Who determines what size a weld should be? This is a question we ask many of our customers. And we never seem to get a straight answer. In a perfect world, the design engineer should specify all weld sizes and clearly communicate this through welding symbols on the print. But that is hardly ever the […]
Have you ever noticed that there are design rules that prohibit sizing a fillet weld below a certain size for a given thickness of material? If you look at AWS D1.1/D1.1M:2020 Structural Welding Code (Steel) you can find this on Table 7.7. If you happen to own a copy of AISC 360-16 Specification for Structural […]
Weld inspection should not just take place after welding. Inspection before and during welding is critical. But what can you inspect if welding has not been performed? Take a look at the checklists below for pre, during and post weld inspection. Most of these items fall under the responsibility of the welding inspector, but any party involved […]
Many fabricators can lower their welding costs significantly if they paid close attention to weld sizes. If a print calls for a ¼” fillet weld and in production you make a 5/16” fillet weld, you are overwelding by 56%! If the print calls for a 3/16” fillet, the 5/16” fillet weld you deposit would be […]
In a perfect world parts would fit together perfectly every time. However, as we all know, this isn’t the case. We mostly think of poor fit up as something that annoys welders but which they can compensate for. But the reality is it can have tremendous impact on your bottom line. Or, in many cases, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
