Advancing Weld Inspection: From Manual Gauges to Portable Laser Scanning and Now Cobot Automated Weld Inspection

Manual weld gauges have historically formed the basis of visual weld inspection. They are simple, durable, and widely understood. However, they are also limited in scope. Most gauges are designed for specific weld geometries and typically provide go/no-go feedback rather than comprehensive dimensional data.

As fabrication environments increasingly incorporate collaborative robots (cobots), inspection methods must evolve in parallel with production systems. Modern inspection technologies are now being developed not only to improve measurement capabilities but also to simplify operation and integrate directly into automated welding processes.

Author: Jeff Noruk, President, Servo-Robot Corp.