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Cutting Cable Clutter
- 37-lb. TIG/Stick inverter offers unmatched portability on huge job site
- Thousands of feet of cable and associated costs eliminated
- Moving the inverter next to the pipe welder improves quality
- Inverter arc performance also enhances operator appeal and weld quality
Customer Testimonial
“Inverters put our pipe welders and fitters closer to the machine controls, so they can control their own destiny. Inverters make the workplace safer, easier and more productive.”
— Terry George, WTP Project Labor Relations manager for Bechtel National
Application
TIG and Stick welding of pipe during the construction of the world's largest nuclear waste treatment facility. Nearly 187 miles of pipe will be welded.
Key Business Issue
- Reducing welding costs while maintain commitment to safety, quality and productivity.
Challenge
- Reducing the cable clutter associated with less-portable welding systems. A 500-ft. length of 4/0 cable weighs 417 lbs. and costs $1,080.
Previous System & Process
- N/A. Maxstars used on site since its inception. Some competitors use eight-operator multi-operator welding systems that weigh 4,500 lbs.
New Solution
- Miller's Maxstar 200, a TIG/Stick inverter that weighs 37 lbs., has a 1 – 200 amp output (175 amps at 60% duty cycle) and built-in HF TIG arc starts.
- The Maxstar's portability nearly eliminates the need for supplemental welding cable.
- Auto-Line technology enables plugging in anywhere on the job site.
Results
- Safer Job Site. “Running lead is non-productive. We want welders making welds, not running lead. And welding lead is heavy. Any time you are dragging, pulling or pushing extra welding lead, you increase the opportunity to strain, sprain and twist the body.”
— Terry George, WTP Project Labor Relations manager for Bechtel National - Support of Core Company Objectives. “If you have safety, then you have quality built in, and then you're going to have success. And that's what we're looking for—safety, quality and success.”
— Terry George, WTP Project Labor Relations manager for Bechtel National - Less Time Spent Moving Equipment. “On job sites without inverters, we sometimes have to drag lead 200 or 300 ft., and you have to drag lead for both the welding and the work clamp. It's really heavy and time consuming.”
— Ivan Newcomb, journeyman pipe welder, UA Local 598, WTP Project - Weld Quality Promoted. “With the Maxstar inverter so accessible, I always take the time to adjust my amperage. Being able to adjust my amperage means I don't have to deal with a less than optimum arc or shutdown and walk back to a distant welder—which could be on another floor—to change amperage.”
— Roy Saltz, journeyman pipe welder, UA Local 598, WTP Project
