Quick fix to improve welding productivity

A ddressing the problem of welding productivity may be as simple as looking at a new consumable option, or finding ways to make the welding operators more comfortable. Starting from the power source to the welding wire, each component in an arc welding operation can have a significant effect on productivity. In particular, welding gun and consumables such as nozzles, contact tips and diffusers, could be an overlooked aspect of the whole process, but these components directly affect quality, welders’ comfort, rework, downtime and more.

There are three key ways in which guns and consumables used in flux-cored arc welding (FCAW) and gas metal arc welding (GMAW) can lead to improved productivity:

? Reducing time spent changing contact tips;
? Gaining better joint access and gas coverage;
? Increasing  arc-on  time  through improved operator comfort.

Contact tips

The contact tip is the last point of contact between the welding equipment and the welding wire, as  well as the consumable responsible for generating the electrical connection to create the arc. As the wire passes through the contact tip, it can erode the inside of the tip bore, leading to interruptions in the electrical current and causing poor arc stability. During the normal course of welding, especially at higher amperages, the contact tip also can become loose and cause a ‘burnback’ (the formation of a weld inside the contact tip.) Often, burnbacks are a significant source of downtime in a welding operation — and a big hindrance to productivity.

Having a contact tip that stays securely in place during the course of welding is critical to combating burnbacks. Brooklyn Iron Works  in  Spokane, Wash.  found such a solution when they converted to Centerfire?  contact tips.

Like  other  structural  fabricating companies, Brooklyn Iron Works faces stringent deadlines for its projects so the ability to minimize downtime for burnbacks and any other equipment management is imperative. Its welding personnel run their weld beads at high amperages (300 to 400 amps) using typically 0.052- or 1/16-inch FCAW wire diameters, which often proved too harsh on their previous contact tips. They would loosen after routine welding, causing the wires to arc back and create the burnback.

“Before we converted to the new contact tips, we had a substantial amount of downtime for contact tip changeover,” explained  QA  manager  Phil  Zammit. “And that’s money. It’s lost arc time for tip maintenance. Now we are using a third fewer tips and don’t have to worry about the downtime like before.”

The company’s new contact tips don’t loosen because they “drop in” the diffuser and are locked in place by tightening the nozzle. They also feature a non-threaded tip design with a tapered base and large-diameter seat. The other benefit of the design is that it helps to generate consistent electrical conductivity and heat transfer, both of which help the consumables last longer and perform more reliably.

Better shielding

Brooklyn Iron Works’ welding operators frequently encounter weld joints up to 2-in. deep. In the past, they often had to extend their electrode stick-out as far as 2-inches to access the joints, a practice that risked generating porosity since it could compromise the necessary shielding-gas coverage.

In addition to inadequate shielding gAir Jordan XIII CP3