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Pounding Wire: Steel Erector Reduces Manpower Needs
- Strong CV output improves flux cored welding productivity
- Contractor completes job with 11 operators, not the 18 - 22 forecasted
Customer Testimonial
“We always need less manpower because we have better equipment. The average company will put in around 30 pounds of [flux cored] wire per day, where we do an average of 68 pounds per operator.”
— Rob Dawson owner/operator, Dawson Welding
Application
Structural steel welding of thick columns at Fenway Park to add a new deck over the right field grandstand to create space for about 190 luxury bleacher seats and a restaurant.
Key Business Issue
Increasing operator efficiency to reduce manpower costs and meet tight deadlines.
Challenge
Selecting engine-driven welding generators that maximize productivity; roof support columns required 43 lbs. of filler wire per joint.
Previous System & Process
Earlier models of Miller engine drives (customer has always been “Blue”).
New Solution
- Miller's Big Blue CC/CV engine drives with a 100 percent duty cycle rating of 500 amps at 40 volts paired with SuitCase feeders.
- The strong CV output of the Big Blue enables Dawson to run leads up to 600 ft. long (roundtrip distance; 4/0 cable) and weld with 5/64-inch diameter E70T-7 wire.
Results
- Reduced manpower needs. Initial forecasts indicated welding the right field bleacher deck would require 18 to 22 welding operators. Using the Big Blue, Dawson did it with 11 operators and completed the project in plenty of time for the opening day of the Red Sox 2004 championship season.
- Better productivity. The strong CV output of the Big Blue helps Dawson weld without needing to make repairs. Also, “We spend so much time on research and development. Most of my help has come from my supplier and from the Iron Workers' Local 7 [whose state-of-the-art training facility] has certified welding inspectors who teach the guys the right ways to weld.”
— Rob Dawson owner/operator, Dawson Welding - More competitive bidding. “If you have the right equipment…and we couldn't have done this without our Miller equipment…it makes you more productive, and when you're more productive, it allows you to bid new jobs tighter so that you can get the work.”
— Rob Dawson owner/operator, Dawson Welding
