Originally built in the 1930s, the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington State has been undergoing a series of maintenance projects to ensure that it will continue to produce safe and reliable power into the future. One stage of the project required the heating of a 40-ft wide, 7-ft tall outer headcover of the turbine shaft to specific core temperature. In order to achieve this temperature, the engineers applied induction heating to one side of the workpiece.
Only when the opposite side of the workpiece reached target temperature could the maintenance engineers be certain that the required core temperature had been achieved. The team from Red-D-Arc provided induction heating systems and assistance with training and set up during this essential part of the maintenance process.
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19 Hours Faster Than the Competition
Texas – One of our customers was trying to heat 42” diameter pipe using pear burners so that welders could weld out the joints. Our team saw an opportunity to create a solution that would help our customer get the job done much more quickly. To make this in-the-field heating job go faster, we put together a package including a Miller ProHeat 35 induction heating system, a 60kVA generator and a DP25 power distribution panel.
Red-D-Arc provided a reliable RDA Induction heating solution to a pipeline construction and maintenance company in Houston who needed to maintain consistent temperatures for their welders to weld out joints from pipes. Our induction heating specialist supplied our customer with a portable induction heating package consisting of a 60 KVA generator, a Miller Pro-Heat 35 induction heating system, and a DP25 power distribution panel. As a cost-effective alternative to their existing propane burners, induction heaters allowed them a secure heating, consistent temperature control, increased weld time, and improved safety.
With this setup we were able to get the pipe up to 250 degrees in about 5 minutes. Our customer was able to beat the competition’s target time by over 19 hours and has been asked to quote on other pipeline work for their client. Needless to say they were pleased with the solution and the opportunity for extra work it created.
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Selecting Welding Wire
Welder wire classification may seem daunting at first, but they are actually rather straightforward. American Welding Society (AWS) classifies filler metals for arc welding processes, and each filler metal has its classification. However, some filler metals share the classification name for more than one welding process, while others are classified according to the welding process. For example, some wires for TIG welding share the same classification as spools of MIG wires, while flux-cored or metal-cored wires have unique designations. (more…)
Our Atlanta location recently received ISO 9001 : 2015 certification.
ISO standards cover almost all aspects of business and manufacturing. They provide a unified set of world-class specifications for products, services and systems, that help ensure quality, safety and efficiency in business. The standards are developed by consensus between experts from around the globe and cover all types of businesses and industries. Consequently, they reflect a wealth of international experience and knowledge. ISO standards help businesses work together reliably and are a trusted marker for any organization that achieves certification.
Congratulations to everyone on our team in Austell who helped to realize this achievement.
Congratulations to Joe Rios, Carlos Hernandez and the rest of the Smokin’ Welders team who cleaned up big at a cookoff hosted by the Associated Builders and Contractors Texas Gulf Coast chapter.
We entered 3 teams in this year’s cookoff which collectively won the title of Grand Champion. The individual Red-D-Arc teams dominated the contest with the following results in the various categories:
Fajitas – 2nd, 3rd and 4th place
Chicken – 4th, 5th and 7th place
Brisket – 1st, 4th and 10th place
Ribs – 1st, 4th and 7th place
The annual cook-off was held to raise money for Veterans and The Back-Packs for kids program which sends food home with school kids that need food for the weekends. The contest also helps support the Dream Center which provides kids in need with shoes, clothes and school supplies.
We tried to get Carlos to share some of his recipes, but he was hesitant about giving up his winning secrets.
Great job guys. Thanks to everyone who helped the RDA Smokin’ Welders win big.
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
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.
Red-D-Arc is pleased to announce that effective September 23, 2013, PlasmaCraft, Inc. of Muscle Shoals, Alabama has been acquired by Red-D-Arc Welderentals. PlasmaCraft has been a leading service provider in the automated plasma-oxyfuel cutting industry for over 20 years – specializing in the sales, service, repair and integration of CNC plasma and oxy-fuel cutting equipment, as well as the service and repair of plasma cutting equipment and CNC software controllers – and they are factory-authorized repair facilities for Koike Aronson, Hypertherm plasma and automation controls, ITT-CMC Burny Controls, ITT-Kaliburn plasmas, Thermal Dynamics plasmas, C&G Systems cutting machines, ProMotion Controls, MTC Software, SigmaNest Software and Retro Systems. For more information about their product and service offering please visit www.plasmacraft.com
Interested in trying out plasma cutting for yourself? Visit our plasma cutter rentals page.
Red-D-Arc is pleased to announce that on December 21st , 2012 D&D Power, LLC, a Texas-based equipment rental and services business, was acquired by Red-D-Arc Welderentals. D&D Power sells and rents electric power generators and light towers to companies engaged in the oil and gas exploration and production (E&P) industries in Texas and New Mexico via their facilities in Decatur, La Vernia, and Big Lake, Texas; as well as a facility in Jal, New Mexico. In addition, D&D has earned a strong reputation as a premier provider of repair and maintenance services to generator fleet operators in these states on a 24/7/365 basis. This acquisition, when combined with Red-D-Arc’s welder rental equipment business and Airgas On-Site Safety Services, and complemented by the full breadth of Airgas’ gases and hardgoods products, services, and expertise, will significantly enhance Airgas’ value proposition to customers in the oilfield services, construction, and other energy-related markets.
Red-D-Arc is pleased to announce that on September 5th, 2012 AC Hi-Tech, Inc. of Cleveland, Ohio was acquired by Red-D-Arc Welderentals, a global leader in the rental, sale and lease of welding equipment, weld automation equipment and other welding-related products and services. AC Hi-Tech’s team of dedicated personnel has become part of the Red-D-Arc team, continuing to work out of their existing Perkins Avenue facility in Cleveland. They will continue to provide the same level of cutting machine equipment expertise and service that you have come to appreciate and respect. In addition to offering cutting machine sales, lease and rental services, the former AC Hi-Tech facility will also inventory Red-D-Arc’s proprietary line of rental welding equipment to better serve both new and existing customers in the Cleveland and surrounding areas. In addition to other weld-automation product offerings, the Cleveland facility will continue to offer cutting machine remanufacturing services, CNC controls, custom-built drive, motors and gear boxes, high-quality cutting and plasma machines and accessories as well as other state-of-the-art equipment to help make your company more productive.
