11/24/2019 The Latest Welding Technologies Can Save Time and Money | MillerWelds

The Latest Welding Technologies Can

Save Time and Money

Consider the benefits for productivity, weld quality and cost savings that new welding
processes and technologies can provide.

Changing the welding process or investing in new technology

can provide benefits

Wasted time and lost productivity are enemies in any welding operation. Contractors,
manufacturers and fabricators alike are always looking for ways to reduce costs,
improve quality and finish projects faster so they can be more competitive.

However, the right solutions may require a willingness to change to new welding
processes or procedures. Making these changes can deliver benefits — and savings —
to help a company reach its goals.

Don’t overlook the benefits that new welding processes and technologies can provide
to help reduce costs, improve productivity, shorten project timelines or impact quality.

149 your goals

Consider
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The shortage of skilled welding operators is being felt across the welding industry. A
company may want to find ways to improve productivity and decrease training time for
new welding operators. Even in markets where labor is plentiful, there may still be a
push to reduce the time it takes to train a skilled laborer and get them on the job. The
faster that workers can be trained, the more productive the operation.

Or perhaps the welding operation must adapt to changing materials or an increased

pressure to meet shorter project timelines.

Whatever the challenges, it’s important to determine the key goals in the welding
operation. This will help in finding the right solutions to deliver the desired results.

Meeting those goals may require changing from standard welding processes to
advanced welding technologies that offer greater reward — but that may require
additional investment or training. Rather than seeing this change as a risk or a barrier,
look at these solutions as an investment that can positively impact the bottom line.

When it comes time to update the welding fleet, companies should consider how
welding technologies have evolved — and how newer solutions can provide greater
efficiencies and savings — rather than continuing to order the same equipment time
after time.

New welding processes and equipment, filler metals and pre- and post-weld heating
techniques can offer benefits above and beyond traditional welding processes and
procedures.

A change to welding processes can deliver results

Many companies have seen significant productivity increases, without sacrificing
quality, by converting from traditional welding processes such as stick or TIG to
advanced wire processes.

Advanced welding processes such as pulsed MIG and , a modified short-circuit MIG
process from Miller Electric Mfg. Co., offer consistent weld quality and increased
productivity thanks to travel speeds that are three to four times those of stick or TIG.
These advanced wire processes are commonly used in the fabrication shop, and are
now available in machines designed to meet the demands of jobsite and field
applications. 

A modified short-circuit MIG welding process such as RMD offers easy weld pool control
thanks to more forgiveness to variations in stickout and gun angle. This helps reduce
operator training time, along with delivering quality arc performance that helps boosts
productivity. Using this process also produces less spatter and allows for the
elimination of backing gas. These factors help save time and money.
Pulsed MIG offers benefits of better fusion and fill at the toes of the weld, higher travel
speeds and deposition rates, and shorter changeover time, since the same wire and
gas can be used with modified short-circuit MIG processes.

Keep in mind the importance of operator training when making these changes and note
that a new process may require recertification of new welding procedures.

Technology can help address challenges 

Think of the constant advancements in technology in our everyday lives — from
televisions to cell phones. Industries are always working to create better and smarter
technology, and that is also true for welding. New welding technologies are available
that offer benefits for productivity, quality, power efficiencies, ease of use and
portability.
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For example, new welding power sources can quickly sense and react to what is
happening in the weld pool — improving the ability to control the welding current and
produce a calm, stable pool with less heat input. Directing the arc energy where it is
needed allows both novice and experienced welders to improve their skills. A stable,
more consistent arc is also easier to manipulate to ensure good fusion — which
results in improved weld quality and less time-consuming and costly rework.
Advancements in remote control welding technologies also offer numerous benefits,
particularly in jobsite applications. With remote control solutions on the market,
operators have complete control of welding parameters at the weld joint using the wire
feeder or remote — eliminating the need to walk back to the power source to make
changes. This results in less wasted time and more arc-on time, helping operations
complete more welds and achieve higher overall productivity. Remote control
technologies also benefit safety by reducing trip and fall hazards.

Other welding equipment technology advancements, such as push-button process

changeover and digital interfaces, have made welding equipment more intuitive and
easier to use, which impacts productivity by reducing the time spent on machine setup
and changeover.

What can be gained?

There are many financial and business benefits that can be realized by converting from
traditional welding techniques and processes to more advanced solutions. Consider
these key benefits:
Increased productivity. The financial benefits of any productivity improvements will
vary based on the specific situation, but they can be significant. The return on
investment of new machines is not long because of this increased productivity and
other factors. If an operation is currently operating at or near full capacity at current
facilities and considering a capital expansion, increasing throughput and productivity
at existing facilities could postpone that need. If operations are struggling to find
and retain a skilled welding workforce, productivity improvements can help meet
demands while utilizing the current workers. If a company operates in or sources
fabricated components from regions of the world where labor costs are high,
productivity improvements provide a significant cost reduction.
 
Reduced scrap loss. This is a key issue in some markets because so much money
is lost in scrap. If a company is using a stick welding process, it’s relatively easy to
calculate the potential savings related to reducing the scrap from stub loss. The
nature of stick welding produces stub loss, which is the portion of the electrode that
is not able to be deposited in the weld. A common goal for welders is to achieve
stub loss lengths of 2 to 3 inches. Depending on the original length of the
electrode, typically 11 to 18 centimeters, it is easy to figure the “planned scrap” in
the stick welding process — generally 16 to 25 percent of the electrodes. A change
from stick welding to a wire process not only eliminates the costs of this stub loss,
it also produces labor savings thanks to a more productive process.
 
Reduction in failures and rework. Consistent arc performance and filler metal
selection are key to achieving higher first-time weld pass rates and fewer weld
failures. Welding processes and technologies that offer more consistent arc
performance can help reduce the time and money spent on weld failures and
rework. While there is some risk to changing from one welding process to another,
advancements in the technologies and filler metals have helped diminish that risk
over the years. Quality is obviously an important factor in the success of a welding
operation. A high level of rework not only impacts quality, it also can lead to delays
149unplanned rework disrupts the entire flow of the fabrication, manufacturing or
since
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Keep in mind that change can be difficult and it sometimes requires an organized
effort. This is the classic risk/return trade off. Companies that are willing to the accept
some level of risk can be rewarded with faster project completion, potential cost
reductions and a better utilization of assets. 

To mitigate the risk involved in such a change, proper training programs should be
implemented, since different welding processes or technologies weld differently than
what a workforce may be used to. It’s also important to outline a testing plan when
necessary to ensure quality and productivity goals are achieved in the welding
operation.

The bottom line

Welding equipment in many cases has evolved to provide a level of control that wasn’t
possible in the past. Technology advancements have brought welding processes leaps
ahead and will likely continue to do so in the future.
Understanding the potential productivity gains offered by advanced welding processes
and new technologies and procedures can help an organization ensure that jobs are
completed on time — and on budget.
Investing in new welding techniques and equipment can help companies address
critical industry challenges — from a shortage of skilled welders to shorter project
timelines or changing materials. Being open to changes in the welding operation can
result in reduced costs, greater productivity and shorter training time for welders —
helping to make a company more competitive.

© Miller Electric Mfg. LLC

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