I just purchased my second welding robot. It is a Miller/Panasonic PA-750S with a 92" welding turntable. We make truck accessories with it. I bought a made in Boston laser cutter at the same time, a 4000w IPG LaserCube.
All this new machinery lets us build in one (168 hour) week what we could build in 2015. And it took only one lease payment down to finance - about $8000.00, with another 59 payments of $8000ish to go - so I don't buy the "only the super wealthy can buy robots" idea. Some people on HN have paid that much for an office desk! These machines can make product to completely pay for themselves in one month, if you can get the work for them.
By purchasing these machines, I was able to get some deals that would have gone to China. Then I had to hire 4 new people to run them, and we had to go to working 24/7 from only 40 hours a week before. All of this to make a product that would not sell as well if it had to be priced at human weld costs. The robots are at least 3x more productive than the human doing the same part - if you have enough units to do. 30 minutes of change over time between programs can waste any times savings.
So in my anecdotal experience, everytime I add another automated machine, costs go down, prices go down, sales go way up, payroll goes up a little. I have to keep hiring humans. and I pay them bonuses that they seem pretty happy with. This doesn't count the machine manufacturers, their traveling support staff, the leasing companies who lent the money, etc. etc.
I have friends with manufacturing companies in completely different industries that have the same experience.
If anyone is in Tucson Arizona, you are welcome to come by. I will show you how easy it is to program the robot. It will take me 20 minutes to teach you how to make a basic weld.