Given that labor typically accounts for 60 percent to 85 percent of the total cost of any welding operation, fabricators stand to reap significant benefits by better understanding and controlling those costs. However, that’s often easier said than done. Here are some practical ways to do it.
Too often, manufacturers make the mistake of seeking to increase productivity by simply adding additional welding cells rather than looking for ways to maximize welder efficiency. In order to fully understand the true cost of a welding operation, companies need to look not just at the weld cell, but at the upstream and downstream operations outside the cell to see if labor is being unnecessarily wasted in non-value added activities.
While many portions of the welding operation are absolutely essential, there are also ways that manufacturers can lower the labor costs in the welding operation by reducing or eliminating the time consumed on the activities listed below :
• Preparing the metal for welding
• Preparing the joint
• Applying anti-spatter
• Pre-heating time
• Positioning and repositioning the weldment
• Grinding spatter and chipping slag
• Removing anti-spatter
• Repairing and/or reworking welds that don’t pass inspection
• Gas cylinder swap outs
• Changing filler metals
• Grinding and/or polishing weld to obtain final appearance
Additional ways to make the welding portion of the process more efficient include switching from small spools to large drums of welding wire, using bulk shielding gas instead of individual cylinders and converting to high-quality welding guns and consumables that require less frequent maintenance and repair.
Identifying the wasted labor in a welding operation is only the first step in the process, however. Once this has been identified, manufacturers often have numerous options available to reduce that waste, including production process reconfigurations, manpower reallocations, equipment upgrades and outsourcing certain parts of the process. Choosing the best solution will depend heavily on the company’s specific operation, products, growth plans and resources.
Before implementing any of these changes, fabricators should conduct thorough evaluations of their welding operations to fully understand the impact of the changes under consideration. Consulting with an efficiency expert, a welding integrator or an equipment manufacturer could help to identify areas where weld costs can be reduced and the best ways to accomplish that goal.
Companies should also be aware that in some cases, identifying and eliminating waste at one location in the production process will reveal – or even create – deficiencies in another part of the process. For example, before switching to an advanced pipe welding process, a mechanical contractor in Florida needed two welders to keep up with a single upstream person beveling and tacking the pipes. After switching processes, the contractor needed two employees beveling and tacking the pipe to keep up with a single welder.
For more visit : eVersity
Too often, manufacturers make the mistake of seeking to increase productivity by simply adding additional welding cells rather than looking for ways to maximize welder efficiency. In order to fully understand the true cost of a welding operation, companies need to look not just at the weld cell, but at the upstream and downstream operations outside the cell to see if labor is being unnecessarily wasted in non-value added activities.
While many portions of the welding operation are absolutely essential, there are also ways that manufacturers can lower the labor costs in the welding operation by reducing or eliminating the time consumed on the activities listed below :
• Preparing the metal for welding
• Preparing the joint
• Applying anti-spatter
• Pre-heating time
• Positioning and repositioning the weldment
• Grinding spatter and chipping slag
• Removing anti-spatter
• Repairing and/or reworking welds that don’t pass inspection
• Gas cylinder swap outs
• Changing filler metals
• Grinding and/or polishing weld to obtain final appearance
Additional ways to make the welding portion of the process more efficient include switching from small spools to large drums of welding wire, using bulk shielding gas instead of individual cylinders and converting to high-quality welding guns and consumables that require less frequent maintenance and repair.
Identifying the wasted labor in a welding operation is only the first step in the process, however. Once this has been identified, manufacturers often have numerous options available to reduce that waste, including production process reconfigurations, manpower reallocations, equipment upgrades and outsourcing certain parts of the process. Choosing the best solution will depend heavily on the company’s specific operation, products, growth plans and resources.
Before implementing any of these changes, fabricators should conduct thorough evaluations of their welding operations to fully understand the impact of the changes under consideration. Consulting with an efficiency expert, a welding integrator or an equipment manufacturer could help to identify areas where weld costs can be reduced and the best ways to accomplish that goal.
Companies should also be aware that in some cases, identifying and eliminating waste at one location in the production process will reveal – or even create – deficiencies in another part of the process. For example, before switching to an advanced pipe welding process, a mechanical contractor in Florida needed two welders to keep up with a single upstream person beveling and tacking the pipes. After switching processes, the contractor needed two employees beveling and tacking the pipe to keep up with a single welder.
For more visit : eVersity
