5 Tips for Improving Robotic Welding
Robotic MIG welding can provide companies with very significant gains in productivity and excellent return on investment — when done right. Unfortunately, companies often make the mistake of focusing too much on big picture items like the power source and robotic arm, neglecting the small but equally important details like the welding wire, MIG gun and consumables.
While the power source and robot arm certainly are important components to consider, even the most carefully chosen and configured robot system can fail to reach its potential without the right components to support the system.
That said, below are several tips for maximizing your robotic welding productivity and reducing robot downtime through proper wire, gun and consumables selection.
1. Select the Right Wire
Because robotic welding involves very precise tolerances and even minute variations in the wire feed process can result in unacceptable welds, it is important to choose a wire designed to feed smoothly through the drive rolls and liner. Wires engineered specifically with robotic applications in mind often provide better feeding characteristics than those designed for all-purpose use.
Another consideration peculiar to robotic applications is the arc starting performance of the wire. A wire that produces unreliable and inconsistent arc starts can negate the productivity benefits of a robotic system by creating substantial down time, or downstream rework.
For many robotic MIG applications, a metal-cored wire will provide excellent weld quality, metal deposition, mechanical properties, bead appearance and travel speed. Because it contains deoxidizers and other arc stabilizers in the core of the wire, metal-cored wire also produces very little to no spatter, which reduces post-weld cleanup and the frequency with which the welding gun must be cleaned. This is particulary evident when welding over mill scale.
Another benefit unique to metal-cored wire is that it reduces sub-surface porosity caused by extended wire stick-out and changes in gun angles, which often goes undetected during visual weld inspection. Further, the wide, round penetration profile of metal-cored wire allows a greater margin of error in wire placement, particularly in fillet welds where fusion at the root is critical.
Metal-cored wire won’t be the right solution for every robotic application, however, so be sure to check with a robotic welding expert or wire manufacturer prior to making a purchase decision.
Responsible for delivering the electrical current to the welding wire and shielding gas to the weld pool, the MIG gun consumables play a crucial role in ensuring weld quality. The challenge lies in delivering consistent current under extreme heat for hours and days without interruption.
2. Choose the Right Consumables
Because robotic welding involves a lot of arc-on time, it is important to choose consumables that are durable. Tregaskiss® AccuLock™ R consumables have tapered connections to ensure reliable conductivity and reduce heat buildup that could lead to premature failure.
AccuLock contact tips also have greater mass at the front end and are designed so 60% of the tip is buried in the gas diffuser. Both features help protect the contact tip from the heat of the arc and make it last longer, reducing downtime for changeover. The contact tips feature coarse threads and a long tail that concentrically aligns the contact tip in the gas diffuser before the threads engage. This design virtually eliminates cross-threading, so there is less downtime for troubleshooting associated with this issue.
For pulsed welding applications, which can be especially harsh on contact tips, AccuLock HDP contact tips are a good choice. The hardened insert helps the contact tip last 10 times longer than those made of copper or chrome zirconium.
As part of a common consumable platform™, AccuLock R consumables share a common contact tip that can be used with Bernard® AccuLock S consumables for semi-automatic MIG guns. Because most shops that use robots also have semi-automatic applications, using an interchangeable consumables system can reduce inventory footprint and downtime associated with retrieving the incorrect consumables when replacement is needed.
3. Consider a Front-Load Liner
Front-loading liners allow robotic MIG welding operators to replace the liner from the front of the gun instead of the back end, where the welding cable connects to the wire feeder. These liners can be changed in much less time than standard liners, providing the opportunity to change a liner on a proactive basis during short periods of downtime, rather than waiting for the next available time allotted for Preventative Maintenance (PM).
A front-load liner typically requires the operator to install a retainer at the back end of the gun during initial installation. Following this initial installation, the operator simply removes the front-end consumables, pulls the old liner out, slides the new liner on over the wire and replaces the consumables.
4. Select the Right Filler Metal Package
The benefits of robotic MIG welding rely on volume and uptime, so it should be no surprise that reducing robot downtime for routine wire changeovers can be one of the most effective ways of maximizing return on investment and productivity.
The ideal filler metal package for a robotic application should be large enough to reduce wire changeovers as much as possible, yet not so large that the same wire sits on the shop floor for more than a few days. Filler metal is usually shipped in air-tight containers, and once opened, it runs the risk of absorbing moisture, dust, oil or other contaminants that can affect its welding performance.
Also consider where the filler metal will be located within the welding cell. In some cases, weld cell configurations make large filler metal drums impractical, but when possible, stocking at least one extra filler metal package near the robot can help reduce downtime.
Finally, selecting recyclable filler metal packaging can reduce cost and the amount of employee time spent properly separating and disposing of recyclable and non-recyclable packaging materials.
5. Select the Right MIG Gun
Durability is a desirable quality in both semi-automatic and robotic MIG guns, but in the case of robotic applications it becomes absolutely paramount. Inevitably, the welding gun will occasionally experience a physical crash with other equipment (such as clamps, fixtures, etc.) or the weldment itself. While it’s difficult to completely avoid occasional collisions, selecting a robust robotic MIG gun will greatly reduce the downtime, lost production and product replacement costs associated with these unforeseen collisions.
Typically, the neck of the robotic MIG gun takes the brunt of the impact so choosing a product with sufficient armor should help maintain the TCP (tool center point) and can minimize costly interruptions to productivity. In addition, selecting a robotic MIG gun with a large work envelope will help improve joint accessibility and reduce the complexity of robotic programming and the possibility of unexpected collisions.
Turning production over to a robotic welding system is never a task to be undertaken lightly. Done hastily and without carefully selecting the right equipment, including the wire, MIG gun and consumables, the endeavor could result in excessive downtime and greater expenses. Properly considered and done right, however, robotic welding can yield impressive gains in productivity, reduced downtime and rework and increased bottom line profitability.
Additional Resources
- Learn about the benefits of AccuLock R consumables
- Watch how AccuLock R consumables ease installation
Automated welding systems have the potential to increase productivity, improve weld quality, reduce labor and materials costs, mitigate the welder shortage and most importantly increase a company’s overall profitability. These systems can be expensive, but they have come down in price substantially over the past 10 years, and those costs need to be understood within the context of the benefits the system provides. In a globally competitive environment, rather than asking yourself whether you can afford to automate, you might consider asking whether you can afford not to automate. Automation won’t be right for every company, however, and choosing the right system for your operations is crucial to ensuring a wise investment. Like most purchasing decisions, success in automation depends almost entirely on planning and preparation. The rewards can be significant, but so too can the costs in making the wrong decision. Below are eight factors that you need to consider when deciding whether and how to automate your welding operations. A single automated welding system can perform the welding of up to three employees, oftentimes with better quality results, and eliminate bottlenecks that occur at the welding stage of the manufacturing process. But that’s not all. An automated system can lower your consumables cost by using only as much filler metal as is necessary. It can also greatly reduce your scrap and rework rates by improving the visual and mechanical quality of your welds, and reducing or eliminating spatter. Further, automating your welding can reduce your labor costs, allowing you to reallocate those resources elsewhere in your plant. If you are in an industry where your competition is still welding by hand, investing in an automated system could provide you with a competitive advantage in your customers’ minds. The benefits of automating can be significant, but those benefits come at a price. Many companies, especially smaller fabricators and those with frequently changing production lines, need to see a payback period of no more than 12-15 months in order to justify the investment. On the other hand, companies that know their production needs will not change for years can often justify a longer payback period. Calculating payback first involves determining your current product cycle times and comparing that to the potential cycle times of an automated system. If you need to produce X number of parts per week, for example, and an automated system can produce those parts in 1/4 the time it takes a human operator, you’ve just increased your productivity by 75 percent. Given that approximately 70 percent of a welding operation’s costs are for labor, the chart below shows the labor saving potential of an automated welding system. Overwelding is a common and costly occurrence in semi-automatic welding. A weld bead that is 1/8-in. larger than necessary can double your filler metal costs. An automated system can reduce your filler metal costs by only putting down as much material as necessary. Automated systems also use bulk filler metal drums, which can further reduce your filler metal costs by requiring fewer changeovers and yielding bulk purchasing discounts. Using bulk tanks for your shielding gas, another highly recommended step in optimizing your automation capabilities, will further increase your return on investment. Automating a welding cell won’t be the right course of action for everyone, but the capabilities of automated systems and their increasing affordability is making it a wise choice for many companies. You must be able to provide the robot with a consistent supply of material and ensure that the parts being welded do not pile up in another part of the plant. If your robot only serves to move the production bottleneck from the welding cell to the painting booth, for example, then you have not increased your productivity. Repeatability and measurability is a precursor to automation. If you don’t have a blueprint (preferably an electronic blueprint), you likely won’t be able to automate the welding for that part. You should also have a thorough understanding of your existing productivity from which to measure the improvements of the automated system. Further, parts should have large batch runs (although there are some exceptions to this rule), tolerances within thousandths of an inch, and configurations that allow access from an automated gun. Make sure you have the right workforce to automate your operations. An automated welding system requires a trained operator to make sure it is running properly. Because it takes longer to become a skilled welder than it does to learn how to operate an automated welding system, it usually makes sense to train a welder to operate the automated system rather than trying to train a tech-savvy employee in proper weld quality identification and troubleshooting. Automated systems generally require three-phase 480v electrical power, and only reach their full potential with the use of a bulk gas/manifold system, so these factors should also be considered in determining whether or not to make the leap into automation. There are two basic types of automated welding systems, robotic and fixed. A robotic system is what most people think of when they think of automated welding. It uses a robotic arm that can move along several axes and a positioner that moves the part to be welded. Robotic systems are more expensive and more complicated than fixed automation systems, but you can reprogram them to accommodate different product lines if your business changes. This makes robots especially attractive if you have a small, growing fabrication shop. In a fixed automation system, either the gun or the part is fixed in place, making the system less flexible in accommodating changes in product configuration and design. A product that requires only straight or curved welds along a single plane is usually a good candidate for a fixed automation system. Planning a successful automation effort involves carefully choosing the equipment that will make up the system, including: the positioner, the tooling, the welding power source, the robot, the gun, the welding wire and the peripherals. The positioner is responsible for, as its name implies, turning, rotating or otherwise moving the part into an optimal position to be welded. In many cases, this involves moving the part so that the system can weld in a flat position for optimal deposition efficiency. The tooling holds the material in place to be welded and is one of the most critical components of an automated welding system. Because the gun moves along the exact same path each cycle, if the weld joint is out of place by as little as a few thousandths of an inch, the resulting part could end up in the rework or scrap bins. Simply designing the tooling correctly at the beginning isn’t enough, however. The tooling is subject to mechanical wear, heat distortion and other factors that could cause weld defects, so a trained operator must ensure the tooling continually maintains acceptable tolerances. Power sources, especially those designed specifically for automated welding, can monitor and respond to the arc conditions within milliseconds, making it possible to reduce heat input to the materials, increase travel speeds, reduce spatter, bridge gaps and work with a wide variety of metals. Choose a power source that offers these benefits. Selecting the right gun and welding wire can also have a significant bearing on the productivity and profitability of your operation, and should be chosen based on how they perform in conjunction with the rest of the system’s components and parts. Subjected to intense heat, spatter and other elements, the gun must be highly durable in order to avoid maintenance downtime. The gun should also be easily serviceable in order to minimize any downtime for spatter removal, contact tip changeover and other routine maintenance. Finally, robotic peripherals, such as nozzle reamers, anti-spatter applicators and wire cutters should also be factored into your automation effort. These devices can improve uptime and welding performance. Predicting your company’s automated welding needs in the years ahead will help determine the type of system you need. If you have a part that easily lends itself to a fixed automation system, for example, but you aren’t confident that you will be making that part three years from now, a robotic system might be the better choice. It can be reprogrammed and retooled to accommodate your needs in the future. Your automation partner, whether it’s your welding supplies distributor, a robotic systems integrator, an equipment manufacturer or an independent consultant, should be available with support and service throughout the transition to an automated welding system, not just until you install the robot. Further, most reputable robot manufacturers provide at least a week-long training course, as well as 24-hour support hotlines and field service technicians who can make on-site repairs and/or consultations. The popularity of automated welding operations is growing by leaps and bounds thanks to their welding capabilities and return on investment. If you have a repeatable part, efficient material flow and a desire to increase your company’s productivity, you should at least be looking into automation. You should also assume that your competition is as well. The first step toward determining if automation that is right for you will be to contact a trusted expert who can conduct an on-site analysis of your specific circumstances, recommend the appropriate equipment and configurations, and calculate the payback you can expect.
Given that the single-most enticing reason for companies to invest in welding automation is to improve productivity, it may seem counterintuitive to stop or slow production — for any reason. But what if minor downtime could save your company vast amounts of time, trouble and money in the long term? Or give you a greater competitive edge by improving your overall efficiency? Simply put, that is the basis of a preventative maintenance or PM program. Unfortunately, far too often companies fall victim to the ‘if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it’ mentality when it comes to caring for automated equipment, including the robotic MIG gun and consumables. Doing so, however, can have dire consequences. Not only is there a risk of losing productivity and lowering throughput if the entire system isn’t functioning properly, but even the slightest malfunction can result in higher labor, lower weld quality, greater rework and wasted materials. But most importantly, downtime associated with troubleshooting and completing repairs can significantly lower the return on investment sought by transitioning to welding automation in the first place. And while caring properly for the whole of an automated welding system is imperative, maintaining the robotic MIG gun itself is just as important. In fact, the robotic MIG gun (including the consumables) is often one of the most overlooked components of the system — and also one of the easiest to maintain. Fortunately with some simple steps, you can make robotic MIG gun maintenance an important part of your overall preventive maintenance program and ensure the most consistent performance of your entire automated welding system along the way. Preventative maintenance programs, particularly those for robotic MIG guns, are not just beneficial for large companies with multiple automated welding cells. All companies, regardless of their size or arc count should regularly care for this equipment. Like the key tenets of the 5S methodology (Sort, Straighten, Shine, Standardize and Sustain), taking proactive steps to ensure the productivity of your automated welding operation, starting with the guns (no matter how many you have) can positively affect your company’s workflow, throughput and bottom line. The scope of a preventative maintenance program varies according to each particular application. Specifically, the higher the risk of problems in your process — logistically and fiscally — the more frequently you should take steps to prevent them. Take for example a heavy equipment manufacturer that welds thick plate and has an average welding cycle time of 4 hours per part. This company stands to have greater downtime and more expensive rework to remedy a problem than a company that welds smaller, less expensive parts in a four-minute weld cycle. Therefore, this higher risk process needs more frequent care of its equipment, including its robotic MIG gun, as part of an overall preventative maintenance program. Welding engineers, welding supervisors, tool and die employees or members of the maintenance staff are all viable candidates to oversee a preventative maintenance program. There is, however, one single key to these employees executing a program successfully: training. All personnel involved need to be trained to be aware of the potential problems that could arise in the weld cell and how to prevent them. To make your robotic MIG gun a central part of a preventative maintenance program takes significantly less time than you might imagine. In fact, most of the maintenance can be completed shift-by-shift with minimal off-line time. Note, however, that such ‘in-process’ preventative maintenance does not constitute the entirety of a PM program. There may be procedures that need to take place off-shift due to their complexity and the time necessary to complete them. The first thing to know about maintaining your robotic MIG gun is to always use the proper tools for the job. When changing diffusers (or retaining heads), use a proper adjustable or crescent wrench. Contact tips should also be installed with a proper pair of pliers or welpers, or a specific tip installation tool. Always use a sharp pair of side cutters when trimming your robotic MIG gun liner, as any other type of tool will likely create a large burr that can wear or drag on the welding wire. Secondly, during your in-process robotic MIG gun maintenance, always check that the connections on the gun, consumables and cable are secure, in good working order, and that these components are all as clean as possible. This task can be completed relatively quickly when the welding operator overseeing the weld cell changes out a finished part and/or during a routine contact tip changeover. Specifically, check that the diffuser is tightly connected to the neck (or neck) and that, in turn, the contact tip fits snugly in the diffuser. Similarly, be certain the nozzle and any seals around it (depending on the style you use) are secure. Having tight connections from the neck through the contact tip ensures that you have a solid electrical flow throughout the components and that there is minimal heat build-up that could cause a premature failure. Minimizing heat build-up also lessens the chances of troublesome occurrences like burn-back, which could result in unplanned downtime to change over the contact tip and diffuser, as well as poor arc stability, which could cause quality issues and rework. Note, any change in the color of the consumables (particularly if the copper changes to a dark orange or purple) is a good indication that they are loose and require tightening. Additionally, check that the power pin and welding cable lead are properly secured and that the cable is not rubbing against any part of the robot’s metal casting, as this can eventually cause it to loosen or wear out the cable. A worn spot on your robot (e.g. the absence of paint) or on your tooling is a good indication that the cable is rubbing against it. Remedying such a problem needs to occur while the robot is off-line, since it could require repositioning the tooling or adding some form of cable management device; however, a quick in-process inspection that identifies the issue can flag it for a later, proactive solution. Visually inspecting your contact tip, nozzle and diffuser for spatter build-up is also a crucial part of a preventative robotic MIG gun maintenance program. Check, too, that your grounding blocks are clean and free of spatter in order to make good contact. Like loose connections between components, spatter build-up can cause excessive heat to be generated from the contact tip to the MIG gun neck, fouling the internal and external threads—even to the point of causing the torch itself to overheat and fail. Spatter can also block shielding gas flow, causing problems like porosity or other defects that require costly rework. It can also add to your overall costs for the consumables themselves, as spatter build-up will require you to changeover nozzles and contact tips more frequently than necessary. To prevent such problems, inspect your consumables regularly for spatter accumulation. Even better, consider using an automated consumables cleaning device, often called a nozzle cleaning station, reamer, or spatter cleaner to minimize spatter build-up. As with any part of your automated welding system, adding equipment like a spatter cleaner also adds costs to the initial capital investment; however, as with any part of a preventative maintenance program, it can save you money over the long term. Like its name implies, a spatter cleaner device removes spatter (and other debris) that builds up in the nozzle and diffuser as part of the normal welding process. Using this product in conjunction with a sprayer that applies an anti-spatter compound provides further protection against spatter accumulation and reduces downtime needed for fixing weld defects. Next in the preventative maintenance of your robotic MIG gun, determine how long it takes for the gun liner to become worn or fouled using your particular process, and As a side note, remember to cut the liner to the correct length, per the manufacturer’s recommendation. A liner that is either too long or too short can lead to poor wire feeding and poor weld quality. Improper liner lengths can also lead to premature contact tip failure. Periodically, check the force required to pull the welding wire from the feeder through the robotic MIG gun to ensure that there isn’t too much drag, which indicates that there is a build up of debris the liner. To complete this task properly, the drive rolls of the feeder should be released first. Also, it is best to perform this task in between shifts, as opposed to during contact tip changeover, as it will take a bit more time. During this time, you should also check the force needed to pull the welding wire from the coil through the wire conduit to the feeder. While the conduit and feeder are obviously not part of your robotic MIG gun, caring for them directly affects the performance of the gun itself. For example, debris in the wire conduit, if undetected through regular inspections, can be pulled through the length of the robotic gun, causing liner and consumable problems — especially wire stoppages that lead to burn-back. Similarly, too many twists or bends in the welding wire that feeds through the gun, can also affect the longevity of your gun liner, as well as arc stability and weld quality. It is a good preventative measure to check that the wire conduit is clean, that drive roll pressure is properly set and that you inspect and replace worn drive rolls and wire guides. Maintaining your robotic MIG gun is just part and parcel of an overall PM program, but it is significant nonetheless. Most of the robotic MIG gun maintenance, as discussed here, can be completed on a shift-by-shift basis with minimal interference with your cycle times and with minimal labor — especially when you consider the time and cost of resolving problems instead of preventing them in the first place. Remember, preventative maintenance programs don’t have to be complicated, only effective. So take some time to consider the preventative maintenance needs specific to your automated welding operation in order to establish the scope and frequency of your own program.
From high-volume, low-variety manufacturing facilities to low-volume, high-variety fabrication shops, robotic welding has become increasingly popular due to the potential weld quality and productivity improvements it can provide. Not only do those benefits make it an attractive investment for growth and profitability, but they can also provide companies with a competitive edge. Selecting the right equipment for a robotic welding operation, however, is not a task to be taken lightly. From determining the correct style of robot to suit an application’sparticular requirements to deciding which welding peripherals to purchase, companies must always choose wisely. Selecting the appropriate robotic MIG gun that suits the requirements of the application is also essential for optimizing the return on investment. For example, using a robotic MIG gun that has a higher amperage capacity than required can unnecessarily increase the total cost of ownership. Conversely, selecting an inadequate MIG gun can lead to performance issues, costly downtime and premature failures. Instead, companies are encouraged to select a robotic MIG gun that is suitable for the amperage, duty cycle and cooling capacity needed for the application. Doing so helps ensure good weld quality, and reduces equipment and maintenance costs. The right robotic MIG gun also helps companies improve productivity. The following information helps to outline key considerations towards making the right selection. Typically, air-cooled robotic MIG guns (rated at 500 amps) operate comfortably in the range of 200 to 300 amps at approximately 60 percent duty cycle with mixed gases (i.e. welding continuously for 6 of 10 available minutes). Further, these guns are ideal for welding thinner materials — typically upwards of 4 mm thick — and work best for shorter welds on high volume applications, including (but not limited to) those in the automotive or recreation equipment industry. Air-cooled robotic MIG guns, like their semi-automatic counterparts, rely on the ambient air to cool them during the welding process. These guns feature a unicable through which the welding wire, gas and power are all delivered. Air-cooled unicables use the appropriate amount of copper to create a conductor that is capable of managing welding current without any additional cooling. When compared to water-cooled unicables of similar rating, air-cooled unicables generally have up to four times the circular-mils (i.e. cross section) of copper. There are several advantages to using air-cooled robotic MIG guns, the most significant of which is their durability. An air-cooled neck has a much stronger and durable construction when compared to the neck on a water-cooled robotic MIG gun, making it more resistant to bending in the event of a collision or through general wear. Replacement parts for air-cooled robotic MIG guns also cost less and are easier to maintain. These guns tend to have a more streamlined design and smaller working envelope, allowing greater access into smaller joint configurations than a water-cooled robotic MIG gun. Too, air-cooled robotic MIG guns maintain their accuracy very well, which makes them an excellent option for applications requiring consistent, repeatable welds. One limitation to air-cooled robotic MIG guns is the lower duty cycle when compared to water-cooled guns; they are not capable of welding continuously for as long as a water-cooled robotic MIG gun. Water-cooled robotic MIG guns offer excellent advantages for applications that require welding at higher amperages for prolonged periods of time. These guns provide high amperage capacity — generally 300 to 600-plus amps — and are capable of managing a duty cycle within the 60 to 100 percent range. They are designed for welding on thicker materials (typically 1/4 inch and greater), making them a good choice for applications in heavy equipment manufacturing or similar such industries. As a rule the larger the overall size of the weldment, the greater the chances the application will require a water-cooled MIG gun. To prevent overheating, water-cooled robotic MIG guns rely on a supply of water or coolant from an external source. These sources include circulators or chillers, which tend to add to the overall cost and maintenance requirements of the system. The coolant travels through a water hose in the gun’s cable bundle (also containing the power cable, wire, and gas and water return hoses) and circulates up through the neck to the consumables. For very high-amperage applications, there are also water-cooled nozzles that are capable of circulating the coolant around the nozzle, but these are more expensive than standard ones. As mentioned previously, water-cooled power cables (found in the cable bundle) have approximately 1/4 of the copper found in an air-cooled unicable; thus, water-cooled unicables quickly fail if the water supply is interrupted. This factor is a disadvantage of water-cooled robotic MIG guns, as the parts can be expensive and time consuming to replace should they become damaged. Routine maintenance of the cables within the cable bundle can also be difficult, since they are all in close proximity to one another. And because these guns have internal water chambers in the neck, that part is inherently weaker than the neck on an air-cooled robotic MIG gun and much more likely to bend in the event of a collision. Still, for high-amperage applications that require high capacity cooling to protect the gun during long periods of welding, dealing with these disadvantages still make having a water-cooled robotic MIG gun worthwhile. For companies that weld multiple thicknesses of base materials and require both high and low amperage capabilities from a robotic MIG gun, a hybrid air-cooled/water-cooled robotic MIG gun is a good option. These MIG guns have a durable neck like an air-cooled model, but offer the higher cooling capacity of a water-cooled MIG gun. They feature exterior water lines that run along the outside of the neck to the nozzle, as opposed to through the neck like water-cooled MIG guns have. Hybrid air-cooled/water-cooled robotic MIG guns typically offer 300 to 550 amperage welding capacity at 60 percent duty cycle (using mixed gases). Hybrid air-cooled/water-cooled robotic MIG guns also have features that provide easier maintenance compared to a true water-cooled product. For example, the water lines run independently of the power cable and are more accessible than with a standard water-cooled MIG gun, so these guns do not need to be taken off of the robot for maintenance. Plus, if there are issues with water circulation, these guns can rely on the underlying air-cooled unicable to provide enough current-carrying capacity to avoid a catastrophic failure such as destroying a power cable or other components. Overall, the features of the hybrid air-cooled / water-cooled MIG gun help provide a lower total cost of ownership for the gun. One limitation of these MIG guns, like a standard air-cooled model, is the limit to duty cycle. For applications that require continuous duty cycles, these MIG guns would not be the best choice and a water-cooled product may have to be deployed. Regardless of which robotic MIG gun is right for a given application, good preventive maintenance is critical to ensuring product longevity and reducing unscheduled downtime. In particular, most robotic MIG gun manufacturers recommend using a nozzle cleaning station to prevent spatter build-up that can lead to quality issues or downtime (and costs) related to consumable changeover. Checking for loose connections along the length of the robotic MIG gun — from the power pin to the nozzle — is also key to preventing quality issues or damage that could cause the gun to fail prematurely. Remember, choosing the appropriate robotic MIG gun to suit the requirements of the application is essential for optimizing the return on investment. Using the right robotic MIG gun also provides for a more reliable system and can help manage the total cost of ownership, particularly by minimizing performance issues, costly repairs, unscheduled downtime and premature failures. In the end, it takes less time and money to protect a robotic MIG gun with preventive maintenance procedures than it does to take the gun offline for repair or to replace it.
Welding gun nozzles play a critical role in the welding operation. Having the right nozzle for the job can help reduce weld defects, rework and associated downtime — while also extending consumable life. All of these factors impact the bottom line. Unfortunately, like other MIG welding consumables, the importance of selecting the right nozzle is often overlooked. In any welding application, the right shape and style of nozzle, however, can have a significant impact on the quality, productivity and overall cost of the welding operation. Knowing how to store and handle nozzles properly can also help improve their overall performance. Consider these tips to get the best results. There are several shapes of nozzles available, including straight, bottleneck and short or long taper nozzles. Straight nozzles typically have larger inside diameters (e.g., 3/4 inch), but don’t offer as good of joint access. If greater joint access is critical, a bottleneck nozzle may be the better option. These nozzles are particularly good for automated welding applications. A common inside diameter for a bottleneck nozzle is 1/2 inch. Short and long taper nozzles are also common choices for gaining good joint access. Note, that long taper nozzles typically have a smaller inside diameters and may collect spatter more readily. When possible, using a short taper nozzle can help prevent such a problem. When selecting a nozzle, it is important to find one that provides the best joint access for the application. It is also imperative that the nozzle allows for the proper gas flow to the weld puddle in order to keep contaminants away. The best choice is to use as large of a nozzle as possible that still allows access to the weld joint. Doing so helps ensure the greatest shielding gas flow. Larger nozzles are also less prone to collecting spatter compared to those with smaller inside diameters. 1For extreme heat applications, consider water cooled nozzles/guns. Nozzles are typically available in heavy-duty or standard styles, and in slip-on or thread-on varieties. Heavy-duty nozzles have thicker walls, as well as thicker insulators, and are designed for use in applications ranging from 400 to 600 amps. Due to their heavier construction, these nozzles resist heat better than standard varieties. Standard nozzles tend to have a thinner wall and are better for 100- to 300-amp applications. Slip-on nozzles, as their name implies, simply slip on to the front end of the MIG gun. These nozzles are quite prevalent in the industry, compared to thread-on nozzles that need to be twisted to install, and they offer the advantage of being able to change over more quickly. A note of caution: when installing slip-on nozzles, be certain that they are fully seated on the retaining head to prevent shielding gas leaks that could lead to poor weld quality. Nozzles are typically available in brass or copper, although chrome-plated nozzles are also available. Brass nozzles tend to resist spatter well and are good for lower-amperage applications (100 to 300 amps), whereas copper nozzles are better for high-amperage applications (above 300 amps) or for those with longer arc-on time. For high-amperage water-cooled applications, there are also nozzles available that circulate coolant around the nozzles, but these tend to be much more expensive. It is important to handle, store and maintain nozzles properly to gain consistent welding performance and prevent premature failure. Selecting high quality nozzles can help these consumables last longer, too. Look for nozzles that are engineered with a smooth surface finish and edges, as these resist spatter build-up compared to nozzles that have an uneven surface or burrs on the edges. Nozzles that have some mass to them are also more desirable than lighter or thinner ones since they tend to resist heat better. Also, consider purchasing nozzles that feature a brass insert. This insert helps the nozzle maintain its inner diameter, and prevents the nozzle from rocking and wearing prematurely. The addition of a high-temperature fiberglass insulator can also help extend nozzle life. Finally, look for heavy-duty crimping on the nozzle — the crimping holds the layers together and is an indication that the nozzle has been built for longevity. When storing nozzles, keep them in their original packaging, usually a small plastic bag. Removing them from that packaging and placing them in a bin can lead to scratches or dents that allow spatter to adhere and will ultimately shorten the life of the nozzle. Use gloves when handling nozzles or replacing nozzles to prevent dirt, oil or other contaminants from adhering to them and inadvertently entering the weld puddle. Periodically inspect the nozzle for spatter build-up and clean it using the tool recommended by the manufacturer as needed and/or consider using an anti-spatter compound to protect against spatter. As with any front-end consumable, nozzles play an important role in maintaining good weld quality and can have a measurable impact on productivity and costs, too. Take the time to select the right ones for each application and maintain them properly. Careful selection and maintenance can minimize downtime and keep your welding operation running more smoothly in the long run. Select From Available Tregaskiss Nozzles
When it comes to welding, many variables can influence productivity and quality. The power source, filler metals, and consumables all factor into the equation and require special attention during the selection process. You must manage these variables properly to ensure their longevity and to help minimize downtime for maintenance and repair. For MIG consumables in particular, several pitfalls exist that can shorten their lifespan. Taking the time to learn tips for keeping them clean and lasting longer can positively affect productivity, quality, and the bottom line. The welding process generates heat that significantly affects the cleanliness and longevity of MIG consumables. Processes like pulsed MIG and other high-amperage applications tend to subject consumables to high heat levels, as do those that generate a lot of reflective heat. As the consumables heat up during welding, the material (usually copper or brass) becomes soft, making the surface area much more prone to spatter accumulation. To avoid this problem, you must determine the best consumables for each application and manage them properly throughout the course of a welding shift. For example, high-amperage applications (above 300 amps) most often benefit from using heavy-duty consumables because they have greater mass and are more capable of dissipating heat. However, if the welding procedure requires you to change the contact tip frequently, a standard-duty contact tip may suffice. Your goal should be to determine which consumables — heavy or standard duty — are most capable of withstanding the duty cycle and heat of the application. A reliable welding integrator often can help you make this determination. When used sparingly, anti-spatter compound can help keep MIG consumables clean in both semiautomatic and robotic welding applications. In a semiautomatic application, dip only the front 1.5 in. of the nozzle into the anti-spatter compound. Submerging the entire nozzle can saturate its fiberglass insulator and potentially plug up the gas holes on the diffuser. This buildup may cause premature nozzle failure or unbalanced gas coverage that can lead to weld porosity. In robotic applications, use the minimum amount of anti-spatter compound required for the application. Too much anti-spatter can build up on the consumables or cause the nozzle to become clogged with debris, leading to poor gas coverage, inconsistent electrical conductivity, or shortened consumable life. Another important way to combat spatter is to inspect the nozzle for buildup on a regular basis and clean it with a soft wire brush or spatter-cleaning tool as needed. Always keep MIG consumables in their original packaging until they are ready for use. Opening them and placing them in a bin can lead to scratches or dents that allow spatter to adhere and will ultimately shorten the products’ life. Similarly, removing contact tips or diffusers from their packaging and storing them in open or dirty containers can cause dirt and oil to accumulate in the threads, which can impede their properly seating together. Keep storage containers for new consumables separate from those for discarded ones to avoid selecting an old contact tip or nozzle that may have dents or scratches and be prone to spatter accumulation. Always wear clean gloves when handling or replacing contact tips, nozzles, and diffusers to prevent dirt, oil, or other contaminants from adhering to them. Installing MIG consumables correctly and inspecting them periodically for good connections minimizes the chance of poor conductivity and the spatter accumulation or premature failure that can result. Always follow the MIG consumable manufacturer’s suggestions for installing contact tips and gas diffusers. Use a pair of channel-lock pliers or other recommended installation tools to install tips and diffusers. Never use wire cutters or side cutters, as too much pressure from these tools can damage the inside diameter of the contact tip. These tools also tend to scratch the surface of the consumables, leaving marks that attract spatter. A good rule of thumb is to hand-tighten the contact tip until it is fully seated into the diffuser, then grip the contact tip with an appropriate tool as close to the base as possible, tightening it one-quarter to one-half turn past finger tight. This procedure helps ensure a good connection, minimizing electrical resistance, overheating, and damage to the consumables, as well as excessive spatter accumulation. Follow the same procedure for installing and tightening the diffuser so that it fully connects with the neck. Some contact tips can be installed and held in place by hand-tightening the nozzle. Check the manufacturer’s recommendation for proper installation instructions. Inspect consumable connections regularly to ensure that they are secure. A liner that is trimmed and installed improperly can cause a host of wire feeding problems that require downtime to rectify. It also affects MIG consumables’ performance, cleanliness, and longevity. Cutting a liner too short causes the liner to misalign with or in the gas diffuser. A misaligned liner will feed the wire off-center, and the contact can fail prematurely as a result. Debris often builds up between the liner and the retaining head when the liner is too short, causing wire feeding issues and poor weld quality. In some cases the gap that is present between the gas diffuser and liner when a liner has been cut too short will cause the welding wire to catch, shaving off a tiny portion of the wire. The small shavings can plug up the contact tip and cause it to fail quickly. A liner that’s too long can kink, which again leads to wire feeding issues that shorten the life of the contact tip. Always be sure to remove any burrs or sharp edges after cutting a liner to ensure smooth and consistent welding wire feeding. Always consult with the liner manufacturer’s recommendation for proper trimming and installation instructions. Also be sure to wear gloves when handling the liner, and avoid dragging it on the ground to keep debris away from the MIG gun. Debris can contaminate the weld and hinder consumable performance. The position of the contact tip (extended or recessed) affects consumable lifespan and cleanliness. The nozzle used in conjunction with a specific contact tip and the wire size also makes a difference. The farther the contact tip extends from the nozzle and the closer it is to the arc, the more prone it is to damage from reflective heat by way of spatter accumulation and burnbacks. A recessed contact tip can help prevent these problems while also providing better shielding gas coverage. For applications that require access into restricted areas, it is important to select a nozzle that provides that access but isn’t tapered so much that it impedes the space around the contact tip. If there isn’t enough space for shielding gas to flow out of the nozzle, the shielding gas could hit the workpiece and begin jetting back or swirling. This action pulls oxygen into the weld pool and increases the risk for spatter. As the bore size on the nozzle decreases, there is less mass to that portion of the consumable, increasing the risk for heat absorption and spatter adherence. As a general rule, select the largest consumable that will work for the application while still providing necessary joint access. Larger consumables are more able to resist heat and spatter buildup, and they often last longer as a result. Selecting consumables with the right material for the application is important too. For example, brass nozzles tend to resist spatter well and are good for lower-amperage applications (100 to 300 amps), whereas copper nozzles are better for high-amperage applications (more than 300 amps) or for those with longer arc-on time. Lastly, always pay attention to the manner in which you manage consumables. Using the same consumables throughout the welding operation can help you to maintain consistent performance and troubleshoot problems more quickly when they occur. The result can be longer-lasting, cleaner consumables that provide more reliable performance and quality.
Companies invest in robotic welding to increase throughput and profitability — so there is a lot at stake when something goes wrong in the process. Unplanned downtime for troubleshooting problems in the weld cell can add up to significant costs. In some cases, companies may hire more employees to address production issues or create workarounds in an effort to mitigate issues that are slowing down or stopping the robotic welding process. Most often, when a problem occurs with a robotic welding system, it’s valuable to ask first: What has recently changed in the process? Has the operator recently reprogrammed the robot? Or was the system restarted after a long shutdown? What about the consumables — has anything changed with them and have they been installed correctly? Quite often, looking at the most recently changed variable in the process can help narrow down the point of trouble. The issue may be something as simple as a loose or cross-threaded contact tip or more complex like an incorrect tool center point (TCP). Whichever the case, it’s important to have good troubleshooting skills to help narrow down the focus and get the robotic welding system back on line sooner. It’s also important to have the right equipment, including welding consumables. The longevity of consumables — nozzles, contact tips, diffusers and liners — in a robotic welding application depends in part on the material being welded, the welding parameters and the consumable style and material. High-amperage, high-deposition-rate applications, for example, tend to be harsher on consumables than those with lower amperages. Pulsed welding operations are also very harsh on consumables, particularly contact tips. Using a contact tip with a hardened insert can help the component last longer — 10 times longer, in fact — by better resisting electrical and mechanical wear. Still there can be multiple causes for poorly performing consumables and/or premature failure. For instance, a cross-threaded contact tip can lead to quality issues due to poor TCP, lack of fusion or poor weld penetration. It can also cause the contact tip to keyhole or wear unevenly. To prevent this, look for a contact tip with a long tail that concentrically aligns the contact tip within the gas diffuser before the threads engage. This design, along with coarse threads on the contact tip, helps prevent cross-threading. Such easy-to-install consumables are ideal for companies who may have less experienced welding operators on staff — and they can minimize downtime for troubleshooting incorrectly installed contact tips. A loose connection between consumables can be the culprit. Loose connections increase electrical resistance, causing the consumables to generate additional heat that can shorten their lifespan and/or cause them to perform poorly. Be certain to tighten consumables properly upon installation, per the manufacturer’s instructions, and check them periodically during routine pauses in welding. For companies that weld thick materials or long welds, it is especially important to make sure that consumables are tightened properly, as the rework for quality issues caused by poorly performing ones can generate much more costly rework than an application that produces multiple smaller parts. Issues with the contact tip are also not uncommon, particularly burnbacks. These are often the result of a liner being trimmed too short. Welding operators should follow the manufacturer’s instructions for trimming and installation, and when possible use a liner gauge to confirm the correct liner length. Contact tips designed with greater mass at the front and those that are buried further within the gas diffuser can help withstand heat better to prevent premature failure. Consumables with tapered connections also provide excellent conductivity so there is less heat buildup that could cause additional wear. When contact tips last longer, there is less need for downtime for changeover and less risk of installation errors. If the robotic welding system utilizes a nozzle cleaning station (also called a reamer) and consumable issues occur, such as spatter build-up, check to see that this equipment is working properly. Also be certain that the reamer is cleaning the consumables at a frequency that is appropriate for the application. It may be necessary to increase the frequency of cleaning and/or anti-spatter spray application throughout the programmed welding cycle. If weld defects — like porosity or lack of fusion — are occurring frequently, it might also be indicative of an issue with the consumables. Check to see that the contact tip and nozzle are free of dirt and debris. Replace them as necessary. Premature power cable failure can occur in both through-arm robotic welding systems, where the cable feeds through the arm of the robot, or in standard robotic welding systems (also referred to as over-the-arm). The power cable may become kinked or worn, causing the failure — or in extreme cases, it may even snap. If any of these situations occur, it is important consider the path the robot is programmed to follow, as well as the length of the power cable being used. First, be certain that the robot’s movements have not been programmed to be too fast or abrupt. Aggressive movements can cause the power cable to snap. Or in some cases, it may cause it to flop around, allowing the power cable to rub against the robot or tooling, or catch on components — both instances that can lead to premature failure. Also, check that the power cable being used is not too short for the application or too long. If it is too short, the power cable will stretch beyond its capacity during routine robotic movements, leading to greater wear. Conversely, if the power cable is too long it may be prone to kinking or becoming pinched by the robot’s arm. Poor wire feeding in a robotic welding application can lead to equally poor weld quality. Issues with the liner, including debris build-up, can often cause the problem. Be certain to change out the liner during routine maintenance to prevent debris build-up from the welding wires and the environment. Blowing compressed air through the liner also helps. Ideally, consider using a robotic MIG gun with an “air blast” feature, which blows the air through the liner during a scheduled time in the robotic program (for example, during a reaming or cleaning cycle). An improperly functioning wire feeder — specifically the drive rolls — can also cause poor wire feeding. Over time, these components can become worn and may not guide the welding wire properly. Or the drive rolls may not be tightened correctly. Inspect the drive rolls for signs of wear and replace them as necessary. Welding operators can also determine whether the drive rolls are the problem through a process of elimination. Namely, by conducting a “two finger” test — disengage the drive rolls, grasp the welding wire and pull it through the gun. It should be able to pull easily through. If it does then it’s possible that the drive rolls are the cause of the poor wire feeding. If the wire does not pull through easily, it indicates a problem outside of the wire feeder and drive rolls, such as debris in the liner or another such restriction within the robotic MIG gun. It may even be the result of having too small of a contact tip in place. Welding operators should also look for kinks in the power cable, as these can also lead to wire feeding problems. Peripherals — in particular, reamers — can help companies optimize their robotic welding performance and extend the life of their consumables. If a welding operator notices that there is an excessive build-up of spatter on the consumables, however, it may indicate a problem with the reamer. There are typically three reasons for a reamer to function poorly. The first relates to the taught position of the robotic MIG gun nozzle in relation to the reamer. That is, where the robot clamps to the reamer. The position should be exactly perpendicular to the cutting blade on the reamer. Any misalignment of the nozzle during cleaning could lead to partial cleaning of the nozzle and excessive spatter build-up. As a first step in troubleshooting, check that the taught position is correct. Secondly, if using anti-spatter solution, check that the spray location is correct. Is the solution fully coating the inside of the nozzle? If not, adjust the location accordingly. The nozzle should be coated until it is slightly damp on the inside and the outside should be covered to within three-quarters of an inch from the bottom of the nozzle. And while it seems like an obvious troubleshooting step: Always be sure to check that there is anti-spatter solution in the sprayer! Lastly, be certain the proper cutting blade is in place and that it is sharp. In addition to speed, one of the greatest advantages of a robotic welding system is the repeatability that it provides, and the subsequent quality of the welds. If a welding operator begins to notice inconsistent welds or welds that are off-location, it may be a problem with the TCP. TCP is the focal point of a tool. In the case of a robotic welding system, it refers to the location of the robotic MIG gun and how it corresponds with the position of the welding wire in the joint (gun-to-work distance). Most often, issues with TCP occur after a collision, during which the neck of the robotic MIG gun becomes bent. To rectify the problem, welding operators should use a neck-checking fixture or neck alignment tool to make sure the neck is bent to the proper angle. It is also important to check that the neck is installed correctly. If the neck isn’t fully seated, it may extend too far and lead to TCP problems. To protect against future issues, it may also be helpful to program a TCP check to verify the proper position. To differentiate between a TCP problem and other problems that could cause off-location welds, first take the neck off the robot, implement a TCP check via the robotic program and verify that everything is on-location. If everything checks out properly, the problem is likely a part or position variation. When something goes wrong in a robotic welding system, it is critical to identify the problem as quickly and accurately as possible. Not only can swift troubleshooting ensure that the operation returns to producing quality, repeatable parts, but it can also help prevent unnecessary costs for replacing components that may not need replacing. Always start with the simplest solutions first and consider keeping a checklist for setup and maintenance procedures. Having a quick reference point can help facilitate the troubleshooting process by identifying potential variables that have changed during the course of routine operations. Robotic welding systems are all about speed and repeatability. When implemented properly, they can help companies gain greater productivity and higher weld quality, while also lowering their costs and, in some cases, providing them with a competitive edge. As with any welding equipment, robotic welding systems have undergone improvements in technology that build on those advantages. For instance, in recent years, the industry has begun to shift from conventional robots with over-the-arm robotic MIG guns to through-arm robots. These robots feature robotic MIG guns whose cable assembly, as the name suggests, runs through the arm of the robot. One significant advantage to this style of robotic MIG gun is its durability. Because the arm of the robot protects the power cable, the cable is less prone to wear from routine torsion, and it is protected from catching on fixturing or rubbing against the robot — all situations that can lead to premature failure. Because they don’t require a mounting arm like conventional robotic MIG guns do, through-arm robotic MIG guns also provide a smaller work envelope. As a result, they are particularly well suited for applications that require access to tight spaces. The automotive industry, for example, often uses through-arm robots. Just like any piece of welding equipment, however, through-arm robotic MIG guns require careful selection and maintenance. They also require a few precautions during the installation process. Choosing a through-arm robotic MIG gun is much the same as choosing a conventional robotic MIG gun, with the exception of the power cable selection. These power cables are typically sold in predetermined lengths according to the make and model of the robot, as opposed to the varying cable lengths available for over-the-arm robots. Having set lengths helps minimize kinking of the cable within the arm of the robot and also helps simplify installation of the MIG gun. Always know your robot make and model when placing an order for a new gun. When choosing a style of through-arm robotic MIG gun, look for one that offers good power cable rotation. For example, some manufacturers place a rotating power connection on the front of the cable that allows it to be rotated 360 degrees. This ability to rotate freely provides stress relief for the cable and power pin, and allows for greater maneuverability for a wider range of applications. It also helps prevent kinking that could lead to poor wire feeding, conductivity issues or premature wear or failure. Also, look for power cables constructed of durable components and materials to help prevent similar wear or failure. It is also important to select the proper amperage of gun and be certain that it has the proper duty cycle for the given application. Most manufacturers offer guns up to 500 amps, in both air- and water-cooled models. Finally, identify whether the robot has collision software or if the robotic MIG gun needs to be paired with a clutch to protect it in the event of a collision. Installing a through-arm robotic MIG gun incorrectly can lead to a host of problems, not the least of which is cable failure. Incorrect installation can also cause weld quality issues, such as porosity due to poor electrical connections; premature consumable failure caused by poor conductivity and/or burnbacks; and potentially, failure of the entire robotic MIG gun. To prevent such problems, it is imperative to consult the manufacturer’s instructions for each specific MIG gun. For through-arm robotic MIG guns, it is also important to note that the power cable needs to be installed in a slightly different manner than a conventional over-the-arm robotic MIG gun. Consider these guidelines. First, position the robot with the wrist and top axis at 180 degrees, parallel to each other. Install the insulating disc and spacer the same as with a conventional over-the-arm robotic MIG gun. Be certain that the power cable position is also correct. The cable should have the proper “lie” with the robot’s top axis at 180 degrees. It’s important to avoid a very taut power cable, as it can cause undue stress on the power pin. It can also cause damage to the cable once the welding current passes through it. For that reason, it’s important to make sure the power cable has approximately 1.5 inches of slack when installing it. (See Figure 1). Secondly, the stud on the front of the power cable needs to be fully inserted into the front connector of the through-arm robotic MIG gun. To achieve this result, always install the stud into the front housing prior to bolting the front end onto the robot wrist. By pulling the cable through the wrist and making the connections in front of the gun, it’s easy to slide the whole assembly back (once the cable is fastened) and bolt it onto the wrist. This extra step will ensure the cable is seated and will allow for maximum continuity and maximum power cable life. Also, be certain to position the wire feeder in close enough proximity that the power cable will not be stretched unnecessarily after installation. Having a wire feeder that is too far away for the length of the power cable can cause undue stress on the cable and front end components. Consistent preventive maintenance is key to the longevity of any robotic MIG gun, including the through-arm style. During routine pauses in production, check for clean, secure connections between the MIG gun neck, the diffuser or retaining heads and the contact tip. Also, check that the nozzle is secure and any seals around it are in good condition. Having tight connections from the neck through the contact tip helps ensure a solid electrical flow throughout the gun and minimizes heat build-up that could cause premature failure, poor arc stability, quality issues and/or rework. Check regularly that the welding cable leads are secured properly and assess the condition of the welding cable on the robotic MIG gun. Look for signs of wear, including small cracks or tears, and replace as necessary. Spatter build-up can cause excessive heat in the consumables and MIG guns, and block shielding gas flow. Visually inspect consumables and the gun on a regular basis for signs of spatter. Clean the gun as needed and replace consumables as necessary. Adding a nozzle cleaning station (also called a reamer or spatter cleaner) to the weld cell can also help. Like its name implies, a nozzle cleaning station removes spatter (and other debris) that builds up in the nozzle and diffuser. Using this equipment in conjunction with a sprayer that applies an anti-spatter compound can further protect against spatter accumulation on the consumables and the through-arm robotic MIG gun.
In addition to implementing lean practices, which many manufacturers find can greatly improve productivity and quality, some may also choose to automate their welding operations as a means to gain a competitive edge or improve profitability. This decision, however, is not one to be taken lightly. While there are many advantages to automating your welding operation, implementing a new automated welding system first requires a careful assessment of the facility, the parts to be welded and your available labor. If you are wondering whether automating is right for you, consider some of the benefits of doing so, along with the many details that you should assess before proceeding. When implemented properly, and for the right application, an automated welding system can provide marked improvements in productivity over a semi-automatic welding process — an automated welding system is significantly more efficient and can provide the throughput of several manual welding stations. That does not mean that skilled welding operators are not required in an automated welding operation. On the contrary, they are a vital part of it. Other advantages of automated welding systems include lower labor costs, as well as excellent reliability and consistency in welding performance. In many cases, an automated welding system can provide companies with an attractive return on investment (ROI) and the opportunity to lower operational costs as well. Automated welding systems rely on accuracy and repeatability to provide the quality and productivity improvements for which they have been designed. To achieve these results, the parts that you have in your welding operation need also to be consistent and repeatable. Gaps, poor fit-up or poor joint access can easily prevent an automated welding system from doing its job correctly. Simple part designs, in particular, are good candidates for an automated welding system, as they allow the robot to execute the same weld repeatedly. If you are considering an automated welding system, you should also be certain that the part does not require intricate clamping or tooling to hold it in place. It is a good idea to have a robotic integrator or welding solutions provider assess your operation and the weldments (or parts) prior to implementing an automated welding system. Generally, automated welding systems are best for high-volume, low-variety applications; however, smaller facilities can still be good candidates for automation. Often, the low-volume, high-variety applications require flexible tooling and more programming to manage several products. The additional complexity may increase the initial investment but the efficiency and productivity improvements of automation can still provide a solid return on the initial investment. It is important to assess your current operation for process flow (or workflow) to determine whether investing in an automated welding system is the right choice. In some cases, your existing operation may have to be reconfigured in advance of automation to prevent bottlenecks that could slow down the movement of parts into the automated welding cell. There are several options available, including the technique of using “U-Shaped Cells” for dedicated products, or setting up a flexible cell that can manage quick tool and fixture changes. These are particularly helpful if your welding requirements change on a daily (or hourly) basis. Automated welding systems can significantly improve quality and reduce the occurrences of weld defects. In many cases, they can also improve weld cosmetics and minimize or eliminate spatter. That being said, you should have a dependable supply of quality components that enter the automated system. Quite simply, if poor quality parts go in to the cell then poor quality parts will come out of the weld cell. Further, a consistent and reliable supply of components is required to maintain a reasonable level of Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) – an important metric that evaluates the effectiveness of the manufacturing operation. Having adequate labor to supply the automated welding system with parts is also imperative. Every moment that a robot sits idle waiting for a part to weld ultimately adds up to lost productivity and increased costs. Automated welding systems require supervision and maintenance. In the process of determining whether this conversion is right for you, you should also assess your available resources and their skill set. Skilled welding operators and/or employees with prior robotic welding experience are the best candidates to supervise the weld cell. If you do not have personnel with those skill sets, be certain that you evaluate the resources (both time and fiscal) you have for training. In many cases, robotic integrators and OEMs offer training that can help provide the necessary troubleshooting and operating skills to manage an automated welding system properly. Once you assess your operation and determine that an automated welding system is a good fit, the next step is find an appropriate robotic integrator (and/or distributor) to make your vision become a reality. In addition to confirming that your parts are suitable and identifying any potential bottlenecks, these individuals can assess your facility to be certain that you have the space and services to support an automated welding system. They can also provide you with advice on updates or tooling changes that need to occur prior to implementation. Likewise, a robotic integrator can help you select the right power source, robot (aka “manipulator”), robotic controller and other key equipment. For example, the ideal power source will be one that helps maximize travel speeds, provides good arc characteristics and minimizes spatter. Additionally, a robotic integrator can discuss the benefits of adding robotic peripherals, such as nozzle cleaning stations, wire cutters and anti-spatter sprayers that focus on extending the life of your welding gun and consumables. Ultimately, the goal when deciding whether to automate your welding operation is to have a thoroughly defined plan before you start. By carefully assessing each aspect of your current welding operation and working with a trusted partner, you should be able to garner all the information you need to make an informed decision and achieve your vision for a more efficient and profitable operation.
When you invest in automation, the goal is to gain productivity and quality improvements that set your welding operation apart from the competition and help increase your bottom line. To achieve success with an automated welding system, however, you need to ensure that the parts you are welding are consistent and repeatable, confirm that your welding operation has good workflow and have properly trained welding operators to oversee the system. You also need the right equipment for the job. In addition to working with a reliable robotic integrator to select and implement the robot, you should also take care to select the right robotic MIG gun and consumables — contact tips, nozzles, liners and retaining heads — for the application. The consumables, in particular, are an easily overlooked part of an automated welding system, but they can have a measurable impact on downtime and day-to-day costs. Consider these suggestions for getting the best performance from these components. The contact-tip-to-nozzle relationship for an automated welding system varies according to the application, but it still has an impact on the welding performance and quality you achieve. Applications that have complex joints or tooling often require an extended contact-tip-to-nozzle relationship. This relationship provides greater access into more complex joints and can help you better accommodate for complex tooling. You should be mindful that this relationship also makes your contact tip more prone to spatter accumulation and may reduce the tip life due to it being more exposed to the heat of the arc. The application of an anti-spatter compound can offer some protection against such situations, but you will also need to monitor your contact tips regularly for signs of wear. Remember, preventive maintenance is better than downtime for resolving problems. Change over your contact tips before issues occur. Using heavy duty copper contact tips is a good option for reliable performance in many welding applications. Contact tips with a hardened insert are ideal for operations employing pulsed welding, as they resist wear from the harsh waveforms, and last 10 times longer than copper or chrome zirconium tips. Checking your contact tips, retaining heads (or diffusers) and nozzles for good connections can also have a measurable impact on your welding performance. Solid connections help ensure reliable electrical conductivity and minimize heat, which in turn provides more consistent weld quality and helps your consumables last longer. Look for contact tips with a long tail and coarse threads, as these help prevent cross-threading and downtime for troubleshooting associated issues like poor penetration. This design aligns the contact tip tail concentrically within the diffuser before the threads engage, making the contact tips easier for less experienced welders to install correctly. These same style contact tips also include greater mass at the front of the tip and bury the tip further in the diffuser than other styles. Such features help the contact tip last longer by resisting wear from the heat of the arc. Longer lasting contact tips mean less downtime for changeover and less risk of installation errors. Also, consumables with tapered mating surfaces provide good electrical conductivity to extend the life of the products. The welding wires you use can impact the performance of your contact tips and it can also affect what size you should use. Larger drums of wires — 500 to 1,000 pounds — are commonly used for automated welding systems to minimize changeover; however, the wire in these drums tends to have less of a cast and/or helix than wire that feeds off of a smaller spool. As a result, the wire often feeds through the contact tip relatively straight, making little or no contact with it. The effect is twofold: one, it minimizes the electrical conductivity necessary to create a good arc and a sound weld; and two, it can cause the welding wire to contact the part being welded and arc back into the contact tip, thereby creating a burnback. This condition automatically creates downtime to change over the contact tip. As a solution, consider undersizing your contact tips particularly if you are using a solid wire. For example, a .040-inch (1 mm) diameter contact tip could work for a .045-inch wire. Check with a trusted robotic integrator or welding distributor if you are using metal-cored wires, as undersizing them is not always feasible due to their tubular construction. You should also consider the impact that the wire you are using has on the longevity of your contact tip. For example, non-copper-coated solid wires tend to wear contact tips (and liners) more quickly than copper-coated ones. The copper on a copper-coated wire acts like a lubricant to improve feedability and can often extend consumable life. It may be worthwhile to factor in the higher up-front cost of these wires compared to the increased cost of purchasing more contact tips for use with a non-copper-coated wire, as well as the downtime for changeover. Automated welding systems require consumables that are capable of withstanding longer periods of welding — and most often higher amperages — than a semi-automatic application. The specific mode of transfer for (GMAW) or (MIG) welding you use can also impact the type of consumables you require. For example, pulsed welding programs in which the power source “pulses” between low background currents and high peaks, are especially harsh on consumables due to the higher levels of heat that the process generates. They tend to cause the contact tip to erode more quickly and therefore require more frequent changeover. You should carefully monitor your contact tip usage if using such a welding program so that you can determine how often the contact tips need to be replaced. Changing over these consumables before they experience problems can help prevent issues like loss of electrical conductivity, burnbacks or excessive spatter accumulation, the latter of which tends to occur when the contact tip becomes too hot and the consumable material softens. Use the time during routine pauses in production for contact tip changeover to avoid interrupting arc-on time. Typically, the tooling on your automated welding system dictates the type of nozzle that you will need to use. Bottleneck, straight or tapered nozzles are common choices since they are narrower than standard nozzles and can provide better access around tooling or into complex joints. Still, always consider the duty cycle and amperage of your application when deciding which nozzle to use. The more tapered a nozzle, typically the thinner it is and the less able it is to withstand higher amperage or higher-duty-cycle applications. If your automated welding system welds at higher amperages (300 amps or greater) and has high levels of arc-on time, it may be a good idea to select a heavy-duty style since these have thicker walls and insulators and are more able to resist heat. Nozzles composed of copper are also a good option, as are those featuring high-temperature fiberglass insulators. Work with your robotic integrator or welding distributor to make the right nozzle selection. Remember that you need to be sure to select one that provides access to the joint, but that is not so narrow (especially in relation to the contact tip) that you compromise shielding gas coverage or unnecessarily shorten the consumables’ life. For all styles and types of nozzles, it is always recommended that you employ a nozzle cleaning station or reamer to help maintain them. A nozzle cleaning station cleans the robotic gun and nozzle of spatter and clears away debris in the retaining head that accumulates during the welding process. These stations can also be outfitted with a sprayer that applies a water- or oil-based anti-spatter compound to protect the nozzle, retaining head, and workpiece from spatter after it has been cleaned. The nozzle cleaning station should be placed close to your robot so it is easily accessible. Also, you should program your robot to use it in between cycles — during part loading or tool transfer — so as not to interrupt your welding operation. It should only take a few seconds for the nozzle cleaning station to complete its job. As a general rule, it is best to select consumables that are well-machined and have smooth, round surfaces, as these are less prone to collecting spatter and tend to last longer. It is also important that you use the heaviest-duty consumables for your application that will still allow you access to tooling. Doing so can help extend their life. Keep in mind that you also need to pay attention to your retaining head selection and the liners that you use in your robotic MIG gun. The retaining head should match your nozzle and contact tip appropriately and offer a secure connection so that you obtain the best conductivity. Also, always trim and install liners according to the manufacturer’s recommendation, using a liner gauge to determine the appropriate length. A liner that is too short or too long can cause wire-feeding problems that require downtime to rectify. As with any part of an automated welding system, the goal is to keep your consumables in working order so that you spend more time reaping the benefits of the process and less time troubleshooting problems.
Most people understand that the electrical circuit is at the heart of the welding operation. Though it is easy for disruptions in this circuit to interfere with productivity, weld quality and equipment service life. All of these factors are ultimately affected by conductivity: the ability of the electrical current to flow along the welding circuit. Conductivity can also be referred to through its inverse: resistance, or the interference of electricity to flow freely along the circuit. If the electrical current moves with very little resistance, the material is very conductive. Gold is one of the most conductive materials on earth, but its cost prevents its use in welding equipment. Using copper, aluminum and other metals in welding equipment strike a good balance between cost and conductivity. The copper used in welding equipment does a good job allowing the electrical current to flow. There is still a very small amount of resistance inherent in the properties of the material, but it is not enough to interfere with the welding operation. Excessive resistance along the circuit, however, can cause weld defects, reduce productivity and lead to premature equipment failure. To understand exactly how conductivity impacts almost every aspect of your welding operation, it helps to think about the welding circuit like a garden hose. The water flowing through the hose is analogous to the electrical current in the circuit. Squeezing the hose in one spot reduces the amount of water that is able to flow from the hose. Likewise, an area of electrical resistance, such as a worn out or dirty power pin connection, restricts electrical flow along the entire length of the circuit. When resistance prevents the electrons from continuing along the circuit, they convert their energy to heat. The surrounding components absorb the heat. Heat causes plastic and metal components to expand and to contract when cooled, creating mechanical stress that can lead to premature equipment failure. Interestingly, heat itself is a source of resistance. This is why high heat welding processes, such as with metal-cored wire, demand that the contact tip be recessed as far from the welding arc as practicable. As the contact tip absorbs the heat from the arc, it loses its ability to transfer the current to the wire. This results in increasingly poor welding performance. Excessive resistance anywhere along the circuit can result in a wide range of problems. This includes a sputtering or erratic arc, inconsistent weld appearance and frequent contact tip burn-back. These problems occur because resistance in the circuit reduces the amount of current that can flow to the welding arc. When the power source senses the reduced current at the arc, it sends a surge of voltage in order to overcome the restricted current flow. This increased voltage causes the popping and sputtering that leads to poor and inconsistent weld quality. Being able to correctly identify and troubleshoot excessive electrical resistance is critical to reducing the equipment and rework costs. The mechanical connections between the welding components account for most interruptions in conductivity. These include: the connection between the power source and the gun’s power cable plug; the fittings and connections between the gun’s power cable, neck, diffuser, contact tip and welding wire; and the connections between the work lead, welding table and power source. Routinely check these connections before problems arise in order to avoid compounded problems down the road. There are three main types of power cable terminations: compression, set screw and crimped. Compression fittings typically provide the best combination of durability and reparability. Repairing set screw fittings are easy, but often come loose and require frequent tightening. Crimped fittings provide good contact between the cable and gun, but are also susceptible to overheating and gradual degradation. Tighten loose cable, gun and power source connections to manufacturer specifications or replace if damaged. Because the welding wire wears the bore over time, the contact tip should be one of the first areas checked during troubleshooting. A contact tip that doesn’t maintain constant connection to the welding wire should be replaced, regardless of whether it is the primary source of the conductivity problem. Paint and other surface contaminants can reduce the conductivity of the work lead connection. To ensure maximum electrical flow, attach the work lead clamp to clean, unpainted metal and as close to the weld joint as possible. If using rotating work leads, such as turntables and positioners, conductive grease can help increase the conductive surface area between the moving and non-moving parts. The other most frequent source of interruptions in conductivity is frayed copper stranding within the gun or, less frequently, in the work lead cables. These strands can fray and break due to repeated bending and twisting, particularly on guns that don’t contain strain relief components at the connection points with the gun and power source. Also, thermal stresses can cause the copper stranding to become brittle, increasing the likelihood of fatigue failure. For this reason, bending or twisting the gun cable should only happen if absolutely necessary. The resistive heat caused by frayed cable stranding, in addition to causing poor weld performance, can also accelerate the degradation of the remaining intact strands and cause the eventual failure of the cable. Unfortunately, it is difficult and often impractical to inspect the cable for damage as a preventative measure. Check the mechanical connections and fittings first if poor conductivity is the suspected source of a welding problem, and then proceed to check the condition of the cable. It may be possible to cut and re-terminate the cable if the damage occurs near the connections to the power source or gun. Severe cable damage or damage near the middle of the cable may require replacement of the cable or the entire gun. Welding technology has advanced substantially since the days of DC ‘buzz boxes,’ but one thing that has remained constant throughout the decades is the need to establish and maintain a robust electrical circuit. Resistance from loose fittings and connections will occur as a natural part of the wear and tear that welding equipment undergoes during normal use. However, knowing the common signs of poor conductivity and following a regular inspection routine will help ensure that built-up resistance doesn’t cause undue equipment and rework costs.
Like any welding process, MIG welding has its complications. Even so, there is no reason to let common problems slow you down. With a bit of knowledge and some solid troubleshooting skills, you can easily find the right solution to get back to welding—sooner than later. Consider the following guidelines to help you along the way. Porosity occurs when a gas pocket becomes caught in the weld metal. This discontinuity can appear at any specific point on the weld or along its full length, and/or on the surface or the inside of a weld. The result, regardless of the location, is always the same: a weaker weld. Inadequate shielding gas coverage is one of the most common causes of porosity. To correct this problem, first check the regulator or flow meter for adequate gas flow, increasing it if necessary, and check the gas hoses and the gun for leaks. Whether welding inside or outside, shield the arc and weld puddle from drafts with a welding screen. Next, confirm that the MIG gun nozzle is large enough for the application, as too small of a nozzle can prevent proper shielding gas flow. Keep the nozzle one-fourth to one-half inch away from the work piece, make certain it is free of spatter, and always use the correct contact tip recess. Slow your travel speed and hold the MIG gun near the bead at the end of the weld until the molten metal solidifies; pulling the gun away too soon can interrupt gas coverage and leave the setting weld vulnerable to the atmosphere. Additional causes of porosity include: using the wrong gas (always use a welding-grade shielding gas appropriate for the base metal and filler metal), using too much or the wrong type of anti-spatter (use the correct amount and type for your application) and extending the welding wire too far out of the nozzle (extend no more than one-half inch beyond the nozzle). Impurities in the base metal, such as sulfur and phosphorous in steel, or a dirty base metal can be further causes of porosity. If specifications allow, consider changing to a different composition of base metal, and always remove rust, grease, paint, coatings, oil, moisture and dirt prior to welding. Filler metals with added deoxidizers can help to “clean” the weld, but should never be solely relied upon to minimize porosity. Finally, replace any wet or contaminated shielding cylinders immediately. Undercutting occurs when a groove melts into the base metal next to the toe of the weld and the weld metal fails to fill that area. This discontinuity weakens the toe of the weld, increasing the chances of cracking. Correcting the problem is relatively simple: reduce the welding current, decrease the welding arc voltage and adjust your MIG gun angle toward the joint. Reduce your travel speed so the weld metal completely fills the melted-out areas of the base metal. When using a weaving technique, pause slightly at each side of the weld bead. When the weld metal fails to completely fuse the weld metal with the base metal or with the preceding weld bead in multi-pass applications, incomplete fusion can occur. Some people refer to this problem as lack of fusion. Generally, an incorrect MIG gun angle is the cause and you should adjust it accordingly. Follow these steps: If correcting the MIG gun angle does not remedy incomplete fusion, look to see if the welding puddle is too far ahead of the wire. If so, increase your travel speed and/or the welding current to correct the problem. Conversely, if you suspect insufficient heat input has caused incomplete fusion, select a higher voltage range and/or adjust the wire feed speed as necessary. Finally, always clean the surface of the base metal prior to welding to remove contaminants that may prevent the metal from fusing together. Another common MIG welding problem—spatter—occurs when the weld puddle expels molten metal and scatters it along the weld bead; this molten metal then cools and forms a solid mass on the workpiece. Excessive spatter not only creates a poor weld appearance, but it can also lead to incomplete fusion in multiple welding pass applications. Too fast of a wire feed speed, too high of a voltage setting, and too long of a welding wire extension, or stick-out, can cause spatter. Lowering the given settings and using a shorter stick-out can help. Like porosity, insufficient shielding gas and/or dirty base materials can cause spatter. As necessary, increase the shielding gas flow at the regulator and minimize drafts near the welding arc, clean and dry the welding wire, and remove all grease, dirt and other contaminants from the base metal. Other factors that can cause spatter are: the wrong size contact tip, a worn contact tip or the wrong tip to nozzle recess. Be certain you have the right contact tips, nozzles and recess parameters for the application. Excessive penetration occurs when the weld metal melts through the base metal and hangs underneath the weld. Excessive heat input is usually to blame for the problem. To correct this, select a lower voltage range, reduce the wire feed speed and increase your travel speed. Conversely, insufficient heat input can cause lack of penetration, or the shallow fusion between the weld metal and the base metal. Selecting higher wire feed speed, a higher voltage range and/or reducing travel speed are all viable remedies. Preparing the joint correctly also helps prevent lack of penetration—the preparation and design should permit access to the bottom of the groove and allow you to maintain proper stick-out and arc characteristics. Wire feed stoppages and wire feed system malfunctions can adversely affect the welding arc and create irregularities that may weaken the weld bead. Birdnesting, a tangle of wire that halts the wire from being fed, is a common problem. You can resolve birdnesting by flipping up the drive roll and pulling the wire back out of the gun. Next, trim the affected wire and re-thread it through the feeder and back to the gun. If the welding specifications allow, decrease the drive roll tension, use a larger diameter wire and/or reduce the distance the wire feeds (use shorter cables) to minimize the chance of birdnesting. Burnback is also very common. It results when a weld forms in the contact tip, and usually occurs because of too slow of wire feed speeds and/or from holding the MIG gun too close to the base metal during welding. To correct burnback, increase the wire feed speed and lengthen the distance of the MIG gun from the workpiece (the nozzle should be no further than one-half inch from the metal). Replace burnback-damaged contact tips by removing the nozzle and the contact tip (which may be melted to the wire), snipping the wire, installing the new contact tip and replacing the nozzle with one that has the appropriate tip recess for the application. Other causes of wire feeding problems include liner blockages, improperly trimmed liners (too short/burred/pinched) or the wrong size liner. To remedy these problems, replace any liner if you find a blockage, always trim the liner according to the manufacturer’s direction and be certain you are using the correct size liner for the welding wire diameter. Remember, quality MIG welds are the result of not only good welding technique, but also your ability to identify and solve problems quickly if they do occur. Continue arming yourself with some basic information and you’ll be able to tackle the most common problems associated with MIG welding without sacrificing time or quality.
There are regular job shops. Then there are job shops that go far beyond basic fabrication — ones that design, machine, laser cut, manufacturer and inspect specialty components from start to finish. Watson Engineering, Inc. of Taylor, Mich. is just such a one. What began as a one-person fabrication shop nearly thirty years ago is now a full-service manufacturer of prototype tubular and sheet metal components, along with products for the automotive and commercial industries. And whether its welding operators are retrofitting race cars with roll cages or manufacturing high-volume runs of heavy equipment components, Watson prides itself on one simple philosophy set forth by founder, Chuck Watson: “Customers come to Watson Engineering with problems they need help with – and we make the problems go away.” The company has been able to achieve this goal through a lot of hard work and even greater innovation. Not to mention, this job shop is lean. Every tool, every bin and every piece of welding equipment has its place — and that place has been chosen for maximum efficiency. In fact, the entire organization of Watson’s facility has been the result of all of its employees’ commitment to the company’s lean initiatives, from concept to painting and shipping. Not surprisingly, as part of its ongoing innovation and its lean initiatives, Watson decided to look as closely at its robotic welding cells, too. In doing so, they decided to convert to Tregaskiss’ TOUGH GUN I.C.E.® robotic MIG gun in order to solve a long-standing problem: finding a durable gun that could maintain its accuracy after a collision. They also added several of Tregaskiss’ air-cooled TOUGH GUN robotic MIG guns to other welding cells. After adding the products, they were surprised to find a few extra benefits that directly support their lean initiatives and have also contributed to a 25 percent increase in Watson’s overall productivity. Watson prides itself on the ability to produce components that have exceptionally intricate or complex designs. Not surprisingly, such designs can pose some particular challenges to the welding process, especially when the components are comprised of a wide range of materials and material thicknesses. According to Rafael Velasquez, robotic supervisor at Watson, in any given day the company may weld exhaust manifolds for an automotive customer, hood hinges for a commercial customer and thousand pound internal components for a heavy equipment manufacturer — sometimes in the same work shift and the same robotic welding cell. Not to mention, all the products undergo rigorous quality control testing (Watson even performs 100 percent lot tests on some parts), so quality is key and downtime is simply not an option if they are to create top notch products on a tight schedule. One of the biggest obstacles that Velasquez and his fellow Watson welding operators have faced over the years is finding a robotic MIG gun that could “take a hit without bending the neck” after a collision. Despite the best precautions, robotic welding collisions are a very real problem, resulting most often from tooling clamps not being secured. If the robotic MIG gun neck bends, it must be adjusted or replaced since the robot’s tool center point (TCP) will change and have a negative impact on the quality of subsequent welds. “We’re always changing parts and tooling,” explains Velasquez. “Unfortunately, you can bend two or three necks in a week because of it. Somebody would miss a clamp and leave it up. It happens.” After enough bent necks, downtime and just plain frustration, Velasquez opted to contact Watson’s long-time distributor, Dan Gnesda of Roy Smith Company in Detroit for help. Gnesda recommended the TOUGH GUN I.C.E. Robotic MIG Gun and the results, per Velasquez, have been worthwhile. Prior to converting to the TOUGH GUN I.C.E. robotic MIG gun, Watson used a competitive brand water-cooled gun, which Velasquez explains was quite costly and time-consuming to fix after a collision. Fundamentally, necks for water-cooled robotic MIG guns tend to be weaker than air-cooled designs and involve more work to replace, in major part because the water lines run internally through the power cable, gun and neck. To replace the water-cooled neck after a collision, Velasquez and his team needed to disconnect the neck from the gun and unhook the water lines by removing clamps that were crimped around them — a process that took about 30 minutes. Converting to the TOUGH GUN I.C.E. robotic MIG gun, however, seems to have offered Watson the best of both worlds: the durability of an air-cooled MIG gun and the cooling capacity of a water-cooled gun. I.C.E stands for ‘Integrated Cooling Enhancer’ and aptly describes the design of the gun, as it is a ‘hybrid’ between conventional air- and water-cooled designs. The TOUGH GUN I.C.E. robotic MIG gun features stainless steel water lines that run along the outside of the gun’s neck down to the nozzle, rather than through the neck like true water-cooled products. This design provides water circulation that keeps the consumables of the gun running cool, but because the lines are external (instead of running through the neck), the gun’s neck has more mass and is stronger, much like that on an air-cooled gun. According to Velasquez, the necks on the TOUGH GUN I.C.E. robotic MIG guns “can take the hit” most times after a collision, and in the event that the neck does bend, it can be replaced in about five minutes — a timeframe that fits nicely into Watson’s overall lean initiatives. The TOUGH GUN I.C.E. robotic MIG gun also features water shut-off valves at the I.C.E. connections and a quick-change neck feature. To disconnect the neck, Velasquez simply loosens a setscrew on the gun housing, disconnects the quick-change fittings for the water lines and slides on a new neck. After reconnecting the water lines and verifying his TCP, he can get the welding operation up and running again. “My emergency calls from Watson used to come through every other week with the previous gun, because of the crashes,” explains Gnesda. “After replacing the necks, there could be leaking or something else that was off. Now with the TOUGH I.C.E. gun, well, I hear from them every couple of months.” And because, the TOUGH GUN I.C.E. robotic MIG gun provides up to 550-amp capacity (at 60 percent duty cycle with mixed gases), it provides Watson with another solution that fits their goals for creating a lean facility: it can weld on a variety of material thicknesses. There is no need to change out robotic MIG guns to accommodate for the ever-changing flow of components that make their way through the weld cell each day — a factor that saves Watson money and time. “We have a lot of high amperage, high voltage welds. And we weld on thinner metals, too,” explains Velasquez. “Some of our components are thirty-millimeters thick and others are as thin as three mils. I can weld both. I just have to change out the wire.” As with the durability of the gun’s neck and the occasional changeover, being able to use the same gun for all its parts has contributed significantly to Watson’s lean initiatives. “There’s so much going on here with all the parts they weld, it’d be very easy for things to get out of control.” says Gnesda, “But these guys have a handle on everything. I think the I.C.E. is helping with that.” The goal of Watson’s lean initiatives has been to improve workflow, minimize downtime and, of course, improve productivity and profitability. After converting to the TOUGH GUN I.C.E. Robotic MIG Gun, and also adding several Tregaskiss® TOUGH GUN® robotic MIG guns to their other welding cells, Watson found that their equipment maintenance also became easier and they reduce their inventory, too — both benefits they had not anticipated. Velasquez first noticed that the total cost of maintaining the TOUGH GUN I.C.E. robotic MIG gun was substantially lower compared to the conventional water-cooled MIG gun Watson used previously. In addition to the fact that the necks have been more durable and easier to replace when needed, he found that the gun’s unicable has been equally robust. In fact, according to Velasquez, he only just recently changed out the original unicable that came with the TOUGH GUN I.C.E. robotic MIG gun two and a half years ago. “We’ve been running around the clock, six days a week each year with the same one,” he explains. “To change it, I just loosened a couple of screws, popped it out and put on the new one. With the addition of a new liner, I just connected the unicable back at the feeder. It took me fifteen minutes and we’re done.” Saving the cost of purchasing unicables on a regular basis has been a welcome benefit for Watson, as has its reduction in inventory for this and other MIG gun parts. Since Velasquez began using the TOUGH GUN I.C.E. robotic MIG gun and the air-cooled TOUGH GUN MIG guns for his other welding cells, he has also been able to reduce his inventory for necks significantly, too, as many are interchangeable. “I used to have so many necks in stock, sometimes about fifteen different ones. Now I’ve got three necks I can use on all the robots. I don’t have to have so much inventory to keep this place running,” says Velasquez. He’s also been able to reduce his consumables inventory. Both the TOUGH GUN I.C.E. Robotic MIG Guns and the standard TOUGH GUN MIG Guns operate on Tregaskiss’ Common Consumable Platform, meaning that the front-end consumables — nozzles, contact tips, retaining heads and liners — are the same for both guns. Velasquez explains that he uses standard and heavy-duty TOUGH LOCK® consumables for all the guns, depending on the thickness of the parts his robots are welding and at what amperage. He simply orders the parts that correspond to the different wires he uses between part runs. Velasquez also explained that when he changes over the contact tips on his robotic MIG guns, he then uses them for the semi-automatic MIG guns Watson uses in other portions of the facility. So what’s the bottom line of these and all the other benefits Watson has found with its lean initiatives? According to Velasquez, Watson’s lean initiatives — including the benefits brought forth from the TOUGH GUN I.C.E. robotic MIG guns and other Tregaskiss products — have combined to provide a 25 percent increase in the company’s productivity. The process is ongoing, of course, but it’s been made easier by the commitment of Watson’s employees who have all played a significant role in organizing the facility, from the concept phase of the many components it manufactures to the machining, storing and assembly of the parts. Having a durable, easy-to-maintain robotic MIG gun and minimizing Watson’s inventory has definitely helped improve workflow and reduce downtime, too. “We’re serious about lean,” says Velasquez. “We try to complete jobs from concept to finish within days. The I.C.E. and other Tregaskiss products have definitely helped us.”
The economy is in bad shape right now, but when it improves, the graduates of San Diego Continuing Education’s welding program will be well positioned to fulfill the need for skilled welders. Now in its 35th year, the school focuses on adult education for unemployed and underemployed San Diego-area residents. Its curriculum is narrowly tailored to the needs of local industries — specifically shipbuilding, construction and manufacturing. The school provides free training to any California resident and currently has 96 students and a waiting list of an additional 58 people. “Our program is set up to provide the student with experience on the same types of joint configurations, metal types and welding processes that they’re going to need when they enter the workforce,” explains welding instructor Bill Borinski. The program, which spans a minimum of 600 hours over 24 weeks, also prepares the students with the skills to obtain an AWS D1.1 (American Welding Society) Unlimited Certification by passing a visual and x-ray weld evaluation. Even with the school’s focused, industry-driven curriculum, there is still a vast amount of knowledge and skills to impart to the students, and the school strives to make every minute count. That, explains Borinski, is why it is so important for the school to have durable, time-saving welding equipment. “Downtime in business costs money — for us it costs knowledge,” he says. “If a student’s equipment is down, then he’s not learning. Our students have enough to concentrate on as it is, they shouldn’t have to worry about whether their equipment is working properly or not.” The school recently converted its welding labs to Bernard™ Q-Gun™ and Dura-Flux™ MIG Guns and Centerfire™ Consumables to prevent such problems. The guns and consumables came packaged with the school’s new power sources and wire feeders, and Borinski said he’s been very satisfied with the results. The program has been running the guns for 12 hours a day, four days a week, and there hasn’t been a single malfunction. The Centerfire consumables system has reduced student downtime and frustration, while also improving weld quality. In this open-enrollment program, students work on the material at their own pace until they master the skills required to graduate. New classes, which meet for 6.25 hours a day, four days a week, begin every month, and students can stop and start the program at their discretion. Students learn an AWS-certified curriculum in self-shielded and gas-shielded flux-cored welding on 3/8- to 1-inch mild steel using E70T-1 and E71T-8 welding wire. Students briefly learn the GMAW process, but the program spends the majority of its time providing specific skills that are needed immediately in local industries. They focus on building proficiency in all welding positions on butt, corner and T-joints. The school uses Bernard Q-Gun MIG Guns for its gas-shielded flux-cored and MIG training. Borinski noted that the gun’s curved handle reduces his students’ muscle fatigue after welding for long periods of time, and that the guns also improve their mechanical leverage, making it easier for the students to hold the guns in flat and horizontal welding positions. “What my students and I love about the Q-Gun handle is that when you put it in your hand, it’s already in a position to weld,” Borinski said. “If the MIG gun is putting strain on my students’ wrists, they’re going to be sore and miserable by the end of the day and they’ll probably lose some of their enthusiasm for a career in welding.” The Centerfire system further reduces his students’ educational downtime and frustration levels, Borinski said. By using a threadless contact tip with a large diameter tapered base that fits snugly into the diffuser and is locked in place by the nozzle, the Centerfire consumables make it nearly impossible for students to set incorrect contact tip recesses or for the tip to come loose inside the nozzle. “With our old brand of consumables, if we didn’t screw the contact tips in properly they would come loose and literally fly out of the end of the gun. That can really add to the frustration of a beginning welder,” Borinski said. While he is pleased with the guns and consumables, Borinski noted that it’s Bernard’s customer service that will keep him as a customer when their equipment eventually needs to be replaced. “To us, a gun is a gun,” Borinski said. “We can figure out on our own how it operates. Still, we were really impressed when a Bernard representative came out and offered to exchange any of our guns for free if the stock model didn’t perfectly fit our lab set ups.” Bernard’s Gun Exchange Program allows any one who receives a standard Q-Gun or Dura-Flux MIG Gun as part of a power source or wire feeder package to exchange the unused gun for a new gun with different cable length, neck, handle or trigger configurations. Bernard also provided Borinski with product information and support prior to and following his purchase to ensure the guns and consumables he ordered would meet his needs. “Sometimes the educational community gets sheltered from a lot of the outside activities that are going on. We don’t get exposure to the different equipment options that are out there,” Borinski said. “When Heidi Ewoldt, Bernard’s Inside Technical Sales Manager, called us and spent time explaining all of the equipment options and configurations available, it told us that Bernard wanted more than a quick sale. They were committed to our success.” “We’re running some pretty hot, high-amperage applications here,” Borinski said, “and we have had zero failures — zero internal issues, zero electrical issues. We haven’t even needed to change the liners on some of the guns.” Like Bernard, San Diego Continuing Education understands the value of strong partnerships and adapting its products to its customers’ needs. In order to meet the evolving demands of area industries, Borinski meets annually with an advisory committee composed of business and union leaders to discuss the skills and knowledge they look for in new employees. “If we taught what we wanted to teach and not what the employers in the area need, then we’re sending them people they can’t use and wasting our students’ time,” Borinski continued. “We must have our pulse on the industry in order to be a relevant educational institution.” In the last few years, Borinski said, the advisory committee has been asking for employees with “soft skills,” such as blueprint reading, teamwork training, lean manufacturing processes and other skills that go beyond laying a weld bead. “The job market is very competitive now,” Borinski said, “and those students with additional skills, who can add value to the organization, are going to have a significant advantage during the interview process.” That’s why the school partnered with the AWS to form a curriculum that provides students with the knowledge and skills they need to become AWS Certified Unlimited in FCAW upon graduation. The unlimited designation is a guarantee that the student can perform code-quality welds in the 1-G, 2-G, 3-G and 4-G positions using the FCAW process. This certification, combined with the schools blue print reading and teamwork curriculum, gives graduates a strong advantage when applying to one of the area unions, Borinski said. The school’s approach to welder training has resulted in numerous opportunities for its graduates in area businesses. One example is the school’s partnership with General Dynamics NASSCO, one of the San Diego’s largest employers. Through the partnership, General Dynamics NASSCO has hired over 400 of the program’s graduates in recent years. The main reason San Diego Continuing Education tried the Bernard guns and consumables was that they came packaged with the wire feeders and power sources the school purchased. Still, after using them without a single failure for the last 18 months, Borinski said one of the first questions he will ask when purchasing new equipment will be whether they accept Bernard guns and consumables. Luckily for him, Bernard’s products are adaptable to almost all major power source and wire feeder brands.
For some companies, choosing between an air-cooled or a water-cooled MIG welding system is pretty cut and dry. Mobile fabrication and repair companies that weld sheet metal for only a few minutes every hour will have little need for the benefits provided by a water-cooled system. Likewise, shops with stationary equipment that repeatedly weld at 800 amps probably won’t be able to find an air-cooled system that can handle the heat of the application. But for many companies, however, it’s not such an easy decision. Each type of cooling system has advantages and disadvantages, and deciding which is right for your company requires a careful analysis of the following factors: Keeping MIG welding equipment cool is necessary to protect the power cable, gun and consumables from damage due to the radiant heat from the arc and the resistive heat from the electrical components in the welding circuit. It also protects the operator from heat-related injuries and provides more comfortable working conditions. A water-cooled MIG welding system pumps a cooling solution from a radiator unit, usually integrated inside or near the power source, through cooling hoses inside the power cable and into the gun handle, neck and consumables. The coolant returns to the radiator where the radiator’s baffling system releases the heat absorbed by the coolant. The ambient air and shielding gas further disperses the heat from the welding arc. An air-cooled MIG welding system relies solely on the ambient air and shielding gas to dissipate heat that builds up along the length of the welding circuit. Air-cooled systems use much thicker copper cabling than water-cooled systems, which allows the cable to transfer the electricity to the gun without building up excessive heat from electrical resistance. By contrast, water-cooled systems use relatively little copper in their power cables because the cooling solution carries away the resistive heat before it builds up and damages the equipment. The welding amperage will be an important factor to weigh when deciding between an air- or water-cooled system. In general, air-cooled systems are better for low amperages and water-cooled systems are better for high-amperage applications. Air-cooled guns are available with ratings from 150 – 600 amps, and water-cooled guns range from 300 – 600 amps. These ratings represent the current loads under which the guns become so warm that they are uncomfortable for the average operator to hold. Because guns are rarely used to the limits of their duty cycle, it’s often a good idea to purchase a gun that’s rated to a lower amperage than the maximum to which it will be exposed. For example, a 300-amp gun can handle more than 400 amps and it is substantially lighter and more maneuverable than a 400-amp gun. Closely related to a gun’s amperage capacity is its duty cycle — the amount of time during a 10-minute cycle that the gun can operate at its rated capacity without becoming uncomfortably hot. Exceeding a gun’s duty cycle can lead to operator pain and will also reduce weld quality and decrease the service life of the gun and consumables. There is no industry standard for establishing amperage ratings based on duty cycle, so two guns both rated to 400 amps could have significantly different duty cycles. This makes it important for the customer to consider a gun’s amperage rating and duty cycle together in order to form an accurate assessment of the MIG gun’s capabilities. Welding all day long in an industrial or construction environment can take a significant toll on the hands, arms, shoulders and back (not to mention most other body parts) of a welding operator. A heavy, bulky and difficult-to-maneuver gun only exacerbates these aches and pains, and it accelerates the time they take to set in. One of the benefits of water-cooled guns is their size and weight. Because water is more efficient than air at carrying away heat that builds up from the heat of the arc and electrical resistance, water-cooled guns use less wire for their cables and smaller gun components, resulting in reduced operator fatigue. Although air-cooled guns are generally heavier and more difficult to maneuver than water-cooled guns, significant differences in gun design between manufacturers can also have a big impact on how quickly the gun contributes to fatigue. It’s a good idea to physically hold a gun to determine its comfort level prior to making a purchase. Because water-cooled guns require more equipment than air-cooled systems, they can be impractical for applications that require portability. Transporting the cooling system and coolant hoses of a water-cooled MIG gun can reduce productivity and cause unnecessary downtime. Water-cooled systems are most practical in applications where they will be stationary or moved very little. By contrast, air-cooled MIG guns are easily carried and moved from site to site within a shop or out in the field. Finally, companies must evaluate the cost of the two systems before making a purchasing decision. Doing so, however, is not as simple as looking at their respective price tags. In addition to the sticker price of the systems, companies need to consider maintenance costs as well as productivity and downtime costs associated with operator fatigue and equipment longevity. A water-cooled system requires the purchase of a coolant flow system (including radiator, pump, hose lines, etc.), which leads to a higher up-front cost than an air-cooled system. Because water-cooled systems require a special coolant solution in order to avoid mineral or algae build-up in the coolant lines and radiator, they involve more extensive maintenance and higher operational costs than an air-cooled system. Furthermore, coolant leaks can lead to equipment damage and weld discontinuities that add to the cost of owning a water-cooled system. In addition to being less expensive up-front, an air-cooled system also offers the advantage of being better suited to low amperage applications. Thus, for example, a company that needs to weld at 150 amps and 600 amps in the same weld cell can keep its costs down by purchasing a single air-cooled system rather than a water-cooled system for the high-amperage applications and an air-cooled system for the low-amperage applications. That doesn’t mean, however, that a water-cooled system is more expensive than an air-cooled system. As mentioned earlier, a water-cooled MIG gun is much smaller and more lightweight than an air-cooled MIG gun, which can help decrease operator fatigue and increase productivity over the course of a day. When set up properly, a water-cooled MIG gun can provide significant long-term cost savings compared to an air-cooled gun. The coolant in a water-cooled system also extends the service life of the consumables by drawing away the heat absorbed from the arc. Longer consumable life means less downtime for changeovers and lower consumables inventory. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all formula for choosing between an air-cooled and a water-cooled MIG welding system. Each company must analyze their welding operations and determine which type of system offers the benefits most important to them. Considering these factors — cost, worksite location, gun weight and operator comfort, duty cycle and amperage requirements — will provide a good start toward making a wise decision. Find an air-cooled– or water-cooled MIG Gun for Your Application
Worldwide, companies serving the automotive industry have faced a unique set of challenges in the last several years. Still, as the economy begins to rebound, each must find ways to maintain their productivity and profitability — often with fewer employees than before the recent recession. A large part of maintaining that productivity is to ensure high levels of uptime in the robotic welding operations. Conventional problems like spatter, burn-through and poor part fit-up often hinder such attempts, as do issues like managing large amounts of inventory and contending with downtime to service welding equipment. Unfortunately, there is no single answer to these challenges. There are, however, some considerations that may help reduce suppliers’ pains and assist in other interrelated parts of the process. The recent increase in demand for production is causing some automotive suppliers, especially those in North America, to make capital investments that they previously postponed during the recession. When possible, standardizing on a single brand and style of welding power source, robotic controller, and GMAW gun and consumables during this investment can streamline inventory and maintenance procedures. For companies in organic growth mode with new programs and/or Greenfield operations, this standardization can help in long-term equipment re-deployment to other facilities, as well as streamline the manpower learning requirements. For companies that are in acquisition mode, however, this standardization may not be feasible. Instead, these suppliers should, at a minimum, consider standardizing on a single brand and style of robotic GMAW guns and consumables to minimize inventory. Doing so can also reduce the risk of improper consumable installation, which can lead to unscheduled downtime to rectify. Many automotive suppliers rely on tandem welding processes as a means to generate greater productivity. In recent years, however, advancements in single arc pulsed technology have proven very efficient in providing faster travel speeds and minimizing spatter. This technology, which effectively lowers the average amperage level during welding (by regularly switching the current between high peak amperages and low background amperages), is also quite easy to operate. Given the reduction in workforce in the automotive industry, combined with an overall shortage of skilled welders, this less complex (but highly efficient) technology has already proven beneficial for many automotive suppliers. Automotive suppliers, particularly those with multiple locations, may want to consider purchasing their robotic GMAW guns, peripherals and consumables from a single source vendor or welding distributor. Having multiple vendors may appear to provide cost savings up front; however, a per-item approach can actually increase the total spend. Instead, by single sourcing a product line, a company is better poised to maximize their purchasing power with one vendor and gain loyalty discounts. The vendor may also be more inclined to aid in new efficiencies and technologies. Plus, a trusted single source vendor can often help automotive suppliers assess their total consumable and robotic GMAW gun usage, streamline inventory and reduce costly paperwork at the same time. In addition to standardizing equipment when possible, using welding products that minimize the opportunity for errors is an important part of keeping the welding process flowing and reducing operator error. For example, nozzle detection (i.e. that doesn’t increase cycle time) can eliminate the potential of excessive rework or scrap. Avoiding errors in equipment installation is also critical, as missing or incorrectly installed components on the front end of a robotic MIG gun can cause them to become electrically alive, causing premature failure and poor welding performance. When possible, suppliers in the automotive industry should work with equipment manufacturers and vendors or welding distributors who can engage regularly in best practice meetings. These meetings can occur by conference call or in person, and can help determine what practices in the welding operation are working most effectively and what areas need improvement. Open issues can be prioritized amongst a group for time-phased solutions. These meetings can especially help companies with multiple locations, even globally, to identify opportunities for changes that could positively affect other facilities. They are also an excellent platform for brainstorming error-proofing ideas and serve to open communication among the parties involved in the success of a company’s welding operation. Even though preventive maintenance or PM may have become a commonplace buzzword in recent years, the fundamentals are still critical to providing good welding performance and reducing unscheduled downtime in the automotive industry. Companies should always take care to inspect connections in the GMAW gun, wire feeder, consumable and ground cables on a regular basis. Replacing worn components during scheduled downtime (at the beginning of a shift, for example) can help prevent problems during production. As of yet, “predictive maintenance” —– technology that alerts when consumables need to be changed – is not available. In the meantime, however, companies can instead track contact tip usage to gain an understanding of how often these components need to be replaced. Non-subjective analytical processes should be used to benchmark component longevity and performance. During Best Practice meetings, “Coopetition” can be an integral part of maintaining an effective welding operation for the greater good of the customer. This term refers, in short, to cooperation that occurs between competitive equipment manufacturers. The reality of any welding operation is that the manufacturer of the robotic GMAW gun or welding wire may be in direct competition with the company whose power sources are in an automotive supplier’s weld cell. Even so, finding equipment manufacturers who are willing to work together to address problems in the welding operation is key to resolving issues when they arise. A problem with the contact tip, for example, is usually a “barometer” of other things happening in the process. In short, it is very often a symptom of a problem, as opposed to the root cause. Having partners who are willing to put aside competitive differences for the good of resolving problems like these is important to gaining good welding performance. As is typical in automotive “just-in-time” applications, suppliers want to reduce instances of work-in-progress (WIP) and keep parts flowing (Takt time). To continue that work flow but still allow for any instances of stoppage in a robotic welding cell, suppliers may consider building a buffer into production. For example, if a company has a production line of 40 welding robots, breaking that line into fifths (five sections of eight robots), allows them to address any instances of consumable failure while causing a stoppage of only eight robots instead of shutting down production on all 40. That buffer can mean a significant difference in terms of lost production and money. And while no single one of these considerations can ensure the levels of productivity and profitability to which automotive suppliers strive as production demands increase, they can be a step in the right direction. Automotive suppliers should consider working with a trusted welding equipment manufacturer and vendor to discuss a plan for assessing their robotic welding operation and identifying opportunities for improvement.
The automotive industry has certainly begun to show signs of rebounding from the economic downturn; however, companies are now being asked to “do more with less” as production volumes approach the levels of several years ago. More than ever, companies require operational efficiencies to maintain process flow and avoid unscheduled downtime of automated equipment. Commonly, arc-welding process challenges have a significant impact on achieving production goals and maintaining efficiency. Typical contributors to arc-welding process inefficiencies include poor part fit-up, tool center point (TCP) repeatability, spatter and managing consumable changes. Effectively managing these elements are essential if companies are to meet their quality requirements and fulfill a high-volume production demand. As the automotive industry continues experience an upswing in production—up 12.16 percent year-over-year through March 19, 2011 (Automotive News)— maintaining an effective and efficient operation will become even more challenging. Reductions in the workforce over the last several years have left the industry with fewer employees to monitor welding operations and the overall shortage of skilled welders has compounded the challenge. Whereas 10 years ago a large automotive supplier may have had one welding technician for 20 robots, today that ratio has increased to as few as one welding technician for every 50 robots – or more. Clearly, the lack of resources creates challenges but eliminating non-value-added activity (or that which doesn’t contribute directly to throughput) can help overcome those. Practices such as equipment standardization, preventive maintenance and product selection can promote a Leaner operation and provide opportunities to improve process flow and operational efficiency. In recent years, the consolidation of automotive suppliers and facilities has resulted in welding operations made up of multiple styles and brands of welding equipment, including power sources, robotic controllers, robotic manipulators and GMAW guns. The outcome is often a wide breadth of products to manage and, with fewer resources, an increased potential for costly errors and unscheduled downtime. Not surprisingly, in an industry that requires repeatable, high-volume welds—some up to 500 parts in a single shift—consistency is critical and any deviation in quality could result in downtime, scrap or rework. Ideally, standardizing on a single GMAW gun brand can help companies in the automotive industry avoid unscheduled downtime for changing out incorrect consumables or reworking quality issues. It can also reduce the amount of time spent managing inventory and provide a built-in poka yoke (mistake-proofing) system by eliminating (or significantly reducing) the opportunities for incorrect installation. Some companies have found that such standardization, along with a vendor-managed consumable system works well. They also contribute positively to their goal of maintaining process efficiency and equipment utilization. The process of standardization may take time, but in the long term it can yield positive results in quality, performance and cost. Replacing older GMAW guns as they wear is one such example. It also allows the production team to have one point of contact for technical support should questions arise about the performance of a GMAW gun or consumable, as opposed to having to contact multiple manufacturers. To help with the transition to one GMAW equipment supplier, front-end conversion kits are widely available and allow companies to standardize on a single brand of consumables, regardless of the type of GMAW gun being used. These kits are a good alternative to replacing an entire fleet of GMAW guns, while still offering the benefits of standardized inventory. In some cases, there is an opportunity to maximize the value of welding consumables by using the same contact tips and nozzles for semi-automatic applications (such as those for repairs or rework) after they are too worn for the robotic application, which further reduces inventory. Most welding technicians, supervisors or operators in the automotive industry will attest to the fact that proper part fit-up is a constant concern. But not only do the parts that move into the weld cell need to be of the proper dimension and fit, the GMAW welding gun and consumables being used also need to provide accurate, repeatable and durable performance. Robotic GMAW guns are intended to weld at the same location every cycle by providing a consistent tool center point (TCP). Some products are more durable than others but they all require preventive maintenance to optimize performance and prevent unscheduled downtime for replacing items like contact tips or liners. Air-cooled robotic GMAW guns are the most durable product available. Many applications in the automotive industry, such as suspension components, use thin materials—2 to 4 millimeters—that are ideal for an air-cooled robotic GMAW gun since the typical operating range is approximately 200 to 300 amps at an average of 60 percent duty cycle. Water-cooled products improve performance at higher duty cycles yet they are inferior to air-cooled products from a durability perspective. This is primarily due to the addition of water channels and other mechanical requirements of a water-cooled design. In the automotive industry, it is rare to experience applications that truly require a water-cooled GMAW gun. Even for end users welding thicker base metal (truck frames, for example), they are still likely to be within the comfortable range of an air-cooled GMAW gun. In some cases, however, the addition of water-cooling will help manage excessive heat and prolong the life of welding consumables (e.g., nozzles and contact tips). In these instances, there exists an opportunity to use a hybrid air-cooled/water-cooled gun. This type of product has the underlying construction and durability of an air-cooled robotic GMAW while offering some of the benefits of a water-cooled solution. Regardless of the welding application, it is important for companies to use the most appropriate type of GMAW gun for the job and properly maintain the equipment to ensure a maximum return on investment. Good preventive maintenance procedures include inspection of all connections in the entire system: GMAW gun, wire feeder and ground cables, and more. Other opportunities include regular inspections for proper wire feeding and proactively replacing worn components during scheduled downtime, rather than during production. Such activities can occur prior to a shift beginning and may help avoid unnecessary interruptions to welding during production. As the automotive industry returns to the production levels of several years ago, taking steps to standardize inventory, implement good preventive maintenance techniques and select the right product are means by which companies can become more efficient and “do more with less.”
Making the decision to automate your welding process isn’t something to be taken lightly. It requires a careful assessment of your current welding process, a detailed plan to automate and, in most cases, the ability to justify the capital expenditure—tasks that together can take months to complete. Still, automating your welding process can bring many advantages that make the work worthwhile. These include: increasing productivity, improving weld quality, and lowering material and energy costs, among other benefits. In many cases, you can also obtain a quick return on your investment through such advantages. The key to successful automation is to consider some important factors before purchasing and implementing your robotic welding system. Transitioning to an automated welding system can dramatically increase production; however, it should never been done impulsively. It is expensive and does not suit every application or facility. Instead, prior to implementing an automated welding system, work with an integrator or robot OEM to develop a plan that accounts for factors including: the part and volume to be automated, your facility and available personnel for overseeing the system. Completing an upfront evaluation of your current welding process, as well as the outcome you desire is a good place to start. It will also help you avoid implementing an automated welding system that requires constant supervision. After all, the goal is to have an automated process that requires only nominal supervision, while still improving productivity and weld quality. A good first step is to consider whether you need a fixed or robotic welding system. Fixed automation is extremely efficient and cost-effective, and works well for welding parts that requires straight or curved welds along a single plane. An example would be a lathe-type application in which a simple part is spun, welded and ejected from the process. Another example would be a straight-line weld, in which the torch advances, makes a six-inch weld and retracts to the neutral position in preparation for the next weld. Conversely, a robotic welding system features guns mounted on arms with articulated joints that can reach, rotate and pivot to gain access to the part. They can be programmed to complete more intricate welds than a fixed automation system. If you anticipate frequent job changes or need to weld complex parts, this type of automation can offer the flexibility to be re-tasked as needed. Also, think of your company’s future welding needs when determining which type of automation is best for you. For example, if you currently weld a part well suited to a fixed automation system, but you aren’t certain you will be welding that part three years from now, consider a robotic welding system. It can be reprogrammed and retooled to accommodate your needs in the future. Regardless of the type of automated welding system you choose, these systems are significantly faster than semi-automated welding, provided the process suits the application at hand. Simply put, your application needs to be repeatable. Parts with large gaps, fit-up or access challenges are best left to a welding operator who can weld in obstructed or precarious positions and compensate for such conditions. Similarly, parts that require intricate clamping and tooling to hold them in place will often hinder the productivity benefits of an automated welding system. Instead, if you are considering an automated welding system, be certain that the parts manufactured upstream are as simple and consistent as possible, and that they allow the robot to execute the weld repeatedly. Working with a robot OEM or integrator is a good way to determine if your parts are well suited to an automated welding system. Provide them with a blueprint or an electronic CAD drawing of the part you wish to weld. Doing so helps improve the quality of the planned weld and determine how the part and its tooling can be fine-tuned to optimize the automated welding process. Prior to automating, you should also assess the parts flow. For example, if you want to your automated welding system to relieve a bottleneck at the welding cell, then be certain that there are no delays in upstream part fabrication. Similarly, you should ensure that there is no rework required before sending parts to the welding cell or that the employees supplying parts to the robot can match the cycle time of the automated cell. After all, the efficiency of each of these situations directly affects efficiency of the automated welding system—if they are too slow, they can cause significant downtime and negate the speed sought through an automated welding system. If you cannot guarantee fast upstream workflow, you may want to consider an automation solution for upstream applications. These machines feature sophisticated part recognition systems that can pick up parts, manipulate them to the correct orientation and deliver them to the automated welding cell. These systems add to the expense of automating; however, they may be an option if you are concerned about the consistency and cycle time of your manual upstream processes. You might consider working with a third-party integrator to help you decide whether your facility suits the installation of an automated welding system. System integrators are knowledgeable about all aspects of facility modifications necessary for automation, including important safety regulations that apply in the fabricator’s region, country or state, in addition to those specified by OSHA and RIA (Robotic Industries Association). That said, the first step in assessing your facility is to determine your available space. Remember, the physical footprint necessary for a robotic welding system, as well as the room needed for the flow of raw materials is significantly greater than that of semi-automatic welding processes. By considering your available real estate, you can be certain that you have not only the physical space to accommodate the new system, but you can also avoid having to customize products, such as unicables, peripherals or torches to fit the work envelope. Instead, you can rely on standard products that will work within your allotted area. And, don’t worry if you have a small facility. There are still ways to make automation work. One option is to purchase fewer pieces of automation equipment that are capable of performing multiple tasks. Regardless of the size of your facility, you should also consider the power sources required to operate an automated welding system—a 480-volt three-phase power source is usually considered optimal. Also consider your gas and wire requirements. Due to the higher volume of welding possible with an automated welding system, you will need to purchase, store and place larger packages of wire (for example, 600 or 900 lb. drums compared to 40 lb. spools). In terms of gas delivery, limiting robot downtime is the top priority. Investing in bulk delivery of gas and using a manifold system can eliminate the downtime associated with frequent bottle change-outs and is key to adding to the productivity of an automated welding system. Automated welding systems need human supervision and maintenance. When considering whether to automate your welding system, you should evaluate the skill set of your available welding operators, as well as the resources you have for training them. The personnel who are most viable for training (and ultimately the oversight of your robotic welding system should you proceed with the purchase) are skilled welding operators or those with previous robotic welding management experience. These individuals should, after training, have the skills to program the robot and to troubleshoot the automated welding process as needed. They should also be able to perform routine, preventive maintenance on the system, as it can significantly decrease downtime in the long term and increase the life of the system and its components. Consider vetting robot OEMs to determine the availability and costs associated with the training of your personnel. Typically, robotic integrators and OEMs training, which usually lasts one to three weeks depending on the certification level desired. Also, look for robot OEMs or integrators that have resources available after the training has been completed. These resources may include online tutorials or troubleshooting information, additional onsite training and/or service team members you can reach by phone with any questions you and your team may have. Finally, before transitioning to automation, you will need to justify the expense—either to your superiors, or to yourself if you are the decision maker. To do so, first consider whether the volume of parts you need to produce necessitates automation. Remember, the key benefit of an automated welding system is the ability to produce high volumes of quality welds. If you have a smaller facility with lower runs of parts, however, you may still be a good candidate for an automated welding system. With the help of the integrator or robot OEM, you may be able to select two or three smaller volume applications and program a robot to weld those different parts instead. Calculating payback requires you to assess your current part cycle times and compare them to the potential cycle times of an automated welding system. Determining this volume is a critical factor to estimating your potential return-on-investment, as up to 75 percent of the cost of a semi-automatically welded component is the labor. That said, even if you will produce the same number of parts, you might be able to justify the investment by the amount of labor you can reallocate elsewhere in your operation. Specifically, you can use the skills of your semi-automatic welding operators toward the completion of challenging welds that cannot be completed with an automated welding system—adding further to your overall productivity. Smaller companies that transition to an automated welding system, or those with frequently changing parts, often seek a shorter payback period (no more than 12-15 months) in order to justify the investment. Conversely, if you know that your production needs will not change for years, you may be able justify a longer payback period. Remember, the key to successful automation is planning. Work with a trusted integrator or robot OEM to assess your current welding process and to determine the best type of automation for your application. Don’t forget to consider your available personnel, options for training and any facility accommodations needed for a new automated welding system. Each of these factors is crucial to realizing the advantages of automation and can help you achieve a faster return on the investment.
Measuring the value of a welding gun can be difficult when the gun is working properly. It’s those times when the gun is malfunctioning and you’re losing valuable production time trying to clear out a bird’s nest, change your fifth contact tip of the day or repair a shorted out power cable that the importance of the welding gun becomes clear. As one of Arizona’s premier handrail fabricators, Hot Az Hell Welding and Fabrication learned first hand the value of a welding gun when they began upgrading the majority of their equipment from Stick to the flux-cored process. While upgrading, company president Shawn Moreland didn’t think much about the flux-cored gun he would purchase and made his decision strictly based on price. Then, he and superintendent Chris Rice worked side-by-side on a project while Rice used a Bernard Dura-Flux™ gun instead. “I would be getting birds nests several times a day with the gun I purchased, and each time it would happen, Chris would have to come over and fix it for me,” Moreland recalls. “It would take him off his work and up to 10 minutes to fix. That whole week Chris didn’t have a single birds nest with the Dura-Flux, and eventually we realized it was the gun that made the difference.” They outfitted Moreland’s wire feeder with a Dura-Flux and he didn’t experience a single bird’s nest for the rest of the job. “We just threw the other gun away,” Moreland said. “After I got a chance to use Chris’ gun, I was 100 percent sold on Bernard.” As pleased as they were with the lack of downtime from repairing birds nests, Rice and Moreland have been even more impressed with the gun’s durability. “It gets pretty hot here, and the last thing my guys want to worry about is babying their welding equipment, so we end up putting the guns through some serious abuse,” Moreland explained. “I know you’re not supposed to, but we use the guns to drag our feeders all over a job site and the fact that they’re still working really tells me something about the quality of the gun.” Quality is something that Moreland, Rice and the other three Hot Az Hell employees, know a lot about. In over 20,000 linear feet of hand rail fabrication, they can boast that they have not had to make a single repair. “We have a flawless record with the register of contractors,” Moreland said. “We have dozens of general contractors that recommend us for federal, state, local and even residential projects, and we owe a lot of that to Chris’ commitment to high-quality welding.” The company specializes in hand rail fabrication, but also takes on a wide variety of welding jobs, including a recent project in which they welded five railroad cars together to form a bridge over the Central Arizona Project (CAP) Canal. Given the company’s history, it’s no surprise that an exceptional welding track record grew out of exceptional personal chemistry between Moreland and Rice. The two men became best friends while working as first line supervising foremen at an Arizona gas utility. “We formed a really tight bond back then because we were the only two that we could rely on within the company,” Moreland recalls. Both Moreland and Rice left their jobs to start their own businesses within a year of each other. Moreland said he frequently attempted cajoling Rice into working for him, and finally in 2006 Rice acquiesced and closed his business in order to join Hot Az Hell. From modest beginnings in 2006, Hot Az Hell has grown from an annual gross $160,000 their first year to projections of over $800,000 in 2009 — all with a five person staff. As of early 2009, the company was booked solid through mid-2010 with contracts to install over 32,000 linear feet of hand rail, including two of the largest projects in the Arizona Department of Transportation’s history — the widening of U.S. Highway 60 in Mesa and the Hoover Dam Kingman Highway expansion project. Moreland said the friendship among his employees, and their willingness and ability to take on virtually any of the work the company performs is a major contributor to their success. “We’re a very tight knit group. We’re more like a family than a company, but we also understand the business aspect of it as well,” Moreland said. “With a company our size, especially with the economy in a recession, everyone needs to be very versatile and able to take on whatever tasks the job demands.” Another key to the company’s success is Moreland’s confidence in the fabrication and welding expertise of Rice, the company’s ‘MacGyver.’ For his part, Rice said he is continually on the lookout for products and technologies that increase the company’s productivity and operator efficiency. As an example, during the recent CAP Canal project, the company was told they would need to use 7018 stick electrodes to weld the rail cars together, but after the first day of welding the pan decking using the stick electrodes, Rice asked the project inspector if they could use a structural flux-cored wire. They were allowed to use the flux-cored wire, and the following day, they produced four-times the welds of another crew member who was still using the 7018 rods. “They were losing several thousand dollars an hour every day that they couldn’t get their cranes across a 22-foot diameter pipe,” Moreland recalls. “By the end of the project, the general contractor told us, ‘We owe you guys big time.’ They didn’t think there was any way that we were going to be able to finish the bridge in the time that it took us.” Rice and Moreland apply that same focus on productivity and efficiency to purchasing their flux-cored guns. For them, a great welding gun doesn’t so much speed up production as it avoids becoming an obstacle to production. That means minimizing downtime associated with contact tip changeovers, reducing operator fatigue and providing smooth and consistent wire feeding while enduring large amounts of mechanical and heat stress. The majority of the hand rails they weld are two-inch, schedule 40 mild steel pipe. Rice said for the .045-in. flux-cored wire he uses he sets his welding generator at 25 volts and about 110 inches per minute wire feed speed. They use a voltage-sensing wire feeder that provides the ability to work up to 400 feet from the welding generator (compared to roughly 75 feet with a remote control wire feeder). Given the heat and abuse that flux-cored guns are exposed to in normal environments, to say nothing of the brutal Arizona desert heat and landscape, finding one that simply allows them to keep welding is no easy task. Once they put the Dura-Flux gun to the test, however, they knew their search had ended. “We were on a job in Wickenburg (Az.) this week, and it was about 100 degrees out and we were working on a steep, 50-foot tall embankment,” Rice said. “After working all day in that heat, we were dragging our feeder by the gun up hill through rocks and dirt, and that’s pretty much what we’ve been putting the gun through on a regular basis. So far, there have been no problems with the gun or the consumables.” Moreland echoed that sentiment, recalling a recent bridge job. “There was only about four feet of clearance, so you had to hunch over and drag your machine every time you finished a weld and needed to move,” Moreland said. “When you’re hot and tired and working your butt off, you’re not going to be too careful with your equipment. These guns have been used hard and they’re still going strong.” One of the features of the Dura-Flux that allows it to endure the abuse to which Rice and Moreland subject it is an industrial-quality strain relief on the back end of the power cable. The high-tension strain relief protects the sensitive parts of the cable—where it connects to the gun and the power pin—from severe bends that could damage or fray the copper wiring in the cable or create a kink in the liner. Another key factor in maintaining high productivity rates is avoiding downtime caused by burn backs, when the welding wire fuses to the contact tip, or bird nests, when the welding wire becomes blocked and forms a tangle resembling a bird’s nest inside the gun, cable or wire feeder. “It costs us money and impacts our ability to complete a job on schedule whenever my guys have to stop welding to deal with a bird nest or to change contact tips,” Moreland said. “Compared to the Dura-Flux, the other gun we tried got dirty very easily, and that resulted in frequent burn backs and bird nests.” “On a recent project, we had over 200 feet of three-rail hand rails, with a total of 320 welds, and the only tip I changed was my fault because I mis-stepped and stuck it to the pipe,” Rice said. “That was 27 straight hours of welding without a single problem with the gun or tip. To me, it’s pretty obvious that the Dura-Flux gun is the best choice for our operation.” Although it’s difficult to measure the impact that the Dura-Flux gun made for Hot Az Hell, what is certain is that it is a much smaller impact than their previous gun brand would have made — and that’s a good thing.
MIG guns and consumables are sometimes an afterthought when purchasing a welding system. Considering that they are the most handled piece of welding equipment and are exposed to the most environmental and operator abuse, they can have a significant impact on weld quality, productivity and operator downtime. Much of the reason MIG guns and consumables do not receive their fair share of attention within the equipment selection process arises from common misconceptions about their importance in the welding operation. The following are five of the most common myths surrounding MIG guns and consumables. As well as corresponding truths that can help you improve productivity, reduce costs and increase operator efficiency. Truth: MIG guns vary substantially in quality, performance and value. Purchasing a quality gun designed with features that minimize downtime, weld quality problems and premature equipment failures can result in significant long-term savings. These efficiencies can save you far more than the price difference between a high performance and inferior quality gun. Conversely, a high quality MIG gun will offer features, design elements and construction that allow them to provide reduced operator fatigue and fewer burnbacks, birdnests and other problems. When evaluating the long term value of a MIG gun and consumables system, you need to consider the service life of the gun, replacement parts costs, the cost of downtime when the gun needs servicing, and the ease with which components can be changed. First, consider the downtime that can result from choosing MIG guns and consumables without looking into their full long-term cost. If a gun’s only selling point is its price, it could be manufactured with inferior components that don’t last as long as high quality components. They are more difficult to replace when they do need replacing and cause the premature failure of other components. An example of the difference between high and low-quality components can be found in the power cable fittings. Set-screw fittings can loosen over time and result in poor electrical conductivity and increased resistance. On their own, these problems can reduce weld quality and require reworking or scraping parts. Uncorrected, these problems can also lead to increased resistive heat at the point of the fitting. This heat causes additional stress and shortens the service life of the gun and cable. By contrast, a high performance gun often uses compression fittings. These produce a more secure connection between the cable and gun. This will also be less likely to result in weld defects or cause the deterioration of other components. Consumables are another component in which trying to save a couple bucks on the purchase price could become very costly in the long run. A high quality consumables system requires fewer tip changeovers and those changeovers are often faster. This reduces both equipment costs and operator downtime. Overall, the cost of operator downtime should be your company’s primary reason to avoid choosing guns and consumables based solely on price. If each of your welders averages three hours a week adjusting and replacing MIG gun components, at an average employee cost of $30/hour, that downtime adds up to $4,680 per year in unnecessary costs (and that’s not even counting the material cost resulting from scrapped work). Truth: The MIG gun’s consumables — the nozzle, diffuser and contact tip — provide shielding gas. They are the last component of the welding system to come into contact with the welding wire before it enters the weld pool. As such, consumables can have a big impact on weld quality and productivity. Selecting high quality ones and properly maintaining them is essential. Consumables differ considerably by brand in terms of both design and material quality. Good quality consumables provide a large contact area between the diffuser and the contact tip. They also feature a secure locking mechanism to keep the contact tip and diffuser fitting tightly together. These features mitigate weld quality problems related to inconsistent electrical transfer, and also the frequency of contact tip burnbacks. Which is a noteworthy source of downtime. Equally important to selecting the right consumables is maintaining them properly. Good quality consumables resist built-up better than low quality ones, however, no consumables can completely avoid spatter build up. Use a needle nose pliers, nozzle reamer or other device to dislodge built up spatter. This will prevent interruptions in shielding gas flow and corresponding weld defects. You should inspect the nozzle for spatter build up several times a day and clean it out as needed. In addition to checking and cleaning out spatter, you should check to ensure the contact tip sits tightly in the diffuser and that the inside bore has not become excessively worn. Non-threaded contact tips can be rotated in place to provide a new contact surface with the welding wire when it becomes worn on one side. Some threaded contact tips allow you to rotate them 180-degrees to also provide extended tip life. Truth: Compared to the time spent reworking bad welds and replacing severely damaged components, spending a few minutes each day inspecting and maintaining the MIG gun and consumables is a bargain. Identifying potential problems early is essential to avoiding much higher costs. These costs can result from allowing a minor problem to grow into a major headache. For example, a damaged O-ring on the feeder connection is very easy and inexpensive to repair. But, if left unchecked, it can create very costly weld porosity. Because MIG guns have few moving parts and are relatively simple to inspect, you should check the connections between the wire feeder, the cable, the gun, the neck and the consumables on a daily basis to ensure they are tight and undamaged. A loose or damaged fitting can create resistive heat build-up, poor weld quality and shortened component life. You should check consumables several times throughout the day. This will ensure the inside bore of the contact tip is not excessively worn down. Be sure that the spatter in the nozzle is not obstructing the shielding gas flow. The liner is one of the most difficult MIG gun components to inspect. It is often best to use compressed air to clean out any metal shavings and debris during each wire changeover. Routine inspection and maintenance should take up no more than 10 to 15 minutes per day. Averaging out to about $1,300 per year in downtime. By contrast, reworking or scrapping bad welds can take up several hours each time it happens. If an operator spends four hours per week fixing weld defects caused by improperly maintained equipment, that non-production time costs his employer roughly $6,240 per year. Even more importantly, it can cause the company to fall behind on product deadlines and threaten their client relationships. Truth: It almost seems contradictory that most companies are making a mistake by purchasing a 400-amp MIG gun when their applications require 375 amps. Most operators only weld for 30 to 50 percent of the time, which causes a problem with overmatching amperage. This means that they can easily get by with a 300-amp gun. They rarely, if ever, exceed its duty cycle in an application requiring 375 amps. A 400-amp gun could certainly handle the demands of the application, but it is also heavier and bulkier. This leads to earlier operator fatigue and reducing productivity. In order to achieve maximum operator efficiency, companies need to analyze their specific welding demands. Purchasing a gun that is as small and light as possible while still meeting the amperage requirements of the application. Another factor you should consider when purchasing a MIG gun is the weight and size differences between brands. In many cases, a gun from one company with a rating of 400 amps will be considerably heavier and bulkier than a similarly rated gun from another company. Not all gun manufacturers label and market their guns to a 100 percent duty cycle rating. Be sure to verify that you are making an apples-to-apples comparison when evaluating MIG guns from different manufacturers. For example, company A’s 300-amp MIG gun might be able to weld at 300 amps at 100 percent duty cycle, but company B might also make a gun that they call a 300-amp MIG gun that is only rated to 300 amps at 40 percent duty cycle. The amperage to duty-cycle ratings are usually available in the spec sheets from most major MIG gun manufacturers. Check them to make sure the gun is able to handle your applications. Truth: It’s true, properly functioning MIG gun liners, regardless of brand, do not have a significant impact on welding performance. It’s when the liner is not functioning properly that its importance in the welding operation becomes clear. Along with the difference between a high and a low quality liner. The liner’s main function is to provide unobstructed passage for the welding wire to travel from the feeder, though the cable and gun into the consumables. It’s a very simple role within the welding operation. Yet still a number of problems can arise in the liner that can lead to weld defects and lost productivity. A high quality liner can provide a more consistent inside diameter through which the welding wire travels. In turn, this reduces friction and extending the service life of the liner, as well as the time that it takes for wire filings to clog the liner. This is one of the most frequent sources of liner-related downtime. The liner is most susceptible to this problem when the cable is bent too far. Causing an increase in friction between the wire and liner. Other causes of clogged liners include using an incorrect liner size and trimming it improperly. In both cases, the liner can shave metal filings from the welding wire and become clogged. This leads to erratic wire feeding, poor weld quality and birdnests. Because the copper stranding in MIG gun cables is wound in a helix pattern, the cable shrinks when it’s twisted. Trimming a new liner to the length of a twisted cable can cause the liner to be too short when the cable is straightened out. This leaves an empty space in which the welding wire can become lodged and birdnest. You can save additional downtime by using an easily-replaced partial liner that installs from the front of the gun and only goes through the gun’s neck. The most wire-to-liner friction occurs in the neck. That part of the liner is usually the first to wear out. Some companies offer partial liners that can be changed in as little as two minutes. This is an improvement over a regular liner replacement that could take up to 20 minutes. In times of economic uncertainty, it’s understandable that companies would seek to reduce their production costs by purchasing less expensive equipment. However, the cost of purchasing lower quality equipment can outpace the cost of selecting higher quality MIG guns and consumables. Lower-quality items can lose productivity, reduce weld quality, and increase scrap and excessive downtime.
MIG (GMAW) welding with shielding gas and a solid wire electrode produces a clean, slag-free weld. This comes without the need to stop welding to replace the electrode, as in Stick welding. Increased productivity and reduced clean up are just two of the benefits possible with this process. To achieve these results in your specific application, it helps to understand the role of shielding gas, the different shielding gases available and their unique properties. The primary purpose of shielding gas is to prevent exposure of the molten weld pool to oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen contained in the air atmosphere. The reaction of these elements with the weld pool can create a variety of problems, including porosity (holes within the weld bead) and excessive spatter. Different shielding gases also play an important role in determining weld penetration profiles, arc stability, mechanical properties of the finished weld, the transfer process you use and more. Choosing MIG gun consumables that provide consistent and smooth shielding gas delivery are also important to making successful MIG welds. Many MIG welding applications lend themselves to a variety of shielding gas choices. You need to evaluate your welding goals and your welding applications in order to choose the correct one for your specific application. Consider the following as you make your selection: The four most common shielding gases used in MIG welding are Argon, Helium, Carbon Dioxide and Oxygen. Each provides unique benefits and drawbacks in any given application. The most common of the reactive gases used in MIG welding is Carbon Dioxide (CO2). It is the only one that can be used in its pure form without the addition of an inert gas. CO2 is also the least expensive of the common shielding gases, making it an attractive choice when material costs are the main priority. Pure CO2 provides very deep weld penetration, which is useful for welding thick material. However, it also produces a less stable arc and more spatter than when it is mixed with other gases. It is also limited to only the short circuit process. For companies that place an emphasis on weld quality, appearance and reducing post-weld clean up, a mixture of between 75 – 95 percent Argon and 5 – 25 percent CO2 may be the best option. It will provide a more desirable combination of arc stability, puddle control and reduced spatter than pure CO2. This mixture also allows the use of a spray transfer process, which can produce higher productivity rates and more visually appealing welds. Argon also produces a narrower penetration profile, which is useful for fillet and butt welds. If you’re welding a non-ferrous metal — aluminum, magnesium or titanium — you’ll need to use 100 percent Argon. Oxygen, also a reactive gas, is typically used in ratios of nine percent or less to improve weld pool fluidity, penetration and arc stability in mild carbon, low alloy and stainless steel. It causes oxidation of the weld metal, however, so it is not recommended for use with aluminum, magnesium, copper or other exotic metals. Helium, like pure Argon, is generally used with non-ferrous metals, but also with stainless steels. Because it produces a wide, deep penetration profile, Helium works well with thick materials, and is usually used in ratios between 25 — 75 percent Helium to 75 — 25 percent Argon. Adjusting these ratios will change the penetration, bead profile and travel speed. Helium creates a ‘hotter’ arc, which allows for faster travel speeds and higher productivity rates. However, it is more expensive and requires a higher flow rate than Argon. You’ll need to calculate the value of the productivity increase against the increased cost of the gas. With stainless steels, Helium is typically used in a tri-mix formula of Argon and CO2. All of your efforts selecting the right shielding gas will be wasted if your equipment isn’t getting the gas to the weld. The MIG gun consumables (diffuser, contact tip and nozzle) play a crucial role in ensuring that the weld pool is properly protected. If you choose a nozzle that is too narrow or if the diffuser becomes clogged with spatter, for example, there might be too little shielding gas getting to the weld pool. Likewise, a poorly designed diffuser might not channel the shielding gas properly, resulting in turbulent, unbalanced gas flow. Both scenarios can allow pockets of air into the shielding gas and lead to excessive spatter, porosity and weld contamination. When selecting MIG gun consumables, choose ones that resist spatter build up and provide a wide enough nozzle bore for adequate shielding gas coverage. Some companies offer nozzles with a built in spatter guard that also adds a second phase of shielding gas diffusion. This results in even smoother, more consistent shielding gas flow. Choosing the right shielding gas for your specific application will require a careful analysis of the type of welding you’re doing as well as your operational priorities. Using the guidelines above should provide a good start to the learning process. Be sure to consult your local welding supply distributor prior to making a final decision.
It doesn’t take much to create a MIG weld. All you really need is a power source, some CO2, a MIG gun, ground cable and a wire electrode. Of course, that doesn’t mean you’ll end up with a mechanically sound or decent looking weld. Achieving those results requires a strong skill set, close attention to detail and the right MIG welding consumables (among other things, of course). Often overlooked during the purchasing process MIG gun consumables — the contact tip, nozzle and diffuser — are the decisive variables in electrical transfer to the wire and shielding gas to the weld pool. No matter how well tuned the rest of your welding equipment is to your application, without the right consumables in properly functioning order, your weld quality will suffer. Obtaining high quality welds and high productivity rates requires attention to the type of consumables you purchase, how they are installed and used by your welding operators and accurately troubleshooting consumables problems when they arise. Selecting high quality consumables is paramount to obtaining high quality welds and avoiding unnecessary downtime. High quality consumables provide better shielding gas coverage of the weld, resulting in less porosity and a more stable arc, as well as longer contact tip and nozzle life, reduced burnbacks and fewer weld defects caused by loose consumables fittings. With labor accounting for roughly 85 percent of a welding operation’s expenses, the slightly higher cost of high quality consumables can quickly be offset by these advantages. Another labor-related factor to consider when selecting consumables is the time it takes to change contact tips. A non-threaded contact tip that can be changed by dropping it into the diffuser, without tools, and locking it in place via the nozzle can often cut changeover time in half. Further, consumables systems that can be mounted to a wide variety of gun brands reduce the time it takes to locate a replacement tip and reduces the inventory footprint and time spent monitoring and ordering new product. Equally important is choosing the right consumables for the application. For example, using heavy-duty nozzles, with thick-walls as well as wide nozzle bores, will only add weight and reduce weld pool visibility in low-amperage, thin-gauge applications. Likewise, using thin-walled brass nozzles with narrow nozzle openings in heavy-duty applications could result in inadequate shielding gas coverage, frequent burnbacks and MIG gun consumables are exposed to more heat and mechanical stress than any other component in your MIG welding system, so even the best consumables you can buy will wear out and need to be replaced on a regular basis. While this can’t be avoided, correctly using the consumables can lengthen their service life and improve weld quality. Maintaining the correct contact tip stick out or recess, as it relates to the end of the nozzle, is crucial to ensuring good weld results. The amount that a contact tip is recessed or extended past the nozzle determines the wire stick-out and how much heat from the arc the contact tip absorbs. High current, high heat applications generally require a contact tip recessed up to 1/4” from the end of the nozzle. Lower amperage applications, or those with narrow joint configuration, might require a flush or extended contact tip. Contact tips are available either as adjustable or with a fixed recess. Adjustable recess contact tips allow you to simply raise or lower the contact tip to your liking, but they also increase the potential for human error, particularly in welding operations where multiple operators use the same gun. Fixed recess contact tips need to be changed when changing to a different application, but they standardize the weld process and eliminate a variable that can affect welding performance. Below is a chart showing the recommended tip recesses for a variety of applications and processes. Regularly inspecting, cleaning and adjusting the consumables is also critical to ensuring weld quality. A nozzle that becomes clogged by spatter can restrict shielding gas flow and lead to porosity. You can use a welder’s pliers or a nozzle reamer to clear out any spatter that builds up. Likewise, the contact tip can develop an oval shaped bore, called keyholing, from the welding wire passing through it, which can cause interruptions in electrical current to the wire, resulting in an unstable arc, porosity and other problems. Some brands of contact tips can be rotated to provide additional contact surface when the wire wears out a portion of the bore. Unfortunately, no amount of deliberation and careful use can completely eliminate problems from occurring. Being able to quickly and accurately troubleshoot problems when they do occur, however, can reduce the impact of the problem and the downtime that you incur. Generally speaking, the best way to troubleshoot a problem is to use the process of elimination to move from the least to the most time consuming equipment to check. Contact tip burnback, where the welding wire fuses to the contact tip, occurs occasionally if the tip gets too close to the weld pool, but it could also indicate an equipment problem if it occurs frequently or happens when the contact tip is not too close to the weld pool. Some common sources of contact tip burnback are: incorrect contact tip recess, a faulty work lead or ground, and erratic wire feeding (discussed below). Erratic wire feeding is usually caused by an obstruction or kink in your liner, incorrect or improperly tensioned drive rolls or a worn out or wrong sized contact tip. If this problem is encountered, inspect the contact tip, then check the drive rolls and finally remove and inspect the liner if the first two items are functioning properly. Replace any of these items that appear worn or damaged. An erratic arc can be caused by erratic wire feed, but is most commonly a result of inconsistent electric current being delivered to the wire. A gun neck that is too straight or a worn out contact tip are common sources of an erratic arc. If the contact tip appears in good working order and the neck is at least a 30 degree bend, check the electrical connections between the components to ensure they are tight and free of debris. Spatter is a common occurrence in MIG welding, but excessive spatter could signal an equipment malfunction. Either too much or too little shielding gas flow as well as an improperly installed contact tip are common causes of excessive spatter. Try adjusting these components first, before moving on to other possible causes. Porosity — small holes in the weld bead — is another common outcome of too much or too little shielding gas. Begin troubleshooting porosity by checking that the nozzle is not clogged by spatter. If the nozzle is clear, move on to check that the gas ports are not blocked by an obstruction, that the solenoid is working properly and that the o-rings at the back end of the MIG gun are not damaged. Also check the electrical connections at the MIG gun, ground clamp and consumables to make sure they are providing good electrical transfer. Although some troubleshooting can’t be avoided, you can greatly reduce your downtime spent changing contact tips and troubleshooting weld defects by carefully choosing your MIG gun consumables and carrying out a regular inspection and maintenance schedule. Laying down a strong, great looking MIG weld is no easy task, but doing so with poor quality or improperly configured equipment is virtually impossible. The little time you spend researching, choosing and maintaining your equipment will save you a considerable amount of time, and headaches, down the road.
Welding contractors seem to do it all. At least at Jolson Welding they do. From welding piles and water lines to beams, heavy wall underground pipe and bridges, owner Bob Jolson and his team of contractors tackle some of the toughest jobs on the West Coast. And they do it quickly, thanks to some recent changes to their welding equipment and consumables. “I always like to try new things with our business. I keep trying them until I find something that I like and that works,” explains Jolson. “It helps keep us a lot more competitive on our bidding.” At Jolson’s company in Wheatland, California, their primary focus is on heavy-duty commercial welding, which includes welding pipe ranging from ½ inch OD to 200-inches in diameter and wall thickness of 1/8 inch to unlimited thickness. Taking on such large projects doesn’t leave much room for downtime if the company is to stay on schedule and remain competitive in their bidding. And while Jolson has always taken care of his customers, since pairing his Bernard’s Q-Guns™ and Dura-Flux™ guns with Hobart Brothers’ Excel Arc™ 71 gas-shielded and Fabshield® XLR-8 self-shielded wires, respectively, he’s been able to do more than just stay on schedule — he’s improved the company’s productivity by 30 percent along the way. Since Jolson founded his company in 1989, he and his business partner and wife, Colleen, have worked diligently to gain welding contracts along the West coast. Supporting the business is welder, Brandon Hobbs. Their efforts haven’t been in vain. Between referrals they receive from other contractors to repeat business and active bidding, they’ve carved a niche for themselves as the ‘go-to’ company for pile driving and pipe welding, especially. Each of the welding contracts Jolson takes on has its own unique requirements. Some require strictly stick welding, which he and Hobbs usually accomplish with AWS E6010 and 7018 stick electrodes, while others require a combination of stick welding and flux-cored welding. Additionally, the projects vary between requirements for gas-shielded flux-cored wires, like AWS E71T-1 wires, and self-shielded products like E71T-8JD H8 wires. Also, some projects entail strict attention to established codes, including the AWS (American Welding Society) D1.5M/D1.5:2002 for bridge welding and AWS D1.1/D1.1M:2006 Structural Welding Code – Steel. But regardless of which requirement Jolson encounters, the contracts he accepts involve close attention to detail, high quality welds and good productivity. For years, Jolson faithfully used a competitor’s wires to achieve those results, until a major pipe project a year ago prompted him to seek out new products that could meet the tight timeline imposed by the hiring company. “We had the option to take on a major project in San Francisco. It was 96-inch diameter pipe job that the company wanted welded on a short timeline,” explains Colleen Jolson. “That’s when we met up with our local Bernard and Hobart Brothers’ representative, Willie Stubblefield. We wanted to look at new products that could help us meet that deadline.” Working with Stubblefield, whom the Jolsons met through a local welding distributor, they set up tests for different types of welding equipment and wires. The goal was to find products that allowed Jolson to weld faster and also that would be user-friendly for the other welding operators that joined them on the project. According to Colleen Jolson, the company (with the exception of fulltime employee, Hobbs) brings on welding operators to meet the demands of a given project. So, while highly experienced, their skill sets often vary. Jolson decided to convert to Hobart Brothers’ Fabshield XLR-8 self-shielded flux-cored wire paired with Bernard’s Dura-Flux guns, which he has been a loyal user of for some time. For gas-shielded welding, he chose to pair his trusted Bernard Q-Guns with Hobart’s Excel Arc 71 flux-cored wire. He’s been using the products together ever since. Jolson was introduced to Bernard’s Dura-Flux gun when he purchased his first SuitCase® X-TREME™ VS wire feeder from Miller Electric Mfg. Co., sister company to both Bernard and Hobart Brothers. The Dura-Flux gun came standard with the feeder. Since then, he says he’s continued using the gun because of its durability and ease of maintenance—features that together have added to his company’s productivity increases. “For me, one of the most important features is the microswitch inside the trigger. It’s water resistant, so if it’s raining or we drop the Dura-Flux in a puddle we can pick it up and go right back to work, as long as all other components are dry,” explains Jolson. The microswitch Jolson refers to is a feature that Bernard added specifically to help increase the durability of the gun in harsh construction environments. Its sealed design helps keep dirt, dust and water from entering the trigger and damaging the internal components. Jolson also likes that he can change out the contact tip on the Dura-Flux gun without tools and says that the gun’s small trigger guard makes it easier for him to maneuver around difficult joints and is more comfortable to hold for long periods of time. Most competitive self-shielded guns have a large heat shield, which he said would often get in the way when he welded in tight areas. But the best part of the Dura-Flux gun according to Jolson? It allows him, Hobbs and his other welding contractors to get a high volume of work done—fast. “We average probably 60 pounds of wire a day going through a gun with only one guy welding,” he says. “That’s a lot of wire.” In this case, it’s Hobart Fabshield XLR-8 self-shielded .072-inch diameter wire that he is using, an all-position wire that provides the high deposition rates and good impact strengths that he and his team need. The wire also has the optional D designator under AWS A5.20:2005 specifications, making it usable for the strict AWS D1.8 Demand Critical welds that Jolson often requires. Fabshield XLR-8 wire also offers a large voltage window and is particularly well suited for vertical-up welds at high current levels. Jolson operates the wire at approximately 19 to 25 Volts and 180 to 350 IPM (inches per minute), depending on the application and explains that the ability to run the wire at such a wide range of IPM helps him and his team stay productive. He says the Fabshield XLR-8 also simplifies set up and makes it easier for the range of skill sets that his contracted welding operators bring to the job. “I could put any guy on the job—from a really experienced welder to a novice and we won’t have any IPM issues. We don’t have to make sure that our wire speed is right on the money,” Jolson explains. “We just set our voltage and amperage and the guys can tinker with the wire speed a bit.” And while Jolson depends on his Dura-Flux gun and Fabshield XLR-8 wire, other parts of his welding arsenal help keep the company’s productivity on track, too. After Jolson discovered Bernard’s Dura-Flux gun, he liked it so much that he sought out an option for his gas-shielded applications. The result? With the help of Stubblefield, he customized a Bernard Q-Gun with the exact neck, consumables and cable length for his applications. (Bernard allows customers like Jolson to create their own style MIG Gun with their online Configurator or by working with a company representative or distributor). In this case, he built a MIG gun with an OXO-style handle and Bernard’s exclusive Centerfire consumables, and then added a six-inch flexible neck. He also uses Bernard’s Jump Liners. “Like the Dura-Flux gun, the Q-Gun has been really convenient, especially welding in tight spots,” explains Jolson. “Plus, it’s very easy to use and maintain—very user friendly. I don’t know that I’ll ever change from it.” According to Jolson, the Bernard Jump Liners have added measurably to his productivity increases. In fact, he estimates that it takes him or Hobbs approximately two to three minutes to change a Jump Liner compared to the 20 or more minutes to change a conventional MIG gun liner. Bernard Jump Liners connect with standard liners at the base of the Q-Gun’s rotatable neck and run through the most common wear point up to the contact tip. Jolson doesn’t have to replace (or trim) the entire gun liner when it becomes worn at the neck (the most common wear point). The jump liner stays with the body tube and the main liner stays within the gun. “It [the Jump Liner] saves me a lot of time because we don’t have to tear the whole gun apart in the middle of a welding process,” he explains. “We just remove the gooseneck, pop out the Jump Liner and slide in a new one. It’s very cost effective, and it gets us back to work faster.” Reducing downtime and adding to his productivity are the Centerfire consumables (contact tips, diffusers and nozzles) that Jolson uses on his Q-Gun. Centerfire series contact tips ‘drop in’ the gas diffuser and lock in place by tightening the nozzle. The nozzles feature a built-in spatter shield to protect the gas diffusers and provide smooth gas flow. “I use a small nozzle for getting into tight spots. Some people think that I’ll have gas diffusion problems because of that, but I just don’t,” says Jolson. “The holes inside the nozzle distribute the gas evenly. There’s not a problem with that. Plus the contact tips last longer than screw-on tips. I would say three to four times longer.” Jolson couples his Q-Gun with Hobart Brothers’ gas-shielded wire, Excel Arc 71—a change that he says has helped the company’s productivity in several ways, including improving weld quality and reducing cleanup. The company uses a .045-inch diameter wire, which Jolson and Hobbs operate at 19 to 24 Volts and approximately 175 to 500 IPM using 100 percent CO2, a set up that they say gives them the exact quality and travel speed they want. In many cases (as the specifications for a given project allow), Jolson says that he and his team can use the wire for the root, fill and cap passes, all with minimal downtime for interpass cleaning. He explains, “We usually run two- or three-foot passes at a time. By the time we get halfway through, usually the slag is already falling off.” The Excel Arc 71 also gives the team the versatility to weld a variety of different size welds—ranging from as thin as ¼ inch to as large as 1 inch, and produces very little spatter in the process, features that keep productivity high and downtime for cleanup at a minimum. “With competitive wires, I find that they are a little more finicky. I get a lot of spatter even if I mess with the gas, voltage and IPM,” says Jolson. “I don’t have time for that. I need to get the job done, and with the Excel Arc 71, we don’t have to worry about those problems.” So what’s the bottom line to benefits like these and the others that Jolson has experienced in the last year? According to him, pairing the Fabshield XLR-8 and Excel Arc 71 welding wires with his Bernard Dura-Flux guns and Q-Guns, respectively, has had a significant impact on his company’s productivity—to the tune of a 30 percent increase. “The changeover has really worked out good for our company,” says Jolson. “We can be a lot more competitive with our bidding now. And a lot more productive.” That’s important for someone like Jolson who never knows what project he’ll be taking on week-to-week, but needs to be prepared for whatever comes down the pipe. Self-shielded flux-cored arc welding (FCAW) has been a viable welding process many years. It has been useful for structural steel erection, heavy equipment repair, bridge construction and other similar applications. That’s not surprising, as it offers high deposition rates, excellent chemical and mechanical properties, and the weldability required for these jobs. Still, it doesn’t mean that the process is without its challenges. Fortunately, with some know-how and a bit of practice, you can prevent some of the common problems associated with the process and gain the weld quality you need. Wire feed stoppages and malfunctions are common problems on many job sites. They can cause a considerable amount of downtime. The two most prevalent type of wire feeding problems—burnback and birdnesting—tend to extinguish the arc prematurely, which in turn can lead to weld defects. Burnback occurs when the wire melts into a ball at the end of the contact tip. It is most often the result of too slow of a wire feed speed and/or holding the welding gun too close to the workpiece. To prevent the problem, be sure to use the correct feed speed for your application. Maintain a distance from contact tip to the work of no further than 1 1/4-inch. To prevent birdnesting—a tangle of wire that halts the wire from being fed—during FCAW welding, always use knurled V- or U-groove drive rolls in your wire feeder. Compared to a GMAW solid welding wire (which uses a smooth V-groove drive roll), FCAW wire is much softer (due to its tubular design). If you use the incorrect drive roll, it can easily compress the wire. Additionally, setting the correct drive roll tension can prevent the wire from flattening and becoming tangled. To set the proper tension, begin by releasing the tension on the drive rolls. Increase the tension while feeding the wire into the palm of your welding glove and continue to increase the tension one half turn past wire slippage. Other causes of birdnesting include blockages in the liner, improperly trimmed liners or using the wrong liner. Promptly replace your liner if you find a blockage during your routine inspection of your welding gun and cables. Always trim the liner (using the correct tools) according to the manufacturer’s recommendation. Be certain that the liner does not have any burrs or sharp edges and always use the correct size liner for your diameter of welding wire. Porosity and wormtracking are both common weld discontinuities that can weaken the integrity of your welds. Porosity results when gas becomes trapped in the weld metal. It can appear at any specific point on the weld or along its full length. To prevent this problem, remove any rust, grease, paint, coatings, oil, moisture and dirt from the base metal prior to welding. Using filler metals with added deoxidizers also helps weld through such contaminants, but these products should never replace proper pre-cleaning. Next, maintain an appropriate electrode extension or stick-out. As a general rule, the wire should extend no more than 1 1/4-in. beyond the contact tip. Additionally, to prevent worm tracking—marks on the surface of the weld bead caused by gas that the flux in the core of the wire creates—avoid excessive voltage for your given wire feed setting and amperage. It is best to follow the parameters recommended by the filler metal manufacturer for the specific diameter of welding wire. If worm tracking does occur, reduce your voltage by increments of one half volt until you eliminate the problem. Slag inclusions occur when the slag generated by the molten flux in the wire’s core becomes trapped inside of the weld. There are four major causes of slag inclusions, all of which can be prevented with proper welding techniques. First, avoid incorrect weld bead placement, especially when making multiple passes on thick sections of metal, such as needed for the root passes of welds or wide v-groove openings. Be certain to provide sufficient space in the weld joint for additional passes, particularly on joints requiring multiple passes. Secondly, maintain the correct travel angle and travel speed. In the flat, horizontal, and overhead positions your drag angle should be between 15 and 45 degrees. In the vertical up position, your drag angle should be between 5 and 15 degrees. Also, If you experience slag inclusions at these angles, you should increase your drag angle slightly. Maintain a steady travel speed; if you travel too slowly, the weld puddle will get ahead of the arc and create slag inclusions. Next, maintain proper weld heat input, as too low of welding heat input can also cause slag inclusions. Always use the manufacturer’s recommended parameters for a given wire diameter. If slag inclusions still occur, increase the voltage until the inclusions cease. Finally, be certain to clean thoroughly between weld passes, removing any slag with a chipping hammer, wire brush or grinding before beginning your next weld pass. Like other weld defects, undercutting and lack of fusion can both affect the quality of your welds. Preventing them can go far in reducing downtime and costs for rework. Undercutting occurs when a groove melts in the base metal next to the toe of the weld, but is not filled by the weld metal. It causes a weaker area at the toe of the weld and often leads to cracking. Use the proper welding current and voltage. These are key to preventing undercutting (remember to follow your welding parameters), as is adjusting to the right gun angle. Maintain a travel speed that allows the weld metal to fill the melted-out areas of the base metal completely. If you are using a weaving technique, pause at each side of the weld bead. To prevent lack of fusion, the failure of the weld metal to fuse completely with the base metal (or the preceding weld bead in multi-pass applications), maintain the correct work angle and heat input. Obtain the correct angle by placing the stringer bead in its proper location at the joint. Adjust the work angle or widening the groove to access the bottom during welding as needed. Keep the arc on the trailing edge of the welding puddle and maintain a gun angle drag of 15 to 45 degrees. If using a weaving technique, momentarily hold the arc on the groove sidewalls when welding. Increase your voltage range and/or adjust the wire feed speed as necessary to obtain complete fusion. Also, if you feel that the wire is getting ahead of the work puddle, simple adjustments, such as increasing travel speed or using a higher welding current, can prevent problems. Finally, be certain to clean the surface of the base metal prior to welding to remove contaminants to prevent lack of fusion. Maintaining the appropriate heat input during welding is key to avoiding problems like excessive penetration. Excessive penetration occurs when the weld metal melts through the base metal and hangs underneath the weld. It most often results from too much heat. If the problem occurs, select a lower voltage range, reduce wire feed speed and increase travel speed. Conversely, selecting a higher wire feed speed, a higher voltage range and/or reducing travel speed can prevent problems like lack of penetration—the shallow fusion between the weld metal and the base metal. In addition, prepare the joint so as to permit access to the bottom of the groove. Maintain proper welding wire extension and arc characteristics. Self-shielded FCAW is a reliable process for many construction applications. Obtaining high quality welds with it isn’t a matter of luck. It’s the result of good welding technique, the proper choice of parameters and your ability to prevent problems—or identify and rectify them quickly. Remember, arming yourself with some basic information will allow you to prevent most common problems associated with self-shielded FCAW welding without sacrificing time or quality.
Automated Intelligence: Deciding Whether Automation is Right For You
Automated Intelligence:
Deciding Whether Automation is Right For You
1. Why Automate?
2. Payback
3. Whether to Automate
4. Your Automation Options
5. Automation Componentry
6. Planning for the Future
7. Throughout the Journey
Final Thoughts
Simple Ways to Protect Your Robotic MIG Gun
Simple Ways to Protect Your Robotic MIG Gun…
and Your Overall Investment in Automation
The Who, Why and Whens of PM
Getting Down to the Specifics
schedule a liner replacement as required. Replacing it prior to a failure prevents unplanned downtime to remedy wire feeding or quality problems later.Parting Thoughts on PM
Choosing the Right Robotic Gun for MIG Applications
Choosing the Right Robotic Gun for MIG Welding Applications
including an air-cooled model (as shown
here), can help ensure good weld quality,
and reduce equipment and maintenance cost — factors that lead to a good return on investment and greater productivity.Staying Cool with Air-Cooled Technology
Just Add Water
offer high-amperage capacity for applications
requiring prolonged periods of welding.An Option in Between
offer the durability of an air-cooled
model gun with the greater cooling
capacity of a water-cooled one,
making them an ideal fit for welding
multiple thicknesses of materials.Protecting the Assets
Understanding MIG Welding Nozzles
Understanding MIG Welding Nozzles
insert, as shown in this cut-away, can help extend
the life of the consumable. The brass insert,
in particular, helps maintain the inner diameter
of the nozzle and reduce wear.Selecting the Right Shape of Nozzle
A Simple Guide to Selecting the Proper Nozzle
Welding Application Nozzles Considerations Welding Current
High Heat
Limited Weld Access
Heavy Spatter Generation
Using Nozzle Cleaning Stations
Selecting the Best Material
build-up, as seen here, and cleaning it
properly can help extend the life of the
consumable. Adding anti-spatter can also
help prevent build-up.Proper Storage, Handling and Maintenance
Storage
Handling
Maintenance
Handling, Installing, and Maintaining GMAW Consumables
Handling, Installing, and Maintaining GMAW Consumables
Tips to Follow and Pitfalls to Avoid
properly can minimize downtime and costs.The Heat Factor
Using Anti-Spatter Solution
Storing and Handling Consumables
spatter buildup shown hereEstablishing and Maintaining Good Connections
Trimming Liners Correctly
manufacturer’s recommendation
for proper trimming and
installation instructions. Also
be sure to wear gloves when
handling the liner to avoid
contaminating it.Minding the Contact Tip Position and Nozzle Size
Things to Remember
Troubleshooting Robotic Welding
From Consumables to Cables:
Troubleshooting Robotic Welding
system, it is critical to identify the problem
as quickly and accurately as possible. Look
first at the variables that have most recently
changed, as these may be the culprits.Poor Consumable Performance and/or Premature Failure
Premature Cable Failure
Poor Wire Feeding
help extend consumable life. Should any
problems occur with the equipment,
check that the reamer is positioned
accurately and is applying the correct
mount of anti-spatter solution.Poorly Performing Peripherals
Trouble with TCP
Welding operators, however, shouldn’t assume that welds that are off-location are always caused by an incorrect TCP. In some cases, they can be the result of improper fixturing, fixturing that allows the part to move or a loose robot base. Or there may be a variation in the part itself.Final Considerations
Selecting, Installing and Maintaining a Through-Arm Robotic MIG Gun
Selecting, Installing and Maintaining a Through-Arm Robotic MIG Gun
robotic MIG gun, it is important to
carefully select and maintain the gun,
and also to follow the manufacturer’s
instructions for installation.Selection
Installation
When installing a through-arm robotic MIG gun, allow approximately
1.5 inches of slack to prevent undue stress on the power cable
and power pin, and minimize the opportunity for damage
to either component. Maintenance
Should You Automate?
Should You Automate Your Welding Operation?
Considerations for Making the Decision
with a competitive advantage by providing better weld quality
and greater productivity compared to a semi-automatic
welding process.The Benefits of Automated Welding
The Best Applications for Automated Welding
Process Flow is Important
Quality Matters
Shift in Skill Set
The Next Step
Consumables for Robotic Welding
How to Choose Robotic Welding Consumables
What you should know to improve performance and reduce costs
Mind Your Extensions and Connections
of an automated welding system, but they
can have a measurable impact on
downtime and day-to-day costs. Be
certain to carefully select and maintain
them to get the best performance
and minimize downtime.The Impact of Welding Wires on Contact Tip Selection
What is Your Mode of Welding?
Selecting the Right Nozzle … and Maintaining It
and contact tips.Other Considerations
Is Poor Conductivity Impeding Your Welding Performance
Is Poor Conductivity Impeding Your Welding Performance?
Conductivity’s Impacts
Accurate Troubleshooting
Interruptions
Troubleshooting Damage
The Basics: MIG Troubleshooting
The Basics: MIG Troubleshooting
Keep Covered
Don’t Be Undercut
Keep Track of the Heat
All About Wire
No Cure-All
Related Articles
Detroit-Area Company Increases Productivity and Supports Lean Initiatives with New Robotic MIG Gun
Detroit-Area Company Increases Productivity and Supports Lean Initiatives with New Robotic MIG Gun
has helped Watson minimize downtime for neck
changeover, and it offers the welding capacity to weld
on a variety of parts and part thicknesses.Time to Fix What’s Broken
Durability, Flexibility and Accuracy
creates the tooling necessary to weld all
its components successfully.
Watson, the company is “serious about lean” — so
much so that they have a dedicated workforce for it.Ownership and Inventory Made Easy
components, along with products for the automotive and
commercial industries — all of which are carefully and neatly organized on shelves and in bins for maximum efficiency.Lean and Productive
Strong Bond and Strong Community at San Diego Continuing Education
Strong Bond and Strong Community at San Diego Continuing Education
Partnering for Success
Reaching out to the Community
Air-Cooled vs. Water-Cooled MIG Gun: Which is Right for You
Air-Cooled vs. Water-Cooled MIG Gun: Which is Right for You?
First Things First
Amperage Requirements
Duty Cycle
Gun Weight and Operator Comfort
Worksite Location
Cost
Long-term Costs
Conclusion
Thoughts for Improving Welding Operations in Today’s Automotive Industry
From Technology to Technical Support:
Thoughts for Improving Welding Operations in Today’s Automotive Industry
Equipment Standardization
Single Arc Pulsed Technology
Streamline Vendors
Error Proofing
Best Practice Meetings
Preventive Maintenance
Coopetition
Built-in Buffers
Addressing Welding Challenges in Today’s Automotive Industry
Addressing Welding Challenges in Today’s Automotive Industry
Well-Managed Inventory Equals Greater Uptime
of best practices can help automotive companies “do more with less.”Front-End Conversion Kits
The Right Equipment Maintained Properly
Air-Cooled Robotic GMAW Guns
Water-Cooled Robotic GMAW Guns
Meeting the Demands
Is it Time to Automate? 5 Factors to Consider
Is it Time to Automate?
5 Five Factors to Consider
Factor #1: Plan Accordingly
and creating a detailed plan is key to gaining the many
advantages of an automated welding system.Factor #2: Evaluate Your Application
Factor #3: Assess Your Facility
cost of purchasing larger wire packages and the
appropriate storage areas for them.Factor #4: Determine Your Available Personnel and Training
Factor #5: Justify the Expense
Final Thoughts
Handrails in Hell, Arizona
Handrails in Hell: Hot Az Hell Welding and Fabrication Puts Dura-Flux to the Test
The key to success
Everyone at Hot Az Hell Welding and Fabrication can perform multiple jobs, one of the secrets to their rapid growth and success since being founded in 2006.Focus on efficiency
Reliable equipment equals increased productivity
The Dura-Flux recently allowed Hot Az Hell Welding and Fabrication to install 200 linear feet of three-rail hand rails with only a single tip change – which was attributed to operator error.
Avoid These 5 MIG Gun Myths to Optimize Performance
Avoid These 5 MIG Gun Myths to Optimize Performance
Myth #1 — MIG guns are all the same, so price should be the deciding factor when purchasing a new gun.
Power Cable Fittings
Myth #2 — Consumables aren’t very important to weld quality and performance.
Maintaining Consumables
Myth #3 — Preventative gun and consumables maintenance is a waste of valuable time that could be better spent in production.
Liner Maintenance
Myth #4 — It’s always better to err on the safe side and overmatch the gun amperage to the application.
Weight and Size
Myth #5 — The MIG gun liner does not have a significant impact on welding performance.
Other Factors of Clogged Liners
MIG Welding Shielding Gas Basics
MIG Welding Shielding Gas Basics
Choosing The Right Shielding Gas
of the weld bead, can be caused by inadequate shielding gas and can dramatically weaken
the weld. Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
Argon
Oxygen
Helium
in shielding gas coverage. The photo on the left shows good coverage, while the coverage in the photo on the right allows
the air environment contaminate the shielding gas.Getting the Shielding Gas to the Weld Pool
contact tip is seated in the diffuser and held in place
by the spatter guard inside the nozzle.Don’t Let Consumables Consume Your Profits
Don’t Let Consumables Consume Your Profits: Choose, Use and Troubleshoot Wisely
Choose Wisely
Use Wisely
Troubleshoot Wisely
Contractor increases productivity…
Jolson Welding Improves Productivity with New MIG, FCAW Equipment
Making the Change
The result of the testing
The New Approach to Self-Shielded Welding
Gaining the Most Out of Gas-Shielded Welding
Tips For Avoiding Common Flux-Cored Problems & Improving Your FCAW Welds
Tips For Avoiding Common Flux-Cored Problems & Improving Your FCAW Welds
Tip One: Avoid Wire Feeding Problems
Tip Two: Stop Porosity and Worm Tracking
Tip Three: Eliminate Slag Inclusions
Tip Four: Prevent Undercutting and Lack of Fusion
Tip Five: Avoid Excessive Penetration or Lack of Penetration
Final Tips
