Weldreality
is the world's largest web site on MIG - TIG - Flux Cored.
Best Weld Practices
and Weld Process Controls:
  
For
all weldreality programs click here.
For
TIP TIG the worlds most effective weld process click
here.
Ed's manual and robot process control training resources click here.
TIP-TIG,
A COST EFFECTIVE NEW PROCESS THAT WILL CHANGE THE WELDING INDUSTRY:
[]
Is your organization interested in a weld process that is far more cost effective
than MIG - Pulsed MIG and flux cored?
[]
Would you be interested in a no bells and whistles, low cost weld process that
will provide weld quality levels never before attained in North American weld
shops?
[] Are you concerned about the lack of available skilled welders
and would like to view an easy way to manual weld all position pipe welds?
[]
Would you like to know how to eliminate weld cleaning, weld rework or the potential
for a failed weld?
For more data on TIP TIG
call here.
|
June
12. 2009. Welcome to the first real practical advance in North American
weld
technology in the last three decades, the patent pending, "ADVANCED
TIP TIG"
TIP
TIG: Superior P91 quality than TIG welds at Pulsed MIG wire feed rates.
 
The
P91, all position pipe joints shown in the left photo, would if welded by traditional
TIG, take more than 3 hours for each weld joint. If welded by pulsed MIG, the
weld time would be dramatically reduced, that is till you add the time required
to repair the occasional lack of weld fusion in the first two passes. If the pipe
joints were welded by the cost effective gas shielded flux cored process, the
QA department would not be surprised in the multipass groove welds, to find the
common trapped flux cored slag, lack of fusion, weld porosity or worm tracks.
The TIP TIG manual process was used for the P91 pipe joints and the weld
time for each pipe joint was approx. 50 minutes. When you use the unique, easy
to use, one handed TIP TIG process, the QA department should expect defect free
welds in every welded pipe joint.
If you want all position, defect free
welds at superior quality than conventional TIG, Pulsed MIG or the flux cored
process and you would like to produce all position weld deposition rates equal
to pulsed MIG and flux cored, consider the TIP TIG process. A five minute TIP
TIG demo will show any weld professional that when welding manual or automated
welding in any weld position, on thin or thick metals, any alloys and any weld,
clad or brazed application, the TIP TIG process is the world's most cost effective
process for producing defect free welds.
 THE
NORTH AMERICAN, PATENTED TIP TIG AND THE PATENT PENDING,
ADVANCED TIP TIG
PROCESS,
IS THE WORLD'S MOST EFFECTIVE WELD, CLAD, HARD FACING AND BRAZING PROCESS. TIP
TIG IS AN EASY PROCESS TO USE AND WILL ALWAYS DELIVERS SUPERIOR WELD QUALITY THAN
TRADITIONAL TIG / PLASMA WELDS. THE BONUS FOR THE WELD SHOP IS WHILE GETTING THE
ULTIMATE IN TIG WELD QUALITY, YOU ARE GETTING THIS WELD QUALITY AT 2 TO 10 TIMES
FASTER THAN A TIG WELD:
Why be concerned about the skilled welder shortage when the moderate priced TIP
TIG process is easy to use on the most difficult applications. Weld procedures
will be easy to produce as two simple amp / wire feed weld procedures will weld
most of your manual or automated applications. It takes about one hour to learn
the one handed TIP TIG techniques. TIP TIG will dramatically reduce your weld
rework costs and reduce your product liability concerns as this process will always
will deliver the optimum in weld quality. There is no weld smoke issues and no
concerns for spatter. In contrast to most other process it will provide less weld
heat input. If highly cost effective, defect free welds with superior weld appearance
are important to you. Click here to to enter the TIP TIG
site.
  
Weldreality.com. Copy
Right ©.
2001.
My
name is Ed Craig. Many
of you will know me from the 18 years I wrote the QA weld column in the USA Weld
Design and Fabrication magazine or perhaps you read one of my forty published
articles on weld process controls. If you have a Machinery Handbook gathering
dust on you shelve, I wrote the weld section. I have written four books on weld
process controls and with 45 years of weld process control expertise, I have resolved
manual and robot weld issues in more than a thousand companies in twelve different
countries. I
hope you enjoy the world's largest web site on manual
and robot, MIG, TIG and Flux Cored, Best Weld Practices
& Weld Process Controls:
Of
course there are weld shop cost consequences,
when the weld shop has to rely
on "Sales Advice"
The
importance of focus on Robot / Manual, MIG and Flux
Cored, Best
Weld Practices and Weld Process Controls.
WILL THE BEIJING
STADIUM BE A BIRDS
NEST FOR THE SPECTATORS OR END UP
AS A SPIDER'S WEB?
Written
by Ed Craig.
Posted www.weldreality.com.
Aug. 2. 2008.
The
five hundred million dollars, Beijing Olympic stadium, is wrapped
with a unique high strength steel box cocoon that weighs approx. 45,000 tons.
At the end of July, two weeks before the 91000 seat stadium was ready to host
the 2008 Olympics, I watched a Discovery Channel program about the stadium construction.
The steel bird's nest design is without question, a wonder to behold,
however having a slight interest in fabrication and welding you know where my
focus was, and I did not like what I saw.
May
2009 Beijing Update: Check out what's happening to this
architect design wonder,nine months after Ed wrote his opinion on the poor welds
and construction at the Birds Nest stadium.
 April
2009: DEFECTIVE WELDS NOTICE. REFERENCE 2005 AND 2006 SUZUKI SGSX-R1000 MOTORCYCLES:
More data
in bad weld section
of this site.
Note from Ed. I
saw pictures of these critical bike frame welds, they had extensive lack of weld
fusion and porosity. The extent of
the weld defects suggest a complete lack of weld manufacturing process
controls from the Suzuki management.
If I owned one of these Suzuki
bikes, I would not accept the Suzuki management recommendations of a brace, glue,
or even a weld repair. The weld reality is, the lack of weld fusion defects on
these bikes are not repairable as the weld repairs will never provide the weld
integrity desired by those who designed the bikes. Therefore there is only one
logical recourse. I believe anyone owning one of these bikes should be concerned
about what they cannot see and thats the potential lack of weld fusion and it's
impact and the weld repairs impact on the structural integrity of the bike's frame.
If I owned one of these bikes, I would demand a complete refund or replacement
of the bike and also seek legal representation to sue Suzuki for putting my life
at risk.
 []
WHY PURCHASE USELESS, ELECTRONIC
BELLS AND WHISTLES AND OVERPAY FOR YOUR MIG EQUIPMENT?
It
was Ed's job as a training / product manager with Praxair, Airgas, AGA and Liquid
Carbonic, to test MIG equipment and weld consumables from around the globe. You
can pay $2000 for a CV power source, or $12000 for a pulsed MIG power source.
With The MIG process control expertise available in Ed's process control training
resources,
you will attain the same weld quality and productivity results from
both power sources on the majority of steel and stainless applications.
[]
WHY PAY UNNECESSARY HIGH COSTS FOR FLUX CORED AND METAL CORED WIRES, OR
PURCHASE THOSE USELESS, COSTLY THREE COMPONENT GAS MIXES?
Many
shops are using metal cored wires and flux cored wires that can cost from $2/lb
to $4/lb, when the same quality and productivity will be attained from a MIG wire
that costs $1/lb. Global MIG gas confusion has been the norm for more than five
decades. There
are more MIG gas mixes available than cereals in a super market. It's also a sad
fact that the majority of the gas information found in weld
shops, is based on process ignorance and salesmanship, rather than on technical
substance. If you use three part gas mixes for the common  steel
and stainless applications, you typically are part of an industrial gas marketing
/ con game. Ed was on the AWS committee that wrote the USA. MIG gas specifications,
he also developed four of the most practical two part MIG gas mixes sold in North
America. If you want MIG gas mix reality, this is the site.
[]
MACHINIST ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PLAY AROUND WITH THEIR EQUIPMENT CONTROLS, WHY WOULD
ANY MANGER OR SUPERVISOR ALLOW THEIR WELD PERSONNEL TO "PLAY AROUND"
WITH THEIR MIG AND FLUX CORED WELD CONTROLS?
Since
the introduction of the MIG process over 50 years ago, there has been little management
or engineering focus on weld process control expertise. The result is the majority
of global weld personnel will this week "play around" with their MIG
or flux cored weld controls. Ed developed the world's most simple, self teaching,
weld process control training method.
With this training tool, in a few hours your employees will have the process control
expertise necessary to instantly set correct, optimum weld parameters for any
MIG / flux cored, steels, alloy steels, stainless, nickel alloys or aluminum applications.
[]
WHY WOULD
ANY MANAGER AND ENGINEER ACCEPT POOR ROBOT MIG WELD QUALITY & UNACCEPTABLE
WELD PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY?
To
attain optimum robot MIG weld quality and productivity or instantly deal with
robot weld issues, requires MIG weld process control expertise. With the global
average robot MIG weld production efficiency range at only 40 to 60% of it's real
potential, and robot weld rework usually in the range of 30 to 100%, many manufacturing
companies have a great opportunity for dramatic robot cost reductions and robot
weld quality improvements.
Ed was the North American Robot Weld Mgr. with
ABB Robotics. Today as a consultant he has provided robot weld optimization to
hundreds of companies using all makes of robots. Why not provide your employees
with Ed's easy to use, Seven Steps to Robot Process Control" training
program, and his MIG and flux cored weld
process control books and CDs.
Imagine the satisfaction attained when after
a few hours of viewing his training CDs, all your weld personnel will have the
ability to instantly address the daily weld issues that impact your robot / manual
weld quality and productivity.
[]
YOU
MAY NOT WANT TO ASK YOUR MANUFACTURING MANAGER, ENGINEER OR OR WELD SUPERVISOR,
THE COST OF THAT COMMON 1/4 (6mm) MIG OR FLUX CORED FILLET WELD.
 Ask
a weld supervisor or fabrication manager the cost of a MIG or flux cored weld
and typically they want to talk about the cost of the gas or the weld wire.
You can weld a vertical up flux cored fillet at 6 lb/hr, or weld the same fillet
at 12 lb/hr. You can MIG weld a horizontal / flat fillet at 6 lb/hr or 20 lb/hr,
yet few managers or supervisors have the process control expertise necessary to
control their welding labor costs.
Ed's low cost, process control training
resources
enable the attainment of consistent, optimum MIG and flux cored weld quality and
productivity and also simplifies weld costs...
[]
WHY
BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SO CALLED GLOBAL SHORTAGE OF MIG & FLUX CORED WELD
PERSONNEL?
If
you utilize my unique weld process control training methods
that encompass the unique requirements for weld process controls, it takes approx.
30 hours to train a none weld individual to provide MIG and flux cored welds that
will meet any global weld specification, code, or weld qualification requirements.
If your organization has to qualify welders to pass an all position flux
cored pipe or vee groove weld test, you will dramatically improve the pass rate,
if before the welders strike an arc, you provide the weld personnel with a four
hour classroom training program that actually shows them the correct techniques
and settings for flux cored weld process
optimization.
 IN
A RECESSION OR DEPRESSION, YOU CAN LISTEN TO A SALESMAN AND THROW DOLLARS OUT
OF THE WINDOW, OR TAKE THE UNUSUAL STEP OF MANAGEMENT OWNERSHIP OF THE WELD PROCESSES
AND EQUIPMENT THAT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR PROFITS.
WITH PROCESS OWNERSHIP
AND THE WELD PROCESS EXPERTISE AVAILABLE
AT THIS SITE, YOU WILL HAVE THE TWO ESSENTIAL TOOLS NECESSARY TO INSTANTLY PROVIDE
OPTIMUM WELD QUALITY AND PRODUCTIVITY.
 THE
MISSING LINK FOR MOST GLOBAL WELD COMPANIES THAT UTILIZE MIG AND FLUX CORED IS
"WELD PROCESS EXPERTISE"
API-ASME-AWS-NACE-ABS,
all weld codes require optimum flux cored and MIG weld procedures for qualification,
yet every critical weld that has a defect or has failed, is a weld made with so
called pre-qualified weld procedures. What is an essential element to the success
of any weld project, is the welders response to the numerous variables that daily
influence the welds on the shop floor or at the project.
Apart from
"playing around" with their weld controls, how do your weld personnel
respond to welds that have undersize or excess root gaps, weld joint misalignment,
poor weld edge preparation, poor weld joint access, difficult out of position
welds, unacceptable surface conditions, ever changing environmental issues, distortion,
spatter, undercut, porosity, cracks or lack of fusion?
The welders tools to address variables and weld issues are the weld equipment,
the available weld transfer modes and the consumables utilized. The solutions
to preventing weld issues will be the one thing that weld shop never teach their
employees "weld process control expertise".
All welders should
have the ability to instantly change and provide optimum MIG and flux cored weld
parameters to deal with the common variables and prevent weld defects from occurring.
Welders should be using the correct weld transfer modes, optimum parameters and
the recommended weld techniques for the consumables and application, not their
self taught techniques or the instructions taught by a weld instructor or weld
supervisor more comfortable with the SMAW process.
Every weld shop
will derive tremendous benefits from management, engineers, technicians and employees
who have been trained to be aware of the root cause of MIG and flux cored weld
defects. It has to be beneficial when weld decision makers are aware of the weld
solutions that will prevent those defects from occurring. You can call in another
salesman or take a look at these unique manual / robot MIG. TIG and flux cored
weld process control training resources.
|
Weld
Management
problems at Newport News:
Many
weld managers are not aware, that weld skills
have
nothing to do with weld process control expertise.
If
you are teaching your self, or providing weld process control training for others,
the following resources are the key to attaining MIG and flux cored weld process
optimization.
Item.1.
The Book: "A Management & Engineers Guide To MIG
Weld
Quality, Productivity & Costs"
Item
2. A unique robot
MIG training or self teaching resource.
"Optimum
Robot MIG Welds from Weld Process Controls".
Item
3. A
unique MIG training or self teaching resource.
"
Manual MIG Weld Process Optimization from Weld
Process Controls".
Item.
4.
A unique flux cored training or self teaching resource.
"Optimum Manual and Automated Flux Cored Plate and
Pipe welds.
Item
5a."Proceso
de Soldadura MIG Manual"
(MIG Made Simple. Self teaching in Spanish)
Item
6a. The
Self Teaching MIG Book/ Video. (MIG
Made Simple in English).
Visit
Ed's MIG / flux cored process control books and CD training
resources.
|
The
weld shop culture that's often influenced by hands off management and engineers,
can create interesting weld shop attitudes and unnecessary weld quality / cost
consequences and also great opportunities for dramatic weld cost savings.
|
CULTURE & COST CONSEQUENCES.
WELD
DESIGN AND PROCESS APATHY.
ENGINEER'S
RELIANCE ON SALESMANSHIP.
LACK OF GLOBAL BEST WELD PRACTICES.
LACK OF ROBOT WELD PROCESS CONTROLS.
OWNERSHIP,
ACCOUNTABILITY, LIABILITY, CONCERNS.
For
every three robot MIG welds in the auto / truck industry,
you will typically
find at least two welds with lack
of weld fusion.
The
weld reality of the robot MIG welds that join cars and truck parts, is that the
average weld size is 4 mm, while the average gage part thickness is less than
3 mm. Thanks to the general lack of best weld practices and lack of MIG process
control expertise in these industries, it's too frequently the "over
weld" rather than the robot MIG weld integrity that holds together
those $20,000 to $40,000 vehicles.
Ed's
Robot Weld Process Control Training resources are simple to use
and will ensure
the personnel in your organization always produce
optimum robot / manual weld
quality and productivity. Click here
for info.
2008:
As Ed found out at a tier one supplier in Spain,
Miller seems to be ignoring
an ongoing serious weld problem
its been having with it's Miller Axcess equipment.
Check out the MIG equipment selection for more info.
This
would be a first.
IS
THE WELD PROCESS RESPONSIBILITY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND OWNERSHIP AT YOUR FACILITY,
FOUND IN THE FRONT OFFICE, OR IS IT LAID ON THE BACK OF UNTRAINED WORKERS, SUPERVISORS
AND TECHNICIANS ON THE WELD SHOP FLOOR ?
|
 2008:
WHERE
ARE THE GLOBAL WELD MANAGERS? Visit
the world's largest career web site "monster.com" and type in the key
words "QUALITY MANAGER"
and monster will provide approx. 700 jobs in the USA. Now try the key words, "WELD
MANAGER" and typically nothing comes up. The reason is simple, the
welding industry is not used to weld management. In the majority of global MIG
weld shops, few managers have
established best MIG and flux cored weld practices, few managers have implemented
weld process controls, few managers get to
the root causes of their daily welding
issues and even fewer could tell you the cost of a 6 mm, MIG fillet weld, one
meter in length.
 ROBOT
WELD COST CONSEQUENCES FROM LACK OF PROCESS OWNERSHIP.
For
more than two decades, in global manufacturing facilities, over
90% of MIG welding robots have been set up, and owned by technicians, and the
majority of those technicians were not been provided with MIG weld process control
training.
Combine the general lack of MIG weld process control expertise, with the frequent
apathetic engineering / manufacturing standards that result in the common, unacceptable,
weld part dimensional tolerances. Mix in poor welding fixtures and poor maintenance
and you have to end up with extensive cost consequences.
In 2008, as it's
been for the last two decades, you will find the average global, robot MIG / MAG
weld production efficiency range is 40 to 65% and the
average robot weld rework range is 10 to 100%.
Aug
2008. ThyssenKrupp Announcement: The NSB
NewSteelBody is a concept for a lightweight steel
auto body developed by ThyssenKrupp Steel. The benchmark for the NSB was the body-in-white
of a real volume-produced vehicle. The NSB body performs just as well as the production
benchmark but is 24 percent lighter and only three
percent more expensive. The reasons for this are the use of high-strength steels,
weight-optimized tailored products and a tube-intensive design which makes full
use of the weight reduction potential of modern steels. Traditional stamped and
welded parts are replaced by tubular components which are stiffer than conventional
parts and better utilize existing space. Aug
2008. Response to
Krupp announcement from Ed: Tubular components as found
in car seats and now car frames are great for increased stiffness, however tubular
components offer unique robot MIG weld fusion concerns. In a "J" groove
joint associated with round to flat gage parts, the required increased weld mass
for the fill, dissipates some of the energy that would typically be applied to
the parts side wall weld fusion. Combine this with the frequent short cycle weld
times and fast freeze low energy welds on thin gage parts and you will often end
up with welds that on the surface look sound, however like this 1.4 mm tube to
brkt weld macro reveals, lack of MIG weld fusion will be common. Robot welding
around cold rolled components often coated in lubricating oil from the manufacturing
process also brings up interesting weld challenges, such as controlling the robot
TCP and attaining consistent robot weld speeds from the robot's multi-axis movement.
The quality and consistency of the robot programming and the influence of tip
wear and wire helix issues all impact weld fusion. The weld solutions to all of
these issues are addressed in my robot weld process control training
resources.
 Note:
Tubular welds also also concentrate weld heat in a small localized area. On thin
gage HSS steels, that weld heat has to be a concern especially when weld rework
is applied as is typical on too many auto / truck robot applications.
To
retain some of the structural integrity in the weld's heat affected zones on these
new high strength steel tubular parts, it's going to be critical
in the robot welding of these high strength components, to ensure that manual
MIG weld rework is minimized and the welds produced provide consistent weld fusion
with minimum weld heat input. This is one application you will not want your millwrights,
electricians or other inexperienced technicians and maintenance personnel playing
around with the robot weld parameters and making changes
to these robot welds
during the afternoon shift.
It's fine for designers and engineers to talk about the reduced weight benefits
of high strength steels, however if you destroy the properties of those steels
in the weld locations with questionable welds and weld rework, what's the real
benefit of the high strength tubular steels in a crash? Successfully welding these
future vehicle structures and avoiding future liability consequences, will come
from weld personnel who understand processes and consumables, personnel who will
provide process expertise and apply process
controls.
ROBOTS
& MIG WELDING PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY:  In
many plants that use MIG robots, it's typical to find the plants will use three
robots to do the work of two. For more than two decades in the auto / truck industry,
the typical, high volume, robot weld down time per-shift has been 60 to 90 minutes,
which according to Detroit auto industry sources, can result in an approx. cost
of $2000 - $2500 per-hour.
 In
mynumerous visits to plants that were having robot
issues,
I found that few managers or engineers understood the process root
causes of their daily robot issues and the weld personnel in the plants were not
getting the necessary process control training required to ensure optimum robot
weld quality and productivity. For those engineers and managers interested in
rectifying this situation I would recommend you evaluate the following training
weld process control resources.
What
resources do you invest in?
 From
a weld process control perspective, are your weld inspectors trained to be reactive
or proactive?
Too
many global manufacturing companies place their labor resources and focus on finding
weld defects, rather than on providing their employees with highly cost effective
the weld process control training programs,
that can enable weld defect prevention.
From an Ed Craig weld report
to a GM plant. 1985.
|
THE
GLOBAL WELD QA DEMISE: There has never been a bigger
demand
for weld inspectors, yet the demand for
managers, engineers,
supervisors and technicians with weld process control
expertise is almost none existent.
[]
ARE YOU READY TO ESTABLISH UNIFORM, NONE SALES BIASED, BEST WELD PRACTICES?
[]
WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET RID OF WELD REWORK AND POTENTIAL WELD QUALITY / PRODUCTIVITY
ISSUES WITH HIGHLY COST EFFECTIVE WELD PROCESS  CONTROLS?
[] IS YOUR ORGANIZATION CLOSE TO MAKING A LARGE WELD AUTOMATION OR WELD
EQUIPMENT INVESTMENT? AND YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTAIN OPTIMUM WELD QUALITY AND PRODUCTIVITY,
WITHOUT COSTLY, USELESS BELLS AND WHISTLES AND UNNECESSARY START UP WELD PROBLEMS.
[]
DO YOU HAVE WELD DESIGN CONCERNS OR ARE YOU LOOKING FOR WELD DESIGN TIPS TO ATTAIN
OPTIMIZATION IN WELD AUTOMATION?
[] ARE YOU SIMPLY LOOKING TO RESOLVE
WELD PROBLEMS OR LOOKING FOR THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE EFFECTIVE PROCESS AND PROCEDURES
FOR YOUR APPLICATIONS?
[] PERHAPS YOU HAVE A MIG / FLUX CORED WELDER SHORTAGE
AT YOUR LOCATIONS AND YOU WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE THE WORLD'S MOST EFFECTIVE 40
HOUR TRAINING PROGRAMS.
FROM PIPE LINES TO AUTOMOTIVE PLANTS, FROM SHIP
YARDS AND OIL RIGS TO WELDING MICRO MEDICAL OR ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT. ED CRAIG
IS AVAILABLE FOR SHORT TERM OR LONG TERM GLOBAL CONTRACTS.
 LOOKING
FOR A LOW COST, FAST SOLUTION TO YOUR ROBOT / MANUAL WELDING ISSUES.
Phone
/ E-mail for Weld Help. Ed has resolved over 1000 companies weld issues. Many
weld issues can be resolved on the phone or by E-mail .
CALL
ED DAY OR EVENING, EASTERN STANDARD TIME.
USA. PHONE. 828 658 3574. E-mail.
ecraig@weldreality.com
|
WHEN
AN INDUSTRY IS DEPENDENT ON WELD SALES ADVICE AND PLACES LITTLE EMPHASIS ON WELD
PROCESS CONTROL EXPERTISE, IT SHOULD NOT BE A SURPRISE, TO FIND THAT
"PLAYING AROUND" WITH THE 2 CONTROLS ON
A 50 YEAR OLD MIG PROCESS IS CONSIDERED A NORMAL, WELD SHOP PRACTICE.
|
Would
a tool maker, machinist, mechanic or electrician play around
with their equipment,
or frequently ask a sales rep for advice?
Ed training his grandson so he
will not have to Ask
Lincoln How!
THE
AUTO / TRUCK INDUSTRY IS NOTORIOUS FOR IT'S FIREMAN APPROACH TO MANUFACTURING
WELDED PARTS.
In the weld shop managed by the fire
man, the root cause analysis of manual / robot weld issues will often play second
fiddle while the plant slowly burns.
|
 WELD
MANAGEMENT OR FIREMEN?
In
a weld manufacturing facility in which the MIG or flux cored weld quality and
productivity are not optimized, it's not uncommon to find engineers and management
in the constant fireman mode, daily
trying to quench the weld production fires.
[]
IN THE FIRE MAN'S PLANT, WE OFTEN FIND ISO DEEPLY EMBEDDED, KAIZEN IS A
SECOND LANGUAGE, BLACK BELTS ARE IN ABUNDANCE AND MANY OF THE COMMON MANUFACTURING
PROCESSES LIKE PAINT, RESISTANCE WELDING AND MIG WELDING ARE OUT OF CONTROL.
[]
IN THE FIRE MAN'S PLANT, YOU WILL NOT FIND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF
UNIFORM BEST WELD PRACTICES AND PROCESS CONTROLS.
[]
IN THE FIRE MAN'S PLANT,
YOU WILL NOT FIND ANYONE THAT IS AWARE OF THE REAL COST OF A COMMON 1/4 (6 MM)
FILLET WELD.
[] IN THE FIRE MAN'S PLANT,
IT'S RARE TO FIND A MANAGER OR ENGINEER THAT TAKES OWNERSHIP OF THE PROCESSES
THAT CREATE THEIR PROFITS.
THE
COMMON LACK OF WELD PROCESS EXPERTISE, IS THE REASON WHY WE HAVE THE COMMON LACK
OF WELD COST EXPERTISE. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR AN EASY WAY TO WORK OUT AND CONTROL
WELD COSTS, CLICK HERE.
|
How
many of you have
worked with managers or engineers who have established Best MIG Weld Practices
or Weld Process Controls?
How many weld decision makers have you met that
know their hourly manual weld deposition rates, their robot weld speed potential
for any weld or the real world robot weld efficiency potentials?
How many
highly skilled weld individuals with 20 plus years weld experience, are aware
of the weld process solutions to those common daily robot MIG weld process issues?
How
many weld personnel in your shop could in less than five minutes work out the
cost
of one meter of a common 6 mm MIG fillet weld?
 Note:
Weld procedures are not weld process controls. In north America, we loose billions
of dollars each year to weld rejects and. rework and the majority of those welded
parts had a prequalified weld procedure. Weld process control is the ability to
instantly set parameters that enable optimum weld quality / productivity for any
application and for the variables that will influence that application.
 FOR
DECADES, I WALKED THROUGH GLOBAL WELD SHOPS , SEARCHING TO FIND WELD DECISION
MAKERS WHO WERE NOT INFLUENCED
BY A SALESMAN:
As
a training manger or marketing manager for Praxair, Airgas, AGA, and Liquid Carbonic,
I should know a thing or two about the sales influence on the welding industry.
Thanks
to decades of global MIG weld industry reliance on sales advice, three of the
largest growth and most profitable weld products sold in industrial nations are,
[1] costly pulsed MIG equipment,
[2] metal cored wires,
[3] three
part gas mixes.
If these products were no longer available to weld shops that
weld mostly carbon steels, low alloy steels and stainless, there would be no impact
on the global weld industry's weld quality and productivity.
Weld
Ownership, Responsibility and Accountability should
not start with your local
weld sales rep:
When
MIG or flux cored weld advice is needed, many weld shops with weld personnel who
have been in the business for decades, will not think twice about asking the local
weld equipment rep or salesman who just graduated college with a degree in either
English or Fine Arts. This rep is usually ready to recommend a new, useless three
part gas mix, or the latest $11,999.99 pulsed MIG power source with it's programmable,
magical wave forms, sensitive circuit boards and short life span.
Process
Controls: Welding is a trade in which during the last fifty years the focus
has been mostly on the welder's skills. Of course the MIG and flux cored processes
require skills, however for process optimization especially with weld automation,
process control expertise is essential. Take a look around your weld shop and
watch your highly skilled weld personnel play around with those MIG controls.
Best
Practices: In most global plants best weld practices has never been implemented.
Take
a look around your shop, how many different power sources, welding wires
and gas mixes can you count?
Weld Costs:
When asked about weld costs, the
majority of global weld shops will
want to discuss the cost of the weld wires or weld gas mixes. Deposition rates
are two words rarely used and too many welding supervisors lack the ability to
work out the cost of a common
6 mm fillet weld.
Note:
If it takes you more than 5 minutes to work out the cost of any weld, you lack
weld process expertise.
FOR
MANY MANAGERS , LACK OF PROCESS OWNERSHIP LEADS TO LACK
OF WELD QUALITY AND
PRODUCTIVITY RESPONSIBILITY AND WHEN WELD
ISSUES OCCUR, THE FINGERS TYPICALLY
POINTS TO THE SHOP FLOOR.
  
AND
THE KEY TO WELD OPTIMIZATION IS?
IF
MANAGEMENT, SUPERVISORS, ENGINEERS AND TECHNICIANS WOULD EMBRACE THE LOW COST
PROCESS CONTROL RESOURCES AVAILABLE AT THIS SITE
AND INCREASE THEIR DESIRE FOR WELD PROCESS OWNERSHIP, THEY WILL ATTAIN THE KEYS
THAT OPEN THE DOOR TO WELD PROCESS OPTIMIZATION AND EXTENSIVE WELD COST REDUCTION.
|
Process
Expertise: The
MIG process is over fifty years old, and yet I
wonder how many weld decision
makers in your organization would be
able to answer the following fundamental
weld questions.
 THE
RELEVANCE OF MIG & FLUX CORED WELD PROCESS EXPERTISE?
If
it takes you more than 15 minutes to provide the correct answers to the following
seven fundamental weld questions, you are not in control of the world's most common
weld equipment and consumables.
|
[1]
What is the wire feed setting in inch/min (m/min) in which an 0.045 (1.2mm) wire
with argon - 20% CO2 goes into spray transfer?
[1b] What changes are necessary
if you change the MIG gas to argon 10% CO2?
[2]
Using an 0.035 (1mm) wire, what wire feed setting in inch/min (m/min), does short
circuit transfer change into spatter producing globular transfer, using argon
20% CO2?
[3] You are using a robot to weld a common 3/16 (5mm) carbon steel,
horizontal fillet weld with an 0.045 (1.2 mm) wire and argon - 10%CO2. You need
to attain a weld travel speed of > 45 ipm. Provide the Wire Feed Speed_____Volts___.
[4]
This robot cell goes through six contact tips each day. The robot welds 1/4 (6mm)
carbon steel, using an 0.045 MIG wire and argon 10 CO2. The wire feed data is
280 inch/min (7 m/min) with 25 weld volts. Why the tip issues?
[5] With
a robot, set the flux cored wire feed setting, weld travel rate and voltage to
weld a 1/4 (6mm), horizontal fillet weld with an 0.045 (1.2mm) E71T-1 flux cored
wire and argon 20% CO2?
[6] What is the weld cost for a part which has
80 inches (2 meters) of 1/4 (6 mm) horizontal fillet welds on each part. You are
using an 0.045 (1.2mm) wire that cost $1 /lb. Your argon CO2 mix cost $40 per-cyl.
The wire feed rate is set at 420 inch/min, with 30 volts. Your welders have an
overhead rate of $40 / hr. The welders average arc on time is 30 minutes per-hr.
[7]
You have two welds to make on 1/4 (6 mm) carbon steel. The flux cored wire is
an E71T-1, size 0.045 (1.2mm).
(1) Provide the optimum wire feed and voltage
setting to weld a vertical up 6 mm fillet weld.
(2)
Provide the optimum wire feed and voltage setting to weld a horizontal 6 mm fillet
weld.
[8]
You have an automated weld unit that runs on a track. Your spray MIG weld is oversize.
Without touching the wire feed rate, you increase the weld travel rate by 20%.
What will you have to do to the voltage and explain why?
Note: If you have
difficulty with these eight fundamental process questions, don't feel frustrated,
after all, for more than five decades, the weld industry and weld educators have
placed minimal focus on the subject of MIG / FCAW process control expertise.
Attaining
consistent daily optimum weld quality and productivity will never come without
weld process knowledge. If you
are interested in further testing your level of weld process control expertise,
why not give these two weld process tests a try;
[]
Ed's flux cored process control weld test,
[] Ed's MIG process control test.
After
the weld tests, ask your self, is this type of weld process control knowledge
and data important to the
reputation and profitability of your organization?
YOU
MAY KNOW A MANAGER OR ENGINEER LIKE THIS: This
is the manufacturing manager with his head in the sand. This man believes that
MIG welding is a play around with controls trade. He believes that weld productivity
is measured by how long the welder's hood is down and his company's weld quality
will depend on the temperament and artistic skill level of each welder.
 When
you ask this manager about his weld costs, he typically will want to discuss the
cost of the weld wires and gas mixes. When this manager has weld issues, he will
not think twice about calling Lincoln or Miller or asking the local weld sales
rep for advice.
This is the manager who has no problem spending unnecessary
dollars on the latest three part gas mixes or on costly MIG equipment loaded with
ineffective electronic bells and whistles.
This
will be the manager who daily accepts inconsistent, manual, weld quality and unacceptable
productivity as the norm, and his expectations from those costly robots is not
too great.
AND
YOU MAY KNOW MANAGERS / ENGINEERS LIKE THIS:
[]
These are the managers
and engineers who are tired with futile
finger pointing, and fed up with vendor
sales reliance.
[] These individuals are frustrated
that their experienced weld personnel have to "play around" with the
fifty year old MIG process.
[] These managers no longer want to read weekly
reports full of excuses for their inconsistent, robot / manual, MIG flux cored
weld quality and productivity.
[] At weld or engineering meetings these
weld decision makers will want to quickly get to the root causes of their daily
weld issues and know what engineered steps are being implemented to resolve those
issues.
[] These are the managers that know that optimum MIG weld process
performance comes with Best Weld Practices and from the implementation of Process
Controls. These managers will
know that to achieve this their employees will need special process control training.
[] These managers will have marked on their
calendars the date that uniform Best MIG and
flux cored Weld Practices will
be implemented and will celebrate the day when effective
Robot Weld Process
Controls are in place.
 Where
there is weld inconsistency and weld process confusion, there is always the opportunity
for dramatic cost savings. You
get to the root cause of the weld issue and the weld resolution and cost reduction
is one step away.
I
hope this site can be a catalyst for progressive, cost effective weld
changes
for your weld facility. I hope that the information encourages managers and engineers
towards weld process ownership and reduces some of the common MIG / flux cored
weld process issues, myths, confusion and sales reliance that's common in global
MIG weld shops.
 GM
- FORD - HARLEY - DANA - MAGNA - TENNECO - VOLVO - TOYOTA
- HONDA - IMPERIAL OIL - COMBUSTION ENGINEERING
- IODINE - CATERPILLAR - JOHN DEERE - MERCEDES - DOW CHEMICAL - BABCOCK - ABB
- GENERAL DYNAMICS -
GE - VW - TEXTRON - INGERSOLL
RAND - ESSO are just a few companies that utilized Ed's robot / manual process
control services or training resources.
Daily, over the phone or by E
mail, Ed provides weld process quality / productivity solutions for a flat fee
of $375. (Visa / MC) Contact Ed.
Phone
Ed day or evening 828 658 3574. North Carolina. Eastern Standard
Time. E mail. ecraig@weldreality.com.
|
Visit
all the MIG and Flux Cored
self teaching and training programs
When
management should present
the keys to the weld shop personnel.
Ownership, responsibility and accountability for
high volume, manual or robot, MIG and flux cored weld quality and productivity,
has to start and end in the front office.
The
keys for weld process ownership should only be presented
to the shop floor
once;
[1] Uniform Best Weld Practices are established.
[2] All welds
are Pre-qualified and Procedures are provided with narrow operating ranges.
[3]
Process Controls are implemented.
[4] Manufacturing and Weld Instructions
are complete and highly visible.
[5] Training is provided in the assembly,
the equipment, the process and the acceptance criteria.
[6]
Dimensional tolerances are maintained to the design.
[7] A method for
daily weld evaluation is established.
[8]
A Proactive Preventive Maintenance Program is established.
These
steps and their requirements for both manual and robot welds, are well covered
in Ed's MIG and flux cored, easy to use, process control training resources:
[]
NO ONE USES MORE FLUX CORED WIRE THAN A SHIP YARD.
[]
NO ONE HAS GREATER DEGREE OF WELD DIFFICULTY THAN A SHIP YARD.
[]
NO ONE HAS MORE FLUX CORED WELD DEFECTS THAN A SHIP YARD.
[]
NO ONE HAS GREATER POTENTIAL TO REDUCE WELD COSTS THAN A SHIP YARD.
[]
NO ONE HAS GREATER WELD REPAIR COSTS THAN A SHIP YARD.
YET MOST GLOBAL
SHIP YARDS HAVE NOT ESTABLISHED BEST WELD PRACTICES AND THE MAJORITY OF YARDS
HAVE NOT PROVIDED THEIR EMPLOYEES WITH MIG AND FLUX CORED WELD PROCESS CONTROL
TRAINING:
 In
the weld cost section, take a look at the multi-million dollar cost savings, one
ship yard attained, using Ed's unique, one day flux cored weld process control
training program.
MIG
OR FLUX CORED, THERE IS ONE WAY TO QUICKLY ATTAIN BEST WELD
PRACTICES AND WELD PROCESS CONTROL EXPERTISE. My
unique MIG and flux cored Best Weld Practices and Process Control training resources
are available in both book and CD form. I have developed these materials over
four decades. With my self teaching CD, Power Point training programs,
within an eight hour training period, your MIG and flux cored weld personnel will
be able to;
 [1]
Master the weld equipment and attain it's full performance potential for all carbon
steel, alloy steels and stainless welds.
Attain consistent, optimum weld quality and productivity from low cost MIG equipment.
No more MIG and flux cored weld process issues. No more "playing around"
with the manual or robot weld controls.
|
