Automation, Robotics and Digital Manufacturing Highlight Fabtech 2025

Spanning more than 850,000 net square feet, Fabtech showcased 1,700+ suppliers and attracted 45,000+ professionals seeking the latest technologies to boost productivity, strengthen supply chains and address workforce challenges. The show floor featured seven technology-focused pavilions: Automation, Welding, Finishing, Forming and Fabricating, Stamping and Press Automation, Tube & Pipe and the Job Shop Pavilion. These zones offered attendees direct access to the latest technology, live equipment demonstrations, and solutions tailored to their needs. 

Event highlights at the show included the 10th Anniversary for Women of Fabtech celebrating a decade of advancing women in manufacturing. This year’s keynote speaker was leadership strategist and author Dr. Amber Selking. Additional keynote speakers included Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith, performance coach Alan Stein Jr., NASCAR industry innovator Andy Papathanassiou, and reshoring expert Harry Moser. The Emerging Leaders Program also returned providing specialized content and networking to support early-career professionals and cultivate the next generation of manufacturing leaders.

Novarc Technologies

Novarc Technologies Inc. announced the launch of SWR+TIPTIG Autonomy, enabling the performance of high-precision TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welding, with no operator and fully autonomous welding. Designed for fabricators who demand X-ray-quality TIG root welds with the speed and throughput of MIG, the SWR+TIGMIG Autonomy sets a new standard for productivity and versatility in the pipe fabrication industry.

“Novarc’s new SWR+TIPTIG Autonomy promises to solve challenges being voiced by multiple industry players. It elevates existing TIPTIG capabilities to new heights, made possible by SWR+TIPTIG’s continuous evolution, which has been driven by Novarc’s artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies,” said Soroush Karimzadeh, CEO, Novarc Technologies Inc. 

“SWR+TIPTIG Autonomy is the industry’s most versatile Autonomous Welding Robot and the world’s first in full autonomy for the TIG weld process with zero operator intervention for X-ray quality welds. Once SWR+TIPTIG Autonomy is set up, operators can just hit start, and move on to set up the next weld,” said Karimzadeh. novarctech.com

Universal Robots (UR)

Laser welding with cobots is now entering mainstream adoption, overcoming initial concerns about safety, complexity, and costs through advances in control software, turnkey safety engineering, and fiber laser affordability. At Booth #B13053, THG Automation’s URW-2LF Collaborative Laser Welding System leveraged a UR robot and an IPG fiber laser to offer cleaner, faster welds with minimal heat distortion—plus laser-based pre-cleaning and discoloration removal for superior aesthetics and workflow simplification.

At UR’s booth, finishing and grinding solutions also took center stage, as PushCorp paired a UR30 robot with the STC2002 servo spindle and AFD120 active force device, enabling automated, uniform surface finishing that adapts to part irregularities. Ferrobotics demonstrated its cobot active force control (ACK-F), designed for robots with payloads of 8 kg and above. The demonstration cell operates flexibly with UR robots, enabling users to easily attach and program up to 15 different finishing tools on site. By combining Ferrobotics’ real force control technology with the intuitive operation of Universal Robots, the solution provides the ideal entry point for first-time users while also supporting customers who want to scale their finishing operations. universal-robots.com

Walter Surface Technologies

Walter displayed new innovations including the new Pipefitter Welding Helmet Series, featuring a durable fiberglass blend and pre-equipped with Singles or Super Single Auto-Darkening Filters (ADF) for superior eye protection. The Big 6 Plus Variable Speed Angle Grinder offered powerful 1,700 W performance, high gear reduction and wide-range speed control for torque and versatility. Plus, Walter displayed the next generation of grinding with the Super 5 PS and Big 6 PS Brushless Grinders, equipped with maintenance-free motors that triple service life, double material removal rates, and reduce energy consumption by 20 percent. Walter offered hourly demo sessions giving attendees a front-row seat to high-performance metalworking tools in real-world applications. walter.com