By Kevin Stidham, Senior Project Advisor, Woven Metal Products 
Picture a worker lifting hundreds of heavy metal sheets onto a cutting machine — over and over, all day — manually managing the process to make sure every piece meets exact specs. It’s grueling work that could stretch across days.
Now picture the same job done in hours, with greater precision and less physical toll on your team. That’s what modern computer numeric control (CNC) and robotic equipment make possible today. For fabricators like Woven Metal Products (WMP) that serve the refining, petrochemical, and heavy industrial sectors, it’s quickly becoming a baseline expectation.
With more than 25 years overseeing CNC at WMP, I’ve had a front-row seat to a dramatic shift in automation over the years. What used to take a week now takes less than a day.
Here are a few lessons I’ve learned.
Let Automation Handle the Heavy Lifting, Literally
WMP’s automated LiftMaster material handling system keeps production moving efficiently.
The biggest wins with CNC and robotic equipment aren’t always glamorous, but they’re impactful. Our robotic handling systems use suction-cup grippers to move heavy metal sheets onto pallets for cutting cycle after cycle, with consistent precision. Fewer injuries, fewer errors, dramatically higher throughput.
Our CNC lineup includes punch presses, laser cutters, waterjet and plasma cutters, vertical mill, lathes, robotic welders, saws and press brakes. Once programmed and loaded, much of this equipment can run 24/7 without a dedicated operator on the floor. For customers with tight deadlines or large orders, that capacity is a genuine differentiator.
If your team is still manually handling material or running machines only during staffed hours, you’re leaving capacity on the table.
Custom Work and Mass Production Aren’t Mutually Exclusive
WMP’s suite of CNC equipment allows for automation with accuracy, like this Trumpf TruLaser 3030, which provides high-speed, precision laser cutting.
A common myth: automation trades flexibility for volume. Modern CNC programming proves otherwise. At WMP, working with our drafting team, we take a customer’s design, program it, and push it to the right machine — while another customer’s high-volume run happens simultaneously. Machine terminals throughout the shop allow real-time edits without stopping production.
Our CNC team is also cross-trained on multiple machines, so we can flex resources where they’re needed most. It’s critical when serving industrial customers with varying specs and urgent timelines.
Welding Robots Are an Extension, Not a Replacement
We’ve used robotic welding cells since the early 2000s. Our current robotics fleet includes loading and unloading machines and several robotic welders, including this Hirebotics welding arm.
To run a welding robot, you have to be a welder. The operator integrates programming knowledge with hands-on welding expertise. Robots excel at arc-on time with no hood to flip, no repositioning and no breaks, but they can’t go everywhere. And they certainly can’t replace human judgment on complex work. You still need a skilled operator verifying quality.
Think of robotic welding as a force multiplier: it handles repetitive work and frees your best people for the intricate jobs that require real craft.
Train Your Next Generation Now
Today’s incoming workforce grew up with technology. Modern robotic systems are increasingly programmed through intuitive interfaces, like a tablet. For workers already comfortable with digital tools, the learning curve is shorter than you’d expect. The opportunity is channeling that comfort into real technical mastery: people who understand both the machine’s logic and the underlying trade.
The question isn’t whether to train your team on CNC and robotics. It’s how fast you can build that capability.
Keep Watching the Horizon
Robotic capabilities keep advancing, and the improvements from generation to generation are mind-blowing. At WMP, we’ve used robotic welding cells since the early 2000s, so in that time, I’ve seen massive evolution in just two decades.
One technology we’re watching closely is laser welding. The precision and speed advantages are compelling, but cost and error rates have limited adoption in heavy fabrication. Those barriers are narrowing. Within a few years, laser welding could become viable for a much broader range of applications.
Standing Still Isn’t an Option
Automation is no longer just a competitive edge, it’s becoming a requirement. The fabricators who lead won’t necessarily be those with the most machines. They’ll be the ones who pair great technology with great people who truly understand it. In this industry, if you’re standing still, you’re going backward.
For more information, visit wovenmetal.com.