Down To The Wire - Welding Productivity

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WELDING PRODUCTIVITY
Down to the Wire MAGAZINE
Experience the full version of this article in

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FOR METAL FABRICATORS, A HEALTHY BOTTOM LINE DEPENDS ON QUALITY
WELD WIRE AND SHIELDING GASES. VIEW ARTICLE IN READER
By: Larry Cherne, information technology executive, Praxair (http://www.praxair.com/) (HTTP://WWW.NXTBOOK.COM/NXTBOOKS/WELDINGPR
The metal fabrication industry continues to develop new alloys for new
applications and products at a quick pace. This rapid development of ARTICLES BY TYPE
different base metals sometimes requires new ller metals, unique shielding
gases and equipment. Welding
(https://weldingproductivity.com/type/welding/)
The automotive industry, in an attempt to keep up with the changes in CAFE requirements, is one of the most active (44)
market segments in this regard. These new steel alloys are designed for very high strengths: They are thinner and Robotics
therefore, reduce automobile weight and improve safety. (https://weldingproductivity.com/type/robotics/)
(30)
But that makes bending, forming and trimming more difficult. The new characteristics also make welding more Fume Extraction
challenging. (https://weldingproductivity.com/type/fume-
extraction/) (24)
For business owners in this segment, the current material evolution is affecting power sources and procedures as Cutting & Prep
well as filler metals and gases. Welding power sources must input less heat into these new thinner higher-strength (https://weldingproductivity.com/type/cutting-
alloys via wave form control and not just via the amperes and volts that were once the only power management we prep/) (22)
had. Systems & Equipment
(https://weldingproductivity.com/type/systems-
By managing heat input, these businesses can reduce weld cracking and weld size as well as stress and distortion. equipment/) (21)
As the automotive industry continues to use these alloys to meet the CAFE standards set by the EPA and the Sawing
government, they will be able to leverage their greater strength and hopefully save lives. (https://weldingproductivity.com/type/sawing/)
(19)
With these changes, it is clear to see that robots will be more important than ever before to follow the more exacting Consumables
weld procedures those standards and materials require. These more stringent procedures will help to manage weld (https://weldingproductivity.com/type/consumables/)
width, depth and speed in order to manage the heat input and maintain the material’s composition. (18)
Safety
We have yet to see, however, all of the changes that will occur with filler metals. Base metals will braze welded, (https://weldingproductivity.com/type/safety/)
GMAW welded, laser welded, spot welded and maybe some new processes that we have yet to apply to these new (15)
requirements. Filler metals, therefore, become part of the solution. Plasma
(https://weldingproductivity.com/type/plasma-
Chemistry is an obvious requirement, however, mechanical characteristics will also come into play. Filler metal cutting-prep/) (15)
precision will be a mandatory requirement for effectiveness and success, which means the welding wires of the past Training
will need to improve in terms of consistency of diameter, cast, helix and surface condition. (https://weldingproductivity.com/type/training/)
(15)
Weld wire surface conditions Abrasives and Deburring

(https://weldingproductivity.com/type/abrasives-
Chemistry – Typically, welders prefer wire surface and-deburring/) (15)
conditions with the smallest chemistry range. The Laser
simple acceptance of an AWS spec might be suitable (https://weldingproductivity.com/type/laser-
for welding A 36 steel, however, these new higher- welding/) (14)
strength base metal alloys require tighter filler metal Filler Metals
specs to be successful. Also, be prepared to better (https://weldingproductivity.com/type/filler-
manage your purchasing department, which might metals/) (11)
not understand your new tighter manufacturing Automotive
requirements. A lack of proper oversight may cost (https://weldingproductivity.com/type/automotive/)
hours and dollars of pain for your manufacturing (10)
team while purchasing thinks they did a good job Arc
reducing the price per pound of wire. (https://weldingproductivity.com/type/arc-
Filler metal surface condition – When was the last welding/) (10)
time that your filler wire supplier provided you with PPE
electron beam surface condition photos of the filler (https://weldingproductivity.com/type/ppe/)
metal you are using? Probably never, but regardless, (8)
your supplier was still pleased with the fact that the Wire
wire cost was 5 cents less per pound than any other (https://weldingproductivity.com/type/wire/)
brand. The new cheap supplier gets the sale, but (7)
you’re left wondering why your rework rates climbed. Oxyacetylene
(https://weldingproductivity.com/type/oxyacetylene/)
(6)
TIG
Which of these wire surface conditions are you using to robotically
(https://weldingproductivity.com/type/tig/)
weld your new alloy and your thinner metal parts? (6)
GMAW
Cast, helix and twist (https://weldingproductivity.com/type/gmaw/)
(5)
If you take several feet of weld wire from the box, drum or spool and lay it on the floor, you will see the built-in weld Aluminum
wire defects that are making your (https://weldingproductivity.com/type/aluminum/)
manufacturing world more complicated. But (4)
when a business is more cognizant of those Gases
defects – the cast, helix and twist – the (https://weldingproductivity.com/type/gases/)
equation might not remain so complicated. (4)
Trade Shows
Cast – The cast of welding wire is essentially (https://weldingproductivity.com/type/trade-
the diameter of the wire when you take it off shows/) (4)
of the spool. Average weld wire packaged on Aerospace
a spool has a cast of 26 inches whereas a (https://weldingproductivity.com/type/aerospace/)
true robotic weld wire does not have cast, but (3)
instead forms a sine-wave when laid on the Military
floor. This permits a faster welding speed and (https://weldingproductivity.com/type/military/)
less spatter because the weld wire is (3)
precisely melted into the joint. Steel
Helix – The helix of welding wire is the (https://weldingproductivity.com/type/steel/)
distance the unspooled wire rises from the (3)
floor. The average wire might have a helix of Tube and Pipe
1 inch, which is acceptable for AWS but (https://weldingproductivity.com/type/tube-
contributes to over-welding, more labor and and-pipe/) (3)
more filler metal. The helix contributes to an Friction Stir Welding
oscillation of wire and therefore, makes the (https://weldingproductivity.com/type/friction-
weld bead wider. This increases heat, stir-welding/) (3)
distortion, time and weld cracking. Have you Resistance Welding
measured the helix of your welding wire (https://weldingproductivity.com/type/resistance-
lately? welding/) (3)
Twist – Twist is more difficult to test than the Shop Floor Productivity
helix and the cast, but it can be done in the (https://weldingproductivity.com/type/shop-
floor-productivity/) (2)
field. To do so, pull 4 inches of
Electric Resistance Welding
wire out of the drum or from
(https://weldingproductivity.com/type/electric-
the spool. Bend the wire 90
resistance-welding/) (2)
degrees and hold the bent
Heavy Equipment
portion at the 12 o’clock
(https://weldingproductivity.com/type/heavy-
position. Then, pull it out 30
equipment/) (2)
feet and slowly release the
Agriculture
wire so it can rotate. One
(https://weldingproductivity.com/type/agriculture/)
rotation in 30 feet is too much
(2)
and implies issues with wire
Quality Control
binding in the torch and may
By consulting with a knowledgeable gas technician regarding your selection of (https://weldingproductivity.com/type/quality-
lead to knots in the drum. shielding gas, you may see a very quick – and inexpensive – improvement in your control/) (2)
Spooled wire generally has the bottom line.
Power Tools
biggest issue with cast and
(https://weldingproductivity.com/type/power-
helix while twist is less common.
tools/) (1)
Post Processing
The expense of over-welding (https://weldingproductivity.com/type/post-
processing/) (1)
Engineering requests a 1/8-in. weld and
Underwater Welding
the cast and helix make that impossible. If
(https://weldingproductivity.com/type/underwater-
the weld widens to 3/16 of an inch, some
welding/) (1)
would think nothing of it. If one selects the
General Fabrication
over-welding expense or OWE of 0.072
(https://weldingproductivity.com/type/general-
for 3/16 of an inch through .032 for 1/8 of
fabrication/) (1)
an inch, the difference is 0.042. That
software
seems like a small number, right? So why
(https://weldingproductivity.com/type/software/)
worry about it?
(1)
You worry about it because 0.072/0.042 is

a 225 percent increase in labor, wire, time ISSUES
or expense to make your product. You are
already working hard trimming every September 2019
expense you have to make a profit, and (https://weldingproductivity.com/issue/september-
this one small detail is making it even 2019/) (6)
more difficult while also reducing your August 2019
bottom line. (https://weldingproductivity.com/issue/august-
2019/) (5)
The solution? Test your wire frequently. July 2019
Measure your weld sizes and train your (https://weldingproductivity.com/issue/july-
operators to look for wire issues. Simply 2019/) (6)
making the weld bigger due to weld wire June 2019
defects is an expense you can ill afford. (https://weldingproductivity.com/issue/june-
2019/) (7)
This excess consumption adds to every May 2019
part of your fabrication expense, including (https://weldingproductivity.com/issue/may-
labor and the time it takes to make the 2019/) (5)
weld. It also can increase spatter, April 2019
distortion and cracking. So don’t let your (https://weldingproductivity.com/issue/april-
weld wire supplier be the only one 2019/) (7)
benefitting from this expensive situation. March 2019
(https://weldingproductivity.com/issue/march-
2019/) (6)
February 2019
(https://weldingproductivity.com/issue/february-
2019/) (5)
January 2019
(https://weldingproductivity.com/issue/january-
2019/) (5)
December 2018
(https://weldingproductivity.com/issue/december-
2018/) (6)
November 2018
(https://weldingproductivity.com/issue/november-
2018/) (5)
October 2018
(https://weldingproductivity.com/issue/october-
2018/) (7)
September 2018
The sketches above represent the issue of cast and helix when weld (https://weldingproductivity.com/issue/september-
wire is supplied from a spool. 2018/) (6)
August 2018
Labor – The weld speed is reduced when the weld is wider than engineering requested on the drawings.
(https://weldingproductivity.com/issue/august-
Spatter – It is common to have excessive spatter when the wire is in and out of the puddle and impossible for
2018/) (7)
your welder to control.
July 2018
Time to make the weld – A wider weld is just plain expensive – get a stopwatch and time the process. A small
(https://weldingproductivity.com/issue/july-
crown or weld toes that display cold lap will show up as an issue when the parts are powder coated.
2018/) (6)
Distortion – You make the part and it does not fit because it is twisted like a banana due to the excessive heat
June 2018
input and later oversized weld shrinkage.
(https://weldingproductivity.com/issue/june-
Cracking – This is not so much of an issue with a mild still, but it can be.
2018/) (7)
The real problem is when you are welding on the more expensive LAHS
May 2018
steels. These steels are not very forgiving and may cost you the contract
(https://weldingproductivity.com/issue/may-
and a lot of money to find this issue.
2018/) (6)
April 2018
Shielding gas’s impact (https://weldingproductivity.com/issue/april-
2018/) (7)
DOES THE SELECTION OF A SHIELDING GAS IMPACT THIS March 2018
SITUATION? (https://weldingproductivity.com/issue/march-
You bet it does. Today, in American fabrication, 75 percent argon and 25 2018/) (6)
percent CO2 is still the most common shielding gas. This gas mixture was February 2018
developed to bridge gaps and was also developed for use on very thin sheet (https://weldingproductivity.com/issue/february-
metal. The common use of this gas mixture, when there are 8 to 10 mixtures 2018/) (6)
that may more kindly impact your bottom line, can come as a surprise. The sketch would look something like January 2018
this (https://weldingproductivity.com/issue/january-
The good news is that if you investigate this with a knowledgeable gas 2018/) (5)
technician, you may see a very quick – and inexpensive – improvement in your bottom line. A mixture of 75 percent December 2017
Argon and 25 percent CO2 is a very fast freeze shielding gas, which can produce a high crown similar to CO2 but not (https://weldingproductivity.com/issue/december-
quite as tall. This crown can easily cost you 7 to 15 percent in speed and grinding. 2017/) (6)
November 2017
So how does one manage this in a very busy fab shop when 2017/) (7)
manpower is limited? October 2017
Measure your weld size against the engineering drawings. Oversized welds are very expensive. And, look at the new 2017/) (7)
gas mixtures from your gas supplier. In one case study, a recent change in shielding gas reduced reject rates from 20
September 2017
percent to less than 1 percent.
(https://weldingproductivity.com/issue/september-
2017/) (6)
In the end, something as simple as purchasing one welding wire over another can make a huge difference in the time
August 2017
spent producing parts and the quality in which they are produced. And for anyone in fabrication – and especially
anyone fabricating automotive parts that must adhere to CAFE standards – the welding wire can have a big impact on
2017/) (6)
your bottom line.
July 2017
Praxair (http://www.praxair.com/) 2017-issue/) (7)
June 2017
© Copyright 2015 Praxair Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. The information in this article is believed to be correct. (https://weldingproductivity.com/issue/june-
Praxair is not responsible for any use or misuse of any information contained herein.
2017/) (6)
May 2017
2017/) (7)
April 2017
(https://weldingproductivity.com/issue/april-
2017/) (6)
March 2017
2017/) (6)
February 2017
2017/) (6)
January 2017
Previous Article Next Article 2017/) (6)
December 2016
Robotic ROI Visible improvements (https://weldingproductivity.com/issue/december-
(https://weldingproductivity.com/article/robotic-roi/) (https://weldingproductivity.com/article/visible-
2016/) (6)
improvements/)
November 2016
2016/) (7)
October 2016
2016/) (8)
September 2016
2016/) (7)
August 2016
2016/) (5)
July 2016
2016/) (5)
June 2016
(https://weldingproductivity.com/issue/june-
2016/) (7)
May 2016
2016/) (5)
April 2016
(https://weldingproductivity.com/issue/april-
2016/) (6)
March 2016
2016/) (7)
February 2016
2016/) (5)
January 2016
2016/) (5)
November / December 2015
december-2015/) (7)
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