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 challenges is that rework and overwelding is […]
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, […]
In our many years of working in the welding industry we have come across some phenomenal welders. We continue to be impressed by the level of skill of many of these men and women. Unfortunately, many business owners and managers allow this skilled labor to go underutilized. Welder efficiency, which also goes by other names […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Many fabricators struggle to get a grip on their welding costs. The best they can do is try to find suppliers that will sell them their consumables, gas and other raw materials at a lower price. Those who try to reduce costs by being more efficient soon realize that simply speeding up welding is not […]
Many of our customers realize that there is a great potential for reducing costs in welding operations. Yet, not many are willing to attack this area of manufacturing. The reason for this is that welding is a very complicated industrial process. It has many variables that come into play which determine quality and productivity. So […]
