Oqton & Valk Welding Announce Partnership to Accelerate Production with Automated Robotic Welding

• Oqton part of Valk Welding’s Automatic Robot Programming (ARP) solution for high-mix, low-volume production

• Valk Welding ARP powered by Oqton enables up to 10X faster programming with up to 4X lower cost than traditional, manual options

Oqton, a software provider helping manufacturers increase innovation and efficiency by intelligently automating production, and Valk Welding, the leader in the field of flexible arc welding robots, announced they’ve entered a partnership designed to transform the welding industry. As a result, Oqton’s software will become part of Valk Welding’s Automatic Robotic Programming (ARP) solution for high-mix, low-volume (HMLV) production. The Valk Welding ARP powered by Oqton enables 10X faster programming than traditional offline programming solutions. Additionally, automated robotic welding is 3X faster than manual welding at up to 4X lower cost than manual labor. The new techniques and processes the companies will jointly develop are intended to enhance the utilization of automated robotic welding for unique or small batch production that was previously only economically viable using manual methods.

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The Valk Welding ARP powered by Oqton autonomously generates robotic welding programs directly from 3D CAD files, reducing the need for costly programming. The solution relies on artificial intelligence to learn from an operator’s best practices to refine processes for future parts. As a result, welders can easily use this software without previous knowledge of robots or 3D geometry. The simplicity and ease of use of the Valk Welding ARP powered by Oqton make this an ideal solution for HMLV robotic welding for steel fabrication sub-contractors who are manufacturing lifting platforms, transport pallets, fencing, and automotive sub-frames.

Mark Forth, General Manager of Industrial Manufacturing at Oqton commented, “We’re super excited to be partnering with Valk Welding. Together we will help customers take their first steps towards fully automatic robot welding, using ARP powered by Oqton.”

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Peter Pittomvils, CCO, Valk Welding Group agreed. “Happy to have Oqton in our ARP – Automatic Robot Programming suite. Our market lead in 100% offline programmable welding robots is ready to make the jump to the next level! Besides our own projects, we also support Oqton to all other Panasonic system integrators to also serve their customers with this great solution and our experience.”

More welders are retiring each year than new welders coming into the industry and therefore more than ever, there is an increased need to automate the welding process. The American Welding Society (AWS) says the average age of a welder is 57, and by 2024 the AWS estimates there will be a 400,000-job deficit in the welding industry. Additionally, the availability of welders in Europe is decreasing by 2% per year and that number will only increase in the coming years. While the shortage of welders has existed for many years, the shortage of robot programmers with welding knowledge is also highlighting the need for an automated solution.

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