Hartnell College Bridges the Technology Gap With Miller® Copilot™

Preparing the next generation of welders for a changing manufacturing landscape

Hartnell College, located in the heart of the “Salad Bowl of America” in Salinas, California, provides crucial technical education in welding, mechatronics and manufacturing to support both the agricultural industry and local fabrication shops. With deep community ties, Hartnell College stands at the intersection of traditional trades and emerging technologies.

Hartnell identifies the need to bridge the technology gap holding students back

As local manufacturers across the Salinas Valley adopted automation, Hartnell College’s faculty noticed a widening disconnect between industry expectations and what traditional training programs could deliver. 

Three main challenges stood out:

Rapid technology evolution
Industry technologies like automation and robotics were outpacing educational training, creating a critical skills gap for graduates entering the workforce.

Increasing automation
Local manufacturers were adopting automated welding systems to address labor challenges, but educational programs lacked the modern equipment, updated curriculum and instructor training needed to teach these technologies effectively.

Future-ready skills
Students needed exposure to technologies that would prepare them for both present and future job opportunities.

"The most troubling thing right now is that the technology used in the industry is outpacing our own training,” says Richard Chapman, agricultural engineering instructor at Hartnell. “At Hartnell College, we're trying to stay ahead of this and train students not only for the careers of today, but five years from now."

The search for accessible and practical solutions begins

Hartnell College recognized that it needed a more modern approach to prepare students for the rapidly changing landscape. To close this skills gap and give students hands‑on experience with the tools they’d encounter on the job, the college sought automation solutions that would:

• Be accessible to students without extensive programming knowledge
• Provide practical experience with collaborative robots
• Match the technology being adopted by local businesses
• Complement, rather than replace, traditional welding skills

The Miller® Copilot™ prevails as the ideal automation tool for training

To meet these goals, Hartnell College chose to implement the Miller Copilot welding cobot system in their training program. The decision was reinforced by Hartnell’s long‑standing relationship with Miller and the ongoing support from their local district manager, who works closely with distributors throughout the Salinas Valley. That trusted partnership gave the college confidence that, in adopting Copilot, they would have reliable guidance and service throughout implementation.  

Copilot is an intuitive, entry‑level collaborative welding system designed as an all-in-one workstation to give students hands‑on experience with the same automation technologies used in modern fabrication environments. 

Key features include:

• A collaborative robot arm that performs automated weld motion and supports loading and unloading, programming and tool installation.
• An integrated system controller and welding power source housed on the main cart and connected to power, gas and wire for quick startup.
• A Tregaskiss® TOUGH GUN® CA3 robotic MIG gun engineered for accurate, repeatable weld performance.
• Touch‑sensing and weld‑tracking software tools that simplify path teaching and allow precise fine‑tuning.
• A teach pendant and programming puck that provide intuitive controls for setup, teaching and adjustments.
• A 48" x 48" weld‑ready tooling table featuring 5/8" fixturing holes in a 2" x 2" pattern for compatibility with Bluco® and Strong Hand Tools® systems.

Hartnell saw it as an ideal tool for preparing students for careers in small and medium-sized manufacturing operations because of its:

• User-friendly interface and intuitive controls that students could quickly learn to operate without extensive programming knowledge
• Industry-aligning technology that matches what’s being adopted by local manufacturing businesses
• Collaborative design that allows welders to operate safely alongside the robot

“It’s very intuitive to program for a student with some welding experience and a little technology background,” says Chapman. “With it being a cobot, it has the flexibility and adaptability to move on to other types of work as well.”

Students put their automation skills to the test through competition

Using the Miller® Copilot™ on parts of an Amiga tractor platform — an electric micro‑tractor designed to adapt to various cropping systems — Hartnell students reengineered the unit to navigate tall artichoke fields. 

Here’s how the team brought the concept to life:

Engineering a custom frame
Students modified the tractor’s frame to stand seven feet tall, preventing crop damage while navigating standard growing beds.

Integrating sensors and imaging tools
They mounted cameras and sensors to collect plant-level data, with algorithms to predict harvest timing and detect plant issues.

Using cross-disciplinary skills
Students applied CAD design, mathematical calculations, fabrication techniques and programming skills.

While Copilot supported welds on parts of the build, the project’s bigger impact was how it pushed students to apply automation and robotics in an industry not typically linked with advanced technology. As the first and only community college in the national Farm Robotics Challenge, Hartnell showed how forward‑looking training can expand student capabilities while gaining exposure to the technologies reshaping one of California’s most essential industries.

Automation builds skills for workforce-ready graduates

By weaving automation into the curriculum, Hartnell gives students a bigger picture of how modern manufacturing operates. They’re not only practicing tasks but gaining the analytical, practical and industry‑aligned exposure that shapes well‑rounded graduates.

The impact of this approach emerges across several areas.

Enhanced technical understanding
The Miller® Copilot™ standardizes welding variables like travel speed and work angles, allowing students to focus on analyzing weld quality without the variability of manual execution. This accelerates learning and builds deeper technical knowledge.

Business value recognition
Students learn to evaluate when automation makes economic sense by experiencing the productivity advantages for repetitive tasks. This builds skills in calculating ROI for technology investments, combining technical and business knowledge.

Direct employment pathways
By aligning with local industry technology adoption, Hartnell created targeted internship opportunities with manufacturers using the same equipment. Students gain experience that makes them immediately valuable without extensive onboarding.

Automation adoption is a win-win for manufacturing businesses

Hartnell’s automation-focused approach created a two‑way advantage: elevating student readiness while delivering meaningful value to the community’s manufacturing businesses. 

Companies adopting automation technologies like the Miller® Copilot™ often expand their workforce because:

• Higher-quality work attracts higher-value contracts
• Faster production allows taking on additional projects
• Workers transition to higher-skilled programming roles
• New positions emerge in quality control and systems integration

Because the Salinas Valley manufacturing landscape consists predominantly of multigenerational family businesses that have evolved over the course of more than 50 years, Hartnell's technology training aligns with these businesses' ongoing growth trajectory and helps empower new operators in the workforce.

Hartnell’s modernized approach provides a blueprint for educational institutions

In reviewing its experience, Hartnell offers practical guidance for other institutions looking to modernize welding education and better prepare students for today’s technology‑driven manufacturing environment. 

These key takeaways include:

Balance traditional skills with new technology
Maintain core manual skills while introducing automation technologies. This dual approach ensures graduates can work effectively in both traditional and highly automated environments.

Select user-friendly systems
Prioritize technologies with intuitive interfaces that don't require extensive programming knowledge. This makes technology access more democratic across student skill levels.

Align with local industry
Research which automation systems are being adopted by regional employers. This direct alignment creates immediate employment pathways for graduates.

Develop an adaptability mindset
Foster an attitude that views new technologies as opportunities rather than threats, preparing students for careers of continuous technological evolution.

By embracing collaborative robotics and automation tools like the Miller® Copilot™ welding system, educational institutions can help prepare students for manufacturing's future, where human skills and technological capabilities combine to create more productive, higher-quality outcomes.