The metalworking industry is being squeezed from several directions at once: workpieces are growing more complex, delivery windows are shrinking, and skilled welders are becoming harder to find. For German manufacturer Hopf GmbH, the response was to double down on automation rather than compete for an ever-scarcer pool of labor. Hopf and ERL engineered a solution tailored to Hopf’s welding operations: an ARCentre XPERT robotic welding cell built around a Panasonic TM-2000-WG3 arc welding robot and a TAWERS WG3 power source.
At the heart of the installation is a robot capable of working across two alternating workstations, each configurable either as a single-axis rotary positioner for long workpieces or as a tilt-rotate positioner for parts that need synchronized movement during welding. Both stations can handle components up to 500 kg and transmit welding current up to 500 A. Because the positioning hardware is mirrored on each station, programs written for one can be reused on the other without modification.
An almost 8-metre travel track keeps the robot correctly positioned relative to the workpiece, with power, compressed air and the wire feed system all integrated into the track itself. Wire delivery is handled by a Rolliner feed system, whose offset roller pairs are designed to smooth out arc instability while cutting maintenance needs. The setup can draw from 250 kg wire drums positioned outside the cell, removing the need for a separate wire tender cart and freeing up floor space. A tool-free quick-change system also lets operators swap between drum and basket spool holders to run specialty filler materials as needed. Uptime is protected by an automatic torch cleaning station that removes spatter and applies anti-spatter agent between welds, paired with integrated water cooling to manage torch temperature and extend the life of wear parts.
Precision Without Repositioning
For confined geometries and offline programming, the system uses a DINSE T.Connector hollow-shaft assembly, which rotates 260 degrees on the robot’s sixth axis to cut down contour welding time. A METZ 574 pistol grip torch, rated for a 100 percent duty cycle at 500 A, handles long, high-amperage welds.
Weld accuracy is maintained through a combination of sensing technologies. A precision alignment gauge sets the Tool Center Point (TCP) on the pistol grip torch, while a TCP Scout checks it at regular intervals and halts the system automatically if it drifts — a safeguard against producing defective parts that keeps repeatability within ±0.1 mm. TouchSensor technology compensates for dimensional tolerances by locating the workpiece in three axes before welding begins, and ARCSensor continuously monitors welding current to correct for tolerances or thermal distortion mid-weld. Combined with the tilt-rotate positioner, the result is that many workpieces can be fully welded without repositioning. “What is particularly impressive is the consistently high quality,” the company noted. “Even the slightest movement or hand tremor during manual welding can affect the weld seam, whereas the robot delivers precise and consistent results every time.”
Redesigning the Workflow
The productivity gains extend beyond the weld itself. Because the robot handles welding independently, operators can prepare components for the next stage of production in parallel, cutting downtime and lifting overall throughput. Safety measures — a fully enclosed work area, light curtains and automatic fume extraction — round out the cell. A large extraction hood tracks the robot’s entire working envelope to capture welding fumes at the source, feeding into a central filtration system, and automatically parks itself out of the way to allow unobstructed crane loading between jobs.
Before any of this reaches the shop floor, Hopf uses Panasonic’s DTPS offline programming software to simulate welding operations in a virtual environment — checking accessibility, monitoring for collisions and analyzing cycle times so that production sequences are worked out in advance.
Results on the Shop Floor
Since the ARCentre system was commissioned in 2024, Hopf reports a marked jump in productivity, particularly on repeat production runs. “Since commissioning the ARCentre in 2024, our productivity has increased significantly,” said Engelbert Hopf, Managing Director of Hopf GmbH. “Repeat production jobs are particularly well suited to the system, as they can be manufactured very quickly with minimal work preparation and programming effort.”
