Shun Fu Enterprise is a family-run welding factory in Changhua City, Taiwan, approaching its 10th year of establishment. Faced with long-term labor shortages and increasing orders, the company introduced Universal Robots' UR10e collaborative robot and the SmoothTool welding software, exclusively distributed in Taiwan by Roboenter Technology. Despite having no prior experience with robotics, the owner, Mr. Lin Sheng-Wei, (Mr.Lin) was able to operate it independently within three weeks. The UR cobot not only solved the labor shortage issue but also reduced operation time by about 80%. Mr. Lin believes that this user-friendly automation not only reduces costs but also ensures high-quality welding, potentially attracting more people to join the welding industry.
The Challenge
Located in Changhua City, Taiwan, Shun Fu Enterprise is approaching its 10th year of establishment. It primarily provides design and metal welding services, including its specialty CO2 welding, as well as electric welding, argon welding, and stainless steel welding subcontracting services. For a long time, the company mainly relied on the owner, Mr. Lin, and one family member to complete orders manually. Thanks to its excellent product quality and craftsmanship, Shun Fu Enterprise has won the trust and recognition of many customers.
Regardless of the company’s long-time success, Mr. Lin, the owner of Shun Fu, says: "We have always faced the challenge of not being able to find skilled welders." Faced with the broader labor shortage issue, long-term health concerns, and constantly increasing orders, relying solely on Mr. Lin and one family member was no longer sufficient. As a family-run factory focused on small-batch, diverse production, Shun Fu Enterprise urgently needed a flexible and efficient solution.
Through internet research, Mr. Lin learned about collaborative robots. Considering that the company operates on a small-batch, diverse production model, requiring mechanical adjustments before welding each new batch of products, the flexibility, speed, and ease of operation of the robots and welding software were all factors that Mr. Lin highly valued. By chance, he watched an UR’s video, which sparked his interest to learn more. At the same time, he noticed that other users had successfully solved labor shortages and welding process issues after using UR collaborative robots. This prompted him to further consult with UR professionals and personally experience the cobot.
