The Importance of Lean Welding

In the world of metal fabrication, controlling costs while maintaining quality is always at the top of mind. As industries strive for efficiency, incorporating lean manufacturing principles into your welding operations presents both a promising solution and an interesting question: How do you accomplish lean welding? 

Due to the amount of variables involved in welding (think material irregularities, fit-up variations,  cleanliness of parts, etc.) it can be difficult to quantify the amount of time actually needed to produce a weldment from start to finish. These variations can drastically affect productivity and quality, and the unpredictability is costly. Excessive use of materials and extended labor hours can also make it difficult to include welding in a production system that depends on the flow of components staying consistent, as they do in a lean manufacturing environment. 

So let's explore what you can control in the process, remove bottlenecks, and how to best incorporate lean manufacturing  practices to reduce waste and lower operational costs! 

One of the big factors that contributes to waste and higher costs is overwelding. This common practice can be a habit that's hard to break in many welding operations and leads welders to increase weld size beyond specifications. This is often due to misconceptions about strength and safety requirements, but makes a significant difference. For instance, increasing a weld from a 3/16" to a 5/16" fillet might seem minor, but it triples the amount of required materials, leading to escalated costs with little to no benefit in terms of durability or performance. 

Now, while material costs are often the first scrutinized in budget reviews, they typically only account for 10-20% of total welding costs. Which leads us to our next costly issue: labor. When overwelding, these costs also rise, as more time is spent welding than necessary, extending the job duration and increasing the hourly financial burden significantly. Another factor to consider with labor costs is the operating factor, or "arc on time." This metric, which measures how much of the workday is spent actively welding, is a good place to implement change when looking to drastically reduce costs.

​Lean manufacturing aims to maximize value by minimizing waste, so now how do you begin to apply these principles to welding to not only reduce waste but also significantly lower operational costs?

For starters, controlling the factors that both precede and follow welding operations can really help save on labor costs. Processes such as material prep and post-weld treatments can be standardized so that the components that enter the welding cell meet precise specifications, consistently. This reduces the variability in welding operations, leading to faster production times and more consistent results.  

On top of that, strategic process changes can reduce the time needed for each welding job. Your active welding time can be increased through things such as automation, better fixturing, moving to low or no spatter/slag processes, and even implementing procedures that help reduce rework.  Another saver on labor costs is considering deposition rate and travel speed. Maximizing these should reduce the time it takes to weld a particular assembly, cutting labor costs while maintaining or even improving quality!

Combating overwelding, however,  requires a proactive approach, starting with strict adherence to welding specifications and design plans. Additionally, investing in training for welders to understand the importance of precision can help reduce the inclination to overweld. Adopting high-efficiency consumables and optimizing the your welding process through advanced techniques can also increase deposition rates and travel speeds, further decreasing the need for excessive welding and reducing both material use and labor time.

Understanding and managing the total costs associated with welding operations is crucial but it can be complicated. The good news is, you don't have to do it alone! Let us help you find ways to enhance productivity and reduce unnecessary costs with our FREE welding productivity analysis! You'll receive tailored advice on how to streamline your operations, reduce overwelding, and significantly cut costs.

Don't miss the opportunity to transform your welding processes today!