Miller Electric Mfg. Co. has added a hard hat option to its current Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR) line. The hard hat is paired with Titanium Series™ auto-darkening welding helmets, which feature exclusive InfoTrack™ digital lens technology. Read more about the new PAPR with Hard-Hat.
Swartfager Welding is the epitome of a family business done right. What started six generations ago in the 1800s as a traditional blacksmith operation has evolved today into a booming modern fabrication business.
We visited Swartfager to discuss with them one of their more successful process advancements: transitioning to metal-cored wires and optimizing these applications with new Pulsed MIG and Regulated Metal Deposition® capabilities as made possible by the PipeWorx multiprocess pipe welding system.
Benefits achieved by Swartfager include increased productivity, less post-weld cleanup, and easier operation and training for its workforce – all while meeting code requirements.
Read the whole story by clicking here.
Hear from Swartfager straight from the shop floor on this and other exciting process improvements:
RMD, Pulsed MIG and Metal-Cored Wires
Repairing Cast Stainless with Dynasty TIG Inverters
Induction Heating at Swartfager Welding
Good morning and welcome to Day 2 of FABTECH 2012. The welding action continues today at the AWS/SkillsUSA U.S. Open Weld Invitationals. We took some time yesterday to get an overview of the competition, as well as introduce each of the six Americans vying for the three spots in the finals.
Meet the Six American Competitors
Competition Introduction from Nick Peterson
The competition put out the following news release yesterday, detailing the event and announcing that the finals to determine who goes on to represent the U.S. at WorldSkills will take place at Daytona Speedweek in 2013:
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA – November 12, 2012 – For six young welders, the AWS/SkillsUSA U.S. Invitational Weld Trials is just like the U.S. Olympic team tryouts, but without the television coverage and million-dollar spokesperson contracts. It does, however, come with a realistic expectation that they can obtain a relevant job that is in high demand and significantly contributes to our quality of life in America.
The AWS/SkillsUSA U.S. Invitational Weld Trials at the 2012 FABTECH Exposition in Las Vegas, Nevada from November 12th to the 14th will host 11 competitors from 5 countries. Convention attendees will be able to witness firsthand the competition spread over four days of welding using multiple welding processes. Some of the welding requirements are so precise that the welds will require x-ray reviews and hydrostatic pressure tests to 1000 pounds per square inch in order to verify the integrity and quality of the welds.
Competing will be six national SkillsUSA welder finalists that have bested 1000’s of their peers in a near yearlong battle across America. Alongside them will be 5 international competitors representing Australia, Canada, The United Kingdom (2), and Russia. Wednesday evening, November 14th at a private reception, the top three USA competitors will be named along with Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals for the top three overall finishers.
The top three USA competitors will advance to a “Tune Up” at the AIDT training Center in Mobile Alabama, a division of the Alabama Department of Commerce that encourages economic development through job-specific training. Past TeamUSA Welding Medalists will train all three to give TeamUSA the best chances of earning a Medal in Germany this summer.
Tony Hopper, director of the Mobile AIDT Training Center, is excited to host these top welders for their training; “While these competitors are here, we will be hosting a career expo for local schools and employers to promote the need for skilled welders and all skilled careers along the Gulf Coast. We helped with the tune up for the 2011 WorldSkills Competition and the USA brought home a Bronze Medal for welding. This time, we hope it will be a Gold, but medal or not, as long as these competitors give their best that is all we expect.”
These top three competitors will then compete for the final TeamUSA position during the 2013 Daytona 500 Speedweek.
February 23rd, the day before the Daytona 500, the TeamUSA welder will be announced. That winner will not only represent the United States at the 42nd WorldSkills Competition in Leipzig, Germany July 2-7 2013 (worldskills.org), but will also receive a $40,000.00 scholarship from the American Welding Society Foundation.
Miller celebrates 
metal art with an exhibition and competition of twelve acclaimed sculptors, each specializing in welded metal. Check out the pieces and vote for your favorite before Dec. 31, 2012.
The winning piece will be on display permanently at Miller headquarters in Appleton, Wisc.
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!
Series Trailer
Episode 1: Project Overview
Episode 2: Conversion to Flux Cored Welding
When setting up your MIG welder, first take a look at how thick the metal is that you’re welding. Is your welder large enough to weld this thickness? And is the machine set up correctly to complete the weld? With Miller’s Auto-Set™ feature (available on most Millermatic® products), you simply set the wire size and the material thickness and you’re 
ready to go!
Make sure you use the correct type of gas and that you’ve turned the bottle on. C-25 or Argon CO75/25 is the most common gas used. It should be set for 30 CFH for the best results. And, don’t forget to make sure you have the polarity set correctly for the type of wire you are using.
Lastly, a common mistake is trying to weld a continuous line. Try welding in an X-pattern – upper left, lower right, then upper right and lower left.
Ben Romenesko
MIG Product Manager
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.
Read the whole story by clicking here!
Miller diesel engine-driven welder/generators. Machines with more than 25 HP will fall under new T4F regulations
Attending IMIS (Dec. 8-10) at the Indiana Convention Center? Find Miller Welders in booth #2423.
Hands-on welding and cutting demonstrations will be available from the booth. Spectators can test MIG, TIG and Plasma cutting equipment, get their welding questions answered, learn how to take advantage of show specials and also check out the latest offerings in the line of Arc Armor® welding protection. Don’t miss the new line of Spectrum® X-TREME™ Plasma cutters with XT torch.
And check out some of the Miller Welders off-road vehicles in the Dirt Sports booth #1160 including Scott Taylor’s TORC PRO-2WD Off-Road Race Truck, Dan Vanden Heuvel’s Pro 2 Flying Dutchman and Blue Torch Fabworks’ prerunner owned by Jason Carner.
At the show, Miller Welders will also begin to highlight that we are excited to sponsor the 2012 Griffin King of the Hammers, the toughest one-day off-road race combining extreme rock crawling and desert racing, set against the desert landscape of Johnson Valley, Calif. Miller partner and off-road manufacturer Blue Torch Fabworks will join us to collectively offer free equipment access, weld support and specialized off-road repair to KOH race team participants. The eight-day event which combines a Smittybilt Every Man Challenge, Pit Bull King of The Hammers UTV Race and the 2012 Griffin King of the Hammers will feature more than 225 cars and attract an estimated 20,000 participants and off-road enthusiasts between Feb. 4 and 11, 2012.
Learn more about Miller’s motorsports presence and existing racing partnerships at MillerWelds.com/RCR.
FABTECH is always the perfect time to introduce new welding products, and this year Miller has quite a few. See below for a number of videos highlighting some of the latest and greatest technologies from Miller.
The Big Blue 450 Duo CST
The AlumaPower 450 MPa
The Invision 450 MPa
The XMT 450 CC/CV
Dual Robot Tandem Welding with Miller Welding Automation
The day we’ve all been waiting for is here – the start to another exciting FABTECH show. If you’re in Chicago, please make sure visit our three exciting booths in North Hall:
Miller: Booth 6154
Miller Welding Automation: Booth 5954
ITW Welding North America (Bernard, Hobart Brothers, Smith, Tregaskiss, Weldcraft): Booth 5950
We’ll be introducing new products and showcasing comprehensive welding systems and market-specific solutions. Key points of interest will be live welding demonstrations (including an aluminum-specific demo area), new advanced technologies such as the weld data monitoring capabilities of Miller’s Axcess E with Insight, and contests and giveaways from Miller’s Arc Armor brand of welding personal protection equipment.
As in previous years, you can follow along all the action on the Miller website by clicking here!
Here’s the first few videos straight from the show floor:
Welcome to FABTECH 2011!
Details on the Arc Armor Welder Protection Makeover
Miller’s Hero Photo Booth and Contest
We hope to see you in the booth! Have a great show!
