Welding and repair in the field
Welding and repair work in the field can throw different challenges at you every day. When your truck is home base for tools and equipment and the work is in another spot or hard to reach, getting jobs done efficiently can be one of those challenges.
Your current welding setup may be driving several habits that you consider business as usual — but that are actually costing time and money and may be affecting quality. How do you know if you would benefit from a different welding solution? Ask yourself these questions:
Are you “making do”?
Are you using weld parameters that are already set to avoid walking back to the machine to make changes? Your days on the jobsite are varied and so are the jobs you must complete. You likely need to switch between MIG, stick, and gouge, or dial in your arc control for different types of welds. Most welding remotes have limited options for adjusting these parameters and processes, or you may not have a remote at all. It might seem more convenient to stay in your current workspace and make do with less-than-ideal parameters, but this can result in time and money spent on poor weld quality or rework.
How long does your welder/generator run?
When you get to a jobsite, do you turn your welder/generator on and let it run all day, turning it off only when you’re about to leave or during a break? While this seems convenient, you likely have periods when there is no load being applied and the welder/generator doesn’t need to run. The average welder/generator is used about 30% of the time it’s running, meaning that up to 70% of the time it could be turned off. A machine that runs all day can quickly drive up your fuel costs and decrease time between maintenance cycles.
Do you go back to your truck often to switch between gouging and welding?
On the jobsite, you might go from gouging to welding and back to gouging as you work on many different projects throughout the day. Your efficiency takes a hit when you have to stop and walk back to make these changes at the machine every time. Not only does this time add up, but it can also increase potential slip, trip and fall hazards when you have to make your way across a jobsite each time you need to make a parameter or process change.
Do you have to yell to be heard on the jobsite?
When you get to the jobsite, there are often welders, generators, air compressors and tools being used all around you. This may seem like business as usual and just part of the job, but all this additional noise can make it hard to communicate, especially if you need to take calls from customers. And on some jobsites, such as those in residential areas or near schools, reducing noise may be required to stay within local restrictions.