Body Welding in the 1960s: A Shift to Manual Mass Production

Manual welding was the norm at this period because industrial robots were not yet available. Each operator carried a welding gun - like the one on display - to perform spot welding as required. In the latter half of the decade, household demand for cars surged, challenging carmakers to maximize the capacity of manual welding. Toyota responded by significantly increasing the number of welders, who were then given flexible line assignments based on the model being produced and its target volume. This approach improved welding efficiency and soon became standard practice, although human issues such as uneven weld quality and significant physical burden on workers persisted.