Improve Productivity by Preventing 5 Common MIG Welding Problems
Downtime and rework can be costly for manufacturing operations. The last thing any production team wants to do is the same work twice. If you add to that any time spent troubleshooting issues in the weld cell — the lost production time can start to accumulate quickly.
There are several steps operations can take to reduce the time lost to these common issues in MIG welding — and many of them start during weld setup and selection of consumables. Read on to learn more about five common causes of lost productivity in the weld cell and how to prevent them.
Cause 1: Poor fit-up or weld prep
Before welding even starts, pay attention to proper fit-up and joint design, as well as base material preparation and cleaning. Good fit-up means avoiding large or inconsistent gaps between the parts. Choosing the right wire size and gas mixture and matching those in advance can help optimize performance and provide proper gap filling capabilities.
Certain welding wires, such as metal-cored wires, are usable on less-prepped base material by offering the ability to weld through mill scale or other surface impurities. They also offer good gap bridging. If operations are often getting parts that aren’t thoroughly cleaned, it may be worth testing a metal-cored wire. Otherwise, changes to the weld prep stage of the operation may be necessary to achieve better material condition prior to welding.
Cause 2: Incorrect parameters or system setup
Using the wrong parameters or setting the wire feeder up incorrectly are common causes of lost productivity. Having the wrong settings can greatly affect the weld, sometimes without the operator even realizing the impact that a setting change can make. It’s important to have a thorough understanding of the wire feeder and all of its functions to set it up for optimal performance.
When properly set up, there should be very few issues with the performance of the MIG welding gun. However, if the system is set up incorrectly or there is a poor weld circuit, it can lead to contact tip failure, since the contact tip is the smallest fuse in the weld circuit. This can result in money wasted on frequent contact tip changeover.
Cause 3: Improper liner installation
MIG gun liners can wear out over time and must be changed periodically, like other consumables. However, replacement liners are often longer than necessary and must be precisely trimmed according to the style and length of the gun. If a liner is cut too short, it can result in issues like burnback, an erratic arc and wire chatter. When liners are cut too long, it can cause the wire to weave and curve as it feeds through the gun.
With either too-long or too-short liners, the result is often poor wire feeding and downtime spent troubleshooting these problems. Maintenance and troubleshooting for liner issues can be costly, resulting in multiple hours per week lost for an operation.
The more that liner movement within the gun can be minimized, the better your wire feedability will be. To avoid the guesswork and hassle, look for a solution that makes liner installation and trimming easier. The Bernard® AccuLock™ S consumable system affixes the liner at both ends of the gun, so welders are assured the liner won’t pull back or push into the contact tip, allowing for smooth, uninterrupted delivery of the wire to the weld pool.
It’s also important to occasionally check to make sure the liner is clear and not blocked by debris or buildup.
Cause 4: Loose connections or neglected maintenance
When MIG welding consumables aren’t properly installed and maintained, it can result in wire feeding issues and weld quality problems that lead to lost time for troubleshooting.
For example, a loose connection in the weld circuit means you’re not getting the power you expect from the power source. In that case, the operator may keep adjusting the parameters, causing an increase in resistance that leads to shortened consumable life. These issues tend to show up first in the contact tip. This is often the first thing the operator changes if they think they have a problem with their MIG gun. Changing the contact tip — even when the real source of the problem is a loose connection or improper setup in the circuit — drives up consumable costs and wastes time.
Be sure to periodically check and tighten all connections and cables. Tight connections help optimize performance and reduce the chance of issues occurring in the system.
Cause 5: Cutting corners with contact tips
Another cause of lost productivity is using low-quality contact tips. Some contact tips are designed for ease of use and high performance. They provide better arc starts, less spatter, more consistent welds and longer life.
With Bernard AccuLock S consumables, 60% of the contact tip is buried in the gas diffuser to protect it from heat damage. As the shielding gas flows through the gun, it cools the contact tip tail inside the gas diffuser. This helps reduce heat and wear. This also differs from traditional tips that screw onto the gas diffuser with little to no portion of the tip exposed directly to the shielding gas as it exits the diffuser to the arc. The tapered design of the consumables tightly locks the conductive parts together to minimize electrical resistance and further reduce heat buildup. The contact tips also feature coarse threads, making them less likely to become cross-threaded.
Troubleshooting common welding problems
Common problems in the weld cell — from poor fit-up or wire feeding issues to using the wrong consumables for the job — can cost the operation significant time and money. Addressing the causes of lost productivity often starts with proper weld prep and setup, as well as making sure the chosen consumables are right for the application. Optimizing setup and efficiency in the weld circuit makes troubleshooting that much faster when issues do arise.
Manufacturer Cuts $45,000 of Costs With New MIG Welding Guns and Consumables
Manufacturer Cuts $45,000 of Costs With New MIG Welding Guns and Consumables
General Kinematics — a premier manufacturer of vibrating equipment for processing bulk materials — has been providing consistent, on-time and innovative solutions to its customers for more than 60 years. The company prides itself on offering rugged, cutting-edge equipment to manage difficult-to-process materials across the mining, resource recovery, bulk processing and foundry industries.
A reputation for design leadership and creating tailored technical advancements sets the company apart from the competition, as does its commitment to providing excellent service.
This 200-person, Crystal Lake, Ilinois-based company doesn’t have time for slowdowns, especially in the welding operation. In recent years though, General Kinematics noticed exactly that. It was experiencing repeated MIG gun breakdowns and excessive contact tip consumption that slowed production.
“Between costs and repairs and lost labor from the welders having issues that stopped their progress, we estimated around $45,000 a year in costs from these issues,” said Jason Jerik, plant manager at General Kinematics.
That’s when Jon Strug, the company’s maintenance tech, approached their welding distributor, Steve Schuette of Weldstar in Aurora, Illinois, for a solution. Schuette recommended a trial of Bernard BTB air-cooled MIG guns with AccuLock™ S consumables.
Considering the change
Problems with the water-cooled MIG welding guns at General Kinematics were at the heart of its need for a new solution.
“The guns were definitely our main issue with maintenance for Jon,” said Joel Jacobson, director of manufacturing. “It was tough to keep up to the demands of the hoses breaking, the wires breaking internally in the guns, tips burning out, liners and such.”
Jerik added, “The last time we calculated from a dollar standpoint it translated to about five to seven hours a week in lost time just with liner issues. It was that frequent.”
The team, along with Schuette, took a slow and thorough approach to testing the Bernard air-cooled BTB MIG welding guns and consumables, making sure that the products performed as expected. They worked first with some sample guns in standard sizes and leads and had different welders try them for a week each.
“We would test a week with one fitter, a week with one welder, and then we’d move them around to see what kind of acceptance we would get with them,” said Jacobson.
General Kinematics welds a variety of materials — from A-36 steel to AR-500 plate — in thickness up to eight inches and on a variety of joints. Welding operators also weld both large and small weldments and use different welding wire diameters. The guns and consumables needed to be versatile enough to manage these jobs and produce the quality needed to adhere to the American Welding Society (AWS) D.1.1 Structural Welding – Steel code. They also had to be the right equipment for the company’s welding operators.
Jacobson and Jerik regularly met with the welding operators to request feedback during the trial.
According to Jerik, welding operators saw noticeably less consumable consumption. However, they wanted to change the angle on the neck of guns to gain better access to some difficult joint configurations. They worked back and forth with Bernard to determine a different angle of the neck that suited their needs.
“We wanted to do a thorough run of testing and vetting out to decide ‘Is this the right product for us? Are we going to get that buy-in from our welding operators?’” he said.
Ensuring that welding operators liked the MIG welding guns and consumables was a critical part of the testing General Kinematics conducted. The company has a culture of empowerment and wanted its welding operators to be heard and to contribute their opinions.
“We think it’s important to get our welders involved early in the process,” said Jacobson. “Not everyone likes change, but getting them involved in testing up front can help show the long-term benefits.”
“I’m huge on that,” Jerik added. “I’d rather not force and push a change onto a team. I’d
rather them accept it and make it their own.”
After eight months of testing, processing feedback and making adjustments, General Kinematics made the decision to convert to the Bernard BTB air-cooled MIG guns and AccuLock S consumables.
The benefit of the investment
General Kinematics invested in 400-amp BTB air-cooled MIG guns for its 40 welding operators, as well as several 450-amp Bernard water-cooled guns — all with the same AccuLock S consumables. Bernard built the company a special neck for its water-cooled guns to provide better ergonomic access to typical weld joints, and these guns are the first of their kind ever to be configured with the AccuLock S consumables.
So, what finally sold General Kinematics on the Bernard products? In short, durability and performance.
The reduction in gun maintenance was key. Strug no longer has to contend with leaking water-cooled guns or liner issues that need fixing — and the new guns and consumables are less frustrating for the welding operators, who can now spend more time being productive.
“We have a whole lot fewer repairs. Before it was constantly, every month, seven guns I had to send out to get repaired or I had to repair them myself,” said Strug. “It’s a huge difference in quality — night and day.”
This durability and performance result from a combination of the rugged construction of the BTB air-cooled MIG guns — which were configured according to the handle, neck, trigger and cables the company needed — and the liner that is part of the AccuLock S consumables system.
Bernard designed the liner in the system for error-proof replacement by eliminating the need to measure it prior to installation. Instead of the liner loading from the back, like many competitive guns, the AccuLock S liner loads in the neck at the front of the gun and then locks in place so it can be trimmed flush with the power pin. This prevents the liner from being trimmed too short or too long.
“I like the liners,” said Strug. “They last a lot longer and I definitely like the quality of them.”
According to Jacobson, another selling point was that AccuLock contact tips run significantly cooler than the company’s previous ones so there is less consumption and downtime for changeover.
That’s due to the design of the tip and gas diffuser. Sixty percent of the welding contact tip is buried in the gas diffuser, which protects it from heat damage, and the shielding gas also cools the contact tip tail as it flows through the gun. AccuLock consumables have a tapered design that locks the tip, gas diffuser and nozzle tightly together to further reduce electrical resistance and lower heat buildup.
Jacobson likes the ability to reduce costs by having equipment that lasts longer. And both the air- and water-cooled MIG welding guns use the same AccuLock S consumables, which helps reduce inventory management.
The welding operators like that the guns and consumables run cooler and help reduce spatter, so there is less cleanup.
The long-term benefits
For General Kinematics, making the change to the Bernard BTB guns and AccuLock S consumables is just another way the company commits itself to quality. But there has been more to the conversion than that.
General Kinematics was able to gain a return on investment in approximately 12 to 14 months. And while there are still labor and equipment costs for gun and consumable maintenance, the conversion has eliminated the $45,000 in extra spending to address previous issues with the water-cooled guns.
The products have also helped its welding operators achieve approximately 10% more productivity by eliminating downtime. That’s important to the welding operators and to Jerik.
“When it comes down to it, do these products make their job easier? Do they make them more productive?”
The answer to both is yes.
How to Prevent 5 Common Welding Gun Failures
How to Prevent 5 Common Welding Gun Failures
Having the right equipment in the welding operation is important — and making sure it works when it’s needed is even more so.
Welding gun failures cause lost time and money, not to mention frustration. Like with many other aspects of the welding operation, the most important way to prevent this problem is education. Understanding how to properly choose, set up and use a MIG gun can help optimize results and eliminate many of the problems that lead to gun failure.
Learn about five common reasons MIG guns fail and how to prevent them.
Reason No. 1: Exceeding the gun rating
The rating on a MIG gun reflects the temperatures above which the handle or cable becomes uncomfortably warm. These ratings do not identify the point at which the welding gun risks damage or failure.
Much of the difference lies in the duty cycle of the gun. Because manufacturers can rate their guns at 100%, 60% or 35% duty cycles, there can be significant variances when comparing manufacturer’s products.
Duty cycle is the amount of arc-on time within a 10-minute period. One manufacturer may produce a 400-amp GMAW gun that is capable of welding at 100% duty cycle, while another manufactures the same amperage gun that can weld at only 60% duty cycle. The first gun would be able to weld comfortably at full amperage for a 10-minute time frame, whereas the latter would only be able to weld comfortably for 6 minutes before experiencing higher handle temperatures.
Choose a gun with an amperage rating that matches the necessary duty cycle required and the length of time that the operator will be welding. It’s also important to consider the materials and filler metal wire that will be used. The gun should be able to carry enough power to melt the filler metal wire cleanly and consistently.
Reason No. 2: Improper setup and grounding
Improper system setup can increase the risk of welding gun failure. It’s important to pay attention to not only all consumable connections within the gun, but also all connections in the entire weld circuit to optimize performance.
Proper grounding helps ensure the operator isn’t sending too much power to a restricted window for the power to travel through. Loose or improper ground connections can increase resistance in the electrical circuit.
Be sure to put the ground as close to the workpiece as possible — ideally on the table that holds the workpiece. This helps provide the cleanest circuit structure for the power to travel where it needs to go.
It’s also important to place the ground on clean surfaces so there is metal-to-metal contact; do not use a painted or dirty surface. A clean surface gives the power an easy path to travel rather than create obstructions that create resistance — which increases heat.
Reason No. 3: Loose connections
Consumable connections play an important role in gun performance. Consumables should be tightly secured to the gun, and all threaded connections should also be secure. It’s especially important to check and tighten all connections after a gun has been serviced or repaired.
A loose contact tip or gun neck is an invitation for gun failure at that spot. When connections aren’t tight, heat and resistance can build up. Also, be sure any trigger connect being used is working properly and provides constant power.
Reason No. 4: Damaged power cable
Cables can be easily damaged in the shop or manufacturing environment; for example, by heavy equipment or improper storage. Any damage to the power cable should be repaired as quickly as possible.
Inspect the cable for any cuts or damage; no copper should be exposed in any part of the cable. An exposed line of power in the weld system will try to jump the arc if it touches anything metallic outside of the system. This can result in a wider system failure and a possible safety concern.
Re-terminate the gun and make the cable shorter if necessary, removing any cable sections that have nicks or cuts.
Also be sure the power cable is the proper size for the power that the feeder is supplying to the weld gun. An oversized power cable adds unnecessary weight, while an undersized cable causes heat buildup.
Reason No. 5: Environmental hazards
The manufacturing environment can be harsh for tools and equipment. Take care of tools and equipment to help extend their useful life. Skipping maintenance or treating tools poorly can result in failure and reduced life.
If the welding gun is connected to a boom arm above the weld cell, make sure there are no areas where the gun or cable can be pinched or damaged. Set up the cell so there is a clear path for the cable, to avoid crushing the cable or disrupting shielding gas flow.
Using gun anchors helps keep the gun in a good position and the cable straight — to avoid excessive strain on the cable — when the gun isn’t being used.
Additional thoughts on MIG gun failures
Gun failures in water-cooled welding guns typically happen more frequently than failures in air-cooled gun models. This is primarily due to improper setup.
A water-cooled welding gun requires coolant to chill the system. The coolant must be running before the gun is started because the heat builds quickly. Failure to have the chiller running when welding starts will burn up the gun — requiring replacement of the entire gun.
Welder knowledge and experience regarding how to choose between these guns and maintain them can help prevent many of the issues that result in failures. Small issues can snowball into larger issues within the system, so it’s important to find and address problems with the welding gun when they start to avoid bigger troubles later.
Maintenance Tips
Following some basics tips for preventive maintenance can help extend the life of the welding gun and keep it operating smoothly. It also helps reduce the chances of reactive emergency maintenance that can take the weld cell out of commission.
Regularly inspecting the MIG gun can be an important part of reducing costs and gaining good welding performance. Preventive maintenance doesn’t have to be time-consuming or difficult.
Check the feeder connection regularly. Loose or dirty wire feeder connections cause heat to build up and result in voltage drops. Tighten connections as needed and replace damaged O-rings as necessary.
Properly care for the gun liner. Gun liners can often become clogged with debris during welding. Use compressed air to clear any blockages when wire is changed. Follow manufacturer’s recommendations for trimming and installing the liner.
Inspect the handle and trigger. These components typically require little maintenance beyond visual inspection. Look for cracks in the handle or missing screws, and be sure the gun trigger isn’t sticking or malfunctioning.
Check the gun neck. Loose connections at either end of the neck can cause electrical resistance that results in poor weld quality or consumable failures. Ensure all connections are tight; visually inspect the insulators on the neck and replace if damaged.
Inspect the power cable. Regularly checking the power cable is important to reduce unnecessary equipment costs. Look for any cuts or kinks in the cable and replace as necessary.
Republished from Welding Journal (August 2020) with permission from the American Welding Society (AWS). Click here to view the original article.
From Semi-Automatic to Automatic: Tips for Selecting a Welding Gun
From Semi-Automatic to Automatic: Tips for Selecting a Welding Gun
Choosing the right equipment for a welding operation is critical to achieving high weld quality and productivity while also eliminating costly downtime. And that includes welding guns.
In many cases, companies may have a mix of welding processes and guns. For example, in heavy equipment and general manufacturing, it’s common to have semi-automatic welding along with robotic welding. In oil and gas and shipbuilding applications, semi-automatic welding and fixed automation are prevalent. The combination of welding processes and equipment allows companies serving these industries to weld a variety of part volumes and sizes.
These process mixes, however, can pose challenges in terms of gun selection. That’s why it’s important to know the best welding gun features to look for to achieve the desired weld results — and the best efficiencies.
This article has been published as a web-exclusive on thefabricator.com. To read the entire story, please click here.
The Importance of Cutting a Welding Liner Properly
The Importance of Cutting a Welding Gun Liner Properly
Cutting a welding gun liner correctly is, first and foremost, a matter of proper training. For traditional systems, it’s critical that welding operators understand how to measure and cut the liner to the required length for the gun.
A MIG gun liner that has been cut either too short or too long can lead to a host of issues, most often poor wire feeding. That, in turn, can lead to weld quality issues and rework — both factors that contribute to unnecessary and costly downtime.
The Bernard® AccuLock™ S Consumable System can help eliminate installation issues. First, however, it’s important to understand the pitfalls of standard liner installation to understand the value of this solution.
The problem with welding gun liners
The position of the gun and power cable factors significantly into whether liner installation is successful. If the gun and power cable are twisted or coiled before the welding operator trims the liner, the liner can end up either too long or too short, due to how the cable is constructed.
The copper inside the power cable is wound around a central conduit in a helix or spiral. If the cable is twisted or coiled, it will grow or shrink based on how the copper helix is also twisted. Think of a spring — if it is twisted one way, it grows; if twisted the other way, it shrinks.
For this reason, it’s important to lay the MIG gun and cable straight to avoid any kinks that would lead to an incorrect reading when trimming the liner. Generally, longer power cables are more prone to twisting, so welding operators must take even more care when installing liners in them.
Welding operators may experience the following due to an improperly trimmed liner:
- Poor wire feeding
- Erratic arc
- Birdnesting
- Burnbacks
- Wire chatter
A new solution for welding gun liners
The Bernard® AccuLock™ System eliminates the need to measure when cutting the welding gun liner for replacement. The liner is locked into place by the power pin cap. It is then trimmed flush with the power pin at the back of the gun and power cable. It is still important to lay the gun and cable flat, avoiding twists.
The welding operator can conduct a visual check to determine the liner is in the proper place. This check isn’t possible with a traditional liner if it has been cut too short; the welding operator simply can’t see it under the nozzle and gas diffuser.
The AccuLock System reduces wire feeding issues through the gun, as well, since the liner is locked and concentrically aligned at both the power pin cap and contact tip. This dual lock helps ensure the liner won’t extend or contract as the welding operator changes positions and the power cable naturally bends. The result is the elimination of gaps or misalignments at the front and back of the gun for a flawless wire-feeding path.
As an added benefit, the concentric alignment of the liner reduces mechanical wear on the contact tip that could lead to burnbacks or keyholing, both of which shorten the contact tip life.
For more information please visit the AccuLock S consumables product page.
Welding students in Tulsa benefit from Bernard MIG Guns and Consumables | Customer Testimonial
Welding students in Tulsa benefit from Bernard® MIG Guns and Consumables
Tulsa Welding School’s Houston campus needs reliable equipment that can handle any process. Bernard® MIG guns and consumables are the answer. “Bernard (guns) they’re real comfortable in my hand you know. They’re not too big and bulky. They’re not too heavy. The neck ratio on that, is just, they’re awesome. I like them. The lighter the gun can be is great for a welder.”, Greg Langdon – welding instructor.
Blinn Instructors Choose Bernard MIG Guns and Consumables for Dependable Welding Equipment | Customer Testimonial
Blinn Instructors Choose Bernard® MIG Guns and Consumables for Dependable Welding Equipment
“Here at Blinn when we chose welding equipment first and foremost I want something solid. That’s going to be there for me for years. In our labs we have connected all our Miller 22 A wire feeders to Bernard guns. Centerfire is so user friendly that I actually bought conversion kits and changed all our non-Bernard gear over to Bernard consumables” – Blinn welding instructor, John McGee.
Instructors and students at Blinn College have come to rely on Bernard product for molding future welders. Bernard MIG guns and consumables are easy to use and a welder’s best choice in dependability.
For a cleaner, more compliant work environment, get right to the source and extract fumes at the weld with the Bernard Clean Air fume extraction gun. Build your ultimate MIG gun. Choose from a variety of necks, handles and trigger styles to optimize welder ergonomics and weld access. Then standardize with a single line of consumables to simplify maintenance and contain costs. You can count on Bernard BTB semi-automatic air-cooled MIG guns to deliver industrial-grade performance and reliability in the most demanding and abusive environments.
Now mobile friendly! Configure your Bernard semi-automatic MIG gun – anytime, anywhere.
Bernard AccuLock S consumables provide error-proof liner replacement every time — no measuring required! Dual-locked in the contact tip and power pin AccuLock S liners guarantees optimized wire-feeding. Choosing equipment with fewer points of failure and simplified maintenance can help support more inexperienced welders. Bernard AccuLock S consumables can reduce training and shorten your troubleshooting list so you can focus on welding productivity.
Load and Lock for better productivity. Load and Lock to reduce troubleshooting, downtime and rework. Lock and Load with Bernard AccuLock S consumables.
In addition to the amperage of MIG welding gun you choose, the MIG gun parts — cable, neck and handle — affect how comfortably and efficiently you can weld. Configure your gun accordingly. Cable lengths can vary greatly — from 10 feet to 25 feet or longer. Use the shortest cable possible that can get the job done to prevent kinking or creating a tripping hazard. Consider your options: Remember, smaller welding wire sizes typically call for a shorter cable; it is more difficult to push a smaller wire over a greater length. It is also more difficult to push soft wires, like aluminum, through longer cables. Choosing a neck and handle for a MIG welding gun comes down to your preference, as well as the available weld cell space and the welding wire. The bottom line: Choose the options that make it easiest and most comfortable for you to reach the weld joint. Configure a Bernard® semi-automatic MIG gun This article is the second in a three-part series discussing how configuring a MIG gun can improve the welding operation, as well as what to consider in the process. Read article one, Configuring a MIG Welding Gun for Your Application and article three, Selecting the Right MIG Welding Consumables.
Have you struggled to gain proper joint access when welding? Or found yourself fatigued at the end of the day because of repeatedly welding in awkward positions? Configuring a MIG welding gun can help. A MIG welding gun configured for the exact application can maximize efficiency and productivity. When you are more comfortable, you are able to weld longer. A customized MIG welding gun also reduces downtime for assembly, since it’s ready right out of the box. You can configure each welding gun part with online configurators like those from Bernard. These parts include the: To configure the right MIG welding gun, look at the needs of your welding application. One answer influences the next choice. The physical space of the weld cell factors into MIG welding gun configuration. Consider these factors: Taking the time to consider the factors that impact how you configure your MIG welding gun can go far in ensuring you have the exact one for your application. See options for configuring a Bernard® MIG gun This article is the first in a three-part series discussing how configuring a MIG gun can improve the welding operation, as well as what to consider in the process. Read article two, How to Choose Welding Gun Parts, and article three, Selecting the Right MIG Welding Consumables.
Taylor Machine Works Inc. has spent over 90 years building a reputation by engineering and producing exactly what its customers need. The company manufactures more than 85 models of powered industrial trucks, including forklifts and material handling equipment for a range of industries. “We manufactured roughly 750 pieces of rolling stock last year and 40 percent to 50 percent of that is highly customized,” said Matt Hillyer, director of engineering for Taylor, based in Louisville, Mississippi. “Our job is to build products that answer the customer’s needs.” Taylor’s “Big Red” forklifts, featuring the company’s distinctive “Big Red” logo, can handle material weighing up to 125,000 pounds — everything from palleted goods and empty shipping containers in waterfront shipyards to equipment encountering brutal hot and cold environments. Many of Taylor’s customers are small operations with from one to three pieces of equipment. Just one piece going out of service reduces production capacity by a large percentage. “Having high durability, high return on investment and low cost of ownership, those are all very imperative to our customers to make them successful,” said Hillyer. “It’s important for us not only to make custom products that are advanced in technology or state-of-the-art, but we also have to make products that are very simple, easy to work on and have lots of uptime. That’s what our customers are looking for.” Taylor employs some of the best welders in the business to meet those customer demands, but even great welders can’t overcome their tools’ limitations. When Taylor decided to try Bernard® semi-automatic MIG guns and Centerfire™ consumables, they discovered their talented team could take productivity up a few notches —and still gain the best quality. Making the change “Before we changed to Bernard welding products, we didn’t really know we were having a problem,” said Steve Nazary, quality assurance supervisor at Taylor. “When we started using Bernard [MIG guns and consumables], we found that they were much easier and more economical to use for our process.” Bernard semi-automatic MIG guns at 400, 500 and 600 amperages delivered more business benefits. Savings on service repair. “We can replace the liners, the tips, the nozzles” Nazary explained. “You can replace everything on a Bernard gun instead of throwing it away and buying a new one.” The previous guns Taylor used could not be repaired and components weren’t replaceable, resulting in increased costs for new purchases for their large manufacturing operation. Productivity-boosting ergonomics. “The Bernard MIG guns have a better handle on them,” Nazary said. “It fits your hand better. It has an easier trigger to pull. It doesn’t get as hot as the guns we were using before. We were using some handles before that got so hot, you couldn’t hold them anymore.” “Those twisty necks, as I call them, we can loosen them and change the angle to get in harder places. And you can reset them back straight, turn them on any angle. The employees love them.” Easier-to-use rotatable necks. Guns with multiple neck position options that are all easy to adjust let Taylor welders operate comfortably and precisely in more situations. Rather than turning the entire gun to get the right position to reach a weld joint, welders simply adjust just the neck of the gun to a better angle. Nazary added that it’s also easy to change necks on the Bernard MIG Guns to reach into tighter spaces. “We have multiple necks and they only take two or three seconds to swap them out,” he said. Centerfire™ consumables also proved to last much longer than products Taylor had used previously, reducing the need to change contact tips from multiple times per day to just once a day, on average. These consumables feature a non-threaded contact tip that is tapered at the base to seat easily in the gas diffuser. The result is better heat dissipation and a longer life. Plus, they are quick to change over. “We can change the Centerfire consumables with ease. We don’t have to have tools. You just twist the nozzle off, pull it off and pop another contact tip in and twist the nozzle back on,” said Nazary. Centerfire consumables also provide better gas flow for better welds and less rework. “With the other consumables that we were using, you would get different gas flows,” said Nazary. “With the Bernard products, we have consistent flow all the time.” “It’s absolutely imperative to make our products successful for the customer,” said Hillyer. “We also look to our suppliers, like Bernard to provide us with the best technology. They help us incorporate the right technology to make sure that we do have the most durable truck on the market.”
Taylor Machine Works saves money and improves performance by welding its forklifts with Bernard MIG guns. All Bernard MIG gun parts are replaceable, and the necks adjust to fit tight joints. “You can put different necks on the guns. Those twisty necks, I call them. We can loosen them use them and change the angle to get in tighter places. The employees they love them. Bernard guns are very helpful to us and our welding process” raves Craig Callahan, Quality Control Welding Inspector for Taylor Machine Works. “When we first went to a Bernard gun, I had one man who didn’t change a tip for 27 days. They usually we’re changing tips, nozzle and diffusers multiple times a day. Now they only have to change the tips once a day”, says Steve Nazary, Quality Assurance Supervisor for Taylor Machine Works, since converting to Centerfire™ consumables. Bernard MIG welding consumables help Taylor Machine Works save time by reducing contact tip changeover in its forklift welding operations.
Limiting exposure to welding fumes is an increasingly important issue for many welding operations, as it provides a cleaner, more comfortable work environment and helps companies stay compliant with changing regulations. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and other safety regulatory bodies set the allowable exposure limits for weld fumes and other particulates, including hexavalent chromium, with the aim of protecting employees against potential health hazards in the workplace. Some companies may choose a centralized fume extraction system designed to protect the entire shop area. However, these systems can be a substantial investment and often require installation of new ductwork. In some welding applications, they are not a feasible or efficient fume extraction option. A fume extraction gun is a viable alternative in certain welding applications, including when the welder is in a tight or confined space or must move often to complete welds on a large part. Welding guns with built-in fume extraction are commonly used in heavy industrial welding, such as truck and trailer, rail car and heavy equipment manufacturing. Fume extraction welding guns capture the fumes generated by the welding process right at the source, over and around the weld pool, and they can be tailored to best meet the needs of a specific application or to welder preferences. Consider these key factors to help choose the right type of fume extraction gun for the job — and learn more about available features that can help improve gun flexibility and performance in certain applications. Fume extraction guns are available in a variety of amperages and handle designs. Common amperages for fume extraction guns range from 300 to 600. Keep in mind that amperage is tied to gun weight. The higher the amperage, the more copper required in the power cable and therefore the heavier the gun will be. Due to this additional weight, use the lowest amperage gun possible that will still allow the job to be completed. Along with the added weight, higher-amperage guns typically cost more than lower-amperage guns, so it may be a waste of money to buy more gun than necessary for the application. However, automatically buying the lightest gun available may not provide the amperage or durability needed for the application. Some lighter and more flexible guns aren’t durable enough for heavy industrial applications. Always consider a gun’s duty cycle rating, and keep in mind that it’s a balancing act between gun weight and durability when choosing a fume extraction gun. Some fume extraction guns on the market offer features and capabilities that help optimize fume capture while also providing benefits for operator comfort and ergonomics, gun performance and ease in producing quality welds. When choosing and configuring a fume extraction gun, consider these options: The nozzle on the front of most fume extraction guns is covered by a vacuum chamber. While vacuum chambers on some guns are fixed in place and can’t be moved, other guns have adjustable vacuum chambers that can be moved to several positions. This provides better joint access and visibility and helps welders dial in vacuum flow to eliminate porosity. Adjustable vacuum chambers can also improve ergonomics, since they reduce the need for the welder to position his or her body in uncomfortable positions to get a better view of the weld pool. Adjustable vacuum chambers that snap into position also provide greater durability than friction-fit chambers, which can loosen over time and eventually fall off. This can require replacement of the vacuum chamber. Some gun manufacturers also offer various vacuum chamber options, such as a short vacuum chamber that helps increase visibility and access to the weld pool. Most fume extraction guns offer a way for welders to control the vacuum suction and optimize gas flow. Look for a gun with a vacuum regulator — often positioned at the front of the handle — that allows welders to balance suction with shielding gas flow to protect against porosity. A vacuum hose designed to be crush- and snag-resistant eliminates the need for a protective hose cover in many applications. This helps reduce overall gun weight and increases flexibility of the hose. However, be aware that some heavy-duty welding applications requiring extremely high heat will always need a leather cover to protect the hose. Note, a gun with a vacuum hose that swivels also improves flexibility, visibility and joint access and helps reduce wrist fatigue. Tailoring the gun handle and neck to the application and welder preferences can help improve weld access and reduce operator fatigue. Some brands of guns are available in curved and straight handle options. In higher-amperage applications, welders may want to put the gun cable over their shoulder with the gun trigger on the top. Straight handle guns allow for this because the trigger can be positioned on the top. Some fume extraction guns also have additional neck options in a variety of bend angles, such as 30, 45 and 60 degrees. This provides even more ability to tailor a gun to specific needs and improves ergonomics. When choosing a gun with a straight handle, consider one with a rubber overmold on the handle to help reduce vibration and provide a better grip. As with any fume extraction equipment, proper use and maintenance of fume extraction guns is important to achieve optimal results. Operating a fume extraction gun is similar to using a standard MIG gun, with many of the same recommended best practices. However, there are some techniques that welders can follow to help get the best performance from a fume extraction gun: Some fume extraction guns are designed using a common consumable platform, which means any consumables used on a standard MIG gun or even a robotic MIG gun can also be used on a fume extraction gun. When fume gun replacement parts — nozzles, contact tips and gas diffusers — can be the same as those used on standard MIG guns, this offers greater flexibility and helps reduce a company’s consumables inventory. Additionally, it may be important for some companies to choose a fume extraction gun that is compatible with vacuum systems from most major manufacturers. In the right applications, fume extraction guns can help companies maintain compliance with safety regulations and create a cleaner, more comfortable welding environment for employees. When choosing fume extraction guns for MIG welding, look for features and accessories that will provide additional flexibility, time savings and advantages for welder comfort.
The fabrication and manufacturing industries continue to experience demands for greater productivity, increased efficiencies and higher cost savings — often times with less labor to support the efforts. Every improvement companies can make to achieve these goals is beneficial, from offering more operator training to implementing lean practices. Managing MIG guns and consumables that meet the needs of multiple applications is also an important element in achieving those goals, both from an inventory perspective and as a matter of eliminating unnecessary downtime. There are rarely, if ever, welding operations that require only one type of MIG gun or a single consumable. In fact, it’s not uncommon for many companies to have multiple MIG guns and consumables in use as a routine part of their daily operations, especially within the automotive manufacturing and pressure vessel industries. Automakers, for example, often have handheld and automation weld cells all in the same building. Similarly, welding operators working on different-sized pressure vessels may have a 1,500 gallon tank being welded together with a larger, higher-amperage MIG gun, while welding operators are fabricating a smaller tank nearby with much smaller, lighter-duty MIG gun. Understanding how to pair the best gun and consumable with the job can pay off in workflow and cost savings, and help improve the quality of completed welds. In addition, minimizing the part numbers for MIG guns and consumables can simplify inventory, which ultimately saves time for management and saves storage space. It can save time during the welding process, too. In the shipbuilding industry, for instance, welding operators move around frequently so they do not have the capacity to swap out MIG guns to address multiple applications. Instead, they often standardize on one type of MIG gun and swap out the necks, installed with a jump liner that replaces the front part of the liner system (the rest seats in the power cable). Doing so allows them to keep the same gun for the job, while gaining access to a new joint with the appropriate neck length or configuration. Below are five tips to help streamline welding operations and remain competitive by managing MIG guns and consumables effectively. Using fewer power cable lengths throughout an operation is possible when there is a difference of two or three feet between each application. For example, it may be possible to standardize on a 15-foot cable for weld cells that need this or a slightly shorter length — without causing issues with kinking of poor wire feeding. Doing so minimizes inventory and storage space requirements. It also takes away the guesswork when it comes to replacing this part of the MIG gun, as it eliminates the risk that a welding operator or maintenance employee will install the wrong length power cable on a MIG gun. 2. Choose one type of liner, when possible. There are different styles of liners available for MIG guns, including steel liners, D-wound liners or Teflon® liners. Teflon liners are well-suited for wires that are difficult to feed, including stainless steel or aluminum. Standardizing liner types across multiple weld cells, when possible, can reduce downtime for changeover and costs for inventory. Always make sure the liner is properly installed; otherwise, problems like birdnesting and feeding issues can result. 3. Use the same contact tips, even across semi-automatic and robotic weld cells. Use one type of contact tip across applications whenever possible. For companies that have both robotic and semi-automatic welding operations, common consumables can be especially helpful to streamline processes and inventory — while also reducing costs. It is not uncommon in robotic welding applications for welding operators to change contact tips long before they become worn, as it helps ensure that there is minimal downtime for problems associated with failures. These contact tips, however, still have life in them and can be used on semi-automatic MIG guns to reduce part numbers and count in inventory, and overall costs. It can also reduce confusion as to which contact tips to use across the welding operations. Too many different types of contact tips, for instance, can be confusing and can lead to a welding operator using the wrong parts on the wrong MIG guns. That misstep can bring production to a slowdown or a halt. 4. Adapt the power pin. It is not uncommon for companies to have multiple types and brands of power feeders throughout the welding operation. When possible, standardizing the power pin used in every MIG gun, via an adaptor at the feeder, can help streamline the management of various power pins to match these feeders. If a company also has various types or brands of MIG guns, an adapter can also help with gun standardization. The guns can be ordered with the same power pin and plugged into any wire feeder throughout the facility, again streamlining ordering and inventory, and minimizing costs. 5. Review MIG gun amperage and select one to streamline. In some instances, it may be possible to use the same amperage of MIG gun for multiple applications. For example, if 200 amp and 300 amp guns are both part of the inventory, using 300 amp guns in each cell can make it easier to manage inventory. It can also help prevent the potential for overheating if a smaller gun is accidentally used in place of a larger, higher-amperage one for a higher duty cycle job.
The Consumable Challenge proves a welder can change Bernard Centerfire consumables on a BTB MIG Gun faster than competitor consumables. Watch as we compare the strength of our Bernard BTB semi-automatic air-cooled MIG gun handle to those of our competitors. “Graham Corporation serves petrochemical refining markets, some food services. We’re a complete corporation from engineering all the way through manufacturing. I feel that you’re never going to get any rewards without effort and change is part of those rewards. You have to be willing to make those changes and pursue them. When we bought the Pipeworks we found out that we like the Bernard guns that came with it. The ease of operation, durability, the change overs and we just felt it was a good fit for the plant as a whole. We thought it would be to our advantage to have just one consumable for all our guns.” Watch to learn more about what Graham Corporation has to say about Bernard MIG guns and consumables. Bernard Clean Air Fume Extraction MIG Welding Guns
Bernard® Clean Air™ Fume Extraction MIG Welding Guns
Bernard BTB Semi-Automatic Air-Cooled MIG Welding Guns
Bernard® BTB Semi-Automatic Air-Cooled MIG Welding Guns
Video | Configure your Bernard Semi-Automatic MIG Gun Online
Configure your Bernard® Semi-Automatic MIG Gun Online
Bernard AccuLock S Consumables No Measuring Required
Bernard® AccuLock™ S Consumables – No Measuring Required
Bernard AccuLock S Consumables Dual-Locked Liner
Bernard® AccuLock™ S Consumables: Dual-Locked Liner
Video | Bernard AccuLock S Consumables for the Inexperienced Welders
Bernard® AccuLock™ S Consumables for the Inexperienced Welders
Video | Bernard AccuLock S Consumables for Better Productivity
Bernard® AccuLock™ S Consumables for Better Productivity
How to Choose MIG Welding Gun Parts
How to Choose MIG Welding Gun Parts
Choosing the cable
MIG welding gun necks and handles
Configuring a MIG Welding Gun for Your Application
Configuring a MIG Welding Gun for Your Application
Why configure?
How do you get started?
What affect does the weld cell have?
Taylor Forklift Operation Reduces Downtime, Costs with Bernard
Taylor Forklift Operation Reduces Downtime, Costs with Bernard
According to Taylor, sometimes it takes trying a new technology to realize what you’ve been missing. That was the case with the Bernard products — the manufacturers of the Big Red material handling machines had a business epiphany.
Helping Taylor Machine Works serve customers
All the advantages found by using Bernard semi-automatic MIG guns and Centerfire consumables align perfectly with Taylor’s commitment to quality and meeting the customer needs. And the reliability of the products fits well with the company’s slogan: “Depend on Red.”Save Money, Improve Performance with Bernard Replaceable MIG Gun Parts | Customer Testimonial
Save Money, Improve Performance with Bernard® Replaceable MIG Gun Parts
Bernard MIG Welding Consumables Save Time and Last Longer | Customer Testimonial
Bernard® MIG Welding Consumables Save Time and Last Longer
Fume Extraction Gun: Features and Techniques to Improve Performance
Fume Extraction Gun: Features and Techniques to Improve Performance
Fume extraction gun options
Features to consider
Adjustable vacuum chamber:
Suction control valve:
Flexible, crush- and snag-resistant hose:
Handle and neck options:
Fume extraction gun best practices
Getting results
Managing MIG Guns and Consumables for Multiple Applications
Managing MIG Guns and Consumables for Multiple Applications
1. Standardize on a shorter power cable length across weld cells. As a rule of thumb, always use the MIG gun with the shortest power cable possible. A MIG gun with a longer power cable can cause welding operator discomfort since it is heavier, which can cost money and time if he or she has to stop to rest due to fatigue. Additionally, a shorter power cable minimizes the risks of kinks that could cause poor wire feeding and/or an erratic arc, and result in downtime to address birdnesting or rework.
Video | Bernard Centerfire Changing Consumables Challenge
Bernard® Centerfire™ Changing Consumables Challenge
Video | Bernard BTB MIG Gun Handle Impact Test
Bernard® BTB MIG Gun Handle Impact Test
Graham Corporation Adopts Bernard MIG Guns and Consumables | Customer Testimonial
Graham Corporation Adopts Bernard® MIG Guns and Consumables
