Here’s the top 5 – check out the article for the rest:

1: Improper filler metal storage

2: Repurposing old equipment

3: Using the wrong sized MIG gun

4: Improper preheat or interpass temperature control

5: Ignoring preventative maintenance

As customer demand drove the company to shift much of its product to be fabricated of aluminum (lightweight, aesthetic versatility), Greenheck addressed the need to optimize its aluminum welding applications while maintaining the ability to weld mild, stainless and galvanized steels effectively. The solution: an advanced Pulsed MIG welding system (Miller’s Invision™ MPa Plus System) that not only improved weld quality, but due to built-in efficiencies, also helped the company streamline its welding operations. Improvements include:

1. Improved welding of thinner aluminum (reduced burn-through, blistering, reduced distortion).
2. Improved productivity (faster travel speeds).
3. Improved starts and stops to the weld (ensures quality).
4. Standardizing on a larger diameter wire (greater deposition, lower cost per pound, simplification of inventory and equipment outlay).
5. Dual wire feeder makes it fast and easy to switch between types of filler metal.
6. Improved weld aesthetics compared to conventional MIG welding on aluminum.

Read the whole story here. Check out videos from our visit with Greenheck below.

Advantages of Pulsed MIG welding on aluminum:

Simplified Welding Operation at Greenheck Fan:

This powerful new inverter-based power source features the reliability and arc performance of the XMT 350 MPa but with more amperage, exceptional power efficiency and additional programs for Pulsed MIG welding with up to .052- and 1/16-inch wires.

For more information:

To view the product page, please click here.

To read the entire news release, please click here.

Check out the press release and see our new brochure at our new Automation page here.

This strategic partnership makes Miller Welding Automation the distribution route for Panasonic robotic welding arms in North America. The welding arms will be combined with Miller products and delivered to the market as part of a complete automated welding system. As part of this transaction, Miller has purchased assets of the Panasonic Factory Solutions Company of America (PFSA) welding automation business.

The Auto-Line feature also allows the unit to seamlessly recognize and respond to power fluctuations due to brownouts or the heavy loads from other machinery without any fluctuations in cutting performance.

And for those who want to take their cutting precision to the next level, an optional machine torch package is available that allows the unit to be hooked up to a variety of automated cutting systems.

Check out the news release and product page for complete details.

The vehicles are similar to the MRAP (mine resistant ambush protected) vehicles used by the U.S. military, and require the utmost quality from their welds in order to be effective at protecting their occupants from road-side attacks and improvised explosive devices.

The contract called for Ultra to be able to weld MIL-A 46100 ballistic steel in all positions with a 307 stainless steel filler metal, and using the Accu-Pulse™ Pulsed MIG technology in Miller’s Axcess® “multi-MIG” systems, the company was able to produce those components with only 23 defects — a rate of .03 percent.

Click here to read the full story about the challenges Ultra Machine and Fabrication faced in meeting the welding demands for the M-ATV contract and how the Axcess’ Accu-Pulse technology helped the company successfully complete the project and positioned it to win more in the future.

Wondering if upgrading to Pulsed TIG for your stainless steel applications will net your company any tangible benefits? Then look no further than the test results of a recently completed comparison between standard TIG and four different pulsing programs.

In short, pulsed TIG yielded a 52 percent narrower bead width,  34 percent increased penetration, 60 percent lower heat input, 35 percent faster travel speeds and better overall weld quality!

Need more proof? Check out the full test details along with an explanation of how to select the optimal pulsed program for your application.

As an example, A1A Dock Products, a small manufacturer of aluminum ladders in Hollywood, Fla., achieved an annual savings of $28,224 by investing in inverter-based TIG power sources. Their investment paid for itself in just two weeks!

But that’s just the beginning. Click here to see what advanced TIG controls can do for you.

Although we’ll all be glad to put 2009 behind us, the unfortunate reality is that changing our economic fortunes is not as simple as changing our calendars. Despite some signs that the economy is recovering, many individuals, businesses and industries continue to struggle through the ongoing effects of the recession.

Nevertheless, the new year does provide an opportunity to take a small step back and assess the lessons learned in 2009 and think about how to apply that hard earned knowledge upcoming challenges in 2010.

A common business practice when deciding on a course of action is to perform a S.W.O.T. analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats). What are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that you expect to face in 2010? Do you plan to make any changes to your business in the coming year in response to the ongoing economic slump? Do you expect to see a strong pick-up in business next year, or more of the same?

Tell us what your crystal ball is telling you by posting a comment below

The theme of the show this year was “Converge to Emerge,” as in emerging from the recession in a better position to profit and gain market share as the economy recovers. To that end, both the exhibitors and attendees at the show demonstrated an optimism that the light at the end of the economic tunnel is growing brighter and brighter.

If you attended the show, were you impressed by the products and technologies on display? Do you plan on making any purchases based on the equipment you found at the show? Did you leave the show with a renewed hope for the future of the welding and fabrication industry?

Share your thoughts on this year’s FABTECH International/AWS Welding Show by posting a comment below.