Harris Industrial Gases - Welding Equipment & Supplies

Back in 1811 England, a group of highly-skilled textile artisans (named Luddites after their leader, Ned Ludd) staged a revolt against technologically-advanced looms that allowed relatively unskilled labor to cheaply and quickly produce textiles.

While weaving fibers into cloth doesn’t share much in common with joining metal through high current loads, they do share the same skepticism toward technological advancement.

It seems we all know one of those guys who will take their 1970’s era welding machine any day over the high-tech machines being manufactured today. There’s no denying the level of skill and artistry those guys have developed over long years of fidelity to their nearly indestructible machines — artistry that, like in the Luddite example, is in many ways being replaced by technology.

One of the primary goals in the design and engineering of welding equipment is making it easier to use. So, while the machine may be more complex on the inside, tuning in the proper settings and laying down a high-quality weld has never been easier.

Unlike the issues caused by the advancements in looms, however, advancements in welder technology don’t carry the threat of job loss. In fact, cutting edge welding technology has the effect of making an average welder good, but also making a good welder excellent.

So why the resistance to modern welding technology? The Miller Industrial Results Web site is chock full of examples of real companies that realized significant improvements in their operations and profitability through the implementation of modern welding machines.What are your thoughts? Do you see a similar aversion to technologically advanced welding equipment at your place of work?  What are the impacts of this skepticism and resistance? Share your thoughts by posting a comment below.