and low alloy steels, Stainless and nickel alloys
SWR Footprint
4’x4’ (1.2m x 1.2m)
Weld Processes
GMAW, FCAW, MCAW, and HyperFill®
Weight
Pipe and pressure vessels from 2″-60″ (5cm – 152cm)
Wire Diameter
0.035 – 0.062 in. (0.9-1.66 mm)
Reach
15 ft (4.5m)
Power Requirements

SWR™ Requirements
North America: 3-Phase, 208Y/120V, 60Hz, 23A, 5 Wires (V, U, W, Neutral and Ground)

EU and AUS: 3-Phase, 400/208/120VAC, 60 A, 50/60 Hz
Lincoln Electric Power Source Requirements
North America: 3-Phase AC Voltage/Current: 208V/60A, 230V/54A, 400V/31A, 460V/27A, 575V/21A, 4 Wires (V, U, W and Ground)

EU and AUS: Distributed from SWR™ electrical cabinet
Certification
Complies with applicable European Community Directives including European Directives for Safety of machinery (EN60204-1), electromagnetic compatibility (EN61000-6) and safety of collaborative robots (ISO 15066-2016).
FAQs

Most Asked Questions for SWR™

Your questions answered. Gain insights into the SWR™, from operational queries to technical specifications, ensuring you have all the information at your fingertips.

What size of pipe can be welded with the SWR™?

The base model of the SWR can weld pipes from 2” to 60” with appropriate pipe positioners.

Which welding process can be used?

The SWR can use GMAW, MCAW, or FCAW.  Root welds are performed using Lincoln Electric’s STT (a modified short circuit GMAW process).  Fill and cap welds can be made using pulse spray with GMAW, or standard CV modes for FCAW and MCAW.

The SWR-TIPTIG is a single torch system that utilizes TIPTIG’s hot wire GTAW process.

Talk to our sales team if you’d like to know more about applying the SWR-TIPTIG to your specific process.

What materials can be welded with the SWR™?

The SWR is able to weld any material.  Novarc has developed welding recipes backed by ASME-qualified PQRs & WPSs for carbon and stainless steels (ASME P1 & P8).

Talk to our sales team if you’d like to learn about developing recipes for other materials.

Does the SWR™ weld root to cap automatically? If yes, how do you deal with slag inclusion?

Yes, the SWR has the ability to switch between weld modes (STT & Pulse) without shutting off the arc.

The standard SWR process is GMAW with ER70S-6. This wire has moderate levels of silica (not heavy slag) that can be burnt by the arc as the arc goes over it. Operators can see this throughout the weld process using the welding vision system. When welding heavy wall pipe, Novarc does recommend cleaning after the 3rd layer of weld.

Can I integrate my existing positioners with the SWR™?

We take pride in delivering cutting-edge robotic welding solutions that meet the highest industry standards. Our system incorporates Novarc positioners—a crucial component for achieving exceptional weld quality. Here’s why:

 

  1. Precision and Consistency: Our proprietary positioners are purpose-built to accurately rotate pipes during each welding pass and to perform autonomous functions such as Tack Fusion. By controlling this critical movement, we ensure precise alignment and consistent welds.

 

  1. Reliability: Novarc positioners are rigorously tested and optimized for seamless integration with our welding automation system. This reliability minimizes downtime and maximizes productivity.
    Integrating third-party positioners will vary in quality and compatibility with the SWR adding too many unknowns for commissioning and the production staff.

 

  1. Quality Assurance: Weld quality is paramount. By exclusively using our positioners, we maintain strict control over the entire welding process. This consistency translates to welds that consistently meet or exceed industry standards.

 

  1. Customer Confidence: When you choose Novarc, you’re investing in a system designed for reliability, precision, and superior weld quality. Our commitment to excellence ensures your projects are completed efficiently and with unmatched results.
What power sources can be used with SWR™? Can I use my existing power source?

Our standard power source is the Lincoln PowerWave® R450, All units are sold with a power source as a turn-key package.

To ensure our customers have the best experience, we do not integrate with customer’s existing power sources.

What size root gap is used when welding and what are the tolerances?

The pipe/components are fit-up to a typical 3/32 in. (2.4 mm) root opening (gap) with a tolerance of ± 1/32″.

How does SWR™ deal with Hi-Lo on pipes?

SWR operators are trained to scan the pipe visually before the start of the weld to assess the hi-lo and root gap, as well as inspect the tacks. If the Hi-Lo is higher than the amount specified by the SWR bevel requirements document, the pipe has to be refitted. If the Hi-Lo is within the allowed tolerances, the operator can enable the torch weave dwell functions. During the root pass, the operator can address the Hi-Lo using the asymmetric dwell and root save to weld the root. During the fill and cap passes, the operator uses the dwell function to manage the Hi-Lo. In this scenario, the laser-assisted seam tracking and height control have to be disabled for all passes to better allow the operator to control the torch position.

Talk With Our Experts

Contact Us
Today

The Novarc team is here to help. Contact us with any questions you may have, and we’ll assist you with the information or support you need. Just fill out the form, and we’ll be in touch shortly to discuss how we can help with your specific requirements. We look forward to hearing from you!