FABTECH 2025 made one thing clear: automation is no longer an experiment for fabricators. It’s the strategic next step for raising weld quality, protecting workers, and keeping skilled talent on the floor. From show-floor conversations to industry panels, the consensus was consistent: plant managers and owners are no longer asking if automation belongs in their future, but how soon they can put it to work.
Why Automated Welding is Accelerating
Exhibits and sessions at FABTECH highlighted three practical drivers behind faster adoption of automation:
- Persistent skill gaps have made skilled welders a scarce resource
- There’s a growing need for repeatable, documented quality, especially for critical infrastructure
- Easier-to-deploy systems, from cobots to orbital cells, can reduce setup complexity
Automation doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing decision. Many fabricators see the most immediate benefits from targeted projects that address specific pain points, including reducing rework needs, stabilizing quality across shifts, and enabling experienced welders to transition into supervisory roles.
A Walk Through the SEC Automation Booth
SEC Automation drew nonstop traffic to view its brand new AutonoWeld lineup. Led by the flagship MIG/TIG swap technology AutonoWeld M3 spool-welder, alongside a full suite of AutonoWeld orbital solutions, and our AutonoLet™ cobot system, showcasing SEC Automation’s early stages of AI integration. In addition to providing plant managers an insightful, hands-on look at pipe-spool, orbital and cobot automation in action, the claw machine filled with SEC-branded essentials sent attendees home with fun memories and cool swag!
Key Automated Welding Themes from FABTECH
Robotics and Cobots
Cobots are potentially helpful deployment options for both low-volume and repetitive tasks. Mobility and simpler programming were recurring themes highlighted by key panelists.
We introduced our own cobot, the patent-pending AutonoLet, as a centerpiece of our FABTECH booth (seen below).
“…we have deployed them (Cobots) across our company in different applications, machining, welding… so, it’s a great tool, and if you can get your hands on it, I would say you’ll see a return on that investment.”
Cobots were a major focus throughout FABTECH 2025, and it was clear that accessibility is making them more popular across job shops and large fabrication facilities alike. With faster programming, mobile configurations, and affordable entry points, cobots like AutonoLet are lowering the barrier to entry for many plants.
Pipe-Spool and Orbital Welding
Pipe-spool welding automation and orbital systems are addressing an ongoing need for consistent welds in piping fabrication. Automated spool welding machines, like the AutonoWeld M3, help with throughput and repeatability while freeing skilled welders for oversight tasks.
FABTECH highlighted the increasing use of these systems in industries where safety and quality can’t be compromised. Spool welding automation doesn’t just improve consistency—it also allows experienced professionals to be more strategic in their roles.
AI and Predictive Maintenance
AI and predictive maintenance are practical tools for reducing unplanned downtime and extending equipment life. AI models can detect patterns, predict failures and trigger maintenance before breakdowns occur. Predictive maintenance helps cut costly emergency repairs.
“If you want to apply something right now, I think predictive maintenance is one of the easiest things that you can do right now. If you’ve got a CNC machine on your floor, you’ve got a welder on your floor, you’ve got a price break guarantee…”
This theme came up repeatedly across sessions at FABTECH. AI isn’t just futuristic anymore—it’s helping fabricators today predict and prevent costly issues. Pairing predictive maintenance with data dashboards gives operators more control over equipment lifecycles and reliability.
What It Means for Fabricators
Foundational Strategies for Starting Automation
FABTECH 2025 made it clear that fabricators don’t need to overhaul their entire operation to see results from automation. Experts shared three foundational strategies:
- Collect and integrate high-quality data from the start. Without foundational inputs, dashboards and AI deliver data with no reference for progression.
- Start small. Instead of trying to automate everything at once, focus on pilot projects with measurable performance indicators.
- Demonstrate ROI with pilot projects. Quick wins with early projects can be leveraged to support wider rollout.
Managing the Human Element
Automation’s success depends on transparent communication and workforce engagement. Show how automation improves safety, quality, and efficiency, and involve operators early in configuration and testing. The panel emphasized the human-in-the-loop model: AI and systems should augment, not replace, human judgment.
“There’s something called the hamburger method, where the human is creating the prompts and the AI does the necessary work. But then the human is analyzing and adding final touches.”
Several panelists described concrete benefits to experienced welders who embrace automation.
“We’re gonna take this particular process, we’re gonna automate this, and that’s gonna bring these people to do other things… You can free up your people to do the things that they love doing, and they’re going to move your business forward.”
“The students are coming out of school nowadays, they don’t like repetitive tasks, right? And so having an engaging environment goes back to having engaged employees who are thinking back about the future.”
FABTECH showed that when workers are part of the process, automation becomes a tool for empowerment. Experienced professionals can move into supervisory, training, or QA roles. Meanwhile, younger workers are more engaged when technology is part of their day-to-day work.
Practical Takeaways
- Invest in data integration and simple dashboards before layering on AI
- Explore cobots and orbital welding cells for faster adoption
- Use automation to retain experienced welders by shifting them into oversight and troubleshooting, not removing them from the process
The SEC Perspective
FABTECH 2025 made one thing clear: practical, staged automation is the most realistic path for plant owners who need results without disruption. Focus on data, start small, and involve your people. When done right, automation in welding, whether pipe-spool or orbital, becomes an enabler of quality, throughput and a healthier workforce.
Attending FABTECH this year reinforced the importance of strategic growth. Fabricators should not feel pressure to automate everything at once. Instead, the most successful plants are starting small—with cobots, data dashboards, and AI-powered maintenance—and building from there.
Whether it’s improving safety, maximizing weld consistency, or keeping your team engaged, automation is proving to be an investment in long-term stability. At events like FABTECH, the path forward is clear: empower your people, leverage smart tools, and commit to continuous improvement.
FABTECH 2025 didn’t just present a vision of the future—it showed how close we already are to it.
