Article Summary
These Aren't Your Grandparents' Wheelchairs
- New Dynasty 350 TIG inverters enable rugby wheelchair manufacturer to increases productivity 30 to 50%
- Better weld quality and weld bead appearance
- Fast payback through improved productivity and lower utility bills
- Productivity increase enables company to explore new markets
Customer Testimonial
“Now we have time to do other things. If we’re constantly trying to keep up with orders for rugby chairs, we really can’t grow and expand. Now we can devote some time to R&D for other products. The Dynasty 350 has freed up time to do that.”
— Tom Vesco, co-owner, Vesco Metal Craft
Application
Manufacturing rubgy wheelchairs from 6061 aluminum tubing.
Key Business Issue
- Improving welding productivity to keep up with customer demand.
- Enhancing weld quality to differentiate the company from other manufacturers.
- Training new operators to TIG weld aluminum to grow a small business.
Challenge
- Overcoming the limits of traditional TIG welding technology.
Previous System & Process
- A competitor's 355-amp TIG welder with traditional squarewave technology.
New Solution
- Dynasty 350 AC/DC TIG welder featuring the next generation of advanced squarewave technology:
- Four unique waveforms to tailor the arc to specific job requirements and operator preferences
- Independent control of amperage levels in the electrode negative (EN) and electrode positive (EP) AC half cycles to tailor heat input
- Extended balance control (30 to 99% EN) for maximum cleaning or penetration
- Adjustable output frequency (25 to 400 Hz) to tailor the shape of the arc cone
Results
- 30 to 50% productivity increase. “The Dynasty 350's triangular wave provided such a focused arc that's so easy to control. I can just strike an arc and immediately get a weld pool going and continue without a lot of heat being absorbed in the material.”
—Neil Vesco, co-owner, Vesco Metal Craft - Weld bead appearance that sets the company apart. “All of our customers call to congratulate us on how good the frame looks. We set a new standard on the market, and our chairs are substantially better crafted. The welds are phenomenal on our chairs, and that's one thing that stands out.”
—Neil Vesco, co-owner, Vesco Metal Craft - Estimated 2 – 5 month payback time through faster travel speeds, lower utility bills and elimination of tungsten size changes and less tungsten preparation time. “With the previous unit, I used to watch how fast the meter would turn…it looked like a fan spinning. Now power consumption is so low, it's ridiculous. I know Neil likes the way the machine works, but I like the power factor. It's a major, major difference in what we're saving on power.”
—Tom Vesco, co-owner, Vesco Metal Craft - Easier to train new operators, improves new operator's weld quality. “The person we just hired sat down and welded with the Dynasty and smiled from ear to ear. He got up and said, ‘I can't believe how well that welder works. I can make any weld look good on that thing.'”
—Neil Vesco, co-owner, Vesco Metal Craft
Read Full Story
Print Summary
Share Summary
