Weldreality.com
the world's largest web site on
MIG - TIG - Flux Cored.
Best Weld Practices
and Weld Process Controls:
  
 Welcome, my
name is Ed Craig. Many
of you will know me from the 18 years I wrote the QA weld column in the USA Weld
Design and Fabrication magazine or perhaps you read one of my forty published
articles on the simplification of manual and robot weld process controls. If you have a Machinery Handbook gathering
dust on you shelve, I likely wrote the weld section. I have written four books on weld
process controls and with 45 years of hands on weld process control expertise, I have resolved
manual and robot weld issues in more than a thousand companies in twelve different
countries.
I
hope you enjoy weldreality.com the world's largest web site on manual
and robot, MIG, TIG and Flux Cored, Best Weld Practices
& Weld Process Controls:
FIRST NEWS ON WHAT FOR MANY WILL BECOME THE WORLD'S MOST IMPORTANT WELD PROCESS. In 2009 I found in Europe a unique weld process called TIP TIG. When you visit www.tiptigusa.com you will find TIP TIG is the natural, higher weld deposition evolution of the seventy year old TIG process. So after 40 years of optimizing welds, instead of early retirement I am going to keep out of my wifes way and ensure
N - South America and Australia becomes aware ofthe TIP TIG process.
June
12. 2009. The first real world practical advance in North American
weld
technology in the last three decades is the patent pending TIP TIG process.
No
other weld process can provide the manual or automated
weld quality
on carbon steels or alloy pipe welds
THE EVOLUTION OF THE REGULAR TIG PROCESS IS CALLED TIP-TIG:
[]
Is your organization interested in a manual semi-automatic TIG weld process that will
on any application provide welds 100 to 500% as fast as traditional TIG?
[]
Would you be interested in a no bells and whistles, all position weld process that will consistently
provide superior weld quality than regular TIG?
[] If you are concerned about weld heat input would you like to try a process that puts in less weld heat than any other weld process.
[] Are you concerned about the new OSHA
requirements for stainless weld fumes and would like a process that does not require
exhaust equipment for most welds?
Click here for
data on TIP TIG Welding .
TIP
TIG IS MANUAL AND AUTOMATED PROCESS WHICH WILL ALWAYS DELIVER SUPERIOR
WELD QUALITY
AND PRODUCTIVITY
THAN TRADITIONAL TIG.
TIP TIG HOLDS FREQUENT WELD DEMONSTRATIONS AND WORK SHOPS AT OUR FACILITY AT THE NAVAL
YARD IN PHILADELPHIA.
CONTACT ED CRAIG
AND
VISIT THE TIP TIG SECTION AT THIS SITE FOR INFO.
NEXT TIG TIG USA WORK SHOP IS MAY 23-28, PERTH AUSTRAILIA. FOR INFO SEE TIP TIG
tiptigusa.com / EMail Ed at ecraig@weldreality.com / call 828 658 3574
THE INFLUENCE OF SALESMANSHIP ON THE GLOBAL WELD INDUSTRY.
WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF WELD REALITY:
For decades the global weld industry has relied on weld "sales advice
and
of
course there has been numerous weld cost consequences.
IT TAKES WELD PROCESS CONTROL EXPERTISE TO
CONSISTENTLY MAKE GREAT ROBOT MIG WELDS:
.
Ed's Robot / Manual, MIG and Flux.Cored
Best
Weld Practices and Weld Process Controls.
THE BEIJING
STADIUM. WILL THE POOR WELDS MAKE THIS A BIRDS
NEST FOR
SPECTATORS
OR ONE DAY WILL IT TURN INTO A SPIDER'S WEB?
Written
by Ed Craig.
Posted www.weldreality.com.
Aug. 2. 2008.
The
five hundred million dollars, Beijing Olympic stadium built on an earth quake fault is wrapped
in a unique high strength, steel box cocoon that weighs approx. 45,000 tons.
At the end of July, two weeks before the 91,000 seat stadium was ready to host
the 2008 Olympics, I watched a Discovery Channel program about the stadium construction.
The steel bird's nest design is without question, a wonder to behold,
however having a slight interest in fabrication and welding you know where my
focus was, and while I watched that TV show, from a welding perspective I did not like what I saw was going on with the welds.
May
2009: Beijing Update: Check out what's happening to this
architect design wonder,nine months after Ed wrote his opinion on the poor welds
and construction at the Birds Nest stadium.
 April
2009: DEFECTIVE MOTORCYCLE WELDS NOTICE.
REFERENCE 2005 AND 2006 SUZUKI SGSX-R1000 MOTORCYCLES:
More poor weld data
in bad weld section
of this site.
Note from Ed. I
saw pictures of these critical bike frame welds, they had extensive lack of weld
fusion and porosity. The extent of
the weld defects suggest a complete lack of weld manufacturing and process
controls from the Suzuki management.
If I owned one of these Suzuki
bikes, I would not accept the Suzuki management recommendations of a brace, glue,
or even a weld repair. The weld reality is, the lack of weld fusion defects on
these bikes are not fully repairable as the weld repairs will never provide the weld
integrity desired by those who designed the bikes. There is only one
logical recourse. I believe anyone owning one of these bikes should be concerned
about what they cannot see and that's the potential lack of weld fusion and it's
impact and the weld repairs impact on the structural integrity of the bike's frame.
If I owned one of these bikes, I would demand a complete refund or replacement
of the bike and also seek legal representation to sue Suzuki for putting my life
at risk.
 WHY PURCHASE THE TOO FREQUENT, USELESS, COSTLY ELECTRONIC BELLS AND WHISTLES
THAT IS TOO FREQUENTLY FOUND IN MIG EQUIPMENT?
It
was my job as a training / product manager with Praxair, Airgas, AGA and Liquid
Carbonic, to test MIG equipment and weld consumables from around the globe.
You
can pay $2000 for a CV power source, or $12000 for a pulsed MIG power source.
With The MIG process control expertise available in this sites weld process control training
resources,
you will attain the same weld quality and productivity results from
both power sources on the majority of steel and stainless applications.
WHY ARE COMPANIES WASTING MONEY ON METAL CORED WIRES, OR
PURCHASING THOSE USELESS, COSTLY THREE COMPONENT GAS MIXES?
 Many
weld shops are using metal cored wires and flux cored wires that can cost from $2
to $4/lb while the same quality and productivity will be attained from a MIG wire
that costs $1/lb. Global MIG gas confusion has been the norm for more than five
decades. There
are more MIG gas mixes available than cereals in a super market. It's also a sad
fact that the majority of the gas information found in weld
shops, is based on engineering / management apathy, process ignorance and salesmanship. Its a weld reality that in the global weld industry we are in dire need need of individuals who can make rational weld decisions based on technical
substance.
If you use any three part gas mixes for the common steel
and stainless applications, you typically are part of an industrial gas marketing
con game. For a few years I was on the AWS committee that wrote the USA. MIG gas specifications and much of my efforts went to keeping biased sales data out of that spec,
I was partially sucessful, I also developed four of the most practical two part MIG gas mixes sold in North
America. If you want MIG gas mix reality visit this part of the site.
WHEN WILL THE WELD INDUSTRY STOP BEING A "PLAY AROUND" INDUSTRY? IF MACHINIST ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PLAY AROUND WITH THEIR EQUIPMENT CONTROLS, WHY
WOULD ANY WELD MANAGER, ENGINEER OR SUPERVISOR ALLOW THEIR WELD PERSONNEL TO PLAY AROUND
WITH TWO SIMPLE MIG AND FLUX CORED WELD CONTROLS THAT HAVE BARELY CHANGED IN DECADES?
A FUNDAMENTAL WELD REALITY: Since
the introduction of the MIG process over 50 years ago, there has been little management
or engineering focus on weld process control expertise. The result is the majority
of global weld personnel will too frequently "play around" with their MIG
or flux cored weld controls. There is a simple solution to lack of process control expertise. Over three decades I developed the world's most simple, self teaching
weld process control training program called the Clock Method.
With my process control training resources, in a few hours your employees will have all the process control
expertise necessary to instantly set correct, optimum weld parameters for any
MIG / flux cored, steels applications.
WHEN THE WELD PROCESSES UTILIZED ARE MORE THAN 50 YEARS OLD, WHY WOULD ANY
MANAGER AND ENGINEER ACCEPT POOR ROBOT MIG WELD QUALITY & UNACCEPTABLE
WELD PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY?
To
attain optimum robot MIG weld quality and productivity or instantly deal with
robot weld issues requires MIG weld process control expertise. With the global
average robot MIG weld production efficiency range at only 40 to 60% of it's real
potential and robot weld rework usually in the range of 20 to 100%, many manufacturing
companies have a great opportunity for dramatic robot cost reductions and robot
weld quality improvements.
For a few of my wasted years,
I was the North American Robot Weld Mgr. with
ABB Robotics and today as a consultant I still provide robot weld optimization to
companies using all makes of robots. Before I optimize a companies welds I start out by providing my Seven Steps to Robot MIG Process Controls. Why not provide your employees
with my easy to use, Seven Steps to Robot Process Control" training
program and also take a look at my self teaching MIG and flux cored weld
process control books and CDs.
Imagine the plant satisfaction and improvements attained in weld quality / productivity when after
a few hours of viewing my training program, all your weld personnel will have the
ability to instantly address the daily weld issues that impact your robot / manual
weld quality and productivity.
WHILE THE MOST COMMOM WELDS PRODUCED IN THE LAST 5 DECADES IS A 1/4 (6mm) FILLET MIG / FLUX
CORED WELD, YOU MAY
NOT WANT TO ASK YOUR MANUFACTURING MANAGER, ENGINEER OR WELD
SUPERVISOR
THE REAL COST OF
THAT FILLET WELD.
 If you ask
a weld supervisor or fabrication manager the cost of a MIG or flux cored weld
they typically want to talk about the cost of the weld gas or the weld wire.
You can weld a vertical up flux cored fillet at 6 lb/hr, or you can weld the same fillet
at 10 lb/hr. You can MIG weld a horizontal / flat fillet at 6 lb/hr or weld it at 20 lb/hr
yet few managers or supervisors understand weld depostion rate potential per applicatiom and few have the process control knowlege and expertise necessary to
control their real world weld labor costs.
My low cost weld process control training
resources
enable the attainment of consistent, optimum MIG and flux cored weld quality and
productivity and also simplify all weld costs...
WHY
BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SO CALLED GLOBAL SHORTAGE OF MIG & FLUX CORED WELD
PERSONNEL?
If
you utilize my unique weld process control training methods
that encompass the requirements for weld process controls you will find it should take approx.
30 hours to train a none weld individual with the capability to provide MIG and flux cored welds that
will meet any global weld specification requirements.
Of course you can also have them attend a local weld training establishement where after six months you will find they still play around with their weld controls.
If your organization has to qualify welders to pass an all position flux
cored pipe or vee groove weld test, you will dramatically improve the pass rate,
if before the welders strike an arc you provide the weld personnel with my four
hour classroom training program that actually shows them the correct techniques
and weld settings for the flux cored wires and weld process
optimization.
"WELD PROCESS CONTROL EXPERTISE" IS THE
MISSING LINK FOR MOST GLOBAL WELD COMPANIES THAT UTILIZE THE MIG AND FLUX CORED WELD PROCESSES.
 API-ASME-AWS-NACE-ABS, all weld codes require optimum flux cored and MIG weld procedures for qualification
yet every critical weld that has seroius defects or has failed is a weld made with so
called pre-qualified weld procedures.
Apart from weld skills, an essential element to the success
of any weld project, is the welder's process control expertise and response to the numerous variables that daily
influence the welds on the shop floor or at the project.
Apart from
"playing around" with their weld controls, how do your weld personnel
respond to welds that have undersize or excess root gaps, weld joint misalignment,
poor weld edge preparation, poor weld joint access, difficult out of position
welds, unacceptable surface conditions, ever changing environmental issues, distortion,
spatter, undercut, porosity, cracks or lack of fusion?
The welders tools to address variables and their daily weld issues are weld process / consumable expertise, weld equipment knowledge and the available weld transfer modes. The solutions
to preventing weld issues will be the one thing that most weld shop never teach their
employees "weld process control expertise".
All welders should
have the ability to instantly change and provide optimum MIG and flux cored weld
parameters to deal with the common variables and prevent weld defects from occurring.
Welders should be using the correct weld transfer modes, optimum parameters and
the recommended weld techniques for the consumables and application. Welders should not be using their
self taught techniques or the instructions taught by a weld instructor or weld
supervisor more comfortable with the SMAW process.
Every weld shop
will derive tremendous benefits from management, engineers, technicians and employees
who have been trained to be aware of the root cause of MIG and flux cored weld
defects. It has to be beneficial when all the weld decision makers are aware of the weld
solutions that will prevent those defects from occurring. You have two simple options, get advice from a
salesman or take a look at these unique manual / robot MIG.and flux cored
weld process control training resources.
|
Many
weld managers are not aware, that weld skills
has
nothing to do with weld process control expertise.
Ed's Simple Weld Clock Method. Copy
Right ©.
1985.
ED'S MANUAL / ROBOT MIG & FLUX CORED WELD BEST PRACTICES
AND WELD PROCESS CONTROL TRAINING RESOURCES:
If
you are teaching yourself or providing weld process control training for others,
the following
resources are the key to attaining optimum manual and robot MIG and flux cored welds.
Item.1.
The Book: "A Management & Engineers Guide To MIG
Weld Quality, Productivity & Costs"
Item
2. A unique robot
MIG training or self teaching resource.
"Optimum
Robot MIG Welds from Weld Process Controls".
Item
3. A
unique MIG training or self teaching resource.
"
Manual MIG Weld Process Optimization from Weld
Process Controls".
Item.
4.
A unique flux cored training or self teaching resource.
"Optimum Manual and Automated Flux Cored Plate and
Pipe welds.
Item
5a."Proceso
de Soldadura MIG Manual"
(MIG Made Simple. Self teaching in Spanish)
Item
6a. The
Self Teaching MIG Book/ Video. (MIG
Made Simple in English).
Visit
Ed's process control books and CD training
resources.
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Eds weld process control books
The
weld shop culture that's often influenced by hands off management, engineers and supervisors always creates interesting weld shop egos and attitudes and often results in unnecessary weld quality / cost
consequences. The upside. This five decade problem also creates great opportunities for many weld shops to attain dramatic weld cost savings.
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THE GLOBAL SENTANCE THAT BEST DEFINES THE WELD INDUSTRY:
CULTURE & COST CONSEQUENCES.
WELD
DESIGN AND PROCESS APATHY.
ENGINEER'S
RELIANCE ON SALESMANSHIP.
LACK OF GLOBAL BEST WELD PRACTICES.
LACK OF ROBOT WELD PROCESS CONTROLS.
OWNERSHIP,
ACCOUNTABILITY, LIABILITY, CONCERNS.
For
every three robot MIG welds in the auto / truck industry,
you will typically
find at least two welds with lack
of weld fusion or excess porosity.
The
weld reality of the the majority of robot MIG welds that join global cars and truck parts, is the
average weld size is approx. 4 mm, with an average gage part thickness is less than
3 mm. Thanks to the general lack of best weld practices and lack of MIG process
control expertise in these industries, it's too frequently the "over
weld" rather than the robot MIG weld integrity that holds together
those $20,000 to $40,000 vehicles.
Ed's
Robot Weld Process Control Training resources are simple to use
and will ensure
the personnel in your organization always produce
optimum robot / manual weld
quality and productivity. Click here
for info.
2008:
As Ed found out at a tier one supplier in Spain,
Miller seems to be
ignoring
an ongoing serious weld problem
its been having with it's Axcess equipment.
Check out the MIG equipment selection for more info.
For many companies this
would be a first.
IS
THE WELD PROCESS RESPONSIBILITY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND OWNERSHIP AT YOUR FACILITY,
FOUND IN THE FRONT OFFICE OR IS IT LAID ON THE BACK OF UNTRAINED WORKERS, SUPERVISORS
AND THE TECHNICIANS IN YOUR WELD SHOP?
|
 2008:
WHERE
ARE THE GLOBAL WELD MANAGERS? Visit
the world's largest career web site "monster.com" and type in the key
words "QUALITY MANAGER"
and monster will provide approx. 700 jobs in the USA. Now try the key words, "WELD
MANAGER" and typically nothing comes up.
The reason for few weld managers in the
weld industry. This is an industry where they are few qualified weld process control experts, this is an industry not used to uniform, hands on weld management. In the majority of global MIG
weld shops few managers have
established best MIG and flux cored weld practices, few managers have implemented
effective weld process controls, few managers take ownership or get to
the root causes of their daily welding
issues and even fewer have control of the weld costs and could tell you the cost of a simple 1/4 MIG fillet weld three feet in length.
 OF COURSE THERE ARE DRAMATIC ROBOT
WELD COST CONSEQUENCES FROM LACK OF MANAGEMENT
PROCESS OWNERSHIP.
For
more than two decades, in global manufacturing facilities, over
90% of MIG welding robots have been set up, and owned by technicians, and the
majority of those technicians were not provided with MIG weld process control
training.
Combine the general lack of
MIG weld process control expertise, with the frequent apathetic engineering /
manufacturing standards that result in the common, unacceptable, weld part dimensional
tolerances. Mix in poor welding fixtures and poor maintenance and you have
to
end up with extensive weld cost consequences.
Aug
2008. ThyssenKrupp Announcement: The NSB
"New Steel Body" is a concept for a lightweight steel
auto body developed by ThyssenKrupp Steel. The benchmark for the NSB was the body-in-white
of a real volume-produced vehicle. The NSB body performs just as well as the production
benchmark but is 24 percent lighter and only three
percent more expensive. The reasons for this are the use of high-strength steels,
weight-optimized tailored products and a tube-intensive design which makes full
use of the weight reduction potential of modern steels. Traditional stamped and
welded parts are replaced by tubular components which are stiffer than conventional
parts and better utilize existing space.
2008.
Response to Krupp announcement from Ed: Tubular components
as found in car seats and now car frames are great for increased stiffness, however
tubular components offer unique robot MIG weld fusion concerns. In a "J"
groove joint associated with round to flat gage parts as indicated on the right, the required increased
weld mass for the "J" fill, dissipates some of the energy that would typically be
applied to the parts side wall weld fusion. Combine this with the frequent short
cycle weld times and fast freeze low energy welds on these thin gage parts and you will
often end up with welds that on the surface look sound, however like this 1.4
mm tube to brkt weld macro reveals, lack of MIG weld fusion will be common. Robot
welding around cold rolled components often fine coated in lubricating oil from the
manufacturing process also brings up interesting weld challenges, such as minimizing porosity, controlling
the robot TCP and attaining consistent robot weld speeds from the robot's multi-axis
movement. The quality and consistency of the robot programming and the influence
of tip wear and wire helix issues all impact weld fusion on these difficult welds.
 Tubular welds also concentrate weld heat in a small localized area. On thin
gage HSS steels, that weld heat has to be a concern especially when additional weld passes are delivered from weld rework
which is typical on too many auto / truck robot applications.
To
retain some of the structural integrity in the weld's heat affected zones on these
new high strength steel tubular parts, it's going to be critical
in the robot welding of these high strength components, to ensure that manual
MIG weld rework is minimized and the welds produced provide consistent weld fusion
with minimum weld heat input. This is one application management should be advised to keep their millwrights,
electricians and other inexperienced maintenance away from. These material dont need personnel playing
around with the robot weld data making changes that have adverse effects on the strength of the parts. The weld solutions to
all of these issues are addressed in my robot weld process control training
resources.
It's fine for designers and engineers to talk about the reduced weight benefits
of so called high strength steels, however if you destroy the properties of those steels
with unnecessary weld heat and produce welds with questionable quality, what's the real
benefit of the high strength tubular steels in a crash? Successfully welding these
future vehicle structures and avoiding future liability consequences, will come
from weld personnel who understand processes and consumables, personnel who will
can provide process expertise and apply process
controls.
 ROBOTS
& MIG WELDING PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY: In
many plants that use MIG robots, it's typical to find the plants will use three
robots to do the work of two. For more than two decades in the auto / truck industry,
the typical, high volume, robot weld down time per-shift has been 60 to 90 minutes,
which according to Detroit auto industry sources, can result in an approx. cost
of $2000 - $2500 per-hour.
In
my numerous visits to the sad Detroit plants that were having robot
issues,
I found that few managers or engineers understood the process root
causes of their daily robot issues and few wanted to get involved.
In the majority of auto and truck plants it's rare to find weld personnel that had the necessary process control training required to ensure consistent, optimum robot
weld quality and productivity.
2010. As it's been
for the last 2 decades, you will find the average global, robot MIG weld
production efficiency range is 40 to 65% and the
average robot weld rework range is
20 to 100%.
 From
a weld process control perspective are your weld inspectors trained to
be weld process reactive
or proactive?
For decades too
many global manufacturing companies have placed their weld quality labor resources and focus on "finding
weld defects"
rather than on providing their employees (including QA personnel) with highly cost effective
weld process control training programs, that enables weld defect prevention.
THE
GLOBAL WELD QA DEMISE:
There has
never been a bigger demand
for weld inspectors, yet the demand for weld managers,
engineers,
supervisors and technicians with weld process control
expertise
is almost none existent.
[]
ARE YOU READY TO ESTABLISH UNIFORM, NONE SALES BIASED BEST WELD PRACTICES?
[]
WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET RID OF WELD REWORK AND DAILY WELD QUALITY / PRODUCTIVITY
ISSUES WITH HIGHLY COST EFFECTIVE WELD PROCESS CONTROLS?
[] IS YOUR ORGANIZATION CLOSE TO MAKING A LARGE WELD AUTOMATION OR WELD
EQUIPMENT INVESTMENT AND YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTAIN OPTIMUM WELD QUALITY AND PRODUCTIVITY WITHOUT COSTLY, USELESS BELLS AND WHISTLES AND UNNECESSARY ROBOT START UP WELD PROBLEMS?.
[]
DO YOU HAVE WELD DESIGN CONCERNS OR ARE YOU LOOKING FOR WELD DESIGN TIPS TO ATTAIN
OPTIMIZATION IN WELD AUTOMATION?
[] ARE YOU SIMPLY LOOKING TO RESOLVE
WELD PROBLEMS OR LOOKING FOR THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE EFFECTIVE PROCESS AND PROCEDURES
FOR YOUR APPLICATIONS?
[] PERHAPS YOU HAVE A MIG / FLUX CORED WELDER SHORTAGE
AT YOUR LOCATIONS AND YOU WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE THE WORLD'S MOST EFFECTIVE 40
HOUR ROBOT / MANUAL TRAINING PROGRAMS.
FROM PIPE LINES TO AUTOMOTIVE PLANTS, FROM SHIP
YARDS AND OIL RIGS TO WELDING MICRO MEDICAL OR ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT, ED CRAIG
IS AVAILABLE FOR SHORT TERM OR LONG TERM GLOBAL CONTRACTS.
 LOOKING
FOR A LOW COST, FAST SOLUTION TO YOUR ROBOT / MANUAL WELDING ISSUES.
Phone
/ E-mail for Weld Help.
Ed has resolved weld issues for hundreds of companies and many
of your
weld issues can be resolved with a phone call or by E-mail .
Call
Ed day or evening Eastern Standard Time USA. Phone. 828 337 2695. E-mail.
ecraig@weldreality.com
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WHEN MANAGEMENT DOES NOT PROVIDE THE RIGHT TOOLS
THEY KEEP ASKING THE SAME OLD QUESTIONS.
NORMAL WELD SHOP PRACTICE: WHEN
AN INDUSTRY HAS BECOME DEPENDENT ON WELD SALES ADVICE AND PLACES LITTLE EMPHASIS ON WELD
PROCESS CONTROL EXPERTISE, IT SHOULD NOT BE A SURPRISE, TO FIND THAT
"PLAYING AROUND" WITH WELD CONTROLS IS CONSIDERED A NORMAL WELD SHOP PRACTICE.
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Would
a tool maker, machinist, mechanic or electrician play around
with their equipment
or ask a sales rep for advice? 
Train your weld personnel so
they don't have to Ask
Lincoln How!
AUTO / TRUCK INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT IS NOTORIOUS FOR IT'S FIREMAN
APPROACH TO MANUFACTURING
WELDED PARTS.
In the weld shop managed by the fire
man, the root cause analysis of manual / robot weld issues
is rarely revealed while the management play their
fiddles as their plants slowly burn.
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WELD MANAGERS OR FIREMEN?
In
a weld manufacturing facility in which the MIG or flux cored weld quality and
productivity are not optimized, it's not uncommon to find engineers and management
in the constant fireman mode, daily
trying to quench the weld production fires.
[] IN THE FIRE MAN'S PLANT WE OFTEN FIND ISO DEEPLY EMBEDDED,
KAIZEN IS A SECOND LANGUAGE, BLACK BELTS ARE IN ABUNDANCE AND MANY OF THE COMMON
MANUFACTURING PROCESSES LIKE PAINT, RESISTANCE WELDING AND MIG WELDING ARE OUT
OF CONTROL.
[] IN THE FIRE MAN'S
PLANT YOU WILL NOT FIND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF UNIFORM BEST WELD PRACTICES
AND PROCESS CONTROLS.
[]
IN THE FIRE MAN'S PLANT, YOU WILL NOT FIND ANYONE THAT IS AWARE OF THE REAL COST
OFTHE COMMON WELDS.
[] IN THE FIRE MAN'S PLANT IT'S RARE
TO FIND A MANAGER OR ENGINEER THAT TAKES OWNERSHIP OF THE PROCESSES THAT CREATE
THEIR PROFITS.
Many of you reading this have been in the weld industry for many years, yet how
many of you  have
worked with managers or engineers who
have established Best MIG Weld Practices
or Weld Process Controls?
How many weld decision makers have you met that
can look at a weld and instanly know the optimum consumables, the optimum weld data, the weld deposition rate potential and the robot weld speeds that could be attained?
How many
highly skilled weld individuals with 20 plus years weld experience are aware
of the weld process solutions to those common
daily robot MIG weld process issues?
How
many weld personnel in your shop could in less than five minutes can work out the
cost
of one meter of any weld?
WHERE ARE THE EFFECTIVE WELD PROCEDURES? Weld procedures are not weld process controls. In north America, we loose billions
of dollars each year to weld rejects and rework and the majority of those welded
parts had a prequalified weld procedure. Weld process expertise enables the weld decision maker to
instantly set weld parameters that enable consistent optimum weld quality / productivity for any
application and the data provided should compensate for the variables that will influence that application.
 FOR
DECADES I WALKED THROUGH GLOBAL WELD SHOPS SEARCHING TO FIND WELD DECISION
MAKERS WHO WERE NOT INFLUENCED
BY A SALESMAN, DECISION MAKERS WHO KNEW THE REAL COSTS OF THEIR WELDS:
With my roles as
a weld training manger or marketing manager for Praxair, Airgas, AGA, and Liquid Carbonic,
I believe I know a thing or two about sales influence on the welding industry.
Thanks
to decades of global MIG weld industry reliance on sales advice, three of the
largest growth and most profitable weld products sold in industrial nations are,
[1] costly pulsed MIG equipment,
[2] metal cored wires,
[3] three
part gas mixes.
The weld reality in 2010 is if these three products were no longer available to weld shops that
weld mostly carbon steels, low alloy steels and stainless, there would be no impact
on the global weld industry's weld quality and productivity.
Cut that umbilical sales cord:
When
MIG or flux cored weld advice is needed, many weld shops with weld personnel who
have been in the business for decades will not think twice about asking the local
weld equipment rep or salesman who just graduated college with a degree in either
English or Fine Arts. The sales reps are usually ready to recommend a new, useless three
part gas mix, or the latest $11,999.99 pulsed MIG power source with it's programmable
magic wave forms, sensitive circuit boards and short life span.
Create Best Weld Practices and Process Controls: In
most global plants, Best Weld Practices has never been implemented, take a
look around your shop, how many different power sources, welding wires and gas
mixes can you count? How many did you really ever need?
Understand Weld Costs: You will not control weld costs till you understand weld costs. When asked about
weld costs, the
majority of global weld shops will
want to discuss the cost of the weld wires or weld gas mixes. Deposition rate potential
per-application are two words rarely used and too many weld supervisors lack the ability to
work out the cost of a common
6 mm fillet weld.
Note:
If it takes you more than 5 minutes to work out the cost of any weld, you lack
weld process expertise.
FOR
THE MANY MANAGERS WHO LACK WELD PROCESS OWNERSHIP, WHEN WELD
ISSUES OCCUR THEIR FINGERS OFTEN POINT TO THE WELD SHOP FLOOR.
 IF
MANAGEMENT, SUPERVISORS, ENGINEERS AND TECHNICIANS WOULD EMBRACE THE LOW COST
PROCESS CONTROL RESOURCES AVAILABLE AT THIS SITE
AND INCREASE THEIR DESIRE FOR WELD PROCESS OWNERSHIP, THEY WILL ATTAIN THE KEYS
THAT OPEN THE DOOR TO WELD PROCESS OPTIMIZATION AND EXTENSIVE WELD COST REDUCTION.
|
 The
MIG process is over fifty years old, and yet I wonder how many weld decision
makers in a weld shop would be able to answer the following fundamental weld
questions.
.
 THE
RELEVANCE OF MIG & FLUX CORED WELD PROCESS EXPERTISE?
If
it takes you more than 15 minutes to provide the correct answers to the following
seven
fundamental weld questions you are not in control of the world's most common
weld equipment and consumables.
[1a]
What is the wire feed setting in inch/min (m/min) in which an 0.045 (1.2mm) wire
using argon - 20% CO2 goes into spray transfer?
[1b] What changes will be necessary
if you change the MIG gas to argon 10% CO2?
[2a]
Using an 0.035 (1mm) wire, what wire feed setting in inch/min (m/min), does short
circuit transfer change into spatter producing globular transfer
when using argon
20% CO2?
[2b] Why is argon with 25% CO2 the worst possible weld gas for companies who weld parts thiker than 3mm?
[3] You are using a robot to weld a common 3/16 (5mm) carbon steel,
horizontal fillet weld with an 0.045 (1.2 mm) wire and argon - 10%CO2.
You need
to attain a weld travel speed of > 45 ipm. Provide the Wire Feed Speed_____Volts___.
[4]
Your robot cell goes through four to six contact tips each day. The robot welds 1/4 (6mm)
carbon steel, using an 0.045 MIG wire and argon 10 CO2.
The wire feed data is
280 inch/min (7 m/min) with 25 weld volts. Why the daily contact tip issues?
[5] With
a robot, set the flux cored wire feed setting, weld travel rate and voltage to
weld a 1/4 (6mm), horizontal fillet weld with an
0.045 (1.2mm) E71T-1 flux cored
wire and argon 20% CO2?
[6] What is the weld cost for a part which has
80 inches (2 meters) of 1/4 (6 mm) horizontal fillet welds on each part. You are
using an 0.045 (1.2mm) wire that cost $1 /lb. Your argon CO2 mix cost $40 per-cyl.
The wire feed rate is set at 420 inch/min, with 30 volts. Your welders have an
overhead rate of $40 / hr. The welders average arc on time is 30 minutes per-hr.
[7]
You have two welds to make on 1/4 (6 mm) carbon steel. The flux cored wire is
an E71T-1, size 0.045 (1.2mm).
(1) Provide the optimum wire feed and voltage
setting to weld a vertical up 6 mm fillet weld.
(2) Provide the optimum wire
feed and voltage setting to weld a horizontal 6 mm fillet weld.
[8]
You have an automated weld unit that runs on a track. Your spray MIG weld is oversize.
Without touching the wire feed rate, you increase the weld travel rate by 20%.
What will you have to do to the voltage and explain why?
[9] You are using Helium Tri Mixes for MIG welding thin gage stainless why would this be a stupid choice?
Note: If you have
difficulty with these fundamental process questions, don't feel frustrated,
after all, for more than five decades, the weld industry and weld educators have
placed minimal focus on the subject of MIG / FCAW process control expertise.
Attaining
consistent daily optimum weld quality and productivity will never come without
weld process knowledge. If
you are interested in further testing your level of weld process control expertise,
why not give these two weld process tests a try;
[]
Ed's flux cored process control weld test,
[] Ed's MIG process control MIG Welding test.
After
the weld tests, ask your self, is this type of weld process control knowledge
and data important to the reputation and profitability of your organization?
YOU
MAY KNOW A WELD MANAGER, SUPERVISOR OR ENGINEER LIKE THIS: This
is a man with his head in the sand. The man who believes that
MIG welding is a play around with controls trade. He believes that weld productivity
is measured by how long the welder's hood is down and his company's weld quality
depends on the temperament and artistic skill level of each welder.
 When
you ask this manager about his weld costs he typically will want to discuss the
cost of the weld wires and gas mixes. When this manager has weld issues, he will
not think twice about calling Lincoln or Miller or asking the local weld sales
rep for advice.
This is the manager who has no problem spending unnecessary
dollars on the latest three part gas mixes or on costly MIG equipment loaded with
ineffective electronic bells and whistles.
This
will be the manager who daily accepts inconsistent, manual, weld quality and unacceptable
productivity as the norm, and his expectations from his experienced, skilled workers and costly robots is not
too great.
AND
YOU MAY KNOW MANAGERS / ENGINEERS LIKE THIS:
[]
These are the managers 
and engineers who are tired with futile
finger pointing, and fed up with vendor
sales reliance.
[] These individuals are frustrated
that their experienced weld personnel have to "play around" with the
fifty year old MIG process.
[] These managers no longer want to read weekly
reports full of excuses for their inconsistent, robot / manual, MIG flux cored
weld quality and productivity.
[] At weld or engineering meetings these
weld decision makers will want to quickly get to the root causes of their daily
weld issues and know what engineered steps are being implemented to resolve those
issues.
[] These are the managers that know that optimum MIG weld process
performance comes with Best Weld Practices and from the implementation of Process
Controls. These managers will
know that to achieve this their employees will need special process control training.
[] These managers will have marked on their
calendars the date that uniform Best MIG and
flux cored Weld Practices will
be implemented and will celebrate the day when effective
Robot Weld Process
Controls are in place.
Where
there is weld inconsistency and weld process confusion, there is always the opportunity
for dramatic cost savings. You
get to the root cause of the weld issue and the weld resolution and cost reduction
is one step away.
I
hope you have thick skin. I hope this site can be a catalyst for progressive, cost effective weld
changes
for your weld facility. I hope that the information encourages managers and engineers
towards weld process ownership and reduces some of the common MIG / flux cored
weld process issues, myths, confusion and sales reliance that's common in global
MIG weld shops.
 GM
- FORD - HARLEY - DANA - MAGNA - TENNECO - VOLVO - TOYOTA
- HONDA - IMPERIAL OIL - COMBUSTION ENGINEERING
- IODINE - CATERPILLAR - JOHN DEERE - MERCEDES - DOW CHEMICAL - BABCOCK - ABB
- GENERAL DYNAMICS -
GE - VW - TEXTRON - INGERSOLL
RAND - ESSO are just a few companies that utilized Ed's robot / manual process
control services or training resources.
Over the phone or by E
mail, Ed will provide weld process quality / productivity solutions for a flat fee
of $375. (Visa / MC) Contact Ed.
Phone
Ed day or evening 828 337 2695. North Carolina.
Eastern Standard
Time. E mail. ecraig@weldreality.com.
|
Visit
all of Ed's MIG and Flux Cored
self teaching and Weld Process Control Training programs
The fundamental
keys for weld process optimization:
[] Process Control Training is provided to all including management and engineers and uniform Best Weld Practices are established.
[] All welds
are pre-qualified and narrow operating weld procedures are provided that deal with all the real world variables that will influence the welds.
[] Shop floor manufacturing and weld Instructions
are complete, effective and highly visible.
[] Training is provided in the assembly,
the equipment, the process and the quality acceptance criteria.
[]
Engineers ensure dimensional tolerances are maintained to the design.
[] A method for
daily weld evaluation is established.
[]
A Proactive Preventive Maintenance Program is established.
These
steps and their requirements for both manual and robot welds, are well covered
in Ed's MIG and flux cored, easy to use, process control training resources:
[]
NO ONE USES MORE FLUX CORED WIRE THAN A SHIP YARD.
[] NO ONE HAS GREATER DEGREE
OF WELD DIFFICULTY THAN A SHIP YARD.
[] NO ONE HAS MORE FLUX CORED WELD DEFECTS
THAN A SHIP YARD.
[] NO ONE HAS GREATER POTENTIAL TO REDUCE WELD COSTS THAN
A SHIP YARD.
[] NO ONE HAS GREATER WELD REPAIR COSTS THAN A SHIP YARD.
YET
MOST GLOBAL SHIP YARDS HAVE NOT ESTABLISHED BEST WELD PRACTICES AND THE MAJORITY
OF YARDS HAVE NOT PROVIDED THEIR EMPLOYEES WITH MIG AND FLUX CORED WELD PROCESS
CONTROL TRAINING:
 In
the weld cost section, take a look at the multi-million dollar cost savings, one
ship yard attained, using
Ed's unique, one day flux cored process control weld training program.
My
unique MIG and flux cored Best Weld Practices and Process Control training resources
are available in both book and CD form. I have developed these materials over
four decades. With my self teaching CD, Power Point training weld programs,
within an eight hour training period, your MIG and flux cored weld personnel will
be able to;
[1]
Master the weld equipment and attain it's full performance potential for all carbon
steel, alloy steels and stainless welds.
Attain consistent, optimum weld quality and productivity from low cost MIG equipment.
No more MIG and flux cored weld process issues. No more "playing around"
with the manual or robot weld controls.
 [2]
Master the available weld transfer modes. Be aware of the wire feed / voltage
weld optimization requirements for short circuit, spray and pulsed. Imagine
the benefits in a weld shop where all the welders have the same uniform, logical
approach to weld process controls. Imagine a weld shop in which all weld personnel
are aware of the root causes of the manual / robot weld problems and have the
ability to provide instant, logical solutions.
 [3] Understand the weld consumable types / diameters and parameter requirements to
enable optimum weld quality / productivity. Understand the relationship between
the wire diameter, the weld transfer mode, the part thickness, the weld deposition
rates and weld travel speeds. Be aware of the optimum weld gas for that application
and why it's the optimum gas. Control your weld costs through Ed's simple method
for weld cost controls.
 [4]
Understand optimum techniques. Forget those stick welding techniques that 50% of the MIG welding industry
uses. Utilize the very specific MIG weld techniques necessary for the weld transfer
mode, consumable, application position and part thickness. Imagine a weld shop
in which all the weld personnel use the correct weld settings and techniques.
It's
always a "rare pleasure" to watch weld personnel act in a professional manner and
instantly set optimum manual or robot weld parameters for their application.
When technicians, managers and engineers, focus on Best Weld Practices and Weld
Process Controls, weld issues are eliminated and weld profits are at their highest.
 Sixty
participants from 6 countries including Australia, England, Spain, Mexico and
Canada, attended Ed's Cleveland Ohio,
"Robot and Manual MIG Weld Process Controls" work
shop.
How
Ed's Robot Process Weld Control training CD
influenced the Ford F-150, the
world's biggest selling truck.  Jan
2007: Ed I wanted to send update about that E-Town plant that you visited a few
years ago: As you know on your first visit to this plant, our robot lines were
producing less than 40, Ford F-150 truck
frames per-hour and the majority required
extensive weld rework. Thanks to your weld process control training approach and
your and consumable recommendations, the results from our employees are today
staggering. Yesterday this plant hit very close to a record of 76
frames per hour. We daily attain our average goal of one frame per-minute.
We had two recent weld audits. One weld audit had a total of two failures, and
the 2nd weld audit was the first 100% pass weld audit in the history of the Ford
F-150 line.
A
Grateful Employee
Dana
Corporation.
March
2007: Hey Ed:
Instead
of using the 0.052 wire and Rapid Arc (Lincoln's pulse program). Just thought
I would drop you a line and let you know
that in the beginning of April we will be working on switching over the 5th Dana
plant to your process, parameters and and consumable recommendations. Thanks again
RG.
. Note
from Ed: It's great to hear a robot welding success story like this, especially
as the truck frame weld quality and productivity results were eventually attained
with fundamental weld process and consumable logic. The robot process control
data and advice I provided this company is available in my books and in my Robot
/ Manual Weld Process Control Training CD programs located here.
I
hope you have been to the pulsed section to view why you should not
waste $6000
to $120000 on that new pulsed MIG power source.
GLOBAL
MIG WELD GAS CONFUSION:
 There
are more than 60 MIG gas mixes available for your MIG applications.
In
general, the common global MIG gas confusion is simply a
reflection of the
global weld industry lack of MIG process expertise.
Ed
provides the six best MIG gas mixes
that provide real world weld benefits.
Note:
Working as marketing and process training manager with AGA,
Airgas and Liquid
Carbonic, Ed developed and introduced four of the
top selling MIG gas mixes used in North
America.
ENGINEERING AT IT'S BEST, OR IS IT ENGINEERING AT IT'S WORST?
As
the automotive executives line up like poor sheep to borrow billions from American
taxpayers, any logical individual would ask. Why does the auto industry, which
has one of the highest ratio of engineers to workers, annually create billions of dollars in rework, rejects, recalls, warranty and productivity issues?
In
the same industry hundreds of millions of dollars are lost each year from robot
weld rejects, weld rework and poor robot weld production efficiency, yet the
majority of plants seem to lack the ability to establish uniform best weld practices
and process controls with it's critical manufacturing processes. Perhaps its time
for change.
|
If
you are not in complete
control of your weld process,
you
cannot be in control of your weld costs.
 WELD
JOB DESCRIPTIONS? Weld
quality and productivity issues will always be more numerous in weld shops in
which confused managers, surround themselves with confused supervisors, who are
surrounded by confused engineers, who are surrounded by confused employees who
get no assistance from their confused job descriptions:
|
FOUR PRIME ROOT CAUSES OF MIG WELD SHOP ISSUES:
The
four biggest hurdles to implementing Best MIG Weld Practices and Weld Process
Controls;
[1]
Lack of weld management leadership.
[2] Lack of weld
management process ownership.
[3] Inabilty of management to provide the required process
control training.
[4] Unqualified weld decision makers, imposing
weld equipment, process and consumable preferences based
on unqualified weld sales
advice.
|
FOR DECADES IN TOO MANY AUTO / TRUCK PLANTS, MANAGERS HAVE ALLOWED MAINTENANCE
MILLWRIGHTS AND ELECTRICIANS AND OTHER UNQUALIFIED PERSONNEL TO DAILY ADJUST THE
SO CALLED PRE-QUALIFIED WELD PARAMETERS ON THEIR ROBOT MIG WELDS.
 Joe,
every time I walk past the robot cells, some millwright or electrician from the
maintenance department is playing around with the robot weld data. For
heavens sake our experienced welders play around with MIG controls,
do you seriously believe those guys in the maintenance department
with there 200 amp Miller MIG machine, have the MIG weld process control expertise
necessary to optimize robot MIG welds? Also in case we ever get sued, perhaps you can tell me why are they changing the so called, "pre-qualified,
weld data" without approval and qualification?
ALL
GLOBAL WELDING ROBOTS ARE OPERATED, YET FEW ROBOTS ARE WELL MANAGED.
The majority of the technicians and engineers who run your robots are simply
operating a process, rather than in control of that process.
From
a weld report Ed provided to Ford Frame plant management (Detroit) in the 1980s. It was futile message as those mechanical engineers simply did not want process ownership or perhaps they simply lacked the ability to grasp the root cause of their daily robot weld issues.
| A
few of the participants at Ed's 2007, "Seven Steps for Robot Weld Process
Control" Work Shop. Location:
Wolf Robotics. CO.  If
you would like a one day, manual or robot weld process
control training program
at your facility or
in Asheville NC. call Ed. 828 658 3574.
 Oct
2008. In Washington, this man could easily make a statement like this. "You
the voters of the United States asked for government not lobbyist to represent
your needs in Washington and those needs are rarely addressed. At no other time
during the last 100 years of American history has there been such a great need
for change in this self centered, self serving cess pool we call Washington"
If
Obama was an engineer addressing the next AWS welding show he would likely make
a statement like this. "After
more than 50 years of unnecessary, excessive global MIG weld quality and productivity
issues, I hope there are a managers and
engineers that recognize in the weld shops around the globe,
it's time for change.
[]
It's time to establish, uniform Best Weld
Practices.
[]
It's time for managers and engineers to cut the umbilical cord attached
to their local sale's reps.
[]
It's time for managers and engineers to stand up and take
ownership of the equipment critical to their organization.
[]
It's time those responsible
for welds, understand the real costs of their welds.
[]
It's time for workers who believe they are professional to
stop playing around with weld controls.
[] It's time to reduce the billions we loose
annually on poor weld productivity, unnecessary weld rework or rejects.
[]
It's time
for all weld shops, to grasp the requirements necessary to implement logical,
cost effective, Weld Process Controls".
Eight wasted years, a lost economy,
lost jobs and loss of national
pride and prestige.
GM
- FORD - HARLEY - DANA - MAGNA - TENNECO - VOLVO - TOYOTA
- HONDA - IMPERIAL OIL - COMBUSTION ENGINEERING
- CATERPILLAR -
JOHN DEERE - MERCEDES - DOW CHEMICAL - BABCOCK - ABB - GENERAL
DYNAMICS -
GE - VW - TEXTRON - INGERSOLL
RAND - ESSO
are just a few companies that utilized Ed's
Weld training resources.
E mail. ecraig@weldreality.com.
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