Why You Must Have Welding Procedure Specifications

Our previous article discussed the importance of having a specification for weld quality.  In this article we’re talking about the importance of one of its basic components: Welding Procedure Specifications (WPSs). Many fabricators don’t have WPSs. They rely in the experience of their welders to select the right parameters.  As much as we want every […]

5 Common Mistakes Made When Estimating the Costs of a Welding Job

When bidding jobs several fabricators end up calculating their costs associated with welding and then double that number to be safe.  In some cases, that isn’t even enough.  It is important to have a clear understating of how to translate the amount of welding to be done to actual manufacturing costs.  One of the biggest […]

Control Your Shielding Gas Usage

If you own or run a business in which welding is an integral part of the manufacturing process you know one of your recurrent expenses is your shielding gas.  Very few manufacturing facilities, big or small, have excellent control of gas usage.  Most end up using twice as much than necessary, and in some cases […]

Calculating Weight of Weld Metal Required

Estimate pounds of welding electrode necessary to complete a job

Calculating weld metal requirements seems complicated but for the majority of applications it should not be. Short of having a computer program that calculates this for you, the easiest way is to use the tables found in The Procedure Handbook of Arc Welding. Table 12-1 provides data to calculate weight of weld metal required per […]

Importance of Macro Etch Testing of Welds

Lack of fusion cannot be detected visually. The image above shows a macroetch of a fillet weld showing that lack of root fusion.

Macro etch tests are commonly done as part of qualification tests for welders and welding procedures. This test is relatively easy to do and does not require complex or expensive equipment.  However, very few fabricators ever perform this test. A macro etch test can serve as verification that a change on how something is welded […]

Bigger (Weld) Is Not Always Better

When it comes to fillet welds, bigger is not always better.  A fillet weld is easy to measure, simply take out your fillet weld gauges and measure it.  However, there is an incorrect assumption that a bigger weld (as measured with a fillet gauge) is always stronger than a smaller weld. Before we get into […]

How to Calculate Deposition Rate for Solid Wires

A common question that is asked when manufacturers are trying to determine costs associated with welding is: How many pounds of wire can I deposit per hour? Or, how many pounds of wire can I deposit at a specific amperage or wire feed speed?   There are charts to help you determine this, but it’s always […]

The Best Piece of Equipment to Reduce Welding Costs

Many fabricators spend thousands of dollars in new welding equipment every year.  They look for the latest and greatest technology that will allow them to reduce manufacturing costs.  We have seen some of our customers justify the purchase of robots and other types of advanced welding equipment relatively easily.  Some pieces of equipment pay for […]

9 Common Problems with Welding Procedures

They can do more than simply fail an audit

The use of welding procedures specifications (WPS) is the foundation of a good welding quality control management system. It has a huge impact on quality as well as productivity.  Despite this, many fabricators are still running their facilities without WPSs.  And many who are, have significant issues which prevent this powerful document from maintaining quality […]

12 Ideas to Reduce Welding Costs

Controlling costs associated with welding operations does not have to be complicated. Yet, many fabricators miss out on savings substantial amounts of time and money simply because they are too busy to take some time to implement cost reduction initiatives.  Some of the ways in which costs can be reduced are presented below.  Some of […]