As manufacturers continue exploring welding automation to improve productivity and address labor shortages, choosing the right welding process becomes just as important as selecting the right automation platform.
We recently conducted a side-by-side comparison using the Miller Copilot™ Cobot to evaluate the performance difference between conventional MIG and HD MIG under identical welding conditions.
The objective was simple: determine how much productivity improvement can be achieved by changing only the welding process while keeping all other variables constant.
Test Setup
To ensure a fair comparison, both welding trials were performed using the same automated welding system and welding parameters. 8mm fillet weld was welded with Conventional MIG & HD MIG processes.
Equipment Used & Weld Set-Up:
- Miller Copilot™ Cobot
- Auto Deltaweld® 500 power source
- Same welding fixture and joint configuration
- Same welding current: 300-310amps (this current range was selected for a particular customer’s case study)
The only variable changed during the test was the welding process:
Results
The difference was immediately noticeable in welding travel speeds and deposition rate.
This represents a 40% increase in deposition rate and about 36% increase in travel speeds when using HD MIG. Note that HD MIG can yield up to 9.kg/hrs at 355amps.
Why Does Deposition Rate Matter?
Deposition rate refers to the amount of weld metal deposited within a specific period of time.
Higher deposition rates can help manufacturers:
- Complete welds faster
- Lower heat input, reducing distortion in parts
- Increase throughput
- Improve productivity from existing equipment
- Reduce welding time per component
- Support higher-volume production requirements
For fabricators, manufacturers, and heavy industry applications where productivity directly impacts profitability, even small improvements in deposition rate can create significant gains over time.
Looking to Improve Welding Productivity?
Whether your goal is increasing throughput, improving weld consistency, or evaluating welding automation for your operation, our team can help you assess the right combination of welding process and automation technology.
Contact ITW Welding Singapore at SGOffice@MillerWelds.com to learn more about the Miller Copilot™ Cobot, Auto Deltaweld® 500, and HD MIG solutions.