Properly identifying the cause of weld flaws and implementing the correct cures can help welding operators minimize downtime and its associated costs. Weld flaws come in all shapes, sizes and degrees of severity. Yet one thing holds true regardless of the application or material on which they occur: They are a common, and costly, cause [...]
Want to improve your MIG welding? By following these seven tips, you can take your MIG welding operation to the next level and ensure you are as safe, efficient and professional as any other shop. 1. Remember that the best MIG welding operator is a safe one. Never forget that MIG welding, when done improperly, [...]
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes Porosity, cavity-type discontinuities formed by gas entrapment during solidification, is a common but cumbersome defect in MIG welding and one with several causes. It can appear in semi-automatic or robotic applications and requires removal and rework in both cases — leading to downtime and increased costs. The major cause of [...]
Selecting “too much” gun can increase fatigue and decrease your productivity. The ideal MIG gun strikes a balance between the application’s demands, and the MIG gun’s size and weight. When it comes to welding, too much of a good thing can often add up to unnecessary costs, potential downtime and lost productivity — especially if [...]
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes When it comes to MIG welding, it’s important for new welders to start with the basics to set a solid foundation for success. The process is generally forgiving, making it simpler to learn than TIG welding, for example. It can weld most metals and, as a continuously fed process, offers [...]
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes Understanding some proper techniques for MIG welding can help welders gain good weld quality and avoid the frustration and cost of rework. Everything from proper positioning of the MIG welding gun to travel angle and travel speed can make an impact. Understanding some proper techniques for MIG welding can help [...]
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes Welders use MIG welding in many industries — fabrication, manufacturing, shipbuilding and rail to name a few. While it is a common process, it requires attention to detail, and it is helpful to know some key terms associated with it. As with any process, the better the understanding, the better [...]
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes Fixed welding automation is well suited to high-volume operations with a low variety of parts, such as structural beams or railcars requiring long, continuous welds or pipe that requires circular welds. No doubt manual, or semi-automatic, welding has its place across the industries — general fabrication and manufacturing, shipbuilding and [...]
In welding, poor wire feeding is a common challenge — one that can be extremely costly for an operation and take a toll on productivity. From the downtime for troubleshooting to faster wear and replacement of consumables, wire feeding issues such as bird-nesting, burnback and liner clogging can have a significant impact on the bottom [...]
High quality MIG guns and consumables will breakdown more seldom than low quality products, but problems are an inevitability with all equipment and knowing how to identify and resolve the source of the problem can reduce downtime and increase productivity. Making a high-quality MIG weld [...]
Robotic welding operations can be tough on equipment. The heat from the welding arc, along with reflective heat from the base material and resistive heat from the electrical components, can wear on consumables and the robotic welding gun. In some cases, implementing a water-cooled robotic MIG gun is the answer, but many times an air-cooled [...]
For use with TOUGH GUN® TA3 ThruArm® series robotic MIG guns, LSR+ (Low-Stress Robotic) unicables incorporate new SmoothTurn™ technology to maximize production uptime.
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes Establishing consistent levels of weld quality is important for attaining production goals and a better bottom line in semi-automatic welding operations. However, there are many factors that can negatively impact those efforts, including a lack of skilled labor, inadequate or aging equipment or using the wrong welding consumables. Supervisors and [...]
ON BERNARD® BTB MIG STRAIGHT HANDLE MIG GUNS WITH HYTREL® POLYMER CABLE — EFFECTIVE JANUARY 3, 2023 Our product offering is regularly assessed to ensure focus on customer needs and opportunities to innovate our product portfolio, so we can continue to deliver sustainable value to our customers. [...]
Traditional robotic welding systems can deliver many benefits, but they aren’t always the right solution for every manufacturer. In applications where implementing a robotic weld cell isn’t the answer, some companies are turning to collaborative robots, or cobots. While not new to the industry, cobots are currently a fast-growing and still-developing technology. They can help [...]
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes Companies today continue to face a shortage of qualified welders, but the demand for product has stayed the same — or in many cases, increased. Turning to new solutions to keep up with production can help keep the welding operation running smoothly and quickly. Tregaskiss designed its BA1 cobot welding [...]
A nozzle cleaning station can lengthen the life of the robotic MIG gun and its consumables, and save companies money for extra parts. Robotic welding systems introduce speed, accuracy and repeatability into the fabrication process. The repeatability of these systems can increase productivity and reduce welding [...]
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes Human error can take its toll on welding operations, leading to downtime and lost productivity, poor quality and increased costs. It can result from a variety of factors. An operator may know how to manage a process, but periodically misses a step or forgets to complete a task. Or an [...]
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes Troubleshooting problems with welding consumables can be time-consuming and expensive. From the associated downtime to the cost of replacing contact tips, diffusers, nozzles and liners, companies stand to lose productivity and potentially miss production goals. Applying root cause tools can help expedite the process of consumable troubleshooting. These are structured [...]
All AccuLock S conventional liner gas diffusers began shipping with a gray o-ring instead of a black o-ring on February 22, 2023. The gray o-ring makes it easier to tell the difference between an AccuLock S dual-locked liner gas diffuser and an AccuLock S conventional liner gas diffuser.
BEECHER, Ill. (March 7, 2023) – Bernard has announced that AccuLock S consumables will now be standard on its BTB MIG guns included in select packages from Miller Electric Mfg. LLC. These will replace its Centerfire™ consumables that previously shipped with the equipment. An AccuLock nozzle and contact tip will be included in these packages, [...]
BEECHER, Ill./WINDSOR, Ontario. (March, 2023) — Bernard and Tregaskiss have announced the availability of a joint MIG Welding Guns & Consumables catalog.
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes Improving productivity in semi-automatic operations isn’t simply about welding faster and working harder. Instead, there are ways to create consistency in the process and support quality so that companies can avoid downtime that adversely affects throughput. When training new welders, it’s important to provide a solid foundation of knowledge to [...]
Tregaskiss introduces a new online configurator for its TOUGH GUN® TT4 reamer robotic nozzle cleaning stations. The new mobile-friendly configurator allows users to quickly and easily customize their analog or ethernet reamer for their exact application. Users simply follow a series of steps to configure a reamer model, first selecting the V-block and cutter blade [...]