Large companies have been benefiting from the advantages of robotic welding for decades. This time and effort has involved an investment in equipment and research, development and innovation that has resulted in an increasingly accessible and economical way of using industrial robots. Today, all this effort has allowed SMEs easier and cheaper access not only to industrial robots from large companies to give them a second life, but also to an effective technology, previously unattainable, to carry out welding processes in an automated way. Probably the only way at the moment for these companies to be a competitive force in the increasingly global and connected market.

Thanks to the use of second-hand industrial robots, the processes, their traceability, precision, economy and variety are changing the daily lives of small companies that otherwise saw their work doomed to inefficiency.

The fact that half of the world's industrial robots are used for welding gives a good insight into how vital their implementation is: welding is by far the most widely used application for industrial robotics. And there are more and more companies every day that can benefit from robotic welding thanks to the use of equipment that large companies regularly renew, mainly due to the ease with which the investment in robotic welding is amortised.

The automotive industry is the paradigm of an industry with a massive use of robotic welding, not only for vehicles, but also for their accessories and spare parts, whose long shadow is now giving shelter to small companies through the reuse of equipment to which a reconditioning process easily gives a second full life. Sustainability, re-use, ecology and economy join the countless advantages already proposed by industrial robotics. A perfect proposition, as small and medium-sized companies hardly used welding robots to carry out their processes a few years ago, mainly because the cost of implementing robotics was previously practically unattainable for these companies. But new technologies, time, experience and establishment in the market have drastically reduced these costs, and the use of second-hand industrial robotics for robotic welding is now proving to be a much lighter endeavour.

On the one hand, more diverse, more economical, more portable, and more efficient welding systems are constantly being created to meet the most varied needs, which is allowing access to industrial robot welding with minimal investment. Increasing our productivity, quality, efficiency, lead time and quality forecasting, material economy and a safer working environment are more within reach than ever before.

It is clear that there is a growing need to upgrade traditional manufacturing processes to the automated environment: it is key to the competitiveness of companies today and will be even more so in the future, as demonstrated by the growing importance of industrial robots around the world. The lack of updating and modernisation of processes, linked to the need to adjust costs, has for decades led to the relocation of production sites and small and medium-sized companies to an increasing competitive imbalance: a highly productive and consistent solution at all levels lies in the automation with used industrial robots of all those processes that allow cost adjustment and increased competitiveness.

Robots Gallery buys, refurbishes and sells used industrial robots across the globe. Through recycling and reuse we provide an average saving of 45% on the investment in industrial robots, providing equipment with a long life ahead of it, fully functional, guaranteed, and amortizable in more affordable terms. Furthermore, working with the best welding specialists, we offer second-hand industrial robots already equipped for welding and we provide our customers with contact with engineering companies specialised in the execution of turnkey robotic welding products: whatever you may need, we will find a suitable solution.

Robotics has experienced spectacular growth since it first appeared in an assembly plant. Today's resource optimisation in robotic welding is the result of the efforts of thousands of teams and research that is constantly evolving and providing increasingly affordable laser technologies, which not only offer flexibility and productivity on the lines, but also save energy and materials.

The advantages of the industrial robots used in welding are numerous: they offer uniform finish quality, predictability, consistency, material savings, risk reduction and energy savings. In combination with laser welding, the advantages of used industrial robotics are even greater: this is the case with laser cladding welding.

Laser cladding welding provides powder or wire materials that are added to recover parts otherwise destined for scrap: either because they need repair that would not have been possible otherwise, to create parts using additive manufacturing technology (3D) or to coat materials and protect them against wear, impact or unwanted corrosion.

New technologies effectively make it possible to weld materials that were previously impossible to weld, thus creating items that were unthinkable just a few years ago: for example, metals that require a tight heat input to avoid problems such as cracking or deformation - or so-called exotic metals.

The laser offers higher precision and performance than a traditional heat source, and in the case of laser cladding welding, the material can also be added either in powder or wire form, allowing the consumption and temperature at the specific point to be adjusted as much as possible. With wire, we can carry out the additive manufacturing of metal parts of all kinds: obsolete spare parts, large dimensions, breakages or impossible geometries: imagination is the limit.

Thus, we can repair rather than replace broken, rare or worn elements, and all this in an economical, safe and efficient way. Creating protective or re-adapted layers is another of the great advantages offered by this technology, which will allow us to create parts, even large ones, without the need for additional tools, and to save the models in a simple computer file.

Temperature adjustment not only saves costs, but also avoids deformations that could affect the finish and properties of the final product, directly affecting its quality.

The industrial robots used, properly maintained and reconditioned, provide the precision, speed and repeatability necessary for work that meets the highest demands: it is the evolution of tools and materials that has allowed the renewal and development of new techniques, parts or processes.

There is a growing need to update traditional manufacturing processes to the automated environment: it is key to the competitiveness of companies today and will be even more so in the future, as demonstrated by the growing importance of industrial robots around the world. The lack of updating and modernisation of processes, linked to the need to adjust costs, has for decades led to the relocation of production sites and small and medium-sized companies to an increasing competitive imbalance: a very productive and consistent solution at all levels lies in the use of second-hand industrial robots for the automation of all those processes that allow costs to be adjusted and competitiveness to be increased.

Robots Gallery buys, reconditions and sells used industrial robots and second- hand industrial robots across the globe. Through recycling and reuse we facilitate an average saving of 45% on industrial robot investment, providing equipment with a long life ahead of it, fully functional, guaranteed, and amortisable over a shorter period of time. Furthermore, working with the best welding specialists, we offer second-hand industrial robots already equipped for welding and we provide our customers with contact with engineering companies specialised in the execution of turnkey robotised welding products.

The best thing to do is to be clear about the application for which the industrial robot is going to be used:

There are industrial robots used specifically for painting, because they have special explosion protection; for welding, for palletising (normally with 4 or 6 axes), and there are robots from production line inspection to industrial robots for handling or end-of-line applications. Here you can learn more about second-hand robots.

What data are fundamental for defining the model of industrial robot used that we need are two: the maximum weight to be lifted and the reach of the robotic arm. To know the maximum weight to be lifted, we have to consider the weight of the material to be lifted, always taking into account the weight of the gripper or tool in charge of handling the material and which is located on the wrist of the robot. The second conditioning factor is the reach of the arm of the industrial robot used: we must consider the distance it travels from where it picks up the load or part and where it unloads it, and again include in this calculation the length of the gripper or tool used in each case. One thing to bear in mind is that both the reach of the arm and the load to be lifted can determine the choice of a used industrial robot of larger or smaller dimensions.

The most widely used manufacturers and brands of industrial robots on the global market are:

• ABB
• Fanuc
• Kuka
• Yaskawa – Motoman

The manufacturer of the industrial robot may not be a determining factor when it comes to choosing the used industrial robot you need. We therefore recommend that you seek the advice of people/companies who are familiar with the industrial robot market in order to make the best choice for your used industrial robot. If you cannot find the used robot you are looking for, please visit our section “Which robot do you need?”