7 Questions to Ask Before Purchasing a Welding Information Management Solution

Most welding operations have equipment from several different manufacturers. Unfortunately, not all welding information management solutions are compatible with multiple brands. Look for a universal system that works with a variety of brands. Or you may consider standardizing welding equipment so you can purchase a manufacturer-centric solution.

In some cases, it may be enough to select a solution that monitors the productivity and quality of specific weld cells within your fleet to eliminate particular problems, and then find another way to monitor welding activity on the remaining equipment. However, if all new equipment is from the same manufacturer and the old machines are the only outliers, it may be more practical to purchase new power sources to match your dominant brand.

Before making the investment, be sure to ask yourself two important questions. First, “What’s the value to only monitor part of my fleet versus monitoring the entire shop?” Two, “Would it be more cost-effective to find a solution that monitors a mixed-brand fleet or to purchase new equipment from one brand in order to standardize the fleet?”

Your welding processes, whether you use one or multiple, affect the type of welding information management solution you may consider. For example, if your shop has sub-arc welding applications and also uses TIG, MIG and/or flux-cored welding, determine whether the solution can monitor all processes. If so, can it perform in a tailored manner or does it monitor the processes through a one-size-fits-all technology?

Similarly, it is important to consider the market segments and industries you serve — along with any regulatory agencies to which they answer — in order to determine your monitoring needs. Traceability and proof of weld quality is a growing challenge for many companies, especially for tier suppliers and government contracts.

If you need only basic metrics for productivity and quality, an entry-level solution may be more cost-effective. These are typically easy to install, deploy and support and could include a basic cloud-based system.

Conversely, if you need to tie operator productivity to a specific part, calculate cycle times and understand reasons for downtime, consider a more advanced solution. The same is true if there is a lack of consistency on the shop floor, if you need to give operators specific work instructions or if you want a “virtual trainer” to ensure new operators meet production consistency.

An advanced welding information management system can help train new employees quickly and cost-effectively. This allows them to produce parts on par with what veteran operators deliver. You can do this without taking valuable time away from those experienced employees to support training.

Take into account whether you have manual welding, fixed automation or full automation with robotics and programmable logic controllers (PLCs) — where it is necessary for a welding information solution to communicate with a robot and a PLC controller — and/or an interface with light curtains or fixture clamp verification.

Always make sure you’re shopping for a system that can grow with your needs, both now and into the future. Invest in a solution that can adapt to your welding operation over the next two to five years and beyond.

Some welding information management solutions are cloud-based, while others are PC-based products. It is important to understand your security risks. Ensure you have strong networks and firewalls in place and/or guest networks that can handle the solution you are considering. A well-designed solution will also send automatic notifications to managers via email or text message whenever an operator does not meet expected weld parameters. This enables the team to take corrective action.

Many entry-level solutions are cloud-based, which may require you to work with your organization to gain security approvals. These solutions provide a turnkey implementation that frees your organization from managing computer servers and database administration. If your company is risk-averse and opposed to using a Cloud-based system — or doesn't want to implement the proper networks — consider a PC-based product.

Note that a PC-based solution may require the purchase of new computers, monitors, keyboards, etc. to place in weld cells. You will need to secure a nearby IT/database administrator who can help with the installation, setup and networking support.

Make sure to have a backup plan in place in the event of a cut ethernet cable or computer failure. Be sure to have a spare PC available and ready to implement, a good customer service–oriented company you can call to enable another software license on the backup computer and spare ethernet cables on hand.

Solutions with built-in Wi-Fi offer another level of simplicity for implementation, in addition to cloud-based storage of your information. In some cases, these solutions offer an extra layer of protection because they provide local data backup onboard the collection device if Wi-Fi connectivity to the cloud is lost. Some solutions can only store up to 1,000 welds in memory, while others offer up to 30 days of memory. This enables you to get your network back online without loss of welding data.

Welding tracking software can help conduct a weld audit of your existing operation by tracking deposition rates and downtime for non-welding activities, such as delays in part delivery or those caused by fit-up challenges prior to welding, and/or grinding spatter in the post-weld stage. By examining these factors, these solutions can also help recognize the most significant bottlenecks in your operation. Additionally, when a welding information management solution is in place, it can quickly identify productivity, quality and cost advantages of a filler metal that is the more appropriate for your application.

For example, if you are currently using a solid wire that generates spatter during the welding process, it may be beneficial to convert to an alternative product such as metal-cored wire that can provide productivity enhancements, greater deposition rates and potentially less spatter cleanup.

While switching to metal-cored wire may cost more up front per pound of wire, an analysis conducted with your welding information management solution data may reveal that a wire and/or process conversion could ultimately save you money by boosting your operation’s productivity.

In order to ensure a positive return on the investment, you need someone who believes in the solution. This should be someone who is committed to it and who wants to deliver results — an “internal champion.”

This person serves as a liaison between top management and operators when installing the system. They also ensure the right people are involved in deployment and helps identify and address the opportunities it reveals.

Without an internal champion, the likelihood of your solution being successful in the long run is significantly lower. They can help generate acceptance of the new technology on the plant floor by educating operators of its benefits. Since operators play such a vital role in the day-to-day welding process, securing their participation and buy-in is imperative.

Welding or plant supervisors are strong candidates for the job. However, an internal champion could also be a lead welding engineer, a production manager, a production supervisor, or even a head maintenance person for welding and fabrication. The most important attribute is strong leadership with the ability to motivate and inspire others. This person should also be organized enough to gather part drawings or photographs of all the welded components and correctly load them in the system.

Ideally the internal champion would create a cross-functional team dedicated to assessing the weld data, discussing potential modifications to the welding operation and executing those changes.