For over 15 years, American TTI Oil has specialized in manufacturing skids, vessels, and piping systems. In a move to enhance efficiency and precision, the company invested in the PEMA VRWP-C compact robotic welding portal. This strategic step reflects TTI Oil’s commitment to modernizing its production and preparing for future growth.
From manual effort to robotic precision
TTI Oil’s decision to automate welding wasn’t just about speed—it was about scaling. Until recently, much of the production was heavily manual, requiring skilled welders for repetitive and labor-intensive tasks. Taking the next leap forward required smart, scalable automation technology.
“We realized that in order to grow in the market, we had to automate,” says Mr. Octavio Arrambide, President and co-founder of TTI Oil.
What attracted TTI Oil to PEMA solutions was the engineering integrity behind the machines.
“We picked Pemamek for the quality of the equipment,” says Arrambide. “PEMA machines are well designed, well-engineered, and well-made.”
Software-powered productivity
In robotic welding, software is the unsung hero behind operational efficiency. TTI Oil’s compact portal is equipped with the world leading robot welding software, the PEMA WeldControl 300 Offline.
This intuitive, 3D-model compatible software allows operators to import CAD models, define welds, and create multi-layer welding programs with just a few weeks of training and minimal manual work.
“The automation level of the software is impressive. It makes our job a lot easier compared to manually identifying everything with the robot,” Arrambide notes.
Radical results
TTI Oil’s PEMA portal is a perfect match for welding structures like skids. It’s built to take on repetitive welding tasks with speed, accuracy, and consistency. The Production Supervisor TTI Oil, Mr. Daniel Guerrero, explains the portal’s role and its impact on the production process.
“With this portal we are welding the entire upper part of the skid in a single pass,” he says, referring to the flux cored arc welding (FCAW) process the portal handles. “This is a radical shift from the past. It took a group of four welders about 60 to 70 hours to complete this phase. The robot now does it in about one hour,” he explains.
That’s not a minor improvement—it’s a paradigm shift.
Empowering welders
At the beginning, the new automation sparked concerns among welders. “When we installed the robot, welders thought we were trying to replace them,” Arrambide shares.
However, the reality has been quite the opposite. The new technology has allowed TTI Oil to reassign skilled welders to more challenging and intricate jobs that robots can’t handle especially those requiring nuanced, hands-on craftsmanship.
“The robot is there to help make their jobs easier and get rid of all the tedious welding. The reality is that the welders have just transitioned to more complex or hard-to-reach welding tasks,” says Arrambide.
Real-time control and predictability
One of the standout features of the PEMA VRWP-C portal is its ability to calculate welding time in real-time. For a company managing a busy shop floor, that level of clarity is highly valuable. The data provides predictability and consistency in scheduling and production management.
“We can be certain of how much time we will spend on a process,” Daniel Guerrero says.
Support that speaks your language
Another factor in TTI Oil’s decision to work with Pemamek was proximity and support. “You have a US-based sales and service team, and they’re only a phone call away,” Arrambide says.
In an industry where every minute of downtime matters, this kind of local responsive support makes a measurable difference. Beyond machinery and service, Arrambide appreciates Pemamek’s reputation.
“You’re not here today and gone tomorrow. You’re going to be here for the long run, and we hope to partner with you for the long run as well. The investment has already proven worthwhile,” Arrambide concludes.
