焊接行业痛点深度分析

In-Depth Analysis Report on Pain Points in the Welding Industry March 14, 2026 | Global Welding Technology Innovation and Domestic Market Competition Landscape

Executive Summary

This report provides an in-depth analysis based on multi-source data, including the latest global welding industry trends, new product releases from China equipment manufacturers, and technological innovation trends. The analysis covers four technical dimensions: metallurgy, joint design, automation control, and process parameters. Key findings indicate that the global welding industry is currently driven by "digitalization + automation + material innovation." Domestic manufacturers are rapidly catching up in robotic welding and laser welding, with high-end applications such as new energy vehicles and rail transit becoming market growth engines.

I. Metallurgical Dimension Analysis

1.1 Escalating Challenges in Material Weldability

Problem Diagnosis:

• New energy vehicles adopt diverse materials such as Advanced High-Strength Steel (AHSS), aluminum alloys, and composite materials, which traditional welding processes struggle to adapt to.
• Welding of titanium alloys and nickel-based superalloys in aerospace applications demands extremely precise heat input control.
• Under the trend of lightweighting, thin-walled aluminum alloy welding is prone to hot cracking and cold cracking.

Technological Breakthroughs:

• Huagong Tech's Aluminum Alloy Welding Solution: Pioneered in overcoming lightweighting difficulties, its laser door ring tailored blank welding intelligent equipment achieves A-pillar lightweighting.
• Hybrid Welding Processes: Combination of laser and arc welding to achieve precise heat input control for high-strength materials.
• Enhanced Pulsed Welding: Optimizing parameters to reduce the Heat-Affected Zone (HAZ) width and minimize microstructural changes in the metal.

Industry Impact:

• Huagong Tech broke nearly 40 years of foreign technological monopoly, achieving the fastest welding speed for new energy vehicle bodies in the industry.
• The application share of China laser welding equipment in the new energy power battery sector is rapidly increasing.
• The selection library of filler metals continues to expand, significantly improving corrosion resistance and strength matching.

1.2 Weld Microstructure Control

Key Parameters:

• Heat Input: Directly affects weld microstructure and hardness distribution.
• Cooling Rate: Determines the formation of structures such as martensite and bainite, influencing toughness.
• Parameter Consistency: Digital monitoring ensures uniform microstructure for every weld.

STEP SA12 Solution:

• DSP (Digital Signal Processor) enables automatic smooth transition of welding parameters with welding position.
• Welding speed range: 0-2400 mm/min, suitable for wall thicknesses of 5-50mm.
• Full digital double pulse welding power source, precisely controlling the thermal cycle.

Application Value:

• Reduces weld defects (porosity, slag inclusions, cracks).
• Enhances weld strength consistency, meeting structural safety requirements.
• Lowers post-processing costs (heat treatment, grinding).

II. Joint Design Dimension Analysis

2.1 Adaptability to Complex Workpiece Welding

Design Challenges:

• Automotive body-in-white welding requires adapting different welding processes at various locations (roof, side panels, floor).
• Thick plates and large-sized workpieces in shipbuilding and power equipment demand flexible torch deployment.
• New energy vehicle battery pack welding involves multi-material joints (steel-aluminum, aluminum-copper, etc.).

STEP SA12 Innovations:

• 57mm Ultra-Large Hollow Wrist: Neater internal cabling, allowing free movement through complex workpieces.
• Multiple Mounting Options: Upright, inverted, and side mounting to maximize workshop space utilization.
• Uniform Specifications: 12kg payload across all platforms, with 1498.5mm and 2020mm arm reach versions; base and flange hole positions are identical, allowing quick replacement and deployment without tooling changes.

Huagong Tech Solution:

• Body-in-white flexible laser welding system: Supports rapid switching between multiple stations and processes.
• Roof laser brazing technology: Achieves precise welding of thin-walled, complex shapes.
• Laser door ring tailored blank welding intelligent equipment: Automatically identifies workpiece positions for adaptive welding.

2.2 Multi-Material Dissimilar Joint Welding

Technical Difficulties:

• Steel-Aluminum Joints: Large difference in thermal expansion coefficients, prone to thermal stress and brittle intermetallic compounds.
• Aluminum-Copper Joints: Difference in electrical conductivity makes resistance welding parameters difficult to optimize.
• Composite Material-Metal Joints: Requires preventing burning of the composite material matrix.

Solutions:

• Laser Welding: Concentrated heat input, small heat-affected zone, suitable for thin-walled dissimilar materials.
• Friction Stir Welding (FSW): Solid-state welding, no melting process, avoids the formation of brittle compounds.
• Brazing Process: Achieves metallurgical bonding of different materials by selecting appropriate filler metals.

Application Cases:

• New energy vehicle battery packs: Steel-aluminum hybrid structure, using laser welding + brazing combination process.
• Aerospace: Titanium alloy-aluminum alloy joints use laser-arc hybrid welding.

III. Automation Control Dimension Analysis

3.1 Robotic Welding System Integration

Industry Status:

• Robotic welding is widely used in automotive, heavy equipment, and industrial manufacturing.
• Automation advantages: Higher production consistency, shorter cycle times, better weld repeatability, enhanced operator safety.
• Occupational shift: Welders' roles transition to programming, quality assurance, and system supervision.

STEP SA12 Control System:

• SRC-4S Pro Robot Controller: Modular drive-control integrated design, IP54 protection rating.
• Multi-Axis Coordinated Capability: Supports up to 11-axis motor control (2x 220V + 3x 380V auxiliary axes).
• First-Ever 4-Axis Ground Track Model: Supports 6+6 axis linkage, doubling welding efficiency for large workpieces.
• Arc Tracking: No additional equipment required, supports 17° weld deviation, 3mm plates, supports low current and bidirectional tracking.

ESAB Cobot Collaborative Robot:

• Partnered with Hirebotics, positioned as a "disruptive" product.
• Collaborative design: Safely coexists with human operators.
• Application scenarios: Small and medium-sized enterprises, flexible manufacturing, quick changeovers.

3.2 Digital Welding and Industry 4.0

Real-time Monitoring Technology:

• Heat Input Monitoring: Calculated via voltage, current, and welding speed, with real-time feedback.
• Welding Speed Monitoring: Ensures parameter consistency, automatic compensation adjustment.
• Voltage and Current Monitoring: Prevents under-welding and over-welding.
• Welding Parameter Consistency: Data-driven quality control.

Application Value:

• Improves traceability and quality control.
• Supports compliance with industry standards (ISO 3834, AWS D1.1, etc.).
• Remote operation and predictive maintenance.

STEP-Care Platform:

• Remote IoT operation and maintenance platform, real-time monitoring of equipment status.
• Remote troubleshooting, intelligent management of process parameters.
• Transition from "reactive repair" to "proactive prediction" in the intelligent era.

3.3 Vision Recognition and Adaptive Welding

Technical Requirements:

• Automatic workpiece position recognition, reducing teaching time.
• Automatic weld seam tracking, adapting to workpiece deviations.
• Real-time defect detection, online quality control.

Industry Progress:

• Huagong Tech laser welding system supports vision recognition and adaptive welding.
• STEP reserves space for vision and teach-free system installation, supporting integration with mainstream brands.
• Laser multi-point welding technology achieves simultaneous or rapid sequential heating at multiple points.

IV. Process Parameter Dimension Analysis

4.1 Parameter Optimization and Process Library Construction

Core Parameters:

Process Adaptation Range:

• Applicable wall thickness: 5-50mm
• Weld types: Fillet weld, butt weld, lap weld
• Material range: Steel, aluminum alloys, stainless steel, high-strength steel

4.2 New Energy Vehicle Welding Process Innovation

Application Scenarios:

• Body Welding: Huagong Tech achieves the fastest welding speed for new energy vehicle bodies in the industry.
• Battery Pack Welding: United Winners Laser's laser welding related revenue reached approximately 904.8 million CNY in H1 2025.
• Lightweight Welding: Laser door ring tailored blank welding intelligent equipment achieves A-pillar lightweighting.

Process Characteristics:

• High precision: Weld seam dimension accuracy ±0.2mm, meeting structural safety requirements.
• High speed: Welding speed 0-2400 mm/min, improving production efficiency.
• Low heat input: Laser welding has a small heat-affected zone, reducing material deformation.
• Automation: Multi-machine coordination, vision recognition, adaptive parameters.

4.3 Thick Plate, Large-Sized Workpiece Welding Process

Technical Challenges:

• Thick plate welding requires multiple passes, complex parameter control.
• Large-sized workpiece welding experiences significant deformation, requiring preheating and post-heating.
• Weld stress concentration, prone to cold cracking.

Solutions:

• Multi-Machine Coordinated Welding: STEP SA12 supports multi-robot linkage, doubling welding efficiency for large workpieces.
• Layered Parameter Optimization: Automatic parameter adjustment based on weld layer position to ensure uniform microstructure.
• Preheating and Post-heating: Process library pre-sets preheating and post-heating parameters for different materials and thicknesses.

Application Cases:

• Chongqing Jiaotong University team developed an automatic circumferential welding robot for arch rib sections of high-altitude large-span arch bridges, filling a technical gap in intelligent welding for railway arch bridges in China.
• STEP SA12 is applied in heavy industries such as shipbuilding and power, handling thick plates and large-sized workpieces.

4.4 Process Parameter Standardization and Traceability

Standardization Solution:

• STEP SA12 offers 350A/500A multi-model welding machine packages.
• Equipped with air-cooled/water-cooled welding torches, nozzle cleaning units, and other peripherals, plug-and-play.
• All series passed CE and functional safety certification.

Traceability:

• STEP-Care remote IoT operation and maintenance platform: Real-time monitoring of equipment status.
• Automatic recording of process parameters: Voltage, current, speed, temperature, etc., for each weld.
• Quality data correlation: Weld inspection results linked to process parameters, supporting root cause analysis.

V. Market Competition Landscape Analysis

5.1 Domestic Welding Robot Market

Tier 1:

• STEP (002527): Founded in 1995, Haier Group strategically invested in June 2025.
  • New product: SA12 platform welding robot family.
  • Features: High precision, high expandability, full-stack intelligent software.
  • Applications: Automotive, shipbuilding, power, and other industries.

Tier 2:

• ESTUN (002747.SZ/02715.HK):
  • Acquired German welding giant Cloos in 2020.
  • Integrates advanced robotic system and welding process technologies.
  • Acquired Trio in 2017, enhancing technical strength.

5.2 Domestic Laser Welding Machine Market

Market Competition Structure:

• High-end Market: Jointly dominated by international giants (IPG, Coherent, etc.) and China leaders (Han's Laser, Huagong Tech).
• Mid-range Market: Concentrated with China backbone enterprises (United Winners Laser, etc.).
• Low-end Market: Numerous participants, fierce competition.

Tier 1:

• Han's Laser: Domestic leader in laser welding equipment.
• Huagong Tech: Industry benchmark for body-in-white flexible laser welding systems, breaking nearly 40 years of foreign technological monopoly.

Tier 2:

• United Winners Laser:
  • Established in 2005, listed on the STAR Market in 2020.
  • Core focus: New energy power battery sector.
  • Laser welding related revenue in H1 2025: Approximately 904.8 million CNY.
  • Competitiveness: Automated complete sets of equipment and self-developed core components.

5.3 Accelerated Domestic Substitution

Market Trends:

• Industry concentration continues to increase with the growth of high-end demand such as new energy.
• Accelerated China substitution, with China brands rapidly expanding in the mid-range market.
• New energy vehicles, rail transit, and other high-end applications become breakthroughs for China brands.

VI. Key Industry Pain Points and Solutions

6.1 Precision and Consistency

STEP SA12 Solution: Repeat positioning accuracy ±0.03mm, trajectory accuracy ±0.2mm, ensuring precise control of every weld point.

6.2 Automation Level and Flexibility

STEP SA12 Solution: 57mm ultra-large hollow wrist, supports upright/inverted/side mounting, unified base flange hole positions for quick replacement without tooling changes.

6.3 Material and Process Adaptability

Huagong Tech Solution: Laser door ring tailored blank welding intelligent equipment achieves A-pillar lightweighting, breaking nearly 40 years of foreign technological monopoly.

6.4 Cost and Efficiency

STEP-Care Platform: Remote IoT operation and maintenance, transitioning from "reactive repair" to "proactive prediction."

6.5 Talent and Skill Transformation

Industry Trend: Welders' roles are shifting towards programming, quality assurance, and system supervision. Professionals proficient in robotic welding integration will have a competitive advantage.

VII. Technology Development Trend Forecast

7.1 Short Term (2026-2027)

1. Accelerated Popularization of Robotic Welding: Launch of China high-end products like STEP SA12, further deepening China substitution.
2. Expansion of Laser Welding Applications: Rapid growth in high-end applications such as new energy vehicles and rail transit.
3. Standardization of Digital Monitoring: Industry 4.0 standards gradually unify, with remote operation and maintenance becoming standard.

7.2 Mid Term (2027-2030)

1. Integration of AI+Welding: Popularization of AI applications such as adaptive parameters, automatic defect detection, and process optimization.
2. Breakthroughs in Multi-Material Dissimilar Welding: Mature application of hybrid welding, friction stir welding, and other processes.
3. Lightweight Welding Becomes Mainstream: High-precision processes like laser welding and laser brazing become standard for new energy vehicles.

7.3 Long Term (2030+)

1. Unmanned Welding Workshops: Fully automated, intelligent welding factories requiring no human intervention.
2. 完善New Material Welding Process Library: Standardization of welding processes for composite materials, new alloys, etc.
3. Unified Global Welding Standards: International and China standards gradually merge, enhancing the international competitiveness of China brands.

VIII. Recommendations and Outlook

8.1 For Welding Equipment Manufacturers

1. Increase R&D Investment: Focus on breakthroughs in core technologies such as high-precision control, multi-axis coordination, and vision recognition.
2. Improve Process Library: Establish parameter libraries for new materials and processes to reduce user debugging costs.
3. Strengthen Service System: Build value-added services such as remote operation and maintenance, and predictive maintenance to enhance user loyalty.

8.2 For Welding Engineers

1. Skill Upgrading: Transition from manual welding to robot programming and data analysis.
2. Knowledge Renewal: Pay attention to the development of new materials, new processes, and new standards.
3. Industry Exchange: Participate in industry events such as the Tianjin Industry Expo (March 18) to stay updated on the latest developments.

8.3 For Welding Application Enterprises

1. Technology Selection: Choose appropriate welding processes (laser, arc, hybrid, etc.) based on product characteristics.
2. Equipment Upgrade: Prioritize China high-end brands (e.g., STEP SA12) to achieve a balance between cost and efficiency.
3. Talent Cultivation: Establish a welding skill training system to prepare talent for automation transformation.

Appendix: Key Data and Indicators

A1. STEP SA12 Technical Specifications

A2. Domestic Laser Welding Machine Market Size

A3. United Winners Laser Performance

Reference Resources

1. AWS Welding Industry Trend Report (March 2026)
2. STEP Official Press Release (March 12, 2026)
3. Huajing Industrial Research Institute - Analysis of China's Laser Welding Machine Industry (March 2026)
4. Sina Finance - STEP SA12 Robot Family Release (March 12, 2026)
5. NetEase Finance - Analysis of China's Laser Welding Machine Industry Chain (March 2026)
6. Huagong Tech, Han's Laser, United Winners Laser and other companies' public information
7. American Welding Society (AWS), European Welding Federation and other authoritative institutional data

Report Generation Time: March 14, 2026 12:30 GMT+8 Data Update Cycle: Daily Update Next Report: March 15, 2026