Improving Shipbuilding Safety,
Productivity, and Weld Quality with
Remote Control Technology
Joe Ryan – Marketing Segment Manager
Miller Electric Mfg Co.
Lynn Falgout – VP Amelia Operations
Conrad Ship Building
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Continuous Improvement Activities
• Productivity
• Quality
• Safety
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Benefits
• Improved Safety
• Reduce exposure to slips,
trips, and falls
• Eliminates trips back to
the power source for
parameter adjustments
Benefits
• Increased Productivity
• More arc on time and reduced
exposure to workplace hazards
• Less operator fatigue and
distractions
• Automatic process select to MIG
FCAW (w/gas)
• Reduce exposure to
slips, trips, and falls
by eliminating the
need to go back to
the power source to
make voltage
adjustments.
Benefits
• Improved Weld Quality
• Operator can precisely set arc
voltage and WFS at the feeder
• Remote override of weld
process and arc voltage
prevents setting changes from
being made at the power
source when the feeder and
power supply are in
communication
• Reduce exposure to
slips, trips, and falls
by eliminating the
need to go back to
the power source to
make voltage
adjustments.
Benefits
• Save Time and Money
• Eliminate costly control cord
repairs
• Save time – no longer need to
troubleshoot welding system
problems that are the result of
damaged control cables
• Reduce exposure to
slips, trips, and falls
by eliminating the
need to go back to
the power source to
make voltage
adjustments.
How Do Remote Controls Work?
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Improved Safety
• “Falls” are listed as #1 in
OSHA’s “Fatal Four”
– 39.9% of fatalities on
construction sites were
attributed to falls (2014)
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http://www.osha.gov/oshstats/commonstats.html
Improved Safety
• PPE
• Awareness and focus
• Few technologies are able to eliminate a hazard
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Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016
Improved Quality
• Experienced welders are retiring
– The average welder is in their mid fifties
– Not enough young people are replacing them
– In 1988 there were 570,000 welders in the US, in
2012 only 360,000 remain
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AWS Welding Shortage Fact Sheet, 2007
Matthew Philips, Bloomberg, 2014 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-03-20/skilled-welder-shortage-looms-in-u-dot-s-dot-with-many-near-retirement
Improved Quality
• Quick/convenient control of
the welding process
– Allows novice welders to
make needed adjustment to
compensate for
• Fit up issues
• Heat build up
• Misalignment
• Welding pass progressions
– Promotes welding with ideal
parameters
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Increased Productivity
• More time at the weld joint
– “Minimum of 10 minutes to
walk back to the machine”
• Less set up time
– Dial in proper parameters
faster
– New technologies eliminates
control cables
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No more control cables to repair
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Specific Remote Options
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ArcReach Technology
Convenient Solution for
Reliable Remote Control
Eliminates
Control Cables!
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Remote Control of the Power
Source Without a Cord
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ArcReach Technology
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Remote Control of the Power
Source Without a Cord
ArcReach Technology
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Remote Control of the Power
Source Without a Cord
XMT 350/450 ArcReach • Industry Tested • Rack Able Solutions • Common Interfaces
ArcReach Technology
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Remote Control of the Power
Source Without a Cord
Dimension 650 ArcReach • 650A at 100% • Dedicated Gouge Setting • Designed for Yard
Environments
PipeWorx FieldPro™ System
• Complete remote control
• Remote process change over
• Correct polarity
• Mitigates Errors
Eliminates
Control Cables!
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FieldPro™ Stick/TIG System
• Complete remote
control
• Ensures proper
connections
• Automatically selects
the correct polarity for
each welding process
• Sets actual amperage
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Eliminates Control Cables!
FieldPro™ MIG/FCAW System
• Automatically
changes to CV output
• Control Voltage and
WFS at the weld joint
Eliminates
Control Cables!
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FieldPro™ RMD®/Pulse System
• All controls
automatically shift to
the feeder
• Doubles the distance
previously possible for
advanced processes
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Eliminates Control Cables!
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New Remote Technologies
• Improve Safety
• Increase
Productivity
• Reduce Failures
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Remote Control of the Power
Source Without a Cord
Continuous Improvement Results
• Productivity
• Quality
• Safety
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Questions?
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