The world of pipe fabrication is changing fast. With ongoing labor shortages and growing pressure from global competitors, many fabricators are asking the same question: How can we keep up while maintaining quality and staying profitable?
The answer for an increasing number of companies lies in automation, particularly in pipe welding.
The Pressure Is On
If you’re in the pipe fabrication business, you know it’s not easy finding skilled welders these days. In fact, the American Welding Society (AWS) estimates that the U.S. will need 330,000 new welding professionals by 2028. That’s a staggering number. What’s driving the shortage? An aging workforce and fewer young people entering the trades.
This shortage is especially painful in places like the Midwest, where so many manufacturing industries depend on welding. At the same time, companies are under pressure to deliver faster, reduce costs, and handle more complex projects—all while competing in a crowded global market.
So, how do you do more with fewer skilled hands? That’s where automation steps in.
Why Automation Makes Sense for Pipe Welding
In the past, robotic welding was mostly used in high-volume manufacturing, where you had lots of repetition. But let’s face it: pipe welding often involves one-off jobs, custom joints, different materials, and varying pipe sizes. That’s traditionally been tough to automate—until now.
New technologies like Novarc Technologies’ Spool Welding Robot (SWR) are built specifically for pipe fabrication shops. These “collaborative robots” or cobots are designed to work with skilled welders, not replace them. They handle the repetitive, high-precision part of the job while welders focus on setup, programming, and quality control.
As Soroush Karimzadeh, CEO of Novarc, puts it, the goal is to “bring the precision of human expertise to robotic welding.” That means better quality, faster production, and less dependence on finding those senior welders with decades of experience, who are soon looking to retire.
The Payoff: Efficiency and Quality
Adopting automation for pipe welding doesn’t just help with the labor crunch—it also brings a host of business benefits:
- More Productivity: Cobots dramatically increase arc-on time. That means your shop gets more done in less time.
- Better Welds: Consistent, high-quality welds with fewer defects and less rework.
- Smarter Use of Skilled Labor: Your best welders focus on higher-value work instead of repetitive welding tasks.
- Real-Time Data: Many systems offer built-in data tracking, so you can monitor performance, improve processes, and reduce downtime.
Talent Acquisition: Many young people are now looking to enter the welding profession as the physically tasking elements are eliminated with automation.
Future-Proofing Your Fabrication Business
Waiting to adopt automation isn’t really an option anymore. As labor gets harder to find and competition keeps heating up, shops that stick with old methods risk falling behind. On the flip side, pipe fabrication businesses that invest in automation now are setting themselves up for long-term success.
And here’s the good news: automation doesn’t mean replacing people—it means empowering them. With the right tools, your welders can be even more productive, precise, and valuable than ever before.
Final Thoughts
The challenges in pipe fabrication are real, but so are the opportunities. By embracing automation, especially in pipe welding, you’re not just solving today’s problems. You’re building a smarter, more resilient business for the future.
And that’s a future worth welding for.