Introducing WeldPro

WeldPro: Autonomous Robotic Welding for Hydrogen Production Units

Revolutionizing Custom Manufacturing Through Intelligent, Safe, and CAD-Free Human-Robot Synergy.

WeldPro delivers an operator-centered collaborative robotic welding cell that eliminates the need for expert robot programming or preloaded CAD files. Designed specifically to meet the high-mix, low-volume production needs of modern manufacturers, WeldPro empowers non-specialized operators to execute high-precision industrial welds safely on the workshop floor.

Explore our Technology

Country: Greece Language: Eng Project: EKPARI-0051744

About the Project

Redefining Welding for the Next Industrial Era

WeldPro is an advanced collaborative Research & Development initiative co-funded by the European Union. By joining the robotic systems expertise of iKnowHow (IKH), the heavy marine and hydrogen-reactor manufacturing capabilities of Carell S.A., and the strategic commercialization insights of KiNNO, the WeldPro consortium is bridging the skills gap in high-tech manufacturing.

Instead of relying on rigid, expensive, and manual robot programming, WeldPro introduces a flexible, multi-sensor collaborative robotic cell built around the UR10e cobot. This compact, highly adaptable solution brings autonomous, secure, and clean manufacturing directly to dynamic industrial environments.

Key Technological Pillars

3D Perception & Sensing

3D workspace scanning for obstacle avoidance and a high-accuracy laser profilometer for adjusting path planning to actual geometries without preloaded CAD files.

Intelligent Path Planning

Inverse Kinematics (IK) algorithms, real-time servoing, and linear axis/rotary jig integration expand spatial reach by at least 20% to easily weld complex joint geometries.

Augmented Reality Verification

Operators equipped with Microsoft HoloLens glasses visually overlay, verify, and approve planned welding trajectories and safety zones before striking an arc.

The Challenge & The Innovation

Bridging the Skills Gap in High-Tech Manufacturing

The Challenge

Industry under pressure.

Critical Labor Shortage: European manufacturing faces an acute crisis, with an estimated shortage of approximately 300,000 skilled welders across the continent, driving up unit costs and lead times.
Hydrogen-Era Demands: Manufacturing hydrogen production units requires flawless, high-precision, multi-pass welds on corrosion-resistant superalloys such as Inconel 825 and SS310S that are extremely difficult to execute manually.
Harsh Working Conditions: Traditional manual welding exposes workers to highly toxic fumes, extreme heat, and radiation, making it difficult to recruit and retain new talent.

The Innovation

Intelligence at the point of work.

Fence-Less Collaboration: Operators safely work alongside the cobot in a shared space, combining human decision-making with robotic endurance.
Universal Multi-Sensor Cell: An automatic, custom tool changer allows the robot arm to dynamically swap welding heads (TIG, MIG, laser) and sensing devices.
Decision Support System (DSS): Parametric optimization software captures and digitizes empirical welding expertise, choosing optimal configurations and reducing operator training requirements.

Workflow

The WeldPro workflow

Dynamic human-in-the-loop automation from initial scan to final verified weld.

Human-in-the-loop automation, from scan to weld.

The workflow connects environment scanning, seam selection, AI-assisted welding parameters, augmented reality verification, and real-time path adjustment.

01Environment scanning and 3D reconstruction

02Weld seam selection with simplified operator input

03Optimal welding parameter selection

04Augmented reality verification

05Path planning and real-time adjustment

Key Project Metrics

Quantifiable Performance & Strategic Impact

Measurable outcomes designed to strengthen European manufacturing through productivity, affordability, sustainability, and precision.

300K

The skilled welder opening gap across European manufacturing.

30%

Increase in overall workshop productivity through continuous, autonomous cobot operation.

20%

Reductions in unit production costs for small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs).

15%

Energy savings paired with a 10% decrease in CO₂ emissions optimized by our DSS.

±1 mm

Incredible seam trajectory accuracy maintained dynamically by active closed-loop sensors.

CAD files or manual robot programming expertise required for customized welding tasks.

Project Description & Funding

WeldPro: The Accessible, Autonomous Welding Solution for SMEs

Project Overview: WeldPro represents a major shift toward high-mix, low-volume manufacturing automation. By combining autonomous cobots with real-time 3D perception, dynamic tool swapping, and intuitive AR safety guidelines, WeldPro enables safe, clean, and highly efficient manufacturing. The system is undergoing thorough pilot trials under realistic industrial conditions at Carell S.A., achieving a proven Technology Readiness Level of TRL 8.

Official Funding Acknowledgement:

This research has been co-financed by the European Union and Greek national funds through the Program COMPETITIVENESS under the call RESEARCH – INNOVATE (project code: ΕΚΠΑΡ01-0051744).

The Consortium

Robotics, industry, and innovation management in one project team.

The project is co-funded by the European Union and the Hellenic Republic through the Competitiveness 2021-2027 Programme as part of the NSRF 2021-2027 framework.