Cobot Welding vs Manual Welding

The shortage of experienced welders is a challenge across the industry, slowing production and increasing costs. If you’re feeling the impact, you’re not alone.

That’s where collaborative welding robots (cobots) come in. With easy setup, consistent weld quality, and the flexibility to handle a wide range of jobs, cobot welding solutions help bridge the skills gap, allowing your team to boost productivity without needing additional highly skilled welders.

Are you ready to see how cobot welding can support your workforce and keep your projects moving forward?

Let’s take a look at the comparison of Manual Welding and Cobot Welding. This example is based on the average hourly salary of a Welder in the United Kingdom according to Indeed⁽¹⁾, UK Government⁽²⁾ and Glassdoor⁽³⁾.

For a more accurate comparison, we’ve included the NI Contributions. As a Business Owner / Director, this annual cost would need to be considered. In our calculation, we have not factored in any wage increases.

Manual Welding
Cost per hour (salary)	Cost per Day	Cost per week	Cost per Month (average)	Annual Salary	NI Contributions (annual)
£17.99	£140.32	£701.61	£3,048.50	£36,581.95	£3,792.51
Year 1 Contribution	Year 2	Year 3	Year 4	Year 5	TOTAL
£40,374.45	£40,374.45	£40,374.45	£40,374.45	£40,374.45	£201,872.27

Below, we have an example of a typical ESCCO Cobot Welding Package. Consisting of a Universal Robots UR8 Long Cobot Arm, Smooth Robotics dedicated welding software, Siegmund Welding Table and Tool Set, Fronius TPS 400i Watercooled MIG Welder, Kemper VacuFil on-torch fume extraction, Welding Curtains, and two days of on site installation and training.

Total package cost of the above is £85,255.00 + VAT.

Based on financing this Cobot Welding Package over five years, with a 10% deposit contribution, and the full VAT amount provides the following cost breakdown.

Cobot Welding
Cost per hour	Cost per Day	Cost per week	Cost per Month	Cost Annually	Deposit	VAT
£5.43	£54.34	£380.38	£1,652.75	£19,833.01	£8,525.50	£17,051.00
Year 1 Contribution	Year 2	Year 3	Year 4	Year 5	TOTAL
£45,409.51	£19,833.01	£19,833.01	£19,833.01	£19,833.01	£124,741.57

Representative example, figures quoted are for illustration only, finance subject to availability and credit check.

In comparison, the first year contributions of the Cobot Welding Package are approximately 13% more compared to a manual welder. After only the second year, the cost of the Cobot Welding Package is significantly less compared to manual welding. If we extrapolate over the course of five years, continuing with manual welding results in a cost nearly double, compared to automating with the Cobot.

A Cobot Welding System brings together industry-leading brands including a Universal Robots cobot arm, Smooth Robotics welding software, Fronius or Miller automated MiG welder, and a Siegmund Welding table.

Installation, Commissioning & Training

ESCCO offers our automated Cobot welding package as a complete turnkey solution. This includes onsite Installation, commissioning, and training operators on how to get the most out of their Cobot.