F011: AI For High-Mix, Low-Volume Workflows

Conventional robotic welding excels in high-volume, repetitive production where fixtures are precise and parts are identical. However, a significant gap remains in high-mix, low-volume fabrication for job shops and contract manufacturing facilities. Tasks such as welding assemblies with inconsistent fit-ups, tacking custom structures, and handling irregular raw materials often remain manual due to the unpredictability of non-standardized workpieces.

This presentation explores the shift from rigid programming to autonomous adaptivity. We will discuss how next-generation robotics can now:

• Use advanced sensing to compensate for thermal distortion and part gaps in real-time.
• Determine optimal path planning without needing a new program for every minor design variation.
• Generate collision-free movements in crowded shop floors.
• AI driven part/weld inspection

We will showcase practical applications of Motoman NEXT successfully navigating the "chaos" of a fabrication shop; specifically its ability to inspect welds and sort irregularly placed components and operate safely alongside humans in unpredictable environments.

Physical AI is ushering in a new era of automation where machines perceive and react to environmental changes in real-time. Traditional robotics is restricted to pre-programmed paths and precise, inflexible fixtures. Physical AI, on the other hand, enables machines to adapt to part and process variability, making it ideal for high-mix manufacturing.

In this session, we'll look past the buzzwords and review how Physical AI can enable systems to adapt to the shop floor variations in common processes such as welding, grinding, sanding and coating. We will provide case studies and real-world examples so attendees can walk away with actionable steps to confidently implement and scale Physical AI across their own high-mix operations.