Shop Solutions for Increasing Productivity on

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Shop Solutions for Increasing Productivity on
Difficult to Weld Alloys
(A short history of G. Wrights Welding)

• By Jeremy Wright
• General Manager of G. Wrights Welding Ltd. and
  journeyman B pressure welder.

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Who we are

• Fab shop specializing in the welding of high
  pressure, critical service flow components
• Certified B31.1 B31.3
• Family owned and operated
• 14,000 sq foot shop space with dedicated
  stainless shop
• In operation for over 30 years

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What provides us increased productivity?

• Boiled down to 2 items
• Automation
• Modern Processes
• And no small amout of
• (Galen Wrights work ethic!)

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Why automation for the duplex family?

• Consistency and control are key
• To weld duplex successfully you need to follow
  the rules
• Develop the procedure properly and stick to it in
  production
• Is there a better solution than automation to
  eliminate weld(er) to weld(er) variance?

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Why automation for the duplex family?

• Automation gives us incredible consistency!
• Travel speeds
• Wire feed rates
• Welding variables (voltage in GTAW)
• A machine doesnt have moods
• The same mechanical and metallurgical results man
  to man, day to day, week to week

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Automation Explored

• Used versions of GTAW semi automation since the
  mid 90s
• To increase productivity (and thusly increase
  revenue), how do we make the job easier for our
  welders and build in consistency?
• First system was shop designed, and fabricated,
  multi station GTAW (to allow the welder to work
  on multiple components while the previous weld(s)
  cooled)
• Utilized Gullco Kat Oscillator complete with
  manually adjusted arms to position the torch.

• Good consistency weld to weld
• Cold wire GTAW low productivity
• Set up for 1 welder to weld on up to 3 stations

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Automation Explored
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Automation Explored

• It worked great!
• Once this system was utilized heavily, the hunt
  was on for a new solution

Why change what works?

• Because better solutions are built from things
  that already do work!
• Increased productivity through limiting welder
  fatigue, less arc off time, lower repair rates

Improve on improvements!
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The next step

• Enter AMET automation in 2004
• Retro-fit of our existing 3 station skid package
  with a state of the art AMET XM Hot Wire GTAW
  system

• Programmable weld sequences
• Every variable under a welders control was now
  automated
• 1 weld program per procedure (per rotator) and it
  doesnt change regardless of who is using it.
• Hot wire GTAW increased deposition rates by
  30-50 and travel speeds 25

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Again! It worked so well we said
LETS BUY MORE!

• We retired the Gullco in early 2006 and over a 5
  year period adopted 3 standalone AVC systems (and
  one with an AMET oscillator) to marry to our
  additional gantry systems.
• 10 years later we still use the systems daily and
  added an Amet XM Bore Cladding system.
• We couldnt do what we do without them!

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Examples of the products we weld with automation
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Examples of the products we weld with automation
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Examples of the products we weld with automation
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Examples of the products we weld with automation
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Modern Processes

• For us, Hot Wire GTAW is key
• Its not new, but it is under-utilized
• Standard HW GTAW will give you 30 increase in
  productivity
• Tip Tig HW GTAW will give you 80 increase at
  the same current levels
• There are other processes we would like to
  explore for use on Duplex, S. Duplex and Nickel
  Alloys Fronius CMT process in particular.

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Modern Processes

• HW GTAW provides added deposition through a
  secondary power source

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Modern Processes

• TIP TIG HW GTAW takes it one step further with
  agitation of the puddle.

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Modern Processes
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Modern Processes Automation

• Hot Wire GTAW is a simple solution if you have a
  manufacturing process that can be automated.
• No good reason why many spooling applications on
  all materials cant be semi-automated with modern
  processes to some extent (not limiting to HW
  GTAW)
• Long term productivity solutions being ignored
  because of up front cost and welder buy in
• For manual hotwire, the choices are limited
• The premise of added deposition is real,
  immediate and proven
• Automation and new processes not a solve all
  solution, but more tools for the tool box

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• What are the Incentives?
• From an engineering point of view
• On the duplex family
• In production every welder consistently hitting
  ferrite numbers in the 40-55 range
• Routinely passing the G-48 test in PQR testing on
  Duplex and Super Duplex
• Little risk of metallurgical defects, like grain
  boundary precipitates, because of consistent heat
  inputs
• On Nickel
• Incredible impacts at low temperatures with Hot
  Wire GTAW (Tip Tig or traditional)
• Increased weld-ability because of puddle fluidity
  (Tip Tig)
• Increased weld-ability because of reduce oxide
  build-up (again, Tip Tig)

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Incentives Explored

• Weve welded many procedures with our automation
  and modern processes
• Most are classified as manual/semi-automated
• Manual potion is usually root and hot passes
• Fill and cap are semi-automated
• Here are some results on duplex and super duplex
  for comparison and evidence

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Incentives Explored
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Incentives Explored

• Productivity comparison of fill passes between
  manual GTAW duplex PQR and Tip Tig duplex PQR
• Wall thickness .375 for each and based off of
  10 std pipe

GW700 Avg 4.75 ipm Avg 35 ipm (.045) Min 7 passes (plus root)
150 A 24.0 KJ/inch Part Dia 33.75 236 to complete 49 min arc on time
Duplex butt weld Avg 6.75 ipm Avg 120 ipm (.035) (72 .045) 4 passes (plus root)
185 A 33.4 KJ/inch Part Dia 33.75 135 to complete 20 min arc on time
The volume of 1 of .035 wire is 60 the volume
of 1 of .045

• Root for both would take 30 min to 1 hour
  depending on who is welding it and the fit up for
  both tip tig and manual GTAW

• Interpass temperatures of 300F are/were adhered
  to. From experience, cooling time between weld
  passes is less for Tip Tig, compared to
  traditional GTAW

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Incentives Explored

• Tip Tig Productivity comparison on ASTM A516-70
• -46C test temperature for impacts
• GTAW and Tip Tig welds done with 1/8 or .035
  ER70S-6 Wire, SMAW with 3/16 (5.0 mm) E7018-1
  electrode (Root with GTAW)
• Productivity done only for fill and cap passes.
  (Root welded the same for each coupon)

Current Volts Travel WFS (ipm) KG/Hour Passes
TT01 Tip Tig 225/240 13.8 16.9 7.5 9.5 114, 162-185 1.3 11
TT03 Tip Tig 280 15.8 17.8 8.5 11.75 100, 205 1.5 8
TT04 - GTAW 240 12.8 16.1 5.6 8.25 --- 0.7 13
TT05 SMAW 255 23 - 28 9.1 15.0 --- 2.4 7
CVN Ft-Lbs ? Weld Sample 1 Weld Sample 2 Weld Sample 3 HAZ 1 HAZ 2 HAZ 3
TT01 - Tip Tig 55 28 98 75 63 78
TT03 - Tip Tig 86 84 82 178 21 114
TT04 - GTAW 114 16 8.5 12 18.5 16
TT05 - SMAW 33.8 33.8 33.8 69.7 69.7 69.7
Data supplied courtesy of Kim Meszaros - AITF
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• What are the Incentives?
• Incentive for employees
• Welding with automation can be uber-boring, but
  it is a hell of a lot easier on the body than
  manual welding
• You can qualify apprentices and journeymen as
  operators during the fill passes and free up your
  B welders for more challenging applications and
  apprentices gain valuable knowledge
• The consistency provided by automation married
  with modern processes cant be beat

• Lower repair rates
• More volume of weld deposited per pass in less
  time.
• Reduced consumable waste
• Learning curve is reduced for training
  welders/operators

• Better weld to weld consistency
• And because of consistency
• Improved mechanicals
• Improved metallurgical results

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• What are the Incentives?

• Welding with GTAW is a lot safer for welders than
  welding with other processes
• Very little fume particulate when compared to
  SMAW/GMAW/FCAW
• Less grinding limiting exposure to hazards
  associated with grinding

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• Incentives

The benefits add up quickly!
There will be up front cost
Results are immediate
It works! What more incentive than that does one
need?
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• Incentives

Increased Productivity Increased costprofit
ratio





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• In Closing...

• Automation and modern processes work very well
  for our applications
• As mentioned earlier, they are not a fix all.
• We will never completely get away from manual
  welding
• But the applications are there
• The industry just needs a few more companies to
  lead the way

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• In Closing...

Thank you to Euroweld, the CWA and the WRC for
allowing me the opportunity to speak.
If you are interested in further info or a tour,
please call 780-435-5755