Robot welding is the use of mechanized programmable tools (
robots), which completely automate a
welding process by both performing the weld and handling the part. Processes such as
gas metal arc welding, while often automated, are not necessarily equivalent to robot welding, since a human operator sometimes prepares the materials to be welded. Robot welding is commonly used for
resistance spot welding and
arc welding in high production applications, such as the automotive industry.