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PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN WELDING SOCIETY TO ADVANCE THE SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND APPLICATION OF WELDING

AND ALLIED JOINING AND CUTTING PROCESSES, INCLUDING BRAZING, SOLDERING, AND THERMAL SPRAYING

May 2011

Getting theMost Out of

Spot Welding

HVAC ShopsFeature

WeldingCapabilities

Efficiency inAutomotiveWelding

Bonus:

The American

Welder

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MAY 201138

The automotive industry has certainlybegun to show signs of rebounding fromthe economic downturn; however, com-panies are now being asked to do more

with less as production volumes ap-proach the levels of several years ago.More than ever, companies require oper-ational efficiencies to maintain process

flow and avoid unscheduled downtime ofautomated equipment.

Commonly, arc welding process chal-lenges have a significant impact on achiev-ing production goals and maintaining ef-ficiency. Typical contributors to arc weld-ing process inefficiencies include poorpart fitup, tool center point (TCP) re-

peatability, and the ability to manage con-sumable changes, as well as spatter. Ef-fectively managing these elements are es-sential if companies are to meet their qual-ity requirements and fulfill a high-volumeproduction demand.

As the automotive industry continuesto experience an upswing in production

Welding Challenges

in TodaysAutomotive Industry

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39WELDING JOURNAL

up 12.16% year over year throughMarch 19, 2011 (Automotive News) maintaining an effective and efficient op-eration will become even more challeng-ing. Reductions in the workforce over thelast several years have left the industry

with fewer employees to monitor welding

operations, and the overall shortage ofskilled welders has compounded the chal-lenge. Whereas 10 years ago a large auto-motive supplier may have had one weld-ing technician for 20 robots, today thatratio has increased to as few as one weld-ing technician for 50 robots or more.Clearly, the lack of resources creates chal-lenges, but eliminating nonvalue-addedactivity (or that which doesnt contribute

directly to throughput) can help overcomethose. Practices such as equipment stan-dardization, preventive maintenance, andproduct selection can promote a leaneroperation and provide opportunities toimprove process flow and operationalefficiency.

Well-Managed InventoryEquals Greater Uptime

In recent years, the consolidation ofautomotive suppliers and facilities has re-sulted in welding operations made up ofmultiple brands of welding equipment, in-cluding power sources, robotic con-

trollers, robotic manipulators, and gas

metal arc welding (GMAW) guns. Theoutcome is often a wide breadth of prod-ucts to manage and, with fewer resources,an increased potential for costly errorsand unscheduled downtime.

Not surprisingly, in an industry that re-quires repeatable, high-volume welds some up to 500 parts in a single shift consistency is critical and any deviation inquality could result in downtime, scrap,or rework.

Ideally, standardizing on a singleGMAW gun brand can help companies inthe automotive industry avoid unsched-

uled downtime for changing out incorrectconsumables or reworking quality issues.It can also reduce the amount of timespent managing inventory and provide abuilt-in poka yoke (mistake-proofing) sys-tem by eliminating (or significantly reduc-ing) the opportunities for incorrect instal-lation. Some companies have found thatsuch standardization, along with a ven-dor-managed consumable system, works

well and contributes positively to theirgoal of maintaining process efficiency andequipment utilization. The process ofstandardization may take time replac-

ing older GMAW guns as they wear, forexample but in the long term it can yieldpositive results in quality, performance,and cost. It also allows the productionteam to have one point of contact for tech-nical support should questions arise aboutthe performance of a GMAW gun or con-sumable, as opposed to having to contactmultiple manufacturers.

To help with the transition to one

Standardizing GMAW

guns and consumables

can help to avoid

unscheduled downtime

for changing out

incorrect consumables orreworking quality issues

BY ROBERT RYAN ANDDAVID BELLAMY

ROBERT RYAN is product manager, Automation Group, and DAVID BELLAMY is product manager, Semiautomatic and ConsumablesGroup, Tregaskiss, Windsor, Ont., Canada (www.tregaskiss.com).

As the automotive industry strives todo more with less, having the properequipment, maintaining it with goodpreventive maintenance practices, andstandardizing inventory can all helpstreamline production and reduceunscheduled downtime.

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GMAW equipment supplier, front-endconversion kits are widely available andallow companies to standardize on a sin-gle brand of consumables, regardless of thetype of GMAW gun being used. These kitsare a good alternative to replacing an en-tire fleet of GMAW guns, while still offer-ing the benefits of standardized inventory.

In some cases, there is an opportunityto maximize the value of welding consum-ables by using the same contact tips and

nozzles for semiautomatic applications(such as those for repairs or rework) afterthey are too worn for the robotic applica-tion, which further reduces inventory.

The Right EquipmentMaintained Properly

Most welding technicians, supervisors,and operators in the automotive industry

will attest to the fact that proper part fit-up is a constant concern. But not only dothe parts that move into the weld cell needto be of the proper dimension and fit, the

welding gun and consumables being usedalso need to provide accurate, repeatable,and durable performance.

Robotic GMAW guns are intended toweld at the same location every cycle byproviding a consistent tool center point.

Some products are more durable than oth-ers, but they all require preventive main-tenance to optimize performance and pre-

vent unscheduled downtime for replacingitems like contact tips or liners.

Air-cooled robotic GMAW guns areamong the most durable products avail-able. Many applications in the automo-tive industry, such as suspension compo-nents, use thin materials (2 to 4 mm) thatare ideal for an air-cooled robotic GMAW

gun since the typical operating range isapproximately 200300 A at an average60% duty cycle.

Water-cooled products improve per-formance at higher duty cycles, yet theyare inferior to air-cooled products from adurability perspective. This is primarilydue to the addition of water channels andother mechanical requirements of a

water-cooled design. In the automotiveindustry, it is rare to experience applica-tions that truly require a water-cooledGMAW gun. Even for end users weldingthicker base metals (truck frames, for ex-

ample), they are still likely to be withinthe comfort range of an air-cooledGMAW gun. In some cases, however, theaddition of water cooling will help man-age excessive heat and prolong the life of

welding consumables (e.g. , nozzles andcontact tips). In these instances, there ex-

ists an opportunity to use a hybrid air-cooled/water-cooled gun. This type ofproduct has the underlying constructionand durability of an air-cooled roboticGMAW gun while offering some of thebenefits of water-cooling.

Regardless of the welding application,it is important for companies to use themost appropriate type of GMAW gun forthe job and properly maintain the equip-ment to ensure a maximum return on

investment.Good preventive maintenance proce-dures include inspection of all connec-tions in the entire system: GMAW gun,

wire feeder, ground cables, etc. Also in-clude regular inspections for proper wirefeeding and proactively replacing worncomponents during scheduled downtimes.Preventive maintenance procedures canbe performed at the beginning of the shiftto avoid interruptions to production.

Meeting the Demands

As the automotive industry returns tothe production levels of several years ago,taking steps to standardize inventory, im-plement good preventive maintenancetechniques, and select the right product

will help companies become more effi-cient and do more with less.

MAY 201140

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