The oil and gas industry plays a very important role in the global energy supply as well as the world economy. Many technologies are crucial to the existence and functioning of this multi-billion dollar industry. One of these is welding.
The oil and gas industry utilizes various highly complex infrastructure such as rigs, pipelines, platforms, plants, and facilities. The majority of these infrastructures are created using welding technologies. Welding is critical in oil and gas operations both for the construction of new projects and for the maintenance of existing facilities.
Applications of Welding in Oil and Gas
The oil and gas industry is divided into three major stages of operation. These, which can be referred to as sectors, are Upstream, Midstream, and Downstream. Welding is widely used across all these sectors and its applications can be classified accordingly.
Welding automation has been around for a while, but recently its role has grown exponentially in manufacturing. For years, the welding industry has faced a skill gap, which is expected to grow wider in the coming years. To combat this, employers are adopting automated welding equipment to increase the efficiency of weld operations.
What Is the Skill Gap?
The “skill gap” describes a discrepancy between the skills held by job seekers and the skills employers need. This leads to a paradox where there’s a large pool of applicants, but companies aren’t able to hire workers with the appropriate knowledge and skill set. This has led to increasing welder salaries as manufacturing businesses compete to attract skilled workers, and even then, many positions are left unfilled.
Why Is It Happening?
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How To Weld Aluminum To Steel: Is It Possible? What Are My Options?
If you’re new to welding, you may be wondering if it’s possible for you to weld aluminum to steel. Welding “like-to-like” metals like steel-to-steel and aluminum-to-aluminum is usually very straightforward. However, when you try to weld together two very different metals like aluminum and steel – such as two components manufactured by tube laser cutting – things can get a little bit more complicated. So, is it possible to weld aluminum to steel? What are your options for doing so? Let’s discuss everything you need to know.
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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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Are you unsure whether to buy your own welding equipment or enter into a welding equipment rental arrangement? There are advantages and disadvantages to either route, but there are many situations where renting may be the better option for your business.
Reduce Capital Costs by Renting Your Fleet
When your budget is tight, investing a large amount of capital in products can be intimidating. With any purchase, there is often a ticking clock against which the return on investment is compared. Capital requests might not always be approved, and timely procurement of products can be a concern, too.
With Red-D-Arc’s large inventory of products, you can easily find the equipment that is right for you, with no worries about backorders or supply issues that might cut into your project timeline. Renting ensures that you get access to the equipment you need when you need it without cutting into profits or timelines on the job.
Renting Frees Up Floor Space
There is usually a “right” tool for every job. However, you may only have a limited amount of space dedicated to manufacturing and storage. To complicate things, sometimes the best tool for a job doesn’t see the same amount of use as other essential tools. As a result, you may not have the area at your business to physically devote to storing additional welding equipment when the need to upscale arises.
Renting your fleet makes scaling your business to the rise and fall of demand that much easier. While scaling up is preferable, scaling down is a useful way to stay lean during an economic downturn. You’re paying for every square foot of space that you occupy, so why not minimize the space being used for storage. Likewise, equipment in storage isn’t earning anything for you; in fact, maintenance costs may be a contributor to economic inefficiency. Renting allows you to rid yourself of unused equipment without the hassles of selling.
Renting Provides You with the Latest Welding Technology
There have been some phenomenal advances in welding equipment by manufacturers like Miller and Lincoln Electric. Indeed, staying on the cutting edge of welding technology requires constant effort; there are not enough hours in the day to evaluate all the options at any given time. Many of these technologies, like the BotX Robot and Lincoln’s Surface Tension Transfer (STT) technology, help make the welding process more efficient, save time and improve weld quality.
Consider rental equipment as a way to more completely evaluate new welding equipment. Renting provides the ability to integrate new solutions into your welding process for longer than a vendor’s demonstration, allowing you to measure productivity in your specific application and identify potential hiccups to quickly achieving return on investment.
Renting Welders Reduces Overhead Costs
Proper maintenance is essential for consistent equipment performance and good longevity, but it can certainly be a source of headache. With equipment rental, the need for maintenance does not diminish, but it does cease to be your responsibility. We’ve got a team of trained technicians that keeps our rental machines running smoothly.
You don’t have time to haul equipment into the repair shop when you’re trying to finish a client contract. We can even provide a few extra machines that can be easily swapped in, should something go wrong with one of your live machines. Without the inconvenience of welding machine maintenance, you can focus on the work you’re getting paid for.
Renting Offers Flexibility of Use
When you rent your welding equipment, you have the flexibility to choose your contracts. Whether you need additional welding equipment to cover a quick project or unexpected irregular peak demand, renting agreements can be tailored to your needs. These short-term contracts are great for quick projects or to supplement equipment you might be missing, while long-term contracts are best suited for businesses that require complex welding gear but lack the budget for purchase and upkeep.
Ability To Try Products First
Welding equipment is not only expensive, but it takes trained employees to run the different tools at an expert level. As a business looking to purchase equipment for their welding operations, the ability to try out products first as a rental removes some of the stress of buying something unknown. Renting equipment first will offer a testing environment where businesses can determine if a capital investment is worth buying, or if it is worth continuing to rent welding equipment.
Get the Best Welding Equipment Selection from Red-d-Arc
If you’re ready to rent welding equipment, Red-d-Arc is the premier place to find whatever you may need. Our large online selection is easy to peruse, and makes it easy to find exactly what you’re looking for.
Our team members will be glad to explain the benefits of new technologies like this and how they can contribute to the profitability of your business.
If you have any questions, you can just contact us so we can help you find the best solution for your welding needs. Simply click the button below or call us at 1-866-733-3272 to be connected to your nearest branch.
