All Consumables are not Created Equal!

Raw materials and labour are the two major costs in the manufacturing process.  While most companies have little or no control over raw material costs, labour costs can be controlled through the application of best practice procedures and product selection to minimise downtime during production. Using non-genuine and often inferior quality consumables can result in reduced weld performance; increased operator downtime; higher consumable usage; and lower productivity.  For companies serious about maximising their productivity, the selection of the right consumable product should warrant careful consideration when purchasing equipment and establishing welding procedures and processes.

The benefit of researching and selecting the right welding consumable is evident by examining a heavy user of consumable products.  Gessner Industries, an Australian company who specialises in the engineering and manufacturing of farm and industrial equipment, is a good example.  The foundation of their success is their willingness to constantly strive to find ways to streamline their manufacturing process, while maintaining excellence in product quality standards.  This approach led them to evaluate the productivity of individual welding operator times, and costs associated with consumable changes and operator downtime.

Gessner Industries recognised that inefficiencies in their welding process were due to the number of tip and nozzle changes occurring on a daily basis. They recognised the opportunity for serious productivity gains by reducing this downtime and standardising both their welding processes and product inventory. 

In addition, wire feed problems were being experienced due to the tolerance of the wire they were using and the quality of the tip manufacture.  An oversize tip was being used to achieve the desired result.  Expertise provided by local distributors and welding company technical specialists led to a trial of a range of genuine consumables that could be adapted to all their current welding guns, without impacting their procedures. The trial alerted Gessner Industries of the potential to improve the efficiency of their welding output due to its unique design, and deliver cost savings in welding wire usage and shielding gas consumption.

A 6 week trial using the Centerfire™ brand of tips and nozzles was undertaken.  The result of the trial revealed the potential for significant reductions in downtime. On completion of the trial, Gessner Industries converted their entire workshop over to Centerfire consumables.

Don Dagg, Workshop Manager at Gessner Industries, said ‘I was prepared to trial the Centerfire range because as a company we are always looking at ways to streamline our production costs, making it as efficient as possible. After the trial we could see the benefits so decided to give it a go. After 12 months, we have evaluated the impact of the change and while we have saved a little on the cost of the consumable, the most significant change has been in increased production time. We have gone from some 3300 tip/nozzle changes a year to just over 600, saving us about 225 hours in downtime. That is nearly 6 weeks for one operator every year.’

As times get tough in the Australian economy, cost cutting becomes a regular topic of conversation in boardrooms and workshops across the country.  The temptation to switch from genuine to non-genuine welding consumables, as a cost saving measure, becomes stronger than ever before.  Companies need to be aware that opting for the non-genuine, cheaper alternative simply doesn’t make sense.  While spending less up front on consumables may seem like a valid way to reduce welding costs, in the end the increased frequency, with which welding operators need to stop to change tips and nozzles, and the rework required because of spatter or ineffective gas coverage causing porosity far outweighs any initial savings.  The bottom line is quality consumables maximise the weld performance and the production time of welding staff, keeping productivity up and costs down.

Quality is the most important part of the equation when selecting welding consumables. While the company Accountant may think the copy product delivers a positive for the business, the quality of product the customer receives may be subject to variance.  Gessner Industries were experiencing poor arc starts and welding characteristics in some processes.  At first, it was assumed the equipment was at fault, but on closer inspection and with the assistance of external welding advice, it was determined the problems were a result of the quality of the contact tips being used.  The contact tips had excessive clearance which produced a situation where the wire was repeatedly burning back into the tip when an arc was trying to be established.  This issue has been resolved by switching to genuine gun consumables.

The range of Centerfire™ consumables, manufactured by Bernard, is worth consideration when seeking a high quality solution.  The large diameter tip base and tapered seat provides better electrical conductivity and heat transfer, plus the spatter shield within the nozzle protects the diffuser and gives smoother, less turbulent gas flow.  All this leads to consumables that last up to three times longer than cheaper alternatives.  The “drop-in” tip design with no threads, and no tools required to replace the tip or nozzle means a quick change over after burn back, reducing downtime. 

Centerfire™ is distributed in the Australian market by Welding Industries of Australia.  For more information visit www.welding.com.au or call 1300 300 884.