Nick Peterson, a welding engineer and curriculum developer with Miller, contributes a quarterly column to Fabricating and Metalworking magazine. In the most recent column, Nick discusses weld data monitoring and the benefits it provides manufacturing and fabrication applications, including improved quality, productivity, cost analysis, consumable savings and training.
As part of its distinction as the “Official Welding Equipment Provider of the Lambeau Field Expansion”, Miller and Hobart Brothers have launched “The Lambeau Episodes” – a series of Web videos detailing the welding work on the project. Check ‘em out and let us know what you think!
Our friends and Welding Design & Fabrication recently ran with Steve Latvis’ article on induction heating at Topp’s Mechanical in Tecumseh, Neb.
A snippet:
With induction heating Topp’s Mechanical has a solution that exceeds the quality standards of its heat-treatment applications and provides significant operational benefits including:
• Faster time-to-temperature;
• Consistent heating throughout the entire part;
• Easier to apply/wrap heat;
• Greater reliability and lower consumable costs;
• More efficient use of labor; and
• Improved employee safety.
Selecting a MIG gun (or torch) for your welding application should be done with just as much attention to detail as the welding power source itself. Think of it as the human body: an injured toe or finger inhibits our ability to perform basic functions such as walking or grasping. The gun — while an extension of the system — is just as critical to the quality of the weld itself and the productivity of your operators. There are also important considerations when selecting a MIG gun that may help you lower your operating costs. In this article, we’ll take a look at common types of MIG guns and considerations you should make when selecting the gun that’s right for you.
To kick off the 2012 season, the Memphis Redbirds — AAA affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals — unveiled a brand new 3,600-square-foot scoreboard in right-center field at AutoZone Park. The new scoreboard, comprised of 36 10-x10-foot panels, is supported by more than 42,110 pounds of new steel and is now the largest video scoreboard in all of minor league baseball.
Chris Cramer, owner of Oshkosh, Wis.-based Metal Connection, LLC, worked on the demolition of the old scoreboard, as well as the steel fabrication and erection of the new structure over a six-week period in early 2012 (subcontracted through Madison, Wis.-based Stubblefield Sign Group). During that time he put the new Bobcat™ 250 EFI (EFI = electronic fuel injection) from Miller Electric Mfg. Co. to work as both a welder (Stick and Flux-Cored processes) and industrial-strength generator (grinders, plasma cutters). The newly redesigned Bobcat 250 EFI provided Cramer with a number of important benefits, including sound reduction, greater fuel savings (which lead to overall cost savings of about $100/week when considering extended run times and refueling trips), and greater generator power output for running tools on site.
At a time when manufacturers are looking for new ways to diversify and compete against global competition, K-zell Metals, Inc. of Phoenix has been proactive in anticipating changes in the market through process improvement. Through the addition of two Miller PerformArc™ pre-engineered robotic weld cells, K-zell was able to substantially increase productivity (by more than 20 percent), reduce set-up time and find new efficiencies in its welding processes — even on relatively short production runs. A modular design allowed each system to be quickly dropped into the flow of the shop floor, and features such as offline programming have helped the company quickly take on new work with minimal start-up time.
Check out this series of videos from our time at K-zell, including an exclusive video not included in this case study on the benefits of the AlumaFeed™ Synergic Aluminum Welding System from Miller:
Tier 4 Final, or T4F, emissions regulations go into effect on Jan. 1, 2013 for machines used in the United States and Canada with diesel engines in the 25 to 75 horsepower range, including engine-driven welder/generators. While that’s still months away, there is much for you to know about the changes that diesel engine-driven welder/generators will undergo and what manufacturers are doing to prepare for these regulations and anticipated price increases. In the article linked below we look at how this equipment is being redesigned, buying considerations based on output demands (can you get by with an engine-driven welder/generator lower than 25 horsepower?), and possible ways to improve your processes to offset price increases on new T4F equipment.
The RMD™ and Pro-Pulse™ processes found in PipeWorx contribute significantly to Graham Corporation’s 20 percent reduction in production hours by improving first pass weld quality, eliminating the need to compensate for distortion and reducing set-up and process change-over time.
What is a better solution for your welding application, a fume extraction device or a Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR)? It comes down to the consideration of source capture versus PPE. In this article we take a look at considerations for choosing a system appropriate to your application. Bottom line: source capture is always preferred, but some applications require more personal protection.
AGCO – one of the world’s leading manufacturers of farming equipment – continues to prove the strength of American manufacturing. The company has recently moved some manufacturing operations from France back to their plant in Jackson, Minnesota.
As the company continues to discover new ways to streamline its processes, weld data monitoring has become a huge part of their daily welding operations. The demands of more complicated designs, exotic steels and precise welding requirements called for more direct feedback to the operator at the point of the weld. The technology also helps management examine welding operations and data.
