Canadian Fabricating & Welding 2016 by Annex Business Media

D&R CUSTOM STEEL Clearing shop bottlenecks — p22 BEND MEASUREMENT Coping with springback — p30 WELD FUME MANAGEMENT What’s in your toolkit? — p42 FLAT PART DEBURRING One size does not fit all — p46 ROLL FORMING EXPERTISE Samco adapts to changing customer needs — p50

GAME CHANGERS IN FABRICATING

FEBRUARY 2016

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The Power of

Partnership. “Amada’s technology, expertise, and commitment took our business to the next level.” — Jim Lauer, President Weaver Precision Fabrication & Finishing

Keeping pace with the high-speed of the fiber laser, a 6-shelf ASLUL 300 material handling/storage tower ensures maximum flexibility and continuous productivity.

Co-Owners: Marian and Jim Lauer, Weaver Precision Fabrication & Finishing

Integrated Solution: Fiber Laser Technology, Automated Material Handling /Storage and Advanced Bending Located in Akron, OH, Weaver Precision Fabrication & Finishing has been successfully competing in the metal fabrication industry for over 70 years. Since purchasing the business in 1998, Co-Owners Jim and Marian Lauer, have instituted a lot of changes. The most significant change: investing in advanced technology enhanced by automation — in other words, partnering with Amada. Jim Lauer expressed it like this: “We needed to get high quality parts out the door in a hurry. Our aging laser was working 24/7 and not keeping up with the demands of our shop. We were limited... and we hate to be limited. After carefully studying all of our options, we chose Amada.” Amada’s solution includes an FLCAJ 3015 fiber laser, an ASLUL 300 automated material handling/storage system and an HG 1303 (a 143-ton, down-acting, hybrid drive press brake). The FLCAJ’s innovative, 3-axis linear drive system delivers unmatched speed and accuracy. According to Lauer: “The ASLUL provides an integrated lights-out solution for automated material handling/storage, allowing us to take full advantage of the fiber laser’s speed and versatility.” Marian Lauer adds: “Amada’s leading-edge equipment and customer-centered approach immediately put us at ease about making a switch. Now, we can leverage the speed and unique capabilities of the fiber laser to better serve our existing customers and quote work that previously was not a fit for us.”

Amada’s industry-leading technologies and automated systems ensure: • Expanded Capabilities (In addition to cutting mild steel four to five times faster than their old CO2 laser, the FLCAJ expands Weaver’s process range by quickly and precisely cutting materials such as aluminum, copper and brass). • Unmatched Precision (The HG 1003 is an ultra-high precision and high-speed bending system. An advanced Dual Servo Power drive system provides the ultimate in bending control and accuracy for a full range of thin-to-thick materials). • Maximum Flexibility (The ASLUL’s 6-shelf configuration allows Weaver to quickly and easily switch between dissimilar materials and different gauges. The HG’s large open height of 20.5" and stroke length of 9.8" ensures maximum bending versatility). Reflecting on the decision to partner with Amada, the Lauers add: “Amada did much more than sell us equipment. They restructured our entire manufacturing process to ensure maximum productivity. Prior to working with Amada, we had never encountered a machine tool manufacturer that cares about their customers as much as we care about ours.”

A user-friendly, AMNC 3i touchscreen control and offline programming, ensure speed and accuracy for any level operator. The HG also analyzes and adjusts part angles automatically, eliminating test pieces and scrap.

Amada Canada, Ltd. 885 Avenue Georges Cros, Granby, Quebec, Canada J2J 1E8

800-363-1220 2345 Argentia Road, Unit #101 Mississauga, ON L5N 8K4

800-561-4578 www.amada.ca

It’s easy to miss movements on the Prima Power Laser Genius. That’s because our innovative liner drive motor technology provides unparalleled speeds…even in small notches or narrow contours. But the Laser Genius is not just another fast fiber laser…and is definitely not your father’s laser. We are the laser of today…and tomorrow. The Laser Genius combines the following features to provide unequaled precision for customers requiring strict tolerances: • • • •

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FEBRUARY 2016  VOL. 01  NO. 01 www.canadianfabweld.com

A LOOK INSIDE FEATURES NICHE TECH INVESTMENTS CLEAR BOTTLENECKS AT D&R CUSTOM STEEL FABRICATION — 22 Welding, quality control gains made on the shop floor

NESTING — 26 An integral component of the manufacturing ecosystem

COPING WITH SPRINGBACK — 30 A look at angle measuring systems

FIBER LASER AND NEW SOFTWARE SPEED PRODUCTION AT PLASMA FORME — 34

COVER STORY — 18

FABRICATING INDUSTRY UPDATE: AUTOMATION GAINS In a challenging market, shops investing in faster technology and automation solutions look to gain

Victoriaville shop sees benefits of higher laser power and nesting advancements

MANGANESE IN WELDING FUMES—CAN YOU MEET THE NEW TLVS? — 42 Experts encourage a toolbox approach

26 30

34 www.canadianfabweld.com

 FEBRUARY 2016 | 5

FEBRUARY 2016  VOL. 01  NO. 01 www.canadianfabweld.com

A LOOK INSIDE FEATURES (CONT.) FLAT PART DEBURRING — 46 One size does not fit all

SAMCO RE-ENGINEERS ITS ROLL FORMING BUSINESS WITH EXPANDED FOOTPRINT — 50

46 54 50

Customer needs shifting to peripherals, production support speed change on the shop floor

CNC INVESTMENTS CREATE A COMPETITIVE EDGE AT W.F. WELDING — 54 Removing manual process bottlenecks saves time and money

DEPARTMENTS VIEW FROM THE FLOOR — 8 NEWS — 10 LASER PRODUCT ROUND-UP — 38 WELDING TECH — 56 FAB AND WELDING NEWS — 58 BY THE NUMBERS — 62

UPCOMING IN FABRICATING & WELDING Our March 2016 issue is a preview of the FABTECH Canada show being held March 22-24 at the Toronto Congress Centre. Count on Canadian Fabricating & Welding to give you a round-up of all the newest technologies that will be on the tradeshow floor, and highlights of the conference program at the event. Don’t miss out on anything that Canadian Fabricating & Welding has to offer. Check out our website, www.canadianfabweld.com for the latest coverage of Canada’s fabricating & welding industry. And don’t forget to follow along and engage with us on social media – look for us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+!

6 | FEBRUARY 2016

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VIEW FROM THE FLOOR

Fabricating & welding: your dedicated source

elcome to the premiere issue of Canadian Fabricating & Welding. As a sister publication of Canadian Metalworking, Canadian Fabricating & Welding (CF&W) has been created to serve the specific needs of the Canadian metal fabricating industry, including manufacturers, shops, welding and metal finishing. The year started with mixed signals, but many in the industry expect potential strength in the economy by late 2016. Automotive sales for 2015 broke records in Canada and the U.S., and all indications are that 2016 should be another strong year in that sector. At the same time, jobs in Canada have strengthened, as has the manufacturing sector, which grew by 2.1 per cent this past year. While that isn’t a large gain, it’s the first we’ve seen since 2012. The weak Canadian dollar is itself a mixed blessing. While it should help boost exports over the coming year, investment in capital equipment will become a more daunting proposition. It’s at times like this that innovation and creativity really come to the fore in shops—when owners and their teams really sit down to think how they can stand out from the competition, and help create the healthiest profit they can from the jobs they take on. Dan Engelage and the rest of the management team at D&R Custom Steel Fabrication is a great example of this. As a sizeable fab shop, they’ve made a number of big-ticket equipment purchases over the years to maintain their capabilities. But it’s less about the size of each purchase than it is about the goal—getting product out the door faster. Getting rid of whatever bottleneck stands in their way. Sometimes the bottleneck is a quality assurance process, sometimes a welding procedure. Each gets the attention it needs when it is needed. Read more about D&R on page 22 of this issue. The team here at CF&W hope we can help you, our readers, manage the challenges you face. In these pages, there will be technical articles on welding processes and finishing operations, bending and measurement, nesting and advancements in laser and plasma cutting of both tube and plate. We will look at tube bending, roll forming and stamping. We will highlight the newest software and robotics technologies, and many other advances in the industry. We will, perhaps most importDo you have a story antly of all, visit shops across the country to to tell? We’re always report on how you and your peers are really interested in hearing getting the job done, day in and day out. from our readers I look forward to dedicating my time to about changes your needs. Please don’t hesitate to email me they’ve made to with your comments, questions and sugges- make their business tions for CF&W. better. Reach out,

Rob Colman, Editor rcolman@canadianfabweld.com 8 | FEBRUARY 2016

we’d like to share your success!

PUBLISHER  Steve Devonport 416.543.1641; sdevonport@canadianfabweld.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER  Rob Swan 416.510.5225, cell: 416.725.0145; rswan@canadianfabweld.com EDITOR  Rob Colman 905.726.4656; rcolman@annexweb.com ASSOCIATE/WEB EDITOR  Lindsay Luminoso 416.510.5233; lluminoso@canadianfabweld.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR  Lisa Wichmann 416.442.5600 x5101; lwichmann@canadianmanufacturing.com ART DIRECTOR  Stewart Thomas 416-442-5600 x3212; sthomas@annexnewcom.ca CIRCULATION MANAGER  Beata Olechnowicz 416.442.5600 x3543; bolechnowicz@annexnewcom.ca MARKET PRODUCTION MANAGER  Alice Chen 905.713.4369; achen@annexweb.com PRINT PRODUCTION MANAGER  Phyllis Wright 416.442.6786; pwright@annexnewcom.ca PRESIDENT OF ANNEX BUSINESS MEDIA MIKE FREDERICKS VICE-PRESIDENT OF ANNEX BUSINESS MEDIA TIM DIMOPOULOS HOW TO REACH US Published by Annex Publishing & Printing Inc 80 Valleybrook Drive, North York, ON M3B 2S9 Phone: 416.442.5600; Fax: 416.510.5140 CF&W, established: 2016 is published 8 times per year by Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. SUBSCRIPTION RATES Canada $55.00 per year, Outside Canada $90.00 US per year, Single Copy Canada $8.00. RETURN UNDELIVERABLE TO: CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON M3B 2S9 All rights reserved. Printed in Canada. The contents of the publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, either in part or in full, including photocopying and recording, without the written consent of the copyright owner. Nor may any part of this publication be stored in a retrieval system of any nature without prior written consent. Content copyright © 2016 by Annex Publishing & Printing Inc, may not be reprinted without permission. CF&W receives unsolicited materials (including letters to the editor, press releases, promotional items and images) from time to time. CF&W, its affiliates and assignees may use, reproduce, publish, re-publish, distribute, store and archive such unsolicited submissions in whole or in part in any form or medium whatsoever, without compensation of any sort. CF&W accepts no responsibility or liability for claims made for any product or service reported or advertised in this issue. DISCLAIMER: This publication is for informational purposes only. The content and “expert” advice presented are not intended as a substitute for informed professional engineering advice. You should not act on information contained in this publication without seeking specific advice from qualified engineering professionals. PRIVACY NOTICE: From time to time we make our subscription list available to select companies and organizations whose product or service may interest you. If you do not wish your contact information to be made available, please contact us via one of the following methods: Phone: 1.800.668.2374 Fax: 416.442.2191 Email: vmoore@annexbizmedia.com Mail to: Privacy Office, 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON M3B 2S9 Canadian Publications Mail Agreement: 40065710. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

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NEWS

Ret. Maj.-Gen. David Fraser, COO, INKAS Armored Vehicle Manufacturing, in front of one of the company’s popular armoured vehicle models.

INKAS launches new production facility and showroom On Tuesday, December 8, 2015, INKAS Group of Companies held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the official opening of its new facility located at 3605 Weston Rd., Toronto. Manufacturers, business partners, and community leaders were in attendance. The new facility serves as an office space for over 200 Toronto-based employees, a manufacturing plant and the first and only armoured vehicle showroom in Canada. As the vast majority of the company’s clientele and business is based outside of Canada, the showroom was crafted with the intent to showcase armoured vehicles to foreign guests visiting the facility. The company also took the occasion to celebrate its more than 20 years in the business. “Since 1993, Inkas has truly represented what is great about Toronto. It has hired Canadians, first-generation Canadians, it has put Canadians into the manufacturing business and put Canada and Toronto on the map as an international brand,” says Ret. Maj.-Gen. David Fraser, COO, INKAS 10 | FEBRUARY 2016

Armored Vehicle Manufacturing. Fraser suggested that the new facility was also a strategic benefit for the INKAS team. “Our new facility is all about innovation. We are locating our offices under the same roof so that we can easily get the sales force, the production force and the engineers together to talk and make our products even more innovative and more competitive,” he stressed. “This is an innovative facility that we are very proud of.” Adriano Marcoccia, Administrative Assistant to Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, extended congratulations on behalf of the City of Toronto. “Even though various INKAS divisions and companies work on different things, we are all one big family and our greatest asset is our people. Without them, we are nothing and as we grow, we are looking to increase our family,” explains David Khazanski, CEO, INKAS Group of Companies. Attendees had an opportunity to participate in a production facility tour and go behind the scenes of the largest armoured vehicle manufac-

turer in North America. Over the past two decades, INKAS has grown from a local cash-in-transit company to a group of companies with business divisions including armored vehicle and safe manufacturing, metal fabrication, software development and more.

In the Metaline production area of the INKAS facility.

Khazanski noted in his remarks that it took the company six months to build its first armoured vehicle. Today, depending on the type of vehicle and necessary retrofits, INKAS takes between three weeks and three months to “up-armour” OEM vehicles. www.canadianfabweld.com

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NEWS

China Express Airlines orders 10 more Bombardier CRJ900 jetliners 2015 auto sales hit record in Canada, U.S. In early January, Scotiabank reported that Canadian and U.S. auto sales for 2015 achieved record levels. Even though sales were down slightly in December compared to a string of records set in the previous months, this is no indication of a weakening market. Scotiabank senior economist Carlos Gomes notes that in Canada, “We estimate that purchases totalled a still-solid annual rate of 1.92 million units in December, falling short of the near 2 million unit pace of recent months. Despite the moderation, full-year 2015 purchases totalled a record 1.90 million units, nearly 3 per cent above the previous year’s record high. We remain optimistic about the 2016 sales outlook, but expect volumes to be largely unchanged over the coming year.” The U.S. market is similarly buoyant, as full-year volumes hit a record high of 17.4 million units, above the peak reached in 2000. “We expect volumes [in the U.S.] to advance further in 2016, lifting sales to the first back-to-back annual record since the start of the millennium,” says Gomes. “The U.S. economy remains strong, with employment growth—the key driver of vehicle demand—advancing at the fastest pace in more than a decade. [We] believe that an aging vehicle fleet will continue to buoy volumes...”

Fabricating_Feb_Gullco.indd 1

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Bombardier Commercial Aircraft has announced that China Express Airlines (China Express) has placed a firm order for 10 CRJ900 regional jets, raising its total orders for this model of aircraft to 38. With this transaction, China Express has exercised eight previously acquired options for CRJ900 aircraft. To date, 20 of the CRJ900 aircraft ordered by China Express have been delivered. Based on the list price of the CRJ900 aircraft, the order is valued at approximately $462.6 million US. Based in Chongqing and four other cities, China Express launched operations in 2006 and specializes in regional services. The airline now serves 62 cities in China. “We are very pleased with China Express Airlines’ continuing confidence in the CRJ900 jetliner and its role in expanding regional airline services in China,” said Andy Solem, Vice President, Sales, China and North Asia, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. “Bombardier has made significant enhancements to the CRJ900 aircraft since its introduction—significantly a 5.5 per cent fuel burn reduction compared to earlier models—and the aircraft is now in service with more than 20 airlines and other operators that recognize its superior performance,” said Fred Cromer, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. “With today’s announcement, we are delighted that firm orders for CRJ900 jetliners have crossed another milestone and now stand at 409 aircraft.”

2016-01-11 2:29 PM

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NEWS

Labour market proves resilient in 2015 Employment in Canada edged up 23,000 or 0.1 per cent in December and the unemployment rate was unchanged from the previous month at 7.1 per cent, according to Statistics Canada. Although hardly a boom year, it did outstrip the past two years. In the 12 months to December, employment gains totalled 158,000 or 0.9 per cent, slightly above the growth rate of 0.7 per cent in both 2013 and 2014. Ontario was the lone province with employment growth in December, up 35,000. This lowered the unemployment rate in the province by 0.2 percentage points to 6.7 per cent. Provincially, the fastest employment growth over the whole year was in British Columbia, up 2.3 per cent, an upward trend since April. Despite this increase, the unemployment rate rose 1.2 percentage points to 6.7 per cent as more people searched for work. Employment in manufacturing rose by 2.1 per cent in 2015, the first increase since 2012. The employment gains in 2015 were spread across several manufacturing industries.

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General Motors President Dan Ammann (center) with Lyft Inc. co-founders John Zimmer (right) and Logan Green (left). PHOTO: GM CORP.

Driverless cars get $500 million boost from General Motors General Motors and Lyft have announced a long-term strategic alliance to create an integrated network of on-demand autonomous vehicles in the U.S. The automker will invest $500 million in Lyft to help the company continue the growth of its ridesharing service. In addition, GM will hold a seat on the company’s board of directors. “We see the future of personal mobility as connected, seamless and autonomous,” said GM President Dan Ammann. “With GM and Lyft working together, we believe we can successfully implement this vision more rapidly.” John Zimmer, president and co-founder of Lyft, explained, “Working with GM, Lyft will continue to unlock new transportation experiences that bring positive change to our daily lives. Together we will build a better future by redefining traditional car ownership.” Key elements of the GM and Lyft alliance include the joint development of a network of on-demand automous vehicles, which will leverage GM’s knowledge of automous technology and Lyft’s ride-sharing services capabilities. Also beginning immediately, GM will become a preferred provider of short-term use vehicles to Lyft drivers through rental hubs in various cities in the U.S. Lyft drivers and customers will have access to GM’s wide portfolio of cars and OnStar services, leveraging two decades of experience in connectivity. www.canadianfabweld.com

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NEWS

Cascade Aerospace to convert CL215’s for Saskatchewan Government Cascade Aerospace will be conducting a modernization program to convert a piston-engine CL215 to a turbine-engine CL215T for the Ministry of Environment for the Government of Saskatchewan. This CL215 Modernization program will consist of approximately 80 service bulletins to complete: • Piston to turbine conversion; • Instrumentation and wiring upgrade; and • Structural and aerodynamic improvements. This conversion marks the ninth

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structural components, electrical distribution system and engine fuel system, in addition to the replacement of manual flight controls by powered systems to benefit from added engine power and reduced pilot workload. Once modified, the aircraft will perform similarly to the Bombardier 415 firefighting aircraft but at significantly reduced cost. Globally, there are over 25 aircraft still eligible for this upgrade available from Cascade Aerospace. “The skills and knowledge developed over the previous eight CL215 conversions have provided us with the capability to leverage our extensive aircraft modernization services to make this program a success for Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Environment;” said Ben Boehm, Executive Vice President and COO of Cascade Aerospace. “This converted aircraft for the Wildfire Management Branch, will support the Branch’s operability during fire season for years to come.” After conversion, the CL215T will have a maximum cruise speed of about 350 Km/h (189 Knots), almost 20 per cent faster than the CL215. In an average mission of six miles from water to fire, the CL215T can complete ten drops in an hour, two more than the CL215, putting a total of 12,000 gallons of fire suppressant on a fire. Many operators benefit from this upgrade which not only reduces costs and obsolescence, but increases firefighting effectivity. This program is already under way with the acquisition of the airframe and kit; the conversion activities began in January 2016 with an estimated delivery in early 2017. www.canadianfabweld.com

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Arc Spot and Arc Seam Welds

PAGE 7

FIG. 7

Arc spot and arc seam welds.

Fabricating in Canada: Low Dollar Opens Doors in 2016 The drive to compete internationally makes speed, automation and diversification the watchwords for 2016 By Rob Colman

he past year has been challenging for Canadian manufacturing, and 2016 will likely also be a bumpy ride. But indications are that we should see improvements. Most people seemed to feel comparatively positive about 2016, depending on where in the country you hope to do business. With oil hitting record lows, Alberta and points west continue to suffer. But in the east, this may be a time for investing, and new opportunities in the US. “For Hypertherm, 2015 was a good year for sales, but we didn’t see the kind of growth we witnessed from 2011 to 2013,” notes Tony Winiarz, OEM account manager at Hypertherm, Inc. “We are going to see growth this year, but I think it will be later in the year.” Winiarz notes shops serving the 3D cutting market—structural shapes, pipe & tube— have been very busy and are growing, but the flat plate market hasn’t been as robust. Adam Bender, president of Automated Cutting Machinery Inc. in Cambridge, Ont., expected a turnaround in Canada early in 2015, but links the lag to the dollar’s former strength. “Companies with established customer rela-

18 | FEBRUARY 2016

tionships in the US have been able to turn this sliding Canadian dollar into orders relatively quickly,” he explains. “Newer start-ups - shops that opened in the past few years - still have work to do to build those US connections.” Wesley Reeves, regional sales manager at Rofin-Baasel Canada Ltd., says it took a while for the market to pick up, but that late 2015 and early 2016 have been positive thus far. “The automotive sector did seem to rebound in the latter half of the year,” Reeves says. “Contracts were starting to come in. And compared to this time last year, we have more sales, and more opportunities in the pipeline.” The Conference Board of Canada’s deputy chief economist Pedro Antunes agrees we should see improvements in manufacturing output, but employment numbers might not improve at the same rate. “In the last five years, growth [in manufacturing] hasn’t been so much in employment,” he notes. Instead, we are seeing “more capital-intensive investment in automation, and robotics”. This is what we’re seeing in fabricating shops – more interest primarily among larger companies to invest in advanced cutting, bending, automation equipment and software solutions to run their shops smarter. The Canadian Machine Tool Distributors’ Association (CMTDA) annual report indicates a divide in the fabricating market. On one hand, the number of CNC metal forming machines sold across the country dropped by 2 per cent in 2015, but the increased value of the machines was up 115 per cent from 2014, which suggests investment in more advanced lasers and press brakes. However, non-CNC metal forming equipment purchases increased 7 per cent with an increased value of 8.6 per cent over the same year, which suggests that a lot of shops were sticking to lower-priced investments.

Maintenance focus Stefan Fickenscher, managing director at TRUMPF Canada, says the weak Canadian dollar has affected his customers’ approach to managing their businesses. “It seems our customers are busy, but the exchange rate has some holding back on machine purchases a bit,” he says. “We see that these customers are putting a lot of money into existing machines, getting them to their capacity limits before investing in new equipment. We have seen a real increase www.canadianfabweld.com

in jobs on older equipment in our service department, and more people are looking into maintenance contracts for existing equipment, trying to take better care of existing lasers, press brakes and punches.” Koen Verschingel, president of Ferric Machinery, believes this caution could be a boon to his business. He believes rebuilds and used machine sales will add to his bottom line. “That is a busy area for us because of the weak Canadian dollar,” Verschingel explains. On the flip side, Fickenscher sees this caution as a boon for those who do invest in new technologies. “It may cost more to invest in new technology with this exchange rate, but if you are the only one doing so, you still have an advantage,” Fickenscher explains. “We are selling a lot of high powered fiber machines— in the 6 and 8 kW space. The 8 kW machines are going into a lot of job shops. The productivity gains they see with that are what they feel will get them ahead of the curve.”

Quebec, Ontario lead the way Peter Burrell, COO of Amada Canada, characterized 2015 as very successful, with positive market signals in Quebec and Ontario. “Quebec remains very consistent,” Burrell notes. “Part of the reason is that we have always had a large presence in the province, with our facility in Granby, but beyond that the Quebec market seems relatively unaffected by what is going on in the rest of Canada. I also think they are eligible for many more grants through the provincial government compared to the rest of the country, and our customers are taking advantage of these.” Nigel King, product manager for the LVD Strippit line at Elliott-Matsuura Canada Inc., has witnessed this same strength in Quebec. “The strength we’re seeing in the market is really focused in Quebec and Ontario,” he notes. “We have hired dedicated fabrication salesmen and service technicians for the Quebec market partly because we are working on some large projects there. A lot of this is because of the low dollar, but it is also because some companies in the area are bringing work in-house.” Everyone is seeing a greater appetite for fiber lasers and automation solutions in both provinces. “We are installing more and more fiber lasers in Ontario, and we’re seeing significant interest in automation systems as well,” says www.canadianfabweld.com

Burrell. “Part of this is because we are seeing some regional funding programs in the Guelph –Cambridge area that is encouraging more investment in new machinery. For whatever reason, these local governments are realizing the value that a strong manufacturing sector can offer their communities.” Burrell believes there are a number of market reasons for investing in automation today. For one, loading and unloading a fiber laser manually potentially removes some of its efficiency benefits, so when considering fiber laser technology, buyers consider, at the very least, a load-unload feature to enhance value. Secondly, customers understand that this kind of investment will make them, at least 25-30 per cent more productive than a manually loaded and unloaded machine.

“THE MORE YOU CAN GET A ROBOT OR MACHINE TO DO THE WORK THE EASIER IT BECOMES FOR THE OPERATOR AND THE MANUFACTURING ENVIRONMENT IN GENERAL.”

Thirdly, there continues to be a struggle to find skilled employees to work these machines. “Robotic or automated bending is becoming a more attractive solution because the work is time consuming and complex. The more you can get a robot or machine to do the work, the easier it becomes for the operator and the manufacturing environment in general,” says Burrell.

Fiber lasers, automated bending Fiber lasers have come to dominate in the 2D laser cutting market, and everyone expects that trend to continue. Koen Verschingel of Ferric Machinery, for instance, sees an opportunity for a fiber laser tailor-made to attract entry-level buyers in the market. For the details, on this see the article on page 58. Price point for many, of course, will be critical this year, just like last year. In 2015, one of Amada’s most popular fiber lasers was the ENSIS, which is only a 2 kW machine but can cut up to 1 in. thick material by changing the beam characteristics to be more conducive to cutting thicker plate. “At 2 kW the price point is still very good, and it can cut 1 in. material,” says Burrell. Burrell believes this model will continue to be popular, but speed is driving a lot of interest for clients right now. FEBRUARY 2016 | 19

“Typically, higher powered lasers were associated with cutting thicker material, but the 6 kW fibers we’re discussing with clients aren’t being directed that way,” says Burrell. “Instead, people want to run no thicker than a quarter inch sheet, but they want to run it much faster.” Burrell expects the shift from CO2 to fiber will continue as well. Automated bending solutions are also drawing a lot of attention from shops. As Nigel King notes, their price can be intimidating, but the time savings realized is indisputable. “Using our system, you don’t have to bend a few parts to get the right part; you can bend it the first time and it works,” King explains. “I think that stands out. The reduction in set-up time alone makes the system stand out.”

“IT SEEMS LIKE IN THE PAST EVERYONE WAS CONCENTRATING ON THE MACHINES AND THEIR PRODUCTIVITY, BUT NOW THEY ARE LOOKING AT THE PRODUCTIVITY OF THE FULL SUPPLY CHAIN.”

Burrell noted the interest Amada received at FABTECH Chicago, where there were three press brakes in the Amada booth, all of them with some level of automation included. “This is a big part of our business right now, and one that will grow. In fact, we will be exhibiting a press brake with an automated tool changing system at FABTECH Canada as well,” says Burrell. “They are the type of machine that you really have to see to fully understand, which is why we are also installing one in our Toronto technical centre shortly. You can get the same productivity out of one machine that you might have from five machines in the past. In 2015, we installed a number of systems in Canada like brakes with robotic cells and automated tool change systems.” With fiber lasers, Burrell expects to see more of a demand for more advanced material handling solutions, again as a way to speed up processing without requiring additional labour. “The common configuration for fiber lasers now is a simple load-unload system,” says Burrell. “Now, customers want solutions that will unload the cut sheet and separate the parts from the sheet and discard the scrap.” In terms of laser technology, Rofin-Baasel is benefiting from interest among manufacturers in lasers with pulse durations in the femtosecond range, which allows for more 20 | FEBRUARY 2016

high-precision applications—precise material removal with no recasts and no heat effect on the materials in question. Reeves is seeing applications of this technology in the medical, automotive and aerospace sectors.

Doing more on the same shop floor The growth Adam Bender saw in 2015 was in building specialized equipment for companies with US contracts. In each case, it was a matter of making it possible for the company to do more within the same floor space. “By ‘specialized’, I refer to plasma and fiber laser combination machines, shuttle table systems and drilling/tapping/beveling combination cutting systems,” says Bender, who is both a manufacturer in Ontario, and parts and service provider across Canada for Messer Cutting Systems. “I attribute some of this growth to the fact we offer solutions not a lot of other companies have the experience or engineering resources to build.” Although much of his business is with medium to large companies, there are some new opportunities in smaller companies. “We have some new work with smaller shops who historically only used laser and now want to get into plasma work,” Bender notes. “These are the companies that invested in high-efficiency equipment in the past and are now seeing the fruits of that.” Even in Alberta, there are opportunities for the right specialized equipment. Burlington Automation, a Lincoln Electric Company and creators of the PythonX automated plasma cutting system for structural steel, has experienced this. About the market in general, company president Rob Tyler says that it is “not as healthy as it was, but it’s more aggressive, and we’ve still grown and sold more machines because we are selling a solution that makes a company more competitive. Though it is a piece of capital equipment, we are providing a solution that makes a fabricator 25-50 per cent more efficient than he was.” “Obviously business is slow in the west, but there are still companies inquiring about our machine because they have to determine how they are going to get the next job,” adds Paul Kwiatkowski, sales manager for Burlington Automation. “They are asking themselves, ‘Am I going to wait for things to change or am I going to change my business model to be more competitive?’ Our clients might go www.canadianfabweld.com

to a big oil & gas company and say, ‘you’ve put this job on hold—it was going to cost you $1 million. If I could produce it for $750,000, would you do it?’ The oil & gas company is going for it because they are using this time to boost their earnings. With the right system, they can save the client money and still create a healthy margin for themselves.”

The “smart” factory: Is its time now? In 2016, TRUMPF’s Stefan Fickenscher expects to be speaking to customers a lot more about network thinking in their shops – whether it be using the same laser power source for both cutting and welding, or the development of “smart” factories, in which everything from initial customer inquiries to finished shipment can be tracked and managed online. Those conversations have already begun with some of TRUMPF’s more advanced customers. “It’s always a question—when do you define your factory as a ‘smart’ factory,” says Fickenscher. “Some of our customers are pretty far along in creating that. It seems like in the past everyone was concentrating on the half page and advert.qxd 1/12/16 2:56 PM Page machines their productivity, but now they 1

are looking at the productivity of the full supply chain – production planning, scheduling, how material is moved from one point to the other. Although every shop owner did look at these concerns in the past, now it’s looked at as one process rather than as separate processes.” Nigel King at Elliott sees opportunities for his customers to become much more efficient with the use of advanced software like LVD’s CADMAN-JOB, which connects front office intakes and processing of orders with shop floor operations, providing a controlled process from the customer’s order to the finished part. But he also believes this means a different mind-set, an adjustment from traditional methods to appreciate the advantages. “I think it’s hard for customers to truly understand the concept without a demonstration,” says King. “The challenge is in educating the customer and making clear the benefits they will realize with the technology.” 2016 may not be the year the smart factory becomes ubiquitous on the ground, but it will be a year in which fabricators will have to start considering how new forms of connectivity can help them stand out.

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PROFILE

Company owners (l to r) Dan Engelage, Chris Boers and Andre Haaksma beside an aluminum bridge being prepped for shipping.

Niche tech investments clear bottlenecks at D&R Custom Steel Fabrication Welding, quality control gains made on the shop floor By Rob Colman

&R Custom Steel Fabrication is known for its production of carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and specialty or exotic metal alloy equipment. Over the years, the Pickering, Ont.-based D&R team has become experts in the water treatment, air treatment, mining, and material handling industries, focusing on custom fabrications. The key to the company’s success has been smart investments in equipment and processes—constantly looking for the bottlenecks in their production, and finding the most efficient ways in which to manage them. In the past couple of years, that has involved the sort of incremental changes that might go unnoticed but are critical nonetheless. This has included invest-

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ments in quality practices, welding automation and the outsourcing of some cutting processes.

Process improvement runs in the family D&R was founded in 1971 by Dutch immigrants John DeWit and Yke Reitsma, and it continues to be a family-run affair. Yke’s grandson Chris Boers is now production manager, and shares in the ownership with company president & sales manager Dan Engelage and project manager Andre Haaksma. But the owners consider themselves part of a larger family that includes their 60 employees and the many customers they have built strong relationships with over the past 44 years. In fact, some of those customers have been served by D&R since the 1970s.

Among its clients, D&R counts around 10 key customers that make up the majority of its business. “That provides enough variety that when one market is less busy, our shop is still fully booked by other work,” explains Dan Engelage. “For instance, in 2012 we were busy almost exclusively with mining-related jobs, whereas now most of our work is for environmental projects.” D&R’s head count on the shop floor has actually gone down slightly in the past year, but its throughput has increased dramatically. That comes back to the family nature of the business, and the fact that the company is constantly taking ideas from everyone on the shop floor to make processes more efficient. In fact, the company has conducted lunch-andlearns to gather ideas from employwww.canadianfabweld.com

PROFILE ees. Essentially, D&R management invited two employees at a time to share their ideas over lunch. Many of these ideas led to the purchase of new equipment or changes in process that have helped the company get to the production levels they’ve achieved. “Our booked production hours have been fairly flat because we have been making more expensive product and we’re becoming more efficient,” says Chris Boers. “We are changing our processes as necessary, constantly evaluating our bottlenecks, and doing whatever is necessary to address those bottlenecks. When one is fixed, we move onto the next, because there is always another bottleneck.” A few years ago, the bottlenecks D&R had were concentrated in the shop floor equipment. The company refurbished its ESAB high-definition plasma table, adding new cutting software, machine controllers, mechanical parts, and precision hole technology, all of which increased cutting speeds by about 30 per cent. The company also added an Akyapak AKBEND plate roll and profile roll, as part of a production cell; a new 12,000-lb.-capacity forklift; a 440-ton, full CNC Ermak 14 ft. press brake with 10 per cent more capacity than their former brakes; and Lincoln pulse MIG welding equipment for stainless steel welding. D&R also added a sandblasting hut. None of these investments were made lightly, of course. All of these investments were important to the

core operations of the company, adding speed, quality and safety benefits. For instance, having the plate roll and profile roll in one cell meant parts no longer had to be moved manually between two processes, which removed a potential safety hazard.

Outsourced cutting More recently, when the team has considered equipment, it has had to give some thought to D&R’s core competencies. “For instance, one thing we were considering was a laser for cutting thin sheet and stainless steel that is more time-consuming to process on a plasma,” says Dan Engelage. “The challenge is that fiber lasers are an expensive technology, and all of our equipment is strictly for our own purposes—we don’t process material for anyone else. We also have fulltime operators on every machine we have on the shop floor; our plasma table operator is busy just cutting for us, our roll operator is the same. So while buying a laser would get certain parts ready for us on the floor quicker, we don’t have the kind of shop where adopting that technology would really add to our bottom line.” Instead, D&R now does all the nesting of stainless parts at its offices and then pays its suppliers to cut it for them. “Getting our supplier to cut this for us is less than it would cost us to process it ourselves,” says Engelage. “We’ll give them a 5 x 10 sheet of 3/8ths that has a whole bunch of

A view of a digester cover that was welded using D&R’s trackless welder.

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flanges on it. If we were to cut that on the plasma table, we would then have to grind all the edges, manual drill the holes, and we’d have contamination concerns already because of the use of plasma so it would also have to be cleaned. By getting the parts laser cut, they go straight to the fitter. It makes sense to outsource because we can ensure that we are consuming an entire plate, so we’ve taken out that labour component for our supplier as well to save us some money.”

Welding automation D&R is also looking at automating processes – not easy when everything you build is large and custom work. “It’s true that a clarifier is a clarifier, but we recently quoted an 18-ft. clarifier, and there are others we have built that are 160 ft.,” explains Chris Boers. “It’s the same principle, the same pieces, just smaller or bigger. How do you automate for that?” One way D&R has found to automate is the use of a Gullco Magnetic Moggy trackless welding carriage to weld digester covers—essentially large domes at sewage treatment plants. “To build these domes, you have a quarter inch plate in the shape of a pie, and you have beams that run around the top of it for support, and there are clips on this big ring that the beams click into,” explains project manager Andre Haaksma. “There is a 3/16ths weld all the way down the beam each way. Previously, a fitter would work on it for a couple of hours to prepare it, and then four welders would each start a seam, and two hours later it would be finished.” The welding carriage, or “beetle”, in the D&R shop has a torch on either side and moves in a straight line down the seam. “Now, the fitter can fit this job in an hour, weld it in an hour and be done,” says Haaksma. “One person takes two hours, so he can build three or four of these in a day, whereas before it would take five guys to build two in a day. All the fitter has to do FEBRUARY 2016 | 23

PROFILE during the weld is ensure that cables don’t get tangled. It automatically pulls at a set speed. There are no start/stops, there’s a steady heat, so you don’t get any differentiation in the welds, or deflection in the material.” D&R has looked at plenty of other solutions for different jobs, but two challenges arise—space and fit for the work they do. So relatively small investments like the welding beetle can sometimes have the best return on investment. D&R has also installed a compressor to alleviate down time and accommodate two sandblasters.

Full connectivity QA practices Every job at D&R is a key part of the production process, and no job goes unconsidered when D&R explores where to focus its change management energies. Quality assurance (QA) is another current focus. “The old-school way of handling QA was to print out a drawing and mark it up as you do a check on the finish product,” says Boers. “Now, our QA specialist, Terry, takes a tablet with full connectivity to his files throughout the plant. So as he is walking through the facility he can check dimensions on a project at any point in a process. He can easily pull up the drawings, check it, and save his report. And anyone in the office can check that he

has checked these dimensions, and can print a copy off for themselves. This saves a lot of time in paperwork and coordination. Now Terry can spend most of his time on the shop floor.” Right now, D&R is making a big push to improve initial quality. “We are good at building things, but we’re even better at fixing them,” jokes Dan Engelage. “Our goal is to improve our initial quality so that we don’t have to handle projects multiple times. The more we handle it, the more the potential for damage, and the more hours it costs us.” To assist in this, D&R has a team member who was given six weeks of intensive classes to take on the role of handling initial quality checks (dimensionals and welding). Terry, meanwhile, will be in charge of finished quality checks—final dimensioning, trial assembly and coatings. “Now, instead of doing spot checks, we are going to try to hit every single step through two employees,” says Boers. “There is some redundancy built into this, but it should mean we touch the product less. If we can cut trial assembly time by 25 per cent, we will see gains.”

Future thinking D&R is always looking towards the future. On the machine side, there are always new potential investments.

Right now the team is considering either a completely new plasma table to increase efficiencies, or lengthening the current table to speed up loading and unloading. But importantly the company is always thinking about succession planning as well. Even though they are keeping their employee numbers relatively steady, they still have to plan for retirements. In fact, when we visited D&R, Engelage had just been reminded by an employee that he (the employee) was retiring in a year. “He’s a guy you can show a 1930s drawing to and he can build what he is looking at because he has built dozens of them,” says Engelage. “How do you replace that?” D&R does its best to do just that. Currently, they have four employees in school part time at Conestoga College, and a fifth enrolled in an intensive six weeks of school. And they are always looking for young people they can “D&R”, so that they are the right fit for their operations. They currently have 9 apprentices registered with the Ministry of Training, Colleges & Universities. “All of these guys learn theory and operations at school, and they come back stronger employees,” says Boers. “That’s what we need.” To learn more about D&R and its capabilities, visit drsteelfab.com

The top of a painted steel flare stack, ready to be shipped.

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An integral component of the manufacturing ecosystem By Lindsay Luminoso

ProNest is designed to help fabricators and manufacturers increase material savings, boost productivity, lower operating costs, and improve part quality. PHOTO: HYPERTHERM

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he incredible processing power of nesting software has transformed the way it functions within the manufacturing ecosystem, making it a necessary tool. Not only does it perform standard nesting operations for cutting machines, but the software has grown to include a wide range of features that help shops provide smart solutions for customers. As the terms ‘smart factory’ and ‘Industry 4.0’ become more and more commonplace in manufacturing, software developers found themselves looking for ways to integrate nesting into this model. Nesting solutions transform the way fabricators do business. “The key component of today’s nesting software is that it does a lot more than nesting,” explains Derek Weston, product marketing manager - CAD/CAM software, at Hypertherm. “Our nesting software, ProNest, is now part of an end-user’s fabrication ecosystem. It’s a unique and independent software product but it’s actually in many cases providing many additional solutions to the end user.” The challenge today is keeping up with the latest cutting and punching technologies in order to efficiently support the machines. “We most recently put a lot of energy into what is around the nesting software,” says Doug Wood, sales and services director, at Radan. “We do nesting software to complement the programming of machines and also offer services for [connectivity], full nesting integration tools.” Nesting now fits comfortably into a larger manufacturing ecosystem pairing with MRP/ERP systems, prioritize work and due dates, incorporate material management, all in an effort to provide the best solutions.

Connectivity Nesting software offers its users connectivity in a way that was not possible before and has become part of a platform solution. This built-in process knowledge ensures that the work is done correctly and efficiently. Operators are able to make smart decisions based on data-driven reports. “Based on which machine you are nesting for, it knows the machine’s capabilities,” explains Wood. “It gives the capabilities to do a comparison of run times between the machines.” The ability to run diagnostic tests prior to starting a job allows the operator to see exactly what machine works best, how long the job will take to complete, if there is enough material available, what consumables will be used, etc. Connectivity allows the user to communicate through work orders as well. The work orders will flow through connection from an MRP solution into the nesting software and you view the orders in the software. Within the software, you are able to sort various components of the job within the larger group of orders. There are many benefits to having more parts and more jobs to work with, all while prioritizing based on due dates. “For example, if you are working with 2,000 parts that you have to cut instead of just one job’s worth, now you typically have many different parts of various sizes and geometries, and the automatic nesting algorithm has a lot of parts to play with as it tries to place the parts on a sheet,” says Weston. As software developers enhance connectivity between nesting and other manufacturing systems, the end result is an easy-to-operate, efficient environment for the machine operator as well as shop managers. The nesting has the built-in knowledge to predict all variables and helps to make data-driven decisions. www.canadianfabweld.com

ÉQUIPEMENTS

EQUIPMENT

INC.

Inventory Management

Radnest can automatically produce common line cuts between adjacent parts to further increase material utilisation and reduce cycle time. PHOTO: RADAN

One area that nesting is becoming highly efficient at is inventory management. Now, the software is able to significantly improve material yield and optimization. “It’s not just getting the best out of that one plate, it’s about getting the best out of any potential plate for their inventory and that’s really huge,” says Weston. The software can now run tests and nest a group of parts on all of the plates in a shop’s inventory and determine the best possible option for the job. What is more, the capabilities now include inventory management. Whether it is full plate, or partial plate that is a remnant or cut off from an earlier job, the nesting software is able to analyze the material for workability and choose it for a job or place it back into inventory for further use, allowing the operator to see what exactly is in stock to use.

Reporting Nesting software has the ability to optimize job performance through smart reporting. Now, instead of an operator just plugging a job into a machine, the nesting software is able to run diagnostic tests. What is more, the software can track jobs and report back to allow for adaptive corrections. One example of this is SigmaNEST’s Job Tracking and Scheduling module, which tracks which parts are in process, which

parts have been cut, and how many parts still need to be cut. It also reports on parts with poor quality, which can be fed back into the system to be re-cut at a high priority on the next job on the same material and thickness. The ability to report prior, during, and post-process is a significant advantage of enhanced nesting features.

Quoting Another issue that nesting provides a solution for is quoting. Providing customers with a quote on a job can be somewhat tricky and over- or under-charging can be problematic. Many nesting software options today have the ability to add a quoting module. Quoting is done through the software’s ability to determine the actual shape of the parts, the material used, density of the material, and weight of the final part. “The quoting becomes very easy now. This is a real-time quote using actual shapes and material costs,” says Weston. With enhanced connectivity, quoting becomes very intuitive. As an example. SigmaNEST’s quoting module enables the user to manage quote history including work order conversions and quote losses, enables single or multiple part quotations and calculates cutting time and overall costs. Using this feature can give shops a competitive advantage to win orders due to the highly accurate quoting and scheduling.

The Future of Nesting There are a significant number of features

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nesting is able to do beyond the cookSigmaNEST’s ie-cutter arrangement on a sheet of Job Tracking and Scheduling metal. As the fabricating environment module advances and new technology emerges, generates higher yields by nesting nesting software is becoming more more parts and a robust and intuitive. better mix of Where does it go from here, though? parts. PHOTO: SIGMANEST “I feel that we will continue to develop automation around the nesting softductivity and connectivity that has become ware, whether it is processing part geometry, essential. Nesting software is an integral reading scheduling information, generatpart of the fabricating environment and ing the nests and follow up of part labels enhancing all singular features to create one or reports for material utilization, getting robust and effect ecosystem. this to be as automated as possible is key,” explains Wood. The nesting software is important but it is also the modules and systems around the software and the interconnectivity that really make the system successful, he adds. Exploring industry trends and adapting the processes to fit these trends will really enhance the software capabilities. “People are designing smarter parts today; software exists to design in 3D. You design your entire component, so when you come to work with the nestBROUGHT TO YOU BY ing software, you import the file and identify all the parts, unfold all the parts onto a flat plate,” says Weston. “Being able to work with different geometry, March 30, 2016 Pricing: whether it is native 3D $ Victoria Inn Hotel & Convention Centre 1,195: 1 table files or DXF files that may Winnipeg, MB $ 1,095: 2 tables have some extra geometry $ 995: 3+ tables or needs corrections, [the] May 3, 2016 software has the ability Hard Rock Casino Vancouver Theatre Coquitlam, BC to process the different type of files coming in and June 7, 2016 *NEW* allows the users to set up Dartmouth Sportsplex their own preferences for how they want the nesting to take place,’ adds Wood. It’s not only about the nesting software itself but what is around the nesting software to increase prowww.canadianfabweld.com

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Coping with Springback A look at angle measuring systems By Lindsay Luminoso

hen it comes to air bending, springback can be a cause of great frustration for operators. Some of the factors that affect forming proper angles include variations in material thickness, grain direction and tensile strength. Even with the trend towards offline programming, these factors should not be overlooked.

Material Thickness “One thing [to remember] is that whoever is programming is sitting at the computer, he knows his part is 16 gauge and he puts in .060. The reality is, you get out on the floor and the material is not .060, it can vary,” explains Scott Ottens, bending product manager, Amada America Inc. The same holds if the operator is programming at the brake. If he doesn’t measure the sheets for the exact thickness, he is using what he thinks the baseline should be. PHOTO: COURTESY OF TRUMPF

Material thickness variation makes up 75 per cent of angle tolerance deviation, explains Tom Bailey, product manager of TruBend Series press brakes at TRUMPF Inc. Even with rolled sheet stock there is always a range for the real material thickness. “If the material varies 5 or 6 thou from part to part, that might not seem like a lot but we find about 4 thou of change will make one degree of angle change,” says Bailey. Material thickness deviation must be considered when programming. There are many strategies to ensure proper bending angles. When starting a production run, it makes sense to take a micrometer to the first part and measure the material thickness. If you update the real material thickness for the part on your CNC brake program, most will adjust to get closer to the correct angle. However, measuring the thickness of every part in front of you can become a very slow process.

Grain Direction “Grain direction will also cause an inaccuracy because it will affect the way the material flows in the die,” adds Tony Marzullo, press brake sales manager, LVD Strippit. Bending with the grain often requires less bending force because the material’s ductility has been stretched in the rolling process. Bending against the grain requires more forming tonnage. Nesting can be part of the issue. Often, operators nest parts for better sheet metal use, rotating parts to get the best fit on a sheet. “If an operator gets a stack of blanks that are all the same part number but have been nested in different grain directions, they are going to have difficulties maintaining good angles without some kind of extra assistance,” explains Bailey.

Material Type Grain direction is a very important factor in proper bending angles. However, how much the grain direction affects proper bending is predicated on the material. “If you have stainless steel and you bend with the grain or against the grain, you get a whole different springback,” explains Ottens. Mild steel doesn’t have as much springback as stainless and some aluminum has almost no springback because of its softness. 30 | FEBRUARY 2016

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Weak spots in certain areas of the material can cause the bending angle to be off as well.

Bend Accuracy There are many factors that affect a press brake’s ability to produce a correct bend. The operator must often compensate for these factors during bending operations. Brake builders have solved many issues by integrating bend measuring and bend compensation systems in their machines. But not all operations require these systems. Operators can still compensate for the variations if the machine doesn’t have an angle measuring system on it. Marzullo explains that the operator can manually measure the angle bent and will see, for example, that it is under bent. The operator then returns to the control to make an angle correction. “Then he would have to rehit the part and penetrate the die deeper to get the correct angle.” This is not always an option, however. Sometimes after rehitting the material, because it is already weakened, it’s not exactly right. Now you are test bending, which creates extra blanks for setup pieces. It’s both time consuming and wasteful. “We do a lot of studies with customers’ shops,” says Ottens. “We break the setup process in nine different areas and actually one of the larger time consuming areas is in test bending. It can take up to 90 per cent of the setup time.” For short runs, this can be costly. If the job is to bend 10 parts, you may have to add an extra five parts for test bending. This means added set up time and scrap, and still doesn’t guarantee a proper bend angle.

although he does believe this technology is becoming increasingly popular. Marzullo agrees and adds, “This is the way of the future, especially as the workforce becomes younger and has less experience and the skill level diminishes. What [customers] are trying to do is use a less experienced operator to run their press brake, so they want a machine that has the intelligence built into the machine control.” If you have an experienced press brake operator, the trial and error method may still work fine. The operator can test bend, measure the angle, and adjust the ram position to get the right angle. But new operators may not have the skills to do this—then, an integrated angle measuring system may be the best solution. When managing with material thickness issues, one method is to measure the tonnage. Tonnage or pressure sensors on the cylinder can ensure that the brake comes down and presses the part at the same position with the same pressure. The measurements from these sensors are compared to a good first bend. “If it sees that it developed a little more pressure

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Solutions It is important to understand the type of measuring needed to complete a job accurately. There are many different ideas of how to measure and compensate for angles. And measuring systems add costs for users. “If the material variation of a job is such that you can still make parts within the tolerance needed without angle measuring, then there isn’t an urgent need for angle measuring technology,” explains Bailey, www.canadianfabweld.com

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at the same point then it will probably back off the bending, bottom dead center position of the ram,” explains Ottens, who adds that this system works on the fly and is pretty fast. Another option is a wireless protractor. It works like a manual protractor, but uses Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to allow it to talk to the machine. The operator places it in the finished angle, presses the button and the machine automatically updates itself. “It doesn’t fix the part but it makes it easier for the operator to adjust to the correct angle,” explains Bailey. If you are looking for a solution that handles anything in the environment, angle compensation systems are a great option. They measure the angle on the fly during the stroke, feed the information to the machine and tell it what correction to make. They finish with a correct angle rather than making a setup part, and use mechanical probes, optical devices, or lasers to measure the angle and provide feedback.

If you are using a fully automatic system, they can detect the real bending angle and send the information the machine needs to compensate to give you the angle you want. The tolerance for those systems is around ±¼-½ a degree, explains Bailey. They are rated to operate within a specific tolerance. The exact tolerance will vary depending on the system. “These systems are controlling the ram position in real time,” adds Marzullo. When it achieves the angle you are trying to form, it stops the ram motion. The process adds a few seconds to the bend but you can usually engage it on bends on the first piece and then choose which bends you want to measure for process control. Angle measuring compensation systems are becoming popular as manufacturing trends towards short run production. Anything that can reduce setup time and test bending process time is money in your pocket, which makes the solution worthwhile.

AMADA’S BEND INDICATOR (BI) SYSTEMS

SAFANDARLEY E-BEND LASER

Amada’s HD series is equipped with BI sensors that use probe and laser technology. BI-S (probe type) or BI-L (laser type) result in trial-free bending. Bend angles are adjusted on the fly to provide the correct angle on the first bend.

This system consists of two laser-sensors, mounted on both sides of the table, CNC positioned by the controller. The system monitors and corrects the position of the Y-axis continually based on the actual product angle.

amada.com

westwaymachinery.com

BYSTRONIC’S LASER ANGLE MEASUREMENT SYSTEM (LAMS) The LAMS measures the angle automatically. A single angle measurement ensures the angle is accurate along the whole length of the part. With just a single measuring point, LAMS guarantees maximum bending accuracy.

bystronic.com

SALVAGNINI’S AMS Salvagnini’s Angle Measurement System (AMS) performs real-time checks on parts during bending without increasing cycle time. It can work with different height dies, interacts with the SiX controller to obtain the springback values previously recorded and can detect the springback value of the material.

salvagnini.com

LVD’S EASY-FORM LASER

TRUMPF’S ACB

The Easy-Form Laser is an in-process angle monitoring and correction technology. The angle measuring system, located on the front and back side of the press brake table, consists of two laser monitors linked with an intelligent bending database.

The ACB (Automatically Controlled Bending) works using a pair of sensor plates. Two sensor plates in the top tool measure the angle and resilience of the bend part, and control the beam at the desired angle. It is flexible because it works virtually independently of the shaft length measuring angles ranging from 35° to 145°.

lvdgroup.com

us.trumpf.com

32 | FEBRUARY 2016

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PROFILE

Fiber laser and new software speed production at Plasma Forme (l-r) Guy and his son Pier-Luc Sinotte standing in front of their new addition, a 6 kW laser cutting system.

Victoriaville shop sees benefits of higher laser power and nesting advancements By Nestor Gula

t is quite common to see a lot of clutter in small and medium-sized manufacturing shops. There are always off cuts that have not been stacked properly, materials that have been delivered and orders that need to be shipped. On occasion there are also items of the owner’s hobbies located on the shop floor. Plasma Forme Inc. in Victoriaville, Quebec is different. It is a large, well-organized space that looks quiet, it is so tidy. But Pier-Luc Sinotte, the junior engineer at the company, assured me they were busy. Indeed, both the plasma and laser machines were cutting parts during my visit. “This is the way we like to run the shop,” explained Sinotte. It is the power of the shop’s new laser and software investments that make such a tidy shop a possibility.

Laser leap Plasma Forme opened its doors over 10 years ago. It was founded by Pier-Luc’s father, Guy Sinotte, and his friend Eric Blouin. “They were working at a small company together and decided to start this company,” he says. “We were originally located down the street, then this building came up for sale. We just moved in December 2014.” 34 | FEBRUARY 2016

The building is spacious—a cavernous 26,000 square feet. “We used to have 5,000 square feet,” says Sinotte. “We rent 6,000 square feet so we have about 20,000 for Plasma Forme. There is a welding company that rents the space.” It is a lean operation as they have five workers on the shop floor and three in the front office. “We hire machine operators, so we need someone who is competent because they don`t teach what we need in schools. We do most of the training in house,” he explained. December 2014 was a big month for the company as they not only moved to the new premises, but they also upgraded their laser cutting machine and introduced other systems to streamline their business. “We now have a Mazak laser, an EBF plasma table, a MetFab Folding press PB series (10 ft. wide, 165 tons, 6 axis back gauge) and the new Alpha Lazer (M-Series 4020),” says Sinotte. They started the company with an EBF plasma cutting table (EBF is a Quebec-based builder of CNC cutting tables). After about a year and a half in business, they changed out the smaller EBF plasma table for a bigger one. This one was 8 feet by 20 feet. After five years they bought a Mazak laser system. They bought the automated equipment to speed up production and eliminate outsourcing to other firms. The Alpha Lazer laser system was purchased in December 2014. It is 12 feet by 6 feet and can cut up to one inch. The power source is an IPG Photonics 6kw fiber www.canadianfabweld.com

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PROFILE

The 26,000 square foot facility of Plasma Forme located in Victoriaville, Quebec.

laser. Alpha Lazer specializes in supplying fiber laser cutting solutions for the metal fabrication industry. Alpha Lazer is part of the Machitech group of companies. “It is very accurate, as is our high definition plasma table,” says Sinotte. The bulk of Plasma Forme’s work is cutting and folding parts for various local industries. “We have lots of different clients— doing structural steel fabrication, agricultural and food industry jobs. We are very diversified,” says Sinotte. “We even do heavy equipment, especially for snow ploughing. Most of the clients are within 20 kilometres radius but we do have one client in Ontario.” The owners Eric & Guy have another welding

business and much of what is cut at Plasma Forme is then handed over to that company for processing. Pier-Luc is very bullish on the new machine. “Before we were doing five feet by ten feet— mostly we could cut up to 1/2 inch but we could only cut about 3/8,” he said. “We found that we were losing part of the order, because we could not cut thicker material. Sometimes we would lose the whole order because companies would not want to separate their order—sending some parts to one supplier and some to another.” It took the Plasma Forme team a while to get used to the new laser, but within half a year the shop’s sales had gone up by about 50 percent. “Looking at it now, it has been a very good investment,” says Sinotte. We can do the whole job now, whereas before we would only be able to do half the job. As well, we can do jobs that call for thicker and bigger materials.” Since the payments on the machine are over ten years, Pier-Luc says that the financial burden on the company is not big.

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PROFILE “The machine pays for itself because of the increase in sales volume.” He really appreciates the fact that the machine is so user friendly. “We had other CNC machines so we were not going into it cold. It seems to be easier [to run] than the older machine that we have,” said Sinotte. “The interface is more user friendly. We had a week-long in-house training session, and if we have any questions we can always call them – but this did not happen yet.”

MRP synchronization Plasma Forme also has a new synchronization system that links the MRP system to the nesting program. “Basically, this means that when an order comes in, the quantity and material thickness is listed and this all goes directly to the machine and can be cut quickly,” Sinotte explains. This system has simplified Plasma Forme’s workflow processes—a clean, lean system equates to a clean, lean shop. The output can be done very quickly and the system will

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notify the team whether the necessary sheets of steel are in stock, ordered or being delivered. Multiple jobs can be nested together, if they share the same material, to save stock and time. “The system works with both the lasers and the plasmas. This system was also introduced in December 2014,” says Sinotte.

Future growth The future for Plasma Forme is quite rosy, according to Sinotte. “When we started, for the first three years, the sales doubled each year. Now it has settled down and sales are growing about 20 to 30 percent each year,” he says. “We don’t really have a sales team—our reputation for quality and fast turn-around is what sets us apart.” In a year or two, Sinotte wants to see a doubling of the production that comes out of the plant, and to facilitate that he may introduce a second shift. To learn more about Plasma Forme and its capabilities, visit plasmaforme.com.

FEBRUARY 2016 | 37

LASER PRODUCT ROUNDUP DIRECT DIODE LASER TUBE CUTTING

MAXIMIZED SPEED BENEFITS

Mazak Optonics Corp. has developed the Versatile Compact Laser (VCL) Tube - 100 at its manufacturing facility in Florence, Ky. The VCL Tube - 100 was brought to FABTECH Chicago in 2015 to assess customer feedback before the final production release in Spring 2016. It has been designed as a cost-effective solution for low volume tube and bar components up to 100 mm round in diameter and lengths up to 25 ft. The VCL Series machines use a Direct Diode Laser, which is the next generation of solid state laser technology, according to Mazak. It includes a fiber delivery system and the generator has similar cut performance to fiber generators in mild and stainless steel. Direct Diode cuts aluminum faster, is more energy efficient and offers enhanced modular flexibility than fiber generators. The VCL Series will expand to include a coil fed configuration and robot loading design for formed parts, which will be released in the second half of 2016.

The Laser Genius fiber laser from Prima Power has high-dynamic linear motors that ensure a 15 per cent increase in productivity compared with conventional drive systems. Laser Genius has linear motors on X and Y axes, carbon fiber carriage, and a synthetic granite frame— characteristics allowing it to maximize fiber laser technology at its best. It also includes proprietary hardware and software for process control, and a 6 kW fiber laser. Laser Genius has been developed to maximize customers’ competitiveness according to their application. A series of option suites is dedicated to the different production needs: • SMART Cut, for fast cutting of thin sheets allows a reduction of the cycle times up to 30 per cent; • MAX Cut, for the fast cutting of medium-thick gauge sheets, makes it possible to reduce processing times up to 40 per cent • NIGHT Cut, for intensive production, grants a higher piercing and cutting process safety.

mazak.com

FIBER LASER WITH AUTOMATION The LCG 3015 AJ from Amada is a high-speed, high-precision fiber laser cutting system that uses approximately a third of the electricity required by the same wattage CO2 laser system. It is now available in 2kW, 4kW and 6kW configurations. Amada’s fiber laser technology helps achieve Process Range Expansion by providing the ability to cut brass, copper and titanium. It is a true flying optic laser system. The cutting head is propelled by a highly dynamic motion system that achieves the acceleration and rapid traverse speeds of more expensive linear drive motion systems. The system uses a helical rack and pinion drive system for X and Y axes, while the Z-axis is equipped with a high-precision ball screw. It also includes an AMNC/PC touchscreen control with graphic display and 50 per cent faster processing speed. The LCG 3015 AJ represents a balance of cut speed, positioning acceleration and overall accuracy. To realize full machine potential, Amada offers a variety of modular automation options that let you configure your system according to your specific operational needs. One example, the MPL, is an economical system that provides fast and efficient loading/ unloading in a small footprint. The MPL is ideal for fabricators who need a basic load/unload system. This high-speed automation system uses a single raw material pallet and a single offload pallet. The unit is positioned directly above the shuttle tables, minimizing the amount of floor space required. Since the system uses a single raw material pallet, there is no tower—making the MPL the ideal solution for environments with low ceilings.

amada.com

primapower.com

PLASMA/FIBER COMBO The MetalMaster Xcel cutting machine from Messer Cutting Systems features speeds of 3,000 ipm, high acceleration drives, along with multi-tool capability including plasma beveling, oxyfuel, and plasma/ fiber laser combination cutting and drilling. The system can be equipped with one plasma/one fiber laser head, two plasma (one of which can be a bevel head) or two fiber laser heads. Using a plasma/fiber laser combination cut on the same part will increase productivity by allowing critical internal features to be cut with a 2-6 kW fiber laser and external features to be cut with the plasma torch without moving the part to another piece of equipment.

messer-cs.com/us

Editor’s Note: Two plasma model shown 38 | FEBRUARY 2016

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LASER PRODUCT ROUNDUP FASTER FIBER CAPABILITY TO CUT THICKER PLATE MC Machinery Systemsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; eX-F Series fiber laser combines the construction of the eX Series CO2 lasers with a fiber resonator. The 6kw machine features ZOOM Head Technology built into the magnetic head, providing faster processing and the ability to pierce one-inch thick plates. The eX-F has demonstrated significant advantages over the conventional Mitsubishi LV-45CF-R CO2 laser in terms of performance and operating cost. Medium- and thick-plate processing times were decreased by 44 per cent. Also, nonprocess times are cut in half with simultaneous nozzle cleaning,

height sensor calibration, nozzle changing and gas purge. Operating costs are reduced 70-80 percent when compared to conventional CO2 and even more when available Eco Mode is turned on.

mcmachinery.com

ADVANCED AUTOMATION OPTIONS

The Phoenix FL fiber laser system unites cost efficient and dynamic laser cutting with LVD Strippitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s laser automation possibilities. It is a compact machine that includes a welded steel frame construction that minimizes deformation caused by high acceleration. It features a lightweight, high rigidity beam delivery system to allow for highly dynamic processing. The Phoenix maximizes uptime with an integrated automatic shuttle table system, with a table change time of only 30 seconds. Modular automation options are a Compact Tower (CT-L) and the Flexible Automation for Lasers (FA-L) developed by LVD. FA-L is a system for interchanging finished and unfinished sheets on the table within 40 seconds and includes thickness control and automatic sheet separators.

lvdgroup.com

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FEBRUARY 2016 | 39

LASER ROUNDUP GREATER EFFICIENCY WITH HIGHER POWER TRUMPF’s TruLaser 5030 fiber is the first 2D laser cutting machine available with an 8-kW TruDisk laser, which boosts productivity when processing medium and thick sheet metal. The laser can process complex contours and thin sheets while keeping the cost per part to a minimum. The BrightLine fiber, CoolLine, and enhanced PierceLine functions improve laser processing in thicker materials as well. CoolLine, a

new feature for solid-state lasers, stabilizes the cutting process in steel using targeted cooling. This results in greater material tolerance while enabling more intricate material contours and a tighter layout of parts. The PierceLine function enables the laser to process smaller contours while boosting speed. Smart Collision Prevention and the Drop&Cut options further increase the efficiency and reliability of laser processing for TRUMPF 2D laser cutting machines. With Smart Collision Prevention, the risk of collisions during laser cutting is minimized. The function analyzes the cutting process to determine where cut parts are likely to tip and adjusts the processing strategy to accommodate. The Drop&Cut feature enables operators to use part skeletons for additional production.

us.trumpf.com

FIBER FOR FIRST-TIME USERS

FIBER LASER AND AUTOMATION

The Bystronic BySmart Fiber 3015 compact laser cutting machine is designed for first-time users looking for performance at an affordable price. The platform delivers effective cutting results with just a few operating steps, focusing on the core competency of a fiber laser: laser cutting parts in a simple and cost-effective manner. In thin sheet, it uses the full potential of fiber laser technology. Here the machine significantly speeds up the cutting process compared to a CO2 laser. Cutting in higher sheet thicknesses is also possible. In addition, users benefit from comparably low operating and maintenance costs. For users whose range of applications lies primarily in thin materials, this means faster cutting and lower costs.

The 2015 Salvagnini L5 fiber laser incorporates a patented rotary motor driven Compass Head Positioner to increase speed, accuracy, reliability, energy conservation and performance. The L5, available in 2kW, 3kW, and 4kW versions, comes fitted with an all-electric pallet changer, in which the processed piece always passes beneath the work table, thereby eliminating any risk of cut parts or scrap falling onto the incoming blank. The laser can be purchased with Salvagnini’s automated Cartesian Sorter/Manipulator for laser cutting systems—the MCL. The MCL is a floor-mounted gantry that uses a single suction cup gripper to pick up parts as small as 8x4 in., and uses two grippers to pick up parts as large as 157 in. and weighing as much as 286 lb. The laser’s software program automatically positions the sorter over parts to be retrieved and orchestrates an unloading and placement cycle, which makes it possible to extend kit production and single piece part flow to automated laser cutting.

bystronicusa.com

salvagnini.com

THIRD GENERATION HIGH-POWER FIBER

AFFORDABLE FIBER

ROFIN’s 3rd generation high-performance fiber lasers display their strengths when cutting, welding, and in surface treatment applications. The ROFIN FL 080 has an output power of 8 kW for economical yet powerful welding and fast cutting. The available integral beam switch or beam splitter allow optimum use of the beam source. All FL Series lasers are characterized by their high efficiency and beam quality.

The Raptor from FERRIC– ERMAKSAN is designed to answer the need for a precise, affordable fiber laser for medium-sized fabricatimg shops. It has a small footprint and a 5 x 10’ working envelope with a dual pallet automatic plate changer. The dual X and Y movement is done with zero backlash rack & pinion servo motors, and the Z axis has a ball screw servo motor, achieving a position accuracy of 0.05 mm and simultaneous positioning speeds of 50m/min. The basic unit has a Precitec “light cutter” with quick manual focus adjustment. The auto focus “Pro Cutter” is an option.

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ferricmachinery.com

40 | FEBRUARY 2016

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Manganese in welding fumes: can you meet the new TLVs? Experts encourage a toolbox approach By Rob Colman

elding fumes contain a variety of very small complex, metal oxide particles that can affect the health of welders. Over-exposure to substances in welding fume can potentially put welders at risk of short-term and long-term health issues. The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) makes recommendations for exposure limits in the form of Threshold Limit Values (TLV). The ACGIH guidance is followed by many provincial bodies in Canada, so its recent move to reduce the TLV for manganese will require action by fabricating shops across the country. The change, published in the 2013 edition of ACGIH’s TLVs and Biological Exposure Indices (BEIs), created a new TLV of 0.02 mg/m3 for respirable manganese—a ten-fold reduction from the former 0.2 mg/m3 TLV. Provinces adopting legislation based on these recommendations are typically being pragmatic in enforcement, but they do expect companies to demonstrate they have a pro42 | FEBRUARY 2016

gram to attain these TLVs. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is sometimes required if other control measures are not sufficient. This drastic reduction will require shops to rethink their welding processes—the wire used, the processes adopted, and the fume extraction methods employed—all being employed consistent with sound welding practices. Doug Wylie, principal investigator at Winnipeg Air Testing, encourages shops to consider at least two forms of control concurrently to successfully reach the targets set by the TLV. Wylie personally conducted a two-year study on welding fumes across Manitoba that included initial testing to determine average welding exposures, the introduction of cost-effective controls and retesting of the improved conditions. By using a combination of the measures described below, he says that reaching these new TLV levels is possible.

Welding consumables According to Dale Malcolm, VP of sales for Lincoln Electric Canada, the first thing companies ask for when considering these changes is a welding wire with less manganese in it, which would naturally lead to the creation of less manganese particulate. “The problem is that manganese is put into welding products for very specific reasons,” Malcolm explains. “It enhances the mechanical properties attainable in the welding deposit, it improves toughness, and is a deoxidizer and ties up elements like sulphur in the weld to produce manganese sulfides, which reduces the tendency for hot cracking. If you remove the manganese, you need to find another element to produce the toughness in the weld. However, normally, what happens when you introduce those other elements, such as nickel, it starts to negatively impact the welding arc characteristic. So there is a trade-off—you don’t get anything for free. If you choose a consumable with a lower level of manganese, they may not operate as well as traditional consumables, or give you the same properties.” Wylie is encouraged by welding research in this area. “There are new welding wires being tested now with a little less manganese in them and a little more of something else so you can still get the strength you need in cold temperatures,” he notes.

Pulsed welding to reduce fumes Malcolm recommends considering the www.canadianfabweld.com

weld process to see how weld fumes can be reduced that way. “If you are going to remove fumes via new technology rather than switching consumables, you will likely have to go to a pulsed welding solution,” he explains. “Using this method, you do reduce the amount of fume, so it is possible to use conventional consumables, and retain good welder appeal.” Malcolm accepts that adopting new technology can be costly, “but by choosing an advanced process, you can also improve productivity and quality,” he notes. “So you may have to buy new equipment, but that investment comes with a return of higher productivity. If you were to only invest in fume extraction systems, you don’t get any return on investment.” Pulsed MIG is a non-contact transfer method between the electrode and the weld puddle. The electrode does not touch the puddle. This is done through high-speed manipulation of the electrical output of the welding machine. It is a comparatively spatterless process that runs at a lower heat input. The pulsed MIG process works by forming one droplet of molten metal at the end of the electrode per pulse. Then, just enough current is added to push that one droplet across the arc and into the puddle. Pulsed MIG drops the current at times when extra power is not needed, therefore cooling off the process. It is this “cooling off” period that allows pulsed MIG to weld better on thin materials, control distortion and run at lower wire feed speeds. Wylie has seen a lot of positive results using this approach. “We’ve been in shops where in the morning they used their regular MIG settings to weld and in the afternoon switched to a pulse setting on the same job, in the same space,” he says. “The QA team couldn’t detect a difference in the finished product.”

Robotic welding If it is possible to automate certain processes in a robotic cell, this is yet another way in which a company can move welders away from close exposure to fumes. Properly set up, you can design a fume removal system around the cell so that the operator is not at the point where the fume is generated. On existing robotic systems, Malcolm again recommends a switch to a pulsed welding system that would reduce fumes at source, which would in turn reduce the investment www.canadianfabweld.com

necessary in local and general extraction— and sometimes the need PPE. “While personal protection equipment is very effective, it is an additional cost, intrusive, and can reduce productivity and worker comfort,” Malcolm notes.

Work practice controls Although investments will likely need to be made to meet the TLVs, revisiting shop floor practices can also reduce weld fume exposure. Safe welding habits that should be reviewed as part of this process include keeping your head out of the fumes, keeping fumes and gases away from your breathing zone, and ensuring everyone has proper training on the use of fume extraction equipment, which must be used, and maintained, properly to be effective. “If a person is working in a fab shop making mufflers, for instance, and the person’s hunched over the job, it is easy to fix that situation,” says Wylie. “They can fabricate stands so that the muffler sits higher on the bench, so the welder now sits in front of the job, not huddled over it. It’s better ergonomics and now the plume rises in front of him. That’s an easy fix and a permanent solution.”

Extraction Fume extraction is a key part of any welding set-up, of course. As Mike Meyer, technical director and application specialist at Robo Vent explains, some companies try to use some very basic methods of fume extraction to improve their fume capture. “For instance, some welders have adopted the use of a fume gun, which is basically a tube that gets wrapped around the weld lead, and it has very small ports at the end of the gun to pull in the air and, hopefully, pull in the welding fume,” Meyer explains. “That approach is typically 50-60 per cent efficient at best. It can be partially effective for high source generation points, but it is only a partial solution.” Wylie notes that the gun extraction approach is sensitive to cross breezes, and they can be prone to clogging, but he still encourages their use. “They have to be cleaned out on a regular basis, but that is not complicated – you just need to take the shroud off, get a screwdriver in there and just whack it a couple of times, it’s surprising what falls out,” says Wylie. “It’s partly just making this a regular routine that will help to reduce exposure.” FEBRUARY 2016 | 43

Meyer is encouraging companies to consider extraction solutions that don’t require a lot of adjustment by the welder on a regular basis. “You have to find a solution that the operator will actually use,” he explains. “A lot of people use flexible fume arms, and they work great on day one, but when the operator’s tired of moving it from position to position, he kind of forgets about it and goes on. You need to put something in that they’ll always use.” Meyer points to a shop he worked in the U.S. that is welding 8 ft. diameter compressors with 1 in. thick walls—a shop that is laying a fairly heavy bead. The company has about 48 weld stations, each with three to four welders. With cranes overhead to move the compressors, the fume collector had to be set up on the floor. So the fume collector was placed close to the station and then had ducts to each one of the cells, with a hood at each that was about 4-5 ft. long and a foot high, using inlet transitions to reduce the static pressure to get more airflow for increased capture efficiency. The weld fume total particulate concentration was measured at a maximum of about 5 mg/m3 without the exhaust system on. The total particulate concentration was well below 1mg/m3 with the exhaust system turned on. The challenge is to get the right fit for your facility. Wylie has seen a number of shops where extraction systems have drifted or just sit against a wall. But he insists that simple little tweaks to those fume arms—the changing of a washer so it’s tight and stays where it needs to be—can make a big difference. “You’ll get 80 per cent reductions in exposure when these tools are used and maintained properly,” he insists. While sorting out the ideal solution for a shop, it can be beneficial to employ PPE. But as Peter Elleman, global environmental health & safety director at ESAB points out, this equipment also needs to meet the exacting standards of the new TLVs. “If they can’t extract the fumes completely, welders will commonly use PPE in the form of respirators,” Elleman explains. “Now that the expectation of effectiveness has moved by a factor of 10, some respirators are not going to be effective. Each has a limit to its effective filtering range, and it may be necessary to step up to higher performance equipment that require the revision of a company’s whole respiratory protection program.” 44 | FEBRUARY 2016

No magic bullet The new rules are a challenge, but as Dale Malcolm explains, the big challenge now is that companies don’t know where they stand. “Some companies have not had an industrial hygienist come in and evaluate their current levels of fume exposure,” he says. “Those that do will likely find that they met the old limit, or were very close to it. But for many, meeting the new or future limits is going to be extremely difficult. And there is no magic bullet. What we are finding is that every solution for every facility is unique. Many companies default to PPEs because it is the quickest, simplest and most straightforward way to do it quickly. But this approach can be problematic in the long-term. PPE requires constant additional emphasis upon proper fitting, training, maintenance and use. That involves a cost in terms of dollars and worker productivity and comfort. Also, it means that anyone visiting the welding areas should be wearing it as well.” Meyer recommends initially getting the air tested throughout your facility—what his company calls “vent mapping”. “The problem is that many solution providers use rules of thumb to determine how dust collectors that control fumes will most effectively operate,” Meyer explains. “They look at how many air changes there should be based on the volume of the building, etc. But I think to meet these stringent requirements is going to take science. The technology exists today to take air measurements in a facility using airborne particulate monitors, which basically samples the air at maybe a 2-5 minute point in time, and reports that dust concentration level. You take those measurements at the operator’s station, but also throughout the facility, and at different elevations. You get a 3D picture of what is happening with the weld fume and what effect the air make-up systems and cooling fans have on fume propagation. This way, you can capture that computer data and better model where to put collectors and hoods in and around your work stations and robotic cells.” So if you haven’t had an exposure assessment of your facility, now is the time so you can evaluate that solutions are best for you. Wylie notes that no one solution is a silver bullet, but some improvements can be made at little cost. “In companies we’ve tested, I think we’ve eliminated 80 per cent of over-exposure in companies that have really tried. But you have to have a toolkit of solutions.” www.canadianfabweld.com

FUME MANAGEMENT: START YOUR TOOLKIT There is no silver bullet that will help a company meet the new, more stringent manganese exposure limits. The products

introduced here are a few examples of solutions that might fit your fume management toolkit.

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Lincoln’s MetalShield Clarity MC-707 metal-cored wire assists efforts to reduce manganese exposure. It has an over 40 per cent reduction in manganese generation rate compared to a conventional E70C-6M electrode. It is a mild steel metal-cored welding wire, with high deposition rates and fast travel speeds. Metalshield MC-707 is manufactured in Toronto, and has a CWB Classification of E492C-6M-H4.

ESAB Welding & Cutting Products’ Coreweld C6 LF is a low manganese emission metalcored welding wire. It has more than 50 percent lower manganese content and is designed to provide effective operating qualities while reducing the manganese levels in the welding fumes when compared to standard metal-cored electrodes of the same classification. It has consistent arc stability, low spatter, good bead shape and minimal clean-up. Its low diffusible hydrogen level helps avoid hydrogeninduced cold cracking in the welding of high strength steel.

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PULSED MIG SOLUTION Lincoln Electric’s Electric Power Wave is the company’s latest generation welding power source platform, capable of advanced pulse modes, data monitoring and procedure lockout. Shown with optional Surface Tension Transfer module and Cool Arc 55 Water Cooler. Available options include single, dual, suitcase, and robotic feeders, telescoping cart, and the Advanced Process Module.

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FUME EXTRACTION The FILTAIR Capture 5 fume extraction system from Miller Electric features new technology that creates a much larger capture area than many source-capture products and minimizes arm interactions. Capture 5 is far more effective than ambient fume extraction systems. The ZoneFlow technology creates a negative pressure zone that extends the weld particulate capture distance. Air moving into the arm is still about 900 CFM. However, ZoneFlow technology also moves clean, filtered air out of the arm at approximately a 90 degree angle which creates a large negative pressure zone. This negative pressure zone forms a type of curtain that funnels the weld fume particulate towards the center of the arm, maximizing capture and extending the capture zone up to five feet deep and four feet wide.

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FEBRUARY 2016 | 45

By Rob Colman

and held flat part deburring is a relatively straightforward process, but one approach doesn’t suit every application. Shops often have operators using angle grinders to do the job of removing the sharp edges left over after a sheet has been cut or a hole punched. It’s natural that operators think first about speed but speed may mean nothing if, in deburring a thin sheet, the edge ends up overworked. It’s important to consider the nature of the burr you are removing. It’s important to determine the type of burr and parent material so the correct burr removal approach is used.

ommending the appropriate product for the job are the size and orientation of the bur,” says Rick Hopkins, product manager, welding & fabrication products for Weiler Corp. “Typically for a hand-held pure deburring application, I would consider a crimped wire product,” Hopkins continues. “These products are less aggressive and will knock the burr off rather than cut it off. A wire product, instead of tearing through the base material, acts like a thousand tiny hammers peening the surface. It is going to give you a consistent ‘orange peel’ finish. In the process, you are preparing that surface for finishing.” In bonded abrasive cutting applications, often the burr that is formed is jagged from the friction caused in the cutting process. The burr is more porous than the parent material. In the case of a plasma or waterjet cut, the burr is more likely to have a crystalline structure from the extreme temperature of the arc process. “For a 1” plasma cut, I would consider some kind of non-woven product with the goal of not being over-aggressive and changing the dimension of the part,” says Rob Di Valentin, senior application development professional, abrasive systems division, 3M Canada. “Due to the design of our Scotchbrite product, for instance, it prevents undercutting and gouging so you can improve the surface of a metal without significantly changing the dimensions.”

Control is key Mechanical vs. thermal cuts If you consider a mechanical shear application, for instance, using a band saw or metal to metal shear, the burr material is often only a thinner amount of the parent material. “You’ve basically taken the last bit of material on that piece of metal and you’re bending it at a 90 degree angle,” notes John Thompson, national technical sales manager for PFERD Inc. “There is no change in the metallurgy. The best approach to removing that burr is to basically pull it off using a wire brush, or a non-woven material designed to pull without building up a lot of friction and heat. If you try to deburr the piece with a coarse coated abrasive, you tend to melt (by friction) the thinnest part, and you end up heating up the thicker part next to it. This can lead to overgrinding and bevel the material.” “For deburring, the biggest factors for rec46 | FEBRUARY 2016

In both abrasive cut and plasma applications, it is important that the removal process be very controlled, because the metallurgy has changed. And one product is not suitable for every situation. “Often, burr removal is performed with high speed tools, with an additional issue of poor control and often removing excess material, resulting in deformation of the parent material out of specification,” says Thompson. “Abrasives only remove material. If the process is uncontrolled, too much material may be removed and the edge ends up being burr free but thinner than the specifications allow. A high speed solution increases friction and often reduces control. Using the correct speed, based on the diameter of the consumable and contact time of the part, often gets you the right result faster than trying to use a faster speed solution.” Consumable tooling has to be chosen to fit www.canadianfabweld.com

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the needs of the job as well. Use a deburring product that is too aggressive and one can end up serrating the treated area, only removing portions of the burr and leaving small particles that may cause coating issues or a shortened product life span. “Most of the products I manage – coated and bonded abrasives – are generally overly aggressive for a deburring application,” says Hopkins. “Coated and bonded abrasives can be used for deburring applications, but they require much more operator skill. Dwelling and/or excessive pressure with a coated (or bonded) abrasive can lead to gouging, undercutting, or marring of the workpiece. The general rule of thumb that I always give a customer is you should use the least aggressive product that will remove the burr.” Match the consumable tool to remove the burr with the least amount of friction and the most operator control. “Often people will try to remove burrs way too fast,” says Thompson. “Slower is actually faster in this application. Sometimes, in going too fast, you actually melt the material you are trying to move, so the small triangle you are trying to remove just gets rolled back and forth.” Often people try to deburr and do weld prep at the same time, which can affect both processes. However, when working in thin sheet and the narrow burrs created by laser

MORE INFORMATION, BETTER DECISIONS All abrasive suppliers try to assist customers in choosing the correct solution for their particular needs. Walter Surface Technologies recently added to their toolbox the “Productivity Report”, an online calculator that can look at the combination of grinding wheel and grinder to determine what the most efficient solution will be for a client’s project. “If a customer is using one of our wheels on any grinder on the market, we can compare the differences in terms of life of the wheel, removal rate, and we can really show the customer the benefits of certain solutions,” explains Walter’s Marc Brunet Gagne. “We include in our calculations wheel changeover times as well.” 3M, meanwhile, has a value analysis tool to show cost savings. “This takes into account number of parts produced, rework, downtime due to abrasive changing, burden rates and waste,” explains 3M’s Rob Di Valentin. Be sure to talk to your supplier about how best to choose your deburring and finishing solutions.

48 | FEBRUARY 2016

cutting, Jonathan Douville, product manager for Walter Surface Technologies, notes that there is a desire for solutions that can do both. Walter has developed a flap disc that has both self-sharpening grains and cooling agents to provide high removal and blending rates without causing surface discolouration, which is a key concern. “This is effective particularly in stainless steels,” Douville says. Again, it’s important to consider each process separately, to determine the right tool.

Ergonomic concerns Ergonomics is also critical in burr removal. For example, if you are using a circular discshaped product to remove a burr, Thompson notes that it is always better to position the operator to pull the deburring tool and direct the rotational momentum of the disc from the parent material across the burr and off the edge of the parent material. “The ergonomic factor of pulling a discshaped item opposite of the directional rotation of the consumable allows the operator to control the removal of the burr material with the least affect to the parent material,” says Thompson. “Pushing often forces the operator to raise the angle of the disc to the parent material and causes control issues and premature depletion of the consumable product. The potential long-term ergonomic effects from excess vibration during the pushing process may cause physical effects on the operator.” Thompson says it’s important to control the direction of the consumable in the contact to the burr. Removing the burr as close to a 90-degree angle from the burr and flat on the parent material off the edge keeps the operator from removing too much material. An incorrect solution can also be a problem. “A common issue you see with off-hand deburring is that an operator will use excessive pressure if they are using a product that is not aggressive enough for the size or orientation of the burr that they have to remove. A natural reaction is to lean into the product, to compensate for the lack of work being done,” explains Ron Vogt Jr., category manager for MROP products with Weiler. “Every time that will lead to long wire breakage in a product, and premature failure of the brush.” Taking time to determine the factors in burr removal will result in the most cost-effective long-term return on this simple but critical application. www.canadianfabweld.com

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2015-08-11 1

Construction underway on a roll former with removable rafts for quick production profile changeovers.

Samco re-engineers its roll forming business with expanded footprint Customer needs shift to peripherals, production support speeds change on the shop floor By Rob Colman

abricators everywhere are investing in more automation to increase their productivity and remain competitive. Suppliers have to keep on innovating to deliver new, more flexible products to their customers. Roll forming producers are no different, although their challenge is doubled in some ways—they have to create a custom-built production system that is still flexible enough for varied purposes. They are being asked to speed up processes that are already relatively efficient and automated, which can be a big ask. At Toronto’s Samco Machinery, the team is finding that clients are requesting more functionality to speed up processing so that they can go from coil to shipping with as few hands touching parts as possible. And Samco has grown its footprint in Toronto to provide more flexibility in the way it meets client needs. Now that the company has been in its new facility for two years, it has had time to refine its workflow set-up for machine fabricating, and start to expand its parts fabricating and refurbishment capabilities to be a one-stop shop for its roll forming customers. 50 | FEBRUARY 2016

Bigger capacity, broader opportunities Samco Machinery opened its doors in 1972 as a single-man operation, run by Joe Repovs, who had rented out 200 sq. ft. of office space. The company has grown to provide roll forming machine solutions to building and construction, automotive, storage, HVAC and metal processing and material handling companies around the globe since then. It is ISO 9001 certified, and has a satellite office for customer support and fabricating facility for decoilers in New Delhi, India. The company employs 110 people in its Toronto facility and 60 in India. In 2012, after many years of growth at one location, the company had outgrown its 80,000 sq-ft. manufacturing facility and needed to expand. In August 2013 the company made its biggest move. “We moved about 20 minutes away from our original location,” says Bob Repovs, Samco’s CEO and son of the founder. “We have a strong employee base, many of whom have been with us for as much as 30 years. We didn’t want to risk losing that knowledge base by moving to the other side of the city.” It’s that knowledge base that Repovs keeps coming back to during a tour of the facility. In the company’s engineering department, www.canadianfabweld.com

there are specialty groups for roll forming, tooling, IT and quality, to ensure that with each customer product these dedicated teams can refer to other projects they’ve worked on and determine how best to approach the new challenge they’re set. The 164,000 sq.-ft. facility Samco now occupies makes production processes much easier. With four 500-foot long bays, each 75 ft. wide with a 34 ft. clearance, the company has had ample space to grow and offer more to its clients Samco builds everything on site, with fabricating, machining, and electrical building and programming all being completed in its first bay (the only exception to this rule is some of the company’s decoilers, which are built at its one other facility in New Delhi, India, and shipped to Canada for the addition of electrics and hydraulics). The second bay is dedicated to assembly. “Everything is fully assembled, tested and integrated here,” says Repovs. “Customers have the assurance that we build the line completely here, and it doesn’t leave here until they sign off on it.” Having produced all the components that go into a build gives the Samco team extra confidence in the final product. “We know how it’s produced and we also support the products, on the electronics end, remotely,” Repovs explains. “Typically, about 90 per cent of your issues with any machine are found in the controls, so now we can diagnose any issues from here on any machine anywhere in the world. This used to be an optional service we would offer, but it has become fairly standard now.” In Samco’s former building, the bays were only about 65 ft. wide. The extra space now makes it possible to produce larger footprint products. For instance, when Canadian Fabricating & Welding visited the facility, a complete engineered-to-order material handling system, including a shrink-wrap machine, was in the process of being built for a client in Australia. “It’s this sort of extra capability—material handling support—that clients are really looking for today,” says Repovs. “They want parts to come right off their roll former into a handling system. It removes the need for lifting or moving of parts, and improves safety in the process. This sort of solution is becoming popular everywhere labour is expensive.” www.canadianfabweld.com

Roll forming support team It’s the third and fourth bays of the Samco facility that are just starting to ramp up for increased benefit to customers. Bay 4 has been mostly rented out monthly for storage until now. At this point, the team’s ready to use the space for refurbishment work and, potentially, more space for customer parts fabricating. Currently, there are three roll forming lines in-house for parts fabricating and replacement tool testing. “Our main focus right now for parts fabrication is the solar industry,” says Repovs. “We roll form and do light assembly for solar racking systems—and with aluminum used in the solar industry, we cut pieces and drill them on a custom-built 10-head adjustable drilling line before assembly. But that industry goes through cycles, so we’re looking at ways to increase production in this space to keep the machines running.” As much as it might sound like Samco could end up competing with their machinery clients, Repovs sees it differently. “Having these lines up creates an added service to our clients,” he explains. “We can help customers with the development of their own product because we have the engineering bench strength and can work through the manufacturability of the part, helping them work out how to reduce the gauge of the

STEP BEAM ROLL FORMER WITH CONTINUOUS INLINE HF WELDER This high efficiency roll forming line produces Step Beam product with material thicknesses of 16 GA and 14 GA. It comes complete with an in-line high frequency continuous welder and post-cut off flying press system, with roll tooling for all product sizes and profile cut-off die. Key features: • A double uncoiler (10,000 lbs) with coil snubbers and feed up drive for threading and rewinding. • 22 pass rafted roll-former base with stopper locators, gear boxes, and motor system with quick coupling disconnects. • Integration of an in-line solid-state high frequency welder with squeeze box, cooling trough and welding mechanicals for continuous welding. • Hydraulic operated, estimated 35 ton angled adjustable press head suitable for on the fly operation.

FEBRUARY 2016 | 51

A drywall stud and track roll former in production on the Samco shop floor.

material so they can make a less expensive and more efficient product. “We can also produce a part as long as they want, until they are ready to purchase a machine to put in their facility,” Repovs continues. “In that case, the investment in tooling has already been made and can easily be transferred to their new machine.” When CF&W visited the facility, Samco was preparing to receive machinery from a customer that is building new factories in the Toronto area. Until those facilities are ready, Samco will assemble the customer’s machines and run their product at the Samco facility. “Our whole model of customer service is evolving in this space,” says Repovs. “The building has really reengineered our business.” Even for the solar industry, Samco’s been able to innovate to better serve the customer. “Aluminum extrusions always have a complete round cavity when you are creating what will eventually be a C-shaped bracket,” says Repovs. “That is the way the die is made. What we do is run one side through a couple of passes on our roll former to tear out a strip

BRIDGE DECK ROLL FORMING LINE This is a continuous bridge deck roll forming line with a post-cut operation. All 4 profiles (2, 2-1/2, 3 and 4 in.) are roll formed, end formed in the press, and cut-tolength using quick changeovers from one profile to the other using rafted tops (cassettes) with quick coupling disconnects. Key features: 20K single ended uncoiler with coil car, hydraulically powered full time driven with mandrel expansion. • Hydraulically powered UP/DOWN threading table to assist in threading raw material into the system. • Length control system helps the operator set length and quantity. 28 pass rafted roll former with gear box drive at every station. • Stationary hydraulic cut-off press suitable for ‘Stop-and-Go’ cut and form operation. • 20ft non-powered run out roller exit conveyor pushes the completed parts out. •

52 | FEBRUARY 2016

on one side. Previously, the customer had to pay to have that milled out. Our process saves them time and money, so we’re getting more business that way. That’s the thing about having a lot of smart people on your team, they’ll often look at a common problem that people just live with, and they will solve it.” With companies moving to the use of thinner and harder gauge material, and the complexity of some of the products being produced on new roll formers, Samco uses Copra FEA (Finite Element Analysis) for many of its customer’s new designs. This gives the ability to test tooling on a virtual tooling try-out mill before the mill is even built on the shop floor. The advantage of this is that it pinpoints potential forming problems, and predicts actual strip shape at each roll stand. This is extremely valuable to customers that have profiles with potential challenges. The investment that goes into building unproven tooling can be astronomical on roll formers with many passes. “People are getting very creative about what they want to produce using roll forming equipment today,” notes Repovs. “Our team uses all the tools at their disposal to make those ideas a reality.” On the shop floor the day CF&W visited, machines were being built for making stud and track, and wheel wells for carts. But the company has provided solutions for everything from ring-shaped products to bridge decking. And products can include in-line welding also.

A strong start to 2016 The market for Samco is positive right now. Orders are strong for the first half of the year, and Repovs is bullish for the near term. “The U.S. market continues to dominate with a lot of racking and shelving demand, for instance,” he notes. “I think there has been a lot of reshoring in that sector. And, of course, a lot of building construction orders for stud lines. The fact that people are adding equipment shows that there has been quite a turn in the market. “Automotive is also coming back strong,” Repovs continues. “We are quoting on a lot of projects both in Ontario and Mexico, and I think another resurgence is going to happen in that market, and we have the bench strength to benefit from it.” To learn more about Samco Machinery, visit samco-machinery.com. www.canadianfabweld.com

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The Advantage-2 high speed carbide drill line is just one of the many recent CNC additions to W.F. Welding.

CNC investments create a competitive edge at W.F. Welding Removing manual process bottlenecks saves time and money By Lindy Casey

anada is currently one of the few developed nations that are net exporters of energy. Alberta’s large oil and gas resources contribute tremendously to making Canada home to a 13 per cent share of global oil reserves— the world’s third-largest share after Venezuela and Saudi Arabia. Tucked away in one of the largest industrial parks in Western Canada, W.F. Welding is pushing out production for the oil and heavy industrial markets from its Edmonton facility, and maintaining it by investing in CNC fabricating solutions. With those investments, the company is armed to manage through the boom and bust cycles of western Canadian industry.

of fabrication space. Due to market demands, W.F.’s structural steel division has grown to be nearly twice the size of its crane division. Ryan Schram, structural division manager at W.F. Welding, will be the first to tell you the progressive company growth hasn’t always been simple, yet it has been strategic in remaining competitive. “We were a bottleneck,” Schram explained. “We couldn’t build cranes and structural in the little shop that we had so we built a new shop for structural. Then, as our crane division expanded, they needed their own shop. We were fortunate to find a property between our two existing facilities. Now, we’ve expanded there again with space to continue to grow both divisions as needed.”

began to search for more efficient fabrication solutions. “We had [more than 5] fitters working in that area trying to keep up with two shops and it wasn’t efficient,” Schram recalled. To remedy the problem, Schram and his team started looking at plate processing solutions, and their capabilities really made them think. “It was a large investment at the time but you could see the difference it would make. It was immediate and the payback on the machine was less than a year. Not only could it produce accurate material at an incredible rate, it freed up those fitters to move back into production.”

Plate processor produces instant results W.F. Welding’s initial investment in Peddinghaus technology began with the FPB-1800 plate machine. The system includes a plasma cutter, a triple tool punch press, carbide scribing capabilities, and roller feed measurement. It can handle a maximum plate thickness of 32 mm, maximum width of 1,800 mm, minimum thickness of 6 mm, minimum width of 152 mm, with a punch capacity of 160 metric tons. Understanding the importance of CNC operator training, Schram and his team took advantage of onsite training from a certified Peddinghaus technician. Before W.F. acquired the new plate processing system, they continued to manually lay out beams, columns and plates to complete a cold box for an oil sands project measuring 35 feet x 35 feet x 225 feet tall (10m x 10m x 70m) of

Growing pains Founded in 1986, W.F. Welding & Overhead Cranes Ltd. originated with four owners and a focus on crane fabrication. In 1998, W.F. began introducing light structural work to its mix of products. It has now grown into three facilities with approximately 120,000 square feet (11,000 square meters) 54 | FEBRUARY 2016

Busting out of the bottleneck Before W.F. was able to attain company growth, fitters were ‘wasting time’ manually processing flat bar— drawing chalk lines, cutting plates, drilling and punching holes by hand. W.F. quickly realized the detail area was behind in processing. They

Rob Kohler, Detail Supervisor, oversees all of the CNC operations at W.F. Welding.

www.canadianfabweld.com

PROFILE

W.F. reports an immediate production increase of at least 30 per cent and projects an additional 30-35 per cent with their newly installed equipment.

heavy plate. Following their FPB installation and proper CNC training, Schram and the W.F. team were able to complete the first batch of plates in one shift. “It was an eye opener for the shop and really was a game changer,” says Schram. “The build quality of the machine is quite good,” Rob Kohler, Detail Supervisor, stated. “They are solid machines. The FPB is just a workhorse. It puts out a lot of steel and it’s what’s allowed this company to expand.”

at the second shop, that was equally a game changer as well,” Schram continued. “Without that machine, we wouldn’t be able to keep up and again, it freed up our fitters for production.” 2014 brought along W.F.’s most recent expansion and the acquisition of their third fabrication facility. W.F. added an Advantage-2 high speed drill line, a PeddiWriter CNC layout marking machine, an HSFDB plate machine, an Anglemaster-HD and a double miter structural band saw. The drill line is capable of carbide drilling, milling, tapping and countersinking a wide array of profiles. It features 5-station tool changers, Smart Spindle drilling and an enhanced clamping system. The PeddiWriter, an industry-first from Peddinghaus, includes two independent Hypertherm plasma units to automate layout and fit-up processes on all four axes. The main benefits to this machine are increased productivity due to the automation of layout processes vs. manual methods, as well as the increased accuracy due to the ability to import part files directly from a BIM model. All of the tools together have made this fab shop a structural force in the Canadian market.

cent. Processing 15,000-20,000 tons a year is no problem to complete cold boxes for oil sands projects, pedestrian bridges, barge pontoons, steam turbine generator buildings, deep cut gas plant expansions, terminal expansions, separator buildings and platforms for stabilizer towers. “The new machinery has allowed us to bid on larger jobs that otherwise we would not have been able to accommodate,” Rob Kohler says. “With our new shop, production has increased and the new machines have allowed us to put out more steel to bid on larger jobs instead of the smaller portions of big, structural jobs.” Schram and the team at W.F. feel confident about their company’s continued growth. With an immense CNC equipment lineup and accompanying CAD/CAM software, accuracy and quality are the main components setting this firm apart from others in the industry. “I really believe without this equipment, we wouldn’t be competitive enough to produce the numbers that we need to,” Schram exclaimed. “Alberta has a boom-bust cycle and when you’re in the valleys, margins get fairly tight. If you didn’t have this equipment, you wouldn’t even be able to come to the table.”

Production numbers don’t lie Moving away from manual methods Experiencing immediate results from their plate processor, W.F. initiated the second investment with Peddinghaus. An addition of a BDL-1250/9B carbide drill line in tandem with a structural band saw and the ABCM-1250 coper gave W.F. the competitive agility they were searching for. “We ran our first piece of steel through the beam line and were running heavy columns for a job with 1-¼ in. (32 mm) thick flanges,” Schram stated. “One of our guys would spend 12 hours drilling holes in the columns by hand. We could run a column in that machine in under an hour. “When we first got our beam line www.canadianfabweld.com

With their newly installed system, W.F. reported an instant production increase of at least 30 per cent and projects an additional 30-35 per

Lindy Casey is the marketing communications specialist at Peddinghaus. For more on the company, visit peddinghaus.com.

W.F.’s newest installation includes the HSFDB-C, the Advantage-2, the PeddiWriter, the Anglemaster-HD and two structural band saws in their fourth fab shop.

FEBRUARY 2016 | 55

WELDING TECH

Gas metal arc welding: problems and solutions Wire feeding issues a top problem for successful weld completion By Rob Colman

as metal arc welding (GMAW), often referred to by its subtypes metal inert gas (MIG) or metal active gas (MAG) welding, is a process in which an electric arc forms between a consumable wire electrode and the workpiece metals, which heats the metals and makes them melt and join. GMAW is popular because of its ease of use and effectiveness. Yet there are several ways a GMAW weld can be compromised. CF&W spoke with the Canadian Welding Bureau’s technical developer Bruce James to learn about these difficulties and how best to remedy them.

Weld porosity Weld porosity can be caused by two factors—windy or drafty conditions, or a contaminated material surface. “Shielding gases are easily blown away, so in windy or drafty locations, we have to remove the draft or erect an enclosure to reduce it,” explains James. “Porosity is caused by gases being absorbed by the liquid metal in excessive amounts that can be held in solution once the metal has turned solid, so we act to prevent those gases being absorbed with the use of shielding to increase soundness.” Surface contamination may be caused by substances such as lubricants used in the forming of complex shapes in the automotive industry. “I have seen many parts enter a weld station dripping forming compound. If this fluid isn’t removed, it will create porosity,” says James.

Improper bead profile An improper bead profile is generally 56 | FEBRUARY 2016

a result of not following a set procedure that establishes a relationship between the width of the bead and its height, James explains. “So, by not adjusting the equipment to the correct setting, and/or not travelling at the correct speed during the weld, those are the most common reasons an improper bead profile is created,” he says. Problems can also occur if the welding gun is oriented incorrectly—in that case, the metal “piles up” in the wrong place. “And sometimes rust or heavy scale can cause the liquid metal to cling to itself more, so as with weld porosity the surface conditions can create inconsistencies of different types in a weld. The closer we are to the boundary conditions of the procedure’s usability, the more consistency in surface condition required,” says James.

Incomplete fusion/penetration Incomplete fusion is when base metals and weld metal are not completely melted or fused together through the length of a weld. Incomplete penetration is about not melting through the joint to the intended depth. “It is possible for the weld deposit to literally just sit on the surfaces of the joint and not fuse together,” says James. This can be caused by a number of things—inadequate amperage to melt into the surfaces, or the geometry of the connection being inappropriate. It can also be caused by pointing the gun incorrectly. “Welding is a directional process, so if you are pointing the gun in the wrong direction, the soundness of the weld will be affected,” says James.

“For instance, if you are working on a square groove weld, if the electrode is not pointed directly into the interface of the two parts, the penetrating power goes to the side, not into the joint the way you want it to. In that case, you would have incomplete penetration to the intended depth.Or, in the case of prepared joints that have a narrow opening in the root region, the liquid metal can actually cling to itself and bridge across the joint, not achieving penetration to the intended depth.” In fillet welds misdirecting the process creates incomplete fusion. The actual component geometry can make it impossible for a certain size welding gun to bisect the angle to achieve the melting of both pieces.

Inconsistent wire feeding Probably the most common problem in wire delivery is incorrect setup of the feeding circuit. This happens for a number of reasons. Clogged liners The electrode is small in diameter and must be supported through the entire feeding circuit, from drive roll inlet to the contact tip, but the gun liner frequently fills with debris, and as it clogs up the resistance to the wire passing through changes continually. And, of course, there’s a cerwww.canadianfabweld.com

WELDING TECH tain amount of slack inside the gun, so whenever the feeding resistance changes, the electrode is inconsistently delivered to the arc. “What we typically find is that liner problems cause the end of the wire to float in and out of the contact tip, slowly back and forth, which is a sign that we’ve got to replace the liner or clean the gun,” says James. Worn drive rolls The grooves in the drive rolls of a feeder can wear out also. “It’s a steel part, but there are maybe 1,000 meters of small diameter wire passing through those rolls—eventually those wear out, and it can no longer provide the friction necessary to drive the electrode in a positive manner,” James explains. Misaligned components Another related issue is misalignment of any components in the feeding circuit. Such misalignments cause the wire to scrape along the drive system, and fine pieces of the wire are shaved off and, in turn, these shavings clog up the liner. Incorrect electrode size Some people temporarily solve feeding problems by using the next size larger liner and contact tip suitable in an effort to reduce feeding resistance. They often think it is suitable to feed a different sized electrode through a feeding circuit designed to take a certain size of electrode. “Manufacturers have spent significant time determining exactly what size that feeding circuit should be, so if you are buying a 0.9 mm wire, it has feeding circuit components designed specifically for that diameter,” says James. Excessively long welding guns The further you have to push the electrode through a gun, the more problems you are likely to encounter. “Getting a 25 ft. welding gun for www.canadianfabweld.com

a 10 ft. work envelope doesn’t make sense, but it is not uncommon,” says James. “Better to go with a shorter gun and move the feeder to the odd job that requires it. A better solution is to mount the feeder on a track or swiveling arm in the work envelope to keep it out of the way and avoid more feeding problems.” Cheap welding wire Inconsistently drawn or coated electrode creates inconsistent feeding. “It’s a false economy. The cost of a kg of electrode is nothing in comparison to the cost of downtime sorting through feeding problems, inconsistent weld quality, and possibile rework,” says James.

Incomplete digital solutions There has been a transition from analog to digitally controlled wire feed systems, except many users haven’t

invested in digital pre-setting options available for these feeding systems. A digital pre-setting establishes the wire feed speed and the voltage—a “cruise control” for your feeder. “There are a number of ways the power coming to your machine can fluctuate—for instance, a large electrical load coming on at the other end of the shop,” James explains. “In a situation where you have digital pre-setting, the wire feeder pulls more power to keep it going at the same speed the whole time. Without that pre-setting technology, you are not benefiting nearly as much from current technology. Once adopted, increased consistency reduces the number of problems with weld shape/ size and incomplete fusion from uncontrolled output. The power coming into your building is always changing, and if the system is unable to respond, weld quality will be less

CWB GROUP UPCOMING COURSES Looking to upgrade your welding skills? CWB Group offers a variety of courses across the country. Some upcoming courses will appear in each issue of Canadian Fabricating & Welding, but visit cwbgroup.org for full details, to register, and for information about online courses as well. Materials and Processes February 22-26 Nisku, AB

Welding Inspector Level 1 March 7-18 Nisku, AB

Welding Supervisor Steel February 22-26 Dartmouth, NS & Laval, QC

Welding Supervisor Steel March 7-11 Milton, ON

Liquid Penetrant Level 2 February 29-March 4 Nisku, AB

Z662 For Welding Supervisors and Inspectors March 8, 2016 Calgary, AB

Welding Inspector Level 1 Exam Preparation February 29-March 11 Milton, ON

Welding Inspector Level 2 March 9-18, 2016 Calgary, AB

Magnetic Particle Level 2 March 7-11 Nisku, AB

FEBRUARY 2016 | 57

FABRICATING & WELDING NEWS

Ferric Machinery grows with new Cambridge facility In late 2015, Ferric Machinery opened the doors of its new, 15,000-sq.-ft. facility in Cambridge, Ont. It includes a large showroom, offices, and technical support services. Company president Koen Verschingel says it creates a great opportunity to demonstrate new products, and also help clients in new ways. “It is very difficult for shops to find experienced operators these days,” Verschingel points out. “At our new facility, we can help train people on the machines they are buying. And once they learn the basics, that knowledge can be transferred to any machine.” Ferric carries the Ermaksan line of press brakes, lasers and shears, as

well as ironworkers, plate and profile rollers, and will soon carry band saws. Currently, the showroom has over 50 machines on display, and two fiber lasers will be added shortly. “It is helpful for customers to be able to come in and experience the machines,” says Verschingel. “Many of our potential customers are within a short drive of Cambridge, so it is easy for them to come and see how the products operate.” Verschingel believes there are two areas that will be particularly important for his business in 2016 – offering an affordable introductory fiber laser, and equipment rebuilds. When CF&W visited the showroom,

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58 | FEBRUARY 2016

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Ferric Machinery owners Sylvie and Koen Verschingel in front of an Ermaksan shear at the company’s new Cambridge facility.

there were a number of used press brakes in the process of being rebuilt. “That is a busy area for us because of the weak Canadian dollar,” Verschingel explains. “The frames on these machines last forever, so our technical staff simply need to update the electronics.” Verschingel has seen fiber lasers completely change the 2D laser cutting market in the past few years. He has also seen how expensive it can be for shops to enter that market, and believes that Ferric can offer an alternative. “What makes many fiber lasers expensive is the acceleration and deceleration technology,” Verschingel explains. “Most shops don’t benefit from the difference between the laser head travelling 40 m/min. and 50 m/ min., and accuracy is not affected.” The model Verschingel describes takes away some speed and does not include auto-focus. But it has the same software and is still turnkey. Ferric operates across Canada with support from Westside Service Ltd., Lethbridge, AB, for Western Canada, and Rogers Machine Sales, Bathurst, NB, for Eastern Canada. To learn more, visit ferricmachinery.com. www.canadianfabweld.com

FABRICATING & WELDING NEWS

Sudbury resident wins “Grind Like a Legend II” Contest 3M Canada recently announced the winner of the 3M Cubitron II Discs “Grind Like a Legend II” Contest. Congratulations to Ron Proulx, a welder working for Bristol Machine in Sudbury. The Grand Prize, a Ram 1500 SLT pickup, was to be delivered at the car dealer by Erin O’Brien from 3M Canada and Blake Didone, co-owner of Mike Doyle Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram in Sudbury. “This new vehicle could not have come at a better time as, after 11 years, I was ready to change my old truck,” states Ron Proulx, an outdoor lover who loves hunting, fishing and camping. “3M Cubitron II Abrasive Products have improved the quality of my work. Now with my new truck,

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it will be like I am with 3M day and night!” The 2015 3M Cubitron II Discs “Grind Like a Legend II” Contest was held from April 1 to July 31 across Canada. A sticker with a unique code was placed on Cubitron II abrasive products from 3M. Users entered online using their unique code and chose between one of two legendary rides—a pick-up truck or a motorcycle. Three finalists were drawn and invited to a Motley Crüe concert in Montreal in a 3M VIP box on August 24, where the Grand Prize winner was announced. “We’re very proud of this product, but it’s incredibly humbling to see how metalworkers across

Canada have embraced it,” states Erin O’Brien, Marketing Supervisor, Abrasive Systems Division for 3M Canada. “This contest really brings the spirit of our brand to life. Congratulations to Ron and all of the contest finalists.” To learn more, visit 3M.ca/ Grind2Win.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF HEIDI ULRICHSEN, NORTHERN LIFE

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FEBRUARY 2016 | 59

FABRICATING & WELDING NEWS

Edmonton high school first to implement ACORN going to improve the overall welding program and better prepare students to be industry ready. “We’re very thankful for all the support. It’s encouraging Deborah Mates, Executive Director of the CWA Foundation, Dayton knowing there Block, Jethro Ulrich, both welding teachers at St. Joseph High School and Principal Hugh MacDonald pose for a picture during the CWA are organizations Foundation and Marinucci Family Foundation cheque presentation. out there that truly care about inspiring the next generation of weldThe welding industry is all about ing professionals,” said Block. fusing alloys together and lasting St. Joseph High School Principal partnerships. This was on full disHugh MacDonald said ACORN will play when the Canadian Welding provide his welding students with a Association Foundation, Marinucci harmonized understanding as they Family Foundation, and Canadian enter the profession. Welding Bureau Institute part“By supplementing provincial nered with St. Joseph High School in programs throughout the country, Edmonton, AB, for several initiatives. this new resource, ACORN, from St. Joseph High School will be the the Canadian Welding Association first secondary school in Canada Foundation and Canadian Welding to implement the CWB Institute’s Bureau Institute, will ensure that all ACORN—the first national end-tohigh school welders enter the profesend welding curriculum in the counsion with a common understanding try, funded by the CWA Foundation. of what is occurring in the welding “It’s a pleasure to be partnering profession across Canada,” he said. with St. Joseph High School as they The CWA Foundation also launched will be the first secondary school in its Secondary School Welding Helmet Canada to implement this no cost, Initiative, and will be distributing modern welding curriculum,” said 1,800 welding helmets to various Deborah Mates, Executive Director high schools across the country that of the CWA Foundation. “This initiahave full-time welding programs. tive will change the way students St. Joseph will receive 22 auto-darklearn welding at the secondary level ening welding helmets. because of its current pedagogical Also, St. Joseph High School will be tools such as 3-D printing, a mobile receiving $50,000 over 10 years from application, and even textbooks with augmented reality, to ensure students a funding partnership between the CWA Foundation and the Marinucci remain engaged and get the best posFamily Foundation to go towards its sible welding education.” welding program. Dayton Block, St. Joseph Welding For more information, visit cwbTeacher, said it’s been a pleasure group.org/acorn forming this relationship with CWAF, CWBi and implementing ACORN is 60 | FEBRUARY 2016

Lantek, Waterjet to cooperate globally Lantek has reached a global agreement to supply its Lantek Expert CAD/CAM software with Waterjet Corporation’s range of waterjet machines. Waterjet Corp. has been building and supplying machines since 1991 from its headquarters and manufacturing facilities in Monza, Italy. Its machines include cantilever and bridge designs. The company also offers combination plasma and waterjet machines and waterjet surface texturing technology. By working with Lantek across all its global offices, the Waterjet Corporation will benefit from a CAD/ CAM system tailored to suit each machine in its range and which will maximize the productivity possible on those machines. Lantek has been developing CAD/CAM systems for the sheet metal industry since 1986. lanteksms.com waterjetcorp.com

Denis Krauss joins Metaline INKAS Group of Companies has appointed Denis Krauss as manager of Metaline. Krauss has over 30 years of leadership experience. Prior to Metaline, he worked as an operations manager for Debro Steel LP. His experience in fleet management and plant organization will enhance the company’s profile in Ontario and across Canada, the company stated in a news release. Metaline is a subsidiary of INKAS, serving its metal fabrication needs. metaline.ca www.canadianfabweld.com

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING RENISHAW (CANADA) LIMITED. Renishaw laser melting system is a pioneering process capable of producing fully dense metal parts direct from 3D CAD. From tooling inserts featuring conformal cooling, to lightweight structures for aerospace & high technology applications, laser melting gives designers more freedom. Find out more at www.renishaw.com/additive. T: 1 905 828 5519 E: Canada@renishaw.com www.renishaw.com

ASSOCIATIONS CANADIAN MACHINE TOOL DISTRIBUTORS’ ASSOCIATION (CMTDA) The CMTDA is a trade association dedicated to the marketing of machine tools and services in Canada through distributors. For more information about CMTDA or our members products and services, contact us at: T: 519 599 2803 E: info@cmtda.com www.cmtda.com

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Campbell Morden specializes in recruiting full-time staff for a broad range of industries, such as aerospace, automotive, CNC Machine Builders, and system integrators. Positions include: technical sales, CNC machining, applications engineers, manufacturing management, and field service technicians – among others.

Email: bp@campbellmorden.com Call Brian Pho at 905-482-0636 EVENTS – TRADE SHOWS

LASERS ROFIN-BAASEL, CANADA LTD. A Canadian division of the laser industry leader ROFIN-SINAR, provides applications, sales and a sophisticated service/technical support network for our vast line of lasers for marking, welding, cutting, and surface treatment. For more information contact us at: T: 905 607-0400 E: Info-canada@rofin-inc.com www.rofin.com

MACHINERY ELLIOTT MATSUURA CANADA INC. Elliott Matsuura Canada Inc. is an industryleading supplier of quality machine tools coast to coast in Canada. Since 1950, Elliott has provided complex metal cutting solutions to meet the challenges of aerospace, automotive, medical, energy, and other industries. T: 905-829-2211 E: info@elliottmachinery.com www.elliottmachinery.com

MARKING GRAVOTECH, INC. Gravotech are global leaders in the design, manufacturing, sales, and support of innovative solutions for engraving, marking and artistic modeling. As a global leader in durable marking technologies such as engraving, laser, micropercussion and scribing, we utilize our expertise to develop and market equipment, software and consumables for every application. T 800-843-7637 E: sales@us..gravotech.com www.gravotech.us

MATERIAL HANDLING PRAB. A global manufacturer of material handling equipment for scrap metal and coolant recycling. A broad line of conveyors, wringers, crushers, briquetters, and fluid filtration and recycling equipment will automate scrap processing while maximizing production and improving safety and environmental compliance. Robert Webb Authorized PRAB Sales Representative T: 905-296-2039 E: robert@rgwsalescanada.com

METAL FINISHING PFERD. The PFERD brand name is synonymous with outstanding premium-quality tools and abrasives. Today, we manufacture more than 7,500 PFERD brand grinding, cutting and surface finishing tools. And a complete range of ADVANCE BRUSH power and maintenance brushes. T: 905-501-1555 E: sales@pferdcanada.ca www.pferdcanada.ca

FABTECH CANADA. March 22-24, 2016 Toronto Congress Centre, FABTECH Canada is Canada’s largest one-stop, all-encompassing venue for the latest technologies and trends in fabricating, welding, metal forming, stamping, coating and finishing. With an unmatched reputation in the industry, FABTECH is the largest event in this sector in North America. For more information contact us at: T: 1 888 322 7333 E: jsaperson@sme.org www.fabtechcanada.com

WALTER SURFACE TECHNOLOGIES. Walter Surface Technologies has been a leader in surface treatment technologies for more than 60 years, and has been providing high productivity abrasives, power tools, tooling, chemical solutions and environmental solutions for the metal working industry. T: 1-888-592-5837 E: csr@walter.com www.walter.com

Canadian Manufacturing Technology Show (CMTS). Sept 28 – Oct 1 2015, The International Centre, Mississauga. Canada’s largest display of manufacturing equipment and technology attended by over 8,000 professionals. Connect with over 700 suppliers under one roof demonstrating live, working equipment. For more information contact us at: T: 1 888 322 7333 E: jpike@sme.org www.cmts.ca

BÖHLER-UDDEHOLM CANADA is a leading manufacturer of high quality tool steel, high speed steel, powder metallurgical steels, stainless steels, and specialty alloys. Products and conveniently located facilities are supported by a highly trained technical sales force and by a local and international metallurgical support staff. For more information contact: 1-800-665-8335 or www.bucanada.ca/contact_us.htm

FABRICATING MACHINERY AMADA CANADA, LTD. Since 1987, Amada has provided the Canadian industry with innovative sheet metal fabrication equipment including: CNC turret punch presses, lasers, punch/laser combination machines, press brakes, automated systems, tooling and software. Peter Burell T: 905 858 4496 pburell@amada.ca www.amada.ca TRUMPF INC. TRUMPF Inc. is the largest manufacturer of sheet metal fabrication equipment and industrial lasers in North America. Our Farmington, CT facility produces precision laser cutting machines, punching machines and CO2 and solidstate lasers. T: 860 255 6000 E: info@us.trumpf.com www.us.trumpf.com

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METALS

QUALITY CONTROL RENISHAW (CANADA) LIMITED. Introducing a unique versatile gauging system. Equator, an alternative to custom gauging, offers inspection of an unprecedented variety of manufactured parts. Proven and Developed on the shop floor with industry leading gauging users in a variety of industries and applications. For more contact us at www.renishaw.com/gauging. T: 1 905 828 0104 E: Canada@renishaw.com www.renishaw.com

WELDING SUPPLIES LINCOLN ELECTRIC COMPANY OF CANADA. Lincoln Electric is the world leader in the design, development and manufacture of arc welding products, robotic arc welding systems, plasma and oxyfuel cutting equipment and brazing and soldering alloys. For more information contact us at: T 905 565 5600 www.lincolnelectric.ca

FEBRUARY 2016 | 61

NUMBERS

CANADA’S

 In 2013, Canada had 12,188 metal fabricating establishments, concentrated in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, and British Columbia and employed some 166,000 people.

METAL PRODUCTS MANUFACTURING

 In 2014, Canada saw $35 billion product manufacturing sales.

FABRICATED

INDUSTRY

 In 2013, this sector accumulated $7.7 billion in machinery and equipment, up from $7.2 billion in 2004.

 In 2013, Canada had 542

agricultural machinery manufacturing establishments

AGRICULTURE

AUTOMOTIVE

concentrated primarily in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and New Brunswick and employs approximately 15,000 people.  Canada’s farmers buy over $2-billion worth of machinery and implements annually, including an average of some 19,000 tractors, 3,500 swathers, 4,000 grain combines and a host of balers, plows, diskers and other harvesting and tillage tools.

 In 2015, Canada sold over 1.9 million new vehicles, another record year for auto sales.  Automakers have made several major funding announcements in 2015, showing confidence in Canada’s auto production sector (Honda announced $857 million investment in Alliston plant; GM announced $560 million for Ingersoll plant; Chrysler announced a $2 billion investment for Windsor plant)  The average Canadian vehicle age is 9.3 years.

FURNITURE MANUFACTURING

STRUCTURAL STEEL

 In 2014, Canada’s energy sector directly and indirectly accounted for over 950,000 jobs or 5.2% of the total workforce.  In 2014, the energy sector directly and indirectly contributed

13.7% of Canada’s nominal GDP.

ENERGY & RESOURCES

in fabricated metal

 More than 73,000 km of pipelines are regulated by the National Energy Board throughout Canada.  Canada has the 3rd largest crude oil reserves, is the 5th largest natural gas producer, and 3rd

TRANSPORTATION

 Canada’s Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing industry contributes $3.8 Billion in GDP.  In 2013, the Canadian furniture industry consisted of 6,761 establishments.  Most furniture manufacturers are located in Ontario and Quebec, with the two provinces producing close to 75% of the furniture in Canada.

 In 2013, there were 1,016 establishments dedicated to structural steel, concentrated in Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta.  In 2010, Canada shipped 11.8 million tonnes of steel both domestically and internationally.  Canada’s steel companies directly employ some 25,000 Canadians, and support an additional 100,000 spin-off jobs.  Canada’s steel companies generate $12-14 billion in annual shipments.

 There are 2,092 Transportation equipment manufacturers in Canada which employ approximately 180,000 people.  Both domestic and global economic growth contributed positively to the demand for transportation in 2014.  26 airports make up the National Airport System; there are 567 port facilities; the Canadian Rail System currently has 45,742 routekilometres (km) of track.

largest hydro electricity producer.

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