German Customer Orders 8 XARP Welding Robots After Real-Workpiece Testing
From Air-Shipped Components to Production-Scale Robotic Welding
For large industrial welding projects, manufacturers need confidence that a robotic welding system can handle their actual components — not just similar parts shown in a catalogue.
A German customer working with heavy steel shipbuilding components took a practical approach. Representative production components were air-shipped from Germany to XARP for an application welding trial.
After testing the actual workpieces and reviewing the welding results, the customer confirmed that the proposed robotic welding solution met the required application conditions.
The result was a one-time order for 8 robotic welding systems.
Testing the Actual Production Workpiece
Before making the equipment investment, the customer provided physical components for XARP to evaluate. This allowed the application team to work with the actual:
- Steel material
- Material thickness
- Joint geometry
- Weld locations
- Workpiece structure
- Welding accessibility
Rather than relying entirely on theoretical calculations, the customer could directly evaluate the welding result produced on its own components. For industrial automation projects, this type of validation can provide a much clearer basis for equipment selection.
Gas-Shielded Welding for Heavy Steel Components
The tested components are thick steel parts used in shipbuilding-related production.
Heavy steel welding can involve demanding working conditions, particularly when components are large and welding seams are distributed across complex structures.
The XARP robotic welding system was configured for gas-shielded welding, allowing the robot to execute programmed welding paths repeatedly. The focus of the trial was to establish a welding process that could deliver the required result while remaining suitable for automated production.
Vision System Integrated into the Welding Solution
The welding system also incorporates a vision system.
For large fabricated components, the actual location of a workpiece or welding seam may vary between production cycles. Vision-assisted welding can provide additional information about the position of the workpiece or welding area, depending on the application configuration.
The general workflow is:
Vision Detection → Position Information → Robot Motion → Welding
This provides additional flexibility when working with large steel components where completely identical positioning may be difficult to maintain manually.
Why the Customer Tested Before Ordering
A robotic welding system is a production investment. For complex applications, manufacturers need to consider much more than robot payload and reach. The actual welding result can depend on:
- Material
- Thickness
- Joint design
- Welding position
- Torch accessibility
- Welding parameters
- Robot trajectory
- Fixture positioning
By sending real components to XARP, the customer was able to evaluate these factors through an actual welding trial.
From Germany to XARP
The project followed a straightforward validation process:
Production Workpieces → Air-Shipped from Germany → XARP Trial Welding → Customer Reviews Results → Application Approved → 8 Robotic Welding Systems Ordered
This approach allowed the customer to validate the process before moving directly into a larger-scale deployment.
One-Time Order for 8 Systems
Following the successful application test, the customer placed a one-time order for 8 robotic welding systems.
For a large manufacturer, deploying multiple welding robots can provide a way to expand automated production across several repetitive welding operations. More importantly, the order was based on a welding process that had already been tested on the customer's own components.
Application Summary
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Customer Location | Germany |
| Industry | Shipbuilding / Heavy Fabrication |
| Workpiece | Heavy Shipbuilding Components |
| Material | Thick Steel |
| Process | Gas-Shielded Welding |
| Additional Technology | Vision System |
| Application Validation | Actual Customer Workpieces |
| Workpiece Shipment | Air-Shipped from Germany |
| Final Order | 8 Robotic Welding Systems |
A Practical Approach to Robotic Welding Investment
This project demonstrates a practical way for manufacturers to evaluate robotic welding:
Test the Real Workpiece First → Verify the Process → Scale the Automation
For demanding applications involving thick steel and heavy fabricated components, application testing can help manufacturers make equipment decisions based on actual welding performance rather than specifications alone.
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