Welding services are essential for the assembly of systems across all industries that rely on metal construction. And for high-specification or high-volume projects such as petroleum processing and transport, industrial plant infrastructures, shipbuilding, and aerospace applications, these services can be expensive. To maximize ROI and profitability, companies must control their welding expenses.
The greatest threats to cost control for welding are bad welds, which require rework and downtime that necessitate unnecessary costs. In many cases, equipment malfunction or failure is the root cause of both of these contingencies. The best way to avoid these issues is to develop and institute an effective machine maintenance schedule.
Arguably, the most important component of this schedule is a preventive maintenance program for welding equipment based on regular inspections. If performed properly, basic inspections can identify and predict machine elements that may need attention long before any negative impact on weld quality is evident or machine failure occurs. Let’s take a look at the essentials for a maintenance program and how to execute it.
The most important part of any maintenance regimen are the actions taken before any issues arise.
The Basics of a Preventive Maintenance Program for Welding Equipment
The most important part of any maintenance regimen are the actions taken before any issues arise. However, preventive maintenance measures must be targeted to the actual equipment used in order to be most effective. For example, there are distinct differences between manual and mechanized welding processes. Therefore, the best preventive maintenance program for welding equipment will depend on the system being used. The basics of a preventative maintenance program for orbital welding equipment are discussed below.
Orbital Welding Equipment Preventive Maintenance Essentials
Whether fusing pipes with homogeneous or heterogeneous filler or leveraging the advantages of autogenous welding, preventive maintenance for orbital welding should be based on the following important criteria:
Pillars of a Preventive Maintenance Program for Welding Equipment
- Understanding how your equipment operates
An essential asset to being able to inspect and evaluate your welding machine is having an understanding of its operation and the major elements that affect the process. This includes knowing how the weld head, wire feeder and liner, power supply, and controller work collectively to create the weld.
- Knowing the operation lifecycle of devices and parts
Being aware of how long major and minor devices and parts should last before replacement is recommended by the manufacturer can be even more important than understanding how they operate. It may be tempting to try to exceed these recommendations, especially when no obvious wear and tear is evident, but this should be avoided as it can result in unexpected failures and downtime.
- Knowing the turnaround time for major maintenance
Regardless of how well-built any piece of equipment is, major maintenance will be required at some point. The key is to anticipate this and schedule time for these inspections and overhauls so they are minimally disruptive. Awareness of the turnaround time for major maintenance activities minimizes disruptions.
- Collaborating with the equipment manufacturer and/or service provider
One could argue that collaboration with your equipment manufacturer or service provider is the most important aspect of a good preventive maintenance program, because it enables you to make the best use of the expertise and advice from providers with a detailed knowledge of your equipment.
Adopting these essentials provides you with all the resources needed to enact an effective preventive maintenance program for your welding equipment, as presented in the section below.
Executing Your Preventive Maintenance Program
Precise, high-quality welds do not occur by happenstance. They are the result of synchronization between a good welder or technician and the right orbital welding equipment in good working order. Keeping equipment in good working order is not a given unless preventive maintenance actions are regularly scheduled and executed. Some recommendations are given below.
PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM FOR WELDING EQUIPMENT SCHEDULE |
| When to Perform | Preventive Action |
| Before each use | Inspect connections and connectors Inspect cables and electrode holders Check Tungsten & replace if worn Make sure you have enough filler wire to make it thru the next weld |
| Daily | Calibrate the weld head Check & replace any worn consumables parts Make sure shield gas is set correctly and you have enough in the bottle to make it thru the shift |
| While in operation | Inspect weld quality Monitor heat |
| For each wire reel replacement | Ensure liner and wire size are matched Blow out liner and cable Inspect wire feeder mechanism Inspect drive rollers and clean, if necessary |
| Weekly or monthly | Blow out machine to remove debris Inspect water & gas hoses for leaks Check & replace coolant as necessary |
| Annually | Full machine inspection Power Supply calibration |
| As recommended by manufacturer | Test and/or replace regulator Test and/or recalibrate weld head |
The actions above are not all-inclusive; however, they are all recommended for the maintenance of orbital welding equipment. To ensure that the preventive maintenance program for your welding equipment is optimally effective and specific to your equipment and project schedule, consult with your orbital equipment manufacturer or service provider.
Arc Machines, Inc. specializes in high-quality, precision GTAW welding and is dedicated to working with you to get reliable results from your machinery. We have several service and support options available to meet your specific needs. For inquiries regarding products, contact sales@arcmachines.com. For service inquiries, contact service@arcmachines.com. Arc Machines welcomes the opportunity to discuss your specific needs. Contact us to arrange a meeting.
