When a major auto parts manufacturer asked an Ontario fabrication shop to weld 50,000 parts in just 2 months, they took the job immediately; then they had to solve the problem of how to get that much welding production done within such a short time time period. Read about how the adoption of welding cobots helped them deliver in this article from Shop Metalworking Technology magazine.
“If you turn this down once, you will never see a job like this again.”
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Rotating Equipment Induction Heat Application
Red-D-Arc’s latest customer success story highlights the benefits of using induction heating in rotating equipment applications.
A client contacted Red-D-Arc to inquire about the use of induction heating to remove a coupling hub from a motor shaft. The hub was 12 inches in diameter and roughly 4 inches thick.
The overall work scope was straightforward: the client needed to remove an old motor and replace it with a new motor. The coupling hub had to be reused, so the hub would need to be removed from the old motor and installed on the new one. Two things made this job challenging: the location and the time limit. The work was to take place on an offshore platform. Use of an open flame was not an option, as it would have led to a safety violation.
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Red-D-Arc’s dry ice blasting equipment was provided as part of the restoration effort for the prestigious Stephen F. Austin statue in Sugarland, Texas. Our team of dry ice blasting specialists delivered solutions to get the project completed with a package consisting of two Cold Jet dry ice blasting machines, two high volume after-cooled 375CFM air compressors, 2,500 lbs of blasting ice (CO2), and on-site operator/safety training. (more…)
Dry Ice Blasting Solves Equipment Maintenance Challenges in the Coatings Industry
One of our customers – a powder pigment coating facility in Houston maintains one of the most extensive portfolios of powder technologies in the industry. When they encountered difficulties with their existing cleaning methods, they turned to Red-D-Arc for equipment cleaning alternatives.
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Red-D-Arc supplied three 125 kVA power generators and one 70 kVA power generator to the recent Stars and Thunder music festival. The generators were used for lighting and backstage power throughout the entire 8 day festival.
Stars and Thunder music festival took place in Timmins, Ontario June 24th-July 1st 2017 to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday. The festival spotlighted Canadian groups such as Michel Pagliaro, David Wilcox, Sass Jordan, Tom Cochrane, April Wine, as well as some international acts like Keith Urban.
Red-D-Arc offers a full line of engine-driven, parallel ready generators including diesel generators, natural gas/LPG bi-fuel gaseous generators and diesel/natural gas dual fuel generators for rent, lease and sale. Learn more about Red-D-Arc power generators.
Read more articles on diesel electric generators
A Red-D-Arc customer based out of the UK was awarded three large offshore wind farm projects …all commencing simultaneously. This manufacturer was comfortable taking on so many large scale, specialized projects because they have a reliable, knowledgeable, tier 1 supplier capable of meeting all of their welding and weld automation equipment needs! Red-D-Arc was able to quickly accommodate all of the welding equipment requirements for the project, providing more than 150 welders and a variety of weld automation equipment. The equipment consisted of multi-operator welding paks, diesel welders, advanced power sources, wire feeders, submerged arc welding packages, and rotators.
Two Red-D-Arc technicians were assigned to the facility to install, service and maintain the equipment to minimize downtime. The facility allocated a permanent workshop and storage container for back-up equipment which could be used to quickly replace any equipment as necessary. With Red-D-Arc’s support, the customer was able to work on all three projects simultaneously and avoid lost time due to equipment breakdowns.
A project manager approached Red-D-Arc with an interesting challenge. Their power plant stack had a failing paint system which needed to be prepped for repainting in order to prevent further corrosion. They needed a method of prepping the surface of the 60 foot tall stack which could be performed without the use of scaffolding and would not produce any residual waste, since it might interfere with sensitive components.
Red-D-Arc’s Blasting Specialists suggested dry ice blasting (DIB). Dry ice blasting is an environmentally sustainable cleaning and surface preparation method. It uses dry ice pellets which requires absolutely no clean up, unlike traditional surface preparation methods like grit, HP water and chemicals. Not to mention, dry ice blasting is very fast, effective and inexpensive.
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An oilfield equipment and vessel manufacturer in the United Arab Emirates approached Red-D-Arc for assistance with a large project. It was awarded to them at the last minute and was not their primary area of expertise. The requirement was to manufacture 25 large tanks with a timeframe of only one year. Each of the tanks was to be 5 meters in diameter by 25 meters long, manufactured using 16 millimeter thick material at a weight of approximately 45 tonnes.
The experienced Red-D-Arc Weld Automation team was able to immediately address all of the customer’s challenges. While other suppliers where insistent that the customer purchase the equipment, Red-D-Arc determined that long term rental would be their best option. This would avoid the time consuming process of acquiring CAPEX approval to purchase such a large amount of equipment and would further increase the profitability of the project. The manufacturer also had questions on how to avoid ovality and transverse movement of the sub-assemblies. Red-D-Arc experts were on-hand to provide the right advice and the right equipment to address these challenges.
The rental equipment included:
• 6x 10 tonne turning roll sets
• 10x 60 tonne drive rolls
• 47x 30 tonne and 60 tonne idler rolls
• 7x submerged arc packages with LT7 tractors and DC600 power sources
Red-D-Arc worked very closely with the company to ensure their success, providing comprehensive training and on-site assistance. After the successful completion of this project the company has become recognized in their market and are receiving new orders from similar customers in the industry. Furthermore, they anticipate being awarded “phase 2” of this project which is scheduled to begin in 2018.
Tank Fabrication Equipment
Red-D-Arc carries a variety of equipment useful for the construction and maintenance of storage tanks including:
A metal fabrication company located in Charlotte, North Carolina received an order for 300 small I.D. vessels for titanium molds. At the time they were using FCAW and back gouging the inside and outside of the vessels to achieve 100% penetration. On average they were producing 2 vessels per hour with 2 welders.
They reached out to Red-D-Arc to find a faster and more efficient way to produce these vessels. After discussions with Red-D-Arc the fabricator decided to purchase a turnkey submerged arc system. The custom designed system came complete with a small I.D. sub arc welding head mounted on a 9’x9′ manipulator, flux recovery system, NA5R automatic wire feeder, DC600 multi-process welder and 5 ton turning rolls. The system also included a laser and camera for precise control and monitoring of the submerged arc welding process.
The submerged arc system increased productivity by 250%. They were able to produce 5 cans per hour with half the labor cost. The safety of the work place was also significantly increased for a number of reasons:
• Back gouging was eliminated which in turn reduced the risk of fire
• Turning rolls replaced manual rotation of the vessels on tables
• Welders no longer had to weld inside the confined space of the vessels
The customer and the Red-D-Arc team were beyond pleased with the results. The customer plans to purchase two more of these systems for future projects.
Submerged arc welding can increase the efficiency and quality of many industrial welding projects regardless of the size or complexity. Red-D-Arc has all the equipment, expertise and experience to provide you with a submerged arc system to fit your needs – available for sale, lease and rent
Read more on welding efficiency
Red-D-Arc recently supplied a variety of equipment to a UAE based company that is fabricating pile piping and jackets for the largest offshore wind farm project in the world. The company had to meet a strict time line of only 6 months, and would require a massive amount of welding and weld automation equipment immediately. Through consultation with Red-D-Arc, the customer determined that renting the majority of the equipment would be the most economical option. Red-D-Arc was able to fulfil the customers equipment needs immediately thanks to our vast and diverse fleet of equipment.
This massive order involved equipment and support from Red-D-Arc North America, Red-D-Arc UK and Red-D-Arc Middle East. The order consisted of a variety of welding and weld automation equipment including:
• 23 column and booms with single and tandem submerged arc welders
• 20 submerged arc tractors
• 200 rotators
• 167 jack-up rotators
• 400 CC/CV inverter welders
• 200 FCAW wirefeeders
• 10 Induction Heating Systems
By renting the majority of the equipment the fabrication company avoided the need to invest heavily in specialized equipment and ensured they would meet their deadline. Red-D-Arc works with customers to address their unique challenges and develops specialized solutions. Learn more about customized turnkey packages here.
Guest blogger David J. shares his experience as a shipyard welder for the U.S. Navy.
Need to remove or move a large object welded onto the deck of a ship? Arc gouging equipment can really help speed up the process. I worked as a welder in the shipbuilding/ship repair industry, and especially ship repair, in the San Francisco Bay Area for many years. One particular day I was given the task of finishing up the removal of a pair of bollards that had been mounted on the deck — the navy wanted them moved a few feet forward. Someone else had done the initial cutting, but a rectangular shaped weld measuring about six by three feet, where the bollards had been joined to the deck, remained. This weld was perhaps half an inch wide and protruded above the deck by nearly half an inch. That’s 18 feet of steel nearly half an inch square.
This steel could have been ground flush with the deck, but the time involved using a grinder would have greatly increased the time and cost of the task. With a hand arc gouging torch, see the K4000 manual gouging torch, I made much quicker work of the job. Properly handling the gouging torch, the welder can leave the surface such that the grinder who follows him need only do the lightest touch-up. For bigger jobs and for outfits that routinely have gouging operations, the N6000 metal removal system is recommended for both increased speed and accuracy.
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Red-D-Arc staff at the Moncton, New Brunswick branch recently helped a customer save time and money repairing the world’s largest rock crusher through the use of induction heat. The hydraulic cylinder that operates the pressure plates used by the enormous rock crusher needed to be brought to a temperature of 500 °F and that temperature needed to be maintained for 3 full days. This was required in order to allow welders to repair the lifting tabs on the cylinder. Normally 3 workers would have used blow torches to heat the metal which would have taken 2 weeks or longer. Red-D-Arc Induction Heating Equipment allowed them to get the job done in less than half the time. Induction heating has many applications in construction, shipbuilding, hydro dam maintenance and bridge building. Red-D-Arc technicians are recognized in the industry for their innovative application of this technology, ready to meet any variety of customer challenges. (more…)
Nevada – The Tesla Gigafactory, which produces lithium-ion batteries for Tesla Motors, will be the second-largest facility (by usable space) in the world, once all construction phases are completed. Staff from our Branch in Sacramento have been on site since ground was first broken in 2014. Red-D-Arc has been working closely with contractors on the project, providing a fleet of welders and generators, expert advice, and ensuring equipment performance and availability.
Our experts regularly consult on large scale construction projects and help solve the challenges around equipment procurement and maintenance faced by engineering project managers. Contact an expert for insights and advice on your next construction project.
A Red-D-Arc customer in Atlanta wanted to increase their capabilities in cutting and fabrication of lighter gauge mild steel (up to 2″ thick) using plasma. With the help of the Red-D-Arc Weld Automation – Cutting Services group they decided to expand their existing cutting rail system and added a brand new Koike MasterGraph Extreme Cutting Machine with Hypertherm’s HPR400xd High Definition Plasma power supply. This dramatically increased their cutting capacity and quality, lowering their overall cost of production for cutting mild steel.
Note: Red-D-Arc cutting services is moving to Airgas sometime in 2017. Details will be available here.
The Red-D-Arc Cutting Services team supplied a complete install including operator training. The local Airgas team supplied and installed all of the regulators and gases for the new plasma cutting system. Airgas will also be supplying the consumables for the plasma cutter. Our cutting table service experts can help you select the right equipment to lowers costs and increase productivity. contact one of our experts to learn more. Red-D-Arc carries portable plasma cutting equipment in a range of sizes. Visit our plasma cutter rentals page to learn more.
“We were grateful to be able to see a product demonstration for the Red-D-Arc (Orbitalum) system. The machine lived up to its expectations and the technical team was invaluable”
—Rob B. (customer)
Update: Red-D-Arc now offers Orbital Welding Equipment from Axxair.
One of our clients, a machine shop based out of Opelika Alabama, needed a solution for welding stainless steel tubes and elbow sections efficiently that would be able to withstand hydrostatic testing of up to 300psi. After taking the time learn about their requirements, specialists from the Red-D-Arc branch in Austell Georgia, worked alongside experts from Airgas to demonstrate how the Orbitalum enclosed orbital welding system would help solve their challenges.
Red-D-Arc welding specialist Gregory Bellamy showed how the extremely narrow design of the Orbiweld 76S enclosed weld head was ideally suited for working in situations where space is limited. The Orbimat 76s was fitted with clamping shells (which are available for all dimensions of pipe) to ensure an exact match and strong hold. The pipe on this application was stainless steel tubing 1.500″ with a .035″ wall, diameter tubing (straight tube) and stainless steel elbow 180 degree 1.500″dia. with a .049″ wall. When the welds were complete, the welded pipes passed the hydrostatic testing at upwards of 300psi.
Thanks to Gregory Bellamy and Rob Storch from Red-D-Arc as well as Wayne Blamire and Bill Hatter from Airgas for their support on another successful orbital pipe welding customer demo.
Read more on orbital welding
Flooding can cause serious damage to both inventory and building facilities. A flood recovery company recently called on our Chicago branch when they needed some on-site power. Our staff were able to rapidly deploy several of our mobile power generators to the site and get the restoration company powered up in a timely manner. Kudos to the staff at our Chicago branch on a job well done.
Red-D-Arc provides rental power generators, fully fueled and ready to provide you with the electrical power you need, when and where you need it.
The staff at Tautphaus Park Zoo in Idaho Falls were looking for a solution to quickly and efficiently remove worn epoxy coatings from the inside of their large cat enclosures. The Red-D-Arc Blasterentals team supplied the zoo staff with a Farrow 150 wet abrasive blasting system which was able to safely and efficiently remove the epoxy coatings. The Farrow 150 is an environmentally friendly wet blasting solution that is 100% non-toxic, which was an important consideration for this job, benefitting both the park staff and the animals. Red-D-Arc provided onsite training services and was able to have the park staff up and running within a very short period of time. If you’re considering sandblaster rental, but need an eco-friendly, wet blasting alternative, consider the Farrow 150.
A job well done by the Red-D-Arc Blasterentals team and a special thanks to the staff at the Tautphaus Park Zoo. For more blast cleaning customer application stories follow our blast cleaning specialists on Twitter: @Blasterentals1.
A Texas career training institute recently experienced a jump in enrolments for their welding training program. In order to provide the best possible learning experience for their students it was clear that they would need to acquire additional welding assessment tools and welding equipment. Red-D-Arc worked very closely with the customer to help them understand their equipment and financing options. It was clear that the Red-D-Arc WelderLogistics lease program was the right choice. The WelderLogistics program is a low cost, flexible financing option which allowed the school to acquire Red-D-Arc Welder Certification Trailers, Advanced Process Welders and Wirefeeders and all while conserving their capital; avoiding a significant investment in depreciating assets.
Scheduled for completion in July 2016, U.S. Bank Stadium, the new home of the Minnesota Vikings, is a fixed roof structure that will be nearly 30 stories tall at its highest point. During construction, the base plates of some of the structural support columns needed to be pre-heated to 400o prior to welding. Traditional heating by flame proved to be difficult. It was determined that induction heating was the right solution to safely and efficiently heat the steel to an exact temperature. Induction heating is the preferred method to address challenges associated with the pre-heating of structural steel because it provides a safe and accurate method of heating the metal to a precise temperature.
Red-D-Arc offers Miller ProHeat 35 Induction Heating Systems (IHS) available for rent, lease and sale. This highly efficient technology uses non-contact heating to induce heat electromagnetically rather than using a heating element in contact with the part.
UPDATE: This project was completed ahead of schedule.
Pierce Metals Inc – a steel fabricator located in Bristol, TN offers structural steel fabrication, miscellaneous/custom steel fabrication, steel stairs, handrails and other steel products to the commercial and industrial sectors.
Pierce reached out to their local Airgas team of Gary Killebrew, Chris Smithand Gary Roberts in search of a solution for cutting flat plate as well as large I-beams, on the same machine.
“This project is an excellent example of the value that Red-D-Arc Cutting Services and Airgas are able to deliver for our customers. There is nothing else like it in the industry.”
Walt Lewis
Red-D-Arc Cutting Services
Jonathan White – National Sales Manager with Red-D-Arc Cutting Services, together with Airgas Specialists, were able to engineer a complete system, unique to their needs. The system included a full
Hypertherm suite with CNC, drives and plasma, incorporating the latest True Hole® technology from Hypertherm.
Airgas supplied the gases, regulators and customer support while Red-D-Arc Cutting Services supplied the service, technical support and equipment.
Thanks to the exemplary service provided by the Airgas Advanced Fabrication Team and Red-D-Arc Cutting Services, Pierce Metals signed a 5 year gas and consumables contract.
Visit our plasma cutter rentals page to view our selection of portable plasma cutters.
