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Bucket Fabricator Improves Productivity 10%
- 45 to 60 minutes per day of downtime eliminated
- Improved productivity means less overtime
- Energy efficient inverters reduce power consumption by 111,407 kWh annually
Customer Testimonial
“Since we purchased the new welding systems there is less of a need for overtime. Our fabricators get about 10 percent more work done during their regular shift.”
— Norman Vautour, production supervisor, Woods Equipment Company
Application
MIG welding of buckets and grapplers for excavators and tractor loader backhoes in a high volume manufacturing environment.
Key Business Issue
Lost production time. Old welding had maintenance issues and erratic arc and wire feeding performance.
Challenge
Justifying a fleet of 18 new welding systems in a flat economy.
Previous System & Process
Conventional MIG welding power sources and analog feeders, all older than 15 years.
New Solution
- Miller's XMT 456 and Invision 456MP multiple process (CC/CV) inverters paired with 70 Series wire feeders with digital control.
- New equipment backed by a three-year warranty provides better uptime.
- New power source and feeder technology provide steady arc and wire feed performance.
- The inverter's energy efficiency reduced power consumption by an estimated 111,407 kWh annually.
Results
- Instant 50% Payback. A utility rebate for $47,781 cut acquisitions costs in half, allowing the entire fleet to be replaced immediately instead of a few units at a time.
- Productivity barriers eliminated. Fabrication operators can now accomplish production goals within a normal work shift. Previously, each fabrication operator lost an estimated 45 to 60 minutes per day of production time due to maintenance issues, burnbacks and grinding out bad welds caused by power fluctuations.
- Better asset utilization. When Woods' old welding equipment went down, its assets sat idle. With the reliability of Miller inverters, plus their primary power management capabilities, Wood's new welding equipment operates trouble-free and earns the company more money.
