Edward
F. Craig, Senior Welding Engineer.
Born 23/3/46 Manchester UK.
Resident
of Asheville
North Carolina USA.
Home 828 658 3574.
email ed at
ecraig@weldreality.com
USA / Canadian and UK Citizen.
Specialize
in Weld Process Optimization and Weld Cost Reductions through the implementation
of Manual and Robot "Best Weld Practices and Weld Process Controls"
Since May 1998 to present. WeldTrain International. Asheville. North Carolina.
Position:
Weld Engineering Consultant. Specialize in providing management support for the
implementation of Best Weld Practices and the establishment of Weld Process Controls.
In the last few month working on projects for WSI / Imperial Oil / General Dynamics
/ Magnatech / PICO / BOA / Flexonics / GM / Dana / Tower / Milton Bridge / Manatowic
Cranes. Holland Mfg, Graco Inc and Aker Ship Yard. PA..
Scope:
My fabrication and welding expertise covers all phases of forming, manufacturing,
cutting and welding, MIG / Flux Cored / TIG / Plasma / Submerged Arc weld process
optimization and providing unique process control training programs for ferrous
and none ferrous, plate, structural and pipe applications.
[] Thirty five
years of weld process control expertise and the development of unique simple process
control training program and resources with the MIG, GTAW, FCAW, PLASMA and SAW
processes.
[] 20 years expertise on establishing effective "robot"
weld process controls on pipe welds, cladding, boilers and automotive applications.
[]
Extensive expertise in process controls in automated GTAW orbital / Plasma tube
mill, micro alloy welds and pipe welds. Industries, nuclear, aerospace, medical,
electronic, power, refinery and chemical.
[] Highly experienced in all manual
and mechanized MIG / FCAW pipe and "cladding" weld applications. Developed
unique process control training programs which I sell through www.weldreality.com
[]
Established "Robot MIG Process Control Workshop" for the implementation
of effective, global robot weld process controls.
[] Provide estimates, quotes
and recommendations for cost affective automated weld lines and related manufacturing
equipment.
[] Extensive metallurgical and lab expertise on weld failures, cladding
and weld corrosion issues.
[] Work with designers to design components that
are "designed to enhance weld quality & production potential.
[] Ensure
weld documentation is in compliance with ISO / ASME / API /AWS and other QA requirements.
SOME
WELD ACCOMPLISHMENTS
1. General Dynamics Ordinance and Tactical Systems. TX.
Asked to improve the` weld quality / productivity on 2000 bomb casings.
2.
Provided a Robot Weld Process Control training program for the world's largest
tier one supplier Magnatech.
3. Imperial / Esso Oil, Cold Lake Alberta, Canada.
Requested by Imperial Oil to provide flux cored process training. In a three-day
period, I trained the SMAW (stick) pipe welders on the use of flux cored and MIG
consumables on steam / natural gas / oil pipes from 10 to 100 cm. The total annual
weld savings generated by using flux cored with the 37-field crew was approx.
$1.4 million annually. Two years later trained the same workers on the use of
flux cored with automated pipe weld equipment.
4. Textron: Thailand. Managed
a 6 month project and developed weld procedures and repair techniques for weld
repairs on 160 army Stingray Tanks. (275.000 tensile armor plate).
5. Combustion
Engineering. [1] I established unique "robot" MIG nickel weld procedures
for overlay boiler walls. [2] Set robots to pulsed MIG boiler headers to pipes,
(typically carried out by skilled GTAW welders.
6. Aker. Philly Naval Ship
Yard. Oil Tanker Construction. Provided Best Weld Practices and flux cored weld
process control training for this shipyard..
7. For BOA Georgia, reset Austenitic
/ Inconel flexible tube welds on catalytic converters. Provided
"no
cost" process improvement increasing BOA weld productivity from 600,000 units
per-year to 900,000
units per-year. Reduced the production weld rework from
7 to 0 %
8. GM Power Train. Toledo. GM requested that I optimize their brand
new multi-million dollar, automated, pulsed MIG torque converter weld line. In
four days at the GM plant I reduced the daily weld defects from 4% to "zero,
plus provided 25% more weld productivity. Anticipated annual cost reduction for
GM, two million dollars annually.
9. MKS Instruments, Inc. By improving their
automated TIG weld data on stainless and Inconel chip manufacturing monitoring
devices, attained close to 2 million dollars annual cost savings.
10. Caterpillar.
Established the robot MIG weld procedures for the worlds largest robot welded
trucks.
11. Ford Motor, Dearborn, MI. Requested by Ford to solve numerous robot
weld issues at their Frame Plant. The implementation of my "automated weld
process control program" provided Ford with the requirements to save a minimum
of $500.000.00 per month in weld rework.
12. Ramco / Alcoa. Advised on robot
weld issues on GM "aluminum robot welded frames".
13. GM Bowling
Green KY. Established new robot, MIG weld procedures for > 99 Corvette bodies.
14.
Millenium Industries. Eliminated robot / GTAW (TIG) weld process issues on Ford
/ Jaguar fuel injector components, saved $300,000 annually.
15. Harley Davidson.
Provided robot bike frame weld procedures and weld process controls.
16. Chrysler
Neon Cross members. Use robot / weld process expertise to provide solutions and
eliminate welding problems that were causing Chrysler over one million dollars
a month in weld rework.
17. Hydro Aluminum. Solve GM, robot aluminum welding
problems on Corvette gas trunk frame.
18. Hayes Lemmerz. Large US automotive
/ truck wheel mfg Resolved numerous automated pulsed weld issues on both Aluminum
and Steel Wheels. Produced Savings over $500,000,00 annually
19. Fruehauf Trailers,
asked to resolve automates Aluminum seam welds on truck floors.
20. Genie,
Washington, provided manual process training and increased robot weld productivity
by 20%.
21. VAW, Aluminum car seats for Ford. Solved extensive robot welding
issues, increased weld productive 40%.
22. Case International Tractor Div.
0ptimized the robot welds on the tractor cabs, reduced weld rework by 40%
23.
Mascotech Michigan. Consulted to establish robot weld process control programs
for 300/400 series stainless, robot welds, 98 Ford Mustang manifolds, Chrysler
Jeep and Hummer manifolds.
24. Johnson Controls Mexico. Consulted to solve
robot weld productivity issues, improved weld production by 30% new 98 VW Beetle
car seats.
25. Volvo. Set up new robot weld line and provided training for
Volvo Trucks WV
26. Monroe Shocks. Established global uniform weld best practices
and robot process controls for 5 plants.
27. Citrogen Spain. Established robot
weld process controls and training for car seats.
28. Club Car. Set robot line
weld data for robot welding aluminum golf carts.
Employment
Contract.
Aker:
Philadelphia Naval Ship Yard: Weld Mgr:
[]
Established unique Flux Cored Weld / Fitter, Process Control Training for oil
tanker construction. In six months reduced the flux cored weld rework cost per-ship
by approx. 50%. Savings per ship approx 4 million dollar.
[] Established Best
Weld Practices for the yard reducing annual weld equipment / consumable costs
by $500,000.
[] Over size, vee groove weld joints gaps on ceramic backing
can typically add 100% to the cost of ship building. I
developed new MIG /
flux cored, large gap weld procedures and techniques that reduced this typical
cost by 50%
Weld
Services Inc.
Atlanta. Ga..
Position. Weld Manager. Consulting.
Hired
to develop new Stainless / Inconel weld procedures and techniques to reduce weld
costs and improve stainless and Inconel corrosion properties on clad and weld
applications typically found in the Oil Refining, Pulp Paper, Power, Waste to
Energy, Nuclear, Chemical and Petrochemical industries. This company has provided
Inconel pulsed MIG weld over lay on more than 80% of the boilers in North America.
WSI uses approx. one million pounds of Inconel annually.
[]
My patent developed in 2006 reduced by 28% the amount of Inconel or stainless
cladding consumables required per-water wall boiler. This patent will produce
an annual cost saving for WSI of approx 6 million dollars and the superior over
lay weld quality will provide many benefits, (less distortion, less weld defects)
to the power industry and waste to energy industries.
[]
Provide unique GTAW automated weld solutions to Nuclear plant welding repair problems.
[]
Developed during 2006, patent pending, cost effective weld techniques for 347
overlay on hydro cracking vessels and other 347 clad applications. This new method
reduced the traditional electro slag, strip clad method for overlay by 70%
12-month
consulting employment contract.
Weld manager. MKS Instruments, Inc. MA.
Established
weld best practices and weld cost reduction programs for automated laser / GTAW
/ plasma lathe and orbital welds on stainless and Inconel monitoring parts used
to manufacture electronic chips. Established over 2 million dollars in weld cost
reduction and took weld reject rate from 8% to less than 1 percent.
Company:
Textron. Port Washington WI.
Employment Contract, 15 months.
Position. Weld
Manager: Heavy fabrication department.
Scope: Hired to reorganize the
weld department, establish best weld practices, provide weld cost reductions and
increase the weld automation. Responsible for more than 100 welders. The product
was heavy-duty steel frames and booms used for construction lifting equipment.
[] In the 15 months at Textron / Omniquip, increased utilization of arc welding
robots from 8% to 80%. providing an 80% increase in the parts produced with no
increase in manual labor.
[] Facilitated and implemented effective robot and
manual weld process controls along with weld process-training programs, resulting
in a robot weld efficiency of greater than 96%
[] Reduced three weld vendors
to one. Established a "weld blanket purchase agreement resulting in $200,000
annual savings.
[] Established highly cost effective "best weld practices".
[] Produced weld department budget and consistently worked within budget.
[]
Provide support to increase employee involvement in weld safety, quality, productivity
initiatives, and adherence to ISO.
Company,
ABB Flexible Automation. Robotics, Welding and Cutting Division.
Position.
Weld Process Manager.
Robot trouble shoot and establish optimum robot welding
procedures for ABB clients throughout North and South America. Eliminated automated
weld issues on numerous applications. Provided customer advice on weld part design,
fixture design and material flow. Provided customer / ABB employee training on
establishing and maintaining robot weld process control programs".
Company,
Airgas Inc s.
Position: Weld Marketing / Weld Training Manager, Industrial
Gases and Weld Products.
Today with one billion in annual sales, Airgas is
the largest independent welding distributor in the world. I was employed to develop
MIG weld gas / equipment sales strategy. Also provide weld / cutting process training
for the 700 plus sales force. Provide weld process advice for hundreds of weld
customers across North America.
Company
Union Carbide (Linde).
Position. Weld Department Manager Nuclear Power and
Cryogenics Div.
Managed weld fabrication of heavy alloy, stainless and aluminum
components used for Canada's Cryogenic, Heavy Water and Nuclear industries. Responsible
for all welding quality, productivity, weld procedures, weld qualifications, weld
code compliance etc for more than 100 welders using GMAW- FCAW - SMAW - SAW -
PLASMA - RESISTANCE. Worked with ASME, ANSI, API codes.
Transferred
from Union Carbide to sister company Linde Weld Distribution Div as Linde Weld
Training Manger, Canadian western region, (territory Manitoba to British Columbia).
Provided weld process advice to hundreds of customers and to welding Linde weld
distributors.
Company:
Atomic Energy Nuclear Research. Ontario. Canada 4 yrs. Position, Weld technologist.
Nuclear welding and pipe research. Worked with alloy steels, stainless, aluminum
and titanium pipes/ tube weld /cutting research. Weld corrosion and failure analysis,
developing new weld procedures for Pickering Nuclear plant and Bruce Heavy water
plant. Provide weld solutions for nuclear component and reactor repairs.
Company:
Weld Institute. Canada. Weld Research Eng.. Numerous weld studies for major Canadian,
USA corporations. From pipe lines to automotive.
Coompany:
Shawinigan Engineering. Canada. Weld Quality Control Manager. Inspection on US
nuclear / power plant components, turbines, pumps, compressors, valves etc. For
30 months worked in Nigeria as Weld Quality Engineering Mgr. Responsible for welding
quality on construction of Africa's largest oil/gas power station.
Company: Ontario Hydro,
Quality Control Inspector during construction of Bruce Heavy Water / Nuclear Plant
Canada.
Experiences and Achievements:
Provided GMAW / FCAW / SAW / PLASMA / GTAW /
SMAW / LASER / OXY FUEL training for over 10,000 weld decision markers in ten
countries. Have extensive welding application background in all major welding
industries. Automotive, Ship Yards, Chemical Plants, Pipe and Pressure Vessels
Shops, Structural Shops, Nuclear and Research. Optimized robot weld productivity
using ABB - Motorman - Panasonic - Fanuc - ESAB - Cloos, and Miller robots. Computer
skills, MS Word, Word Perfect, Power Point, Web Page Management using Dream Weaver.
Committees
Columns, Books and Articles Published:
[]
In 1998 as an AWS specification
committee member, I completed for the American Weld Society the new AWS MIG, /
TIG, Plasma Welding Shielding Gas Specifications.
[] 2001 AWS subcommittee
member on Flux Cored Electrodes.
[] Developed the "PocketWelder"
The world's first hand size, electronic weld data/steels unit. Sold by AWS.
[]
For 15 years, each month I advised over 50,000 readers in the Question Answer
Weld Column in Weld Design Fabrication Magazine.
[] Published over 35 welding
/ cutting process articles.
[] Rewrote the Thermal Cutting Section" on
Laser-Plasma-Oxy Fuel Cutting in the ASM Handbook Ninth Edition 1988.
[] Wrote
the complete welding section for "Machinery Handbook" >25th edition.
[]
In 1991 wrote and published welding book "Gas Metal Arc & Flux Cord Welding
Parameter Selection Made Simple", sold through AWS.
[] In 1992 produced
a MIG training video "MIG Training Made Simple" sold by AWS and Fabricator
magazine.
[] 1996 wrote the 600 page book "A Management & Engineers
Guide to MIG Welding, Quality, Costs and Training".
Patents
Developed:
1996. Ceramic/Cu MIG gun contact tips for high speed MIG welds
98.
1997. World's first "Portable Electronic Weld Data Unit, "Pocket
Welder".
2006. New Boiler Water Wall Clad Weld Technique.
2006. New
Weld method for clad weld hydro cracking vessels.
2007. New method to weld
insulation brackets to boilers.
Eds
Training Resources.
