Productivity is king on every jobsite. Whether the welding project happens on a mining claim in the remote Yukon Territory or at a trucking yard in California—finding ways to save time and get work done faster is critical to the bottom line. Making do with less-than-optimal weld settings, spending time on non-value-added activities such as rework, or walking to the power source multiple times a day to make parameter changes is costing thousands of dollars per year in your welding operations. Stop wasting money, and instead choose a welder/generator with the right technology.
New technologies available on engine-driven power sources in the market offer cutting-edge solutions to combat productivity loss. ArcReach® technology is a time-saving solution now available on many Miller® engine-driven welder/generators—delivering up to $11,250 per welding operator every year in cost savings, in addition to the associated benefits of weld quality and operator safety.
DELIVERING JOBSITE FLEXIBILITY
Mitch Blaschke uses Big Blue® 800 Duo Air Pak™ and Trailblazer® 325 welder/generators every day. The machines are critical to tackling the challenges he encounters as lead mechanic for a gold mining crew in Canada’s Yukon Territory. Whether it’s repairing an excavator bucket or the track on a bulldozer, Blaschke and the other mechanics on Parker Schnabel’s mining crew deploy welder/generators to where the work must be done. The equipment is used to make repairs quickly and minimize downtime, an important factor in successful mining operations.
“When we have one machine that we can use for multitasking, it makes our job and life a lot easier,” Blaschke says. “We use our engine drives on a daily basis.”
ArcReach technology, which provides complete control of welding parameters at the weld joint without a control cord, is now available on nearly all Trailblazer and Big Blue products from Miller—delivering even greater benefits for productivity and operator safety. The technology eliminates time-consuming trips back and forth to the power source to make changes, which also reduces the risk of operator injury on the jobsite.
The gold mining crews featured on the Discovery Channel show “Gold Rush” rely on Miller® engine-driven welder/generators and ArcReach® technology, which allows welders to make parameter adjustments at the weld joint. This saves time and helps improve jobsite safety.
When Blaschke needs to make a repair on one of the massive wash plants on the mine claim, the work could be 20 or 25 feet off the ground. When the operator has complete control of welding parameters at the weld joint using an ArcReach feeder or remote, it eliminates the need to climb up and down to make changes at the power source. Without this time-saving solution, it might require five to 10 trips to the power source to make adjustments, especially when a project requires working on metals of varying thicknesses. These trips can add up to several hours of time—or even more on large projects. And, the more trips an operator makes, the greater the risk for injury.
“With ArcReach technology, we can be up in the prewash, up in the screen deck welding and not even have to get down to make adjustments,” Blaschke says. “That’s huge, in time savings and in safety.”
On his large Yukon claim, mine boss Tony Beets faces similar challenges. The massive equipment needed on a mining operation often requires daily maintenance and repair. The work could be on the floating dredge that Beets uses to mine gold or on the wash plant that sluices gold on a different part of the claim. Among the many welders and power sources on the claim, the Beets crew uses a Big Blue® 600 Air Pak™ engine-driven welder/generator with ArcReach technology to maximize productivity so they can keep mining equipment running.
“The Big Blue Air Pak that we’ve got on the dredge right now has got it all. You’ve got your air there, you’ve got all the power you need. If we wanted to use two welders on that, we can easily do that,” Beets says. “You have everything right there, so you save time. Time is money.”
The crew can use the Big Blue 600 Air Pak to power an air hammer for breaking up slag or an impact wrench to do work around the dredge. They also use it for welding and as the main power source on the dredge to run pumps, lights, or tools. The addition of ArcReach technology is one more benefit to the all-in-one solution—and it’s especially beneficial when working on the floating dredge to ensure weld quality.
“ArcReach technology saves so much time—having the ability to be right there and fine tune it,” foreman Kevin Beets says. “I get the settings right where I need them, so I can get dialed in right instead of close enough.” ν
Look for part two of this article in the next issue of MCS as ArcReach technology and its benefits for a wide range of jobsites are explored along with other cost-saving measures.
About the Author:
Jake Zwayer is a product manager, Power Systems Division, with Miller Electric Mfg. LLC. For more information, visit www.millerwelds.com.
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Modern Contractor Solutions, March 2018
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