daleyd
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- Thread starter Welderpaul
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We did speak to Lorch about using bulk feed packs but quarter of a tonne of wire would take years to use up on that, plus more expensive.....and something else to fall over.
What is a wire wizard?
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With your harness on and working at height permit signed off of course ......
Of course.
We have an older scissor lift permanently in the shop, bit scratty to use on site now, but still tested and certificated. Amazing how much it gets used for accessing big stuff, maintenance etc.
Its a wire feeder that sits on top of the drum and "pushes" wire along the conduit to the WFU.......lots use them. Air Driven so can slip without troubling the motor.
http://www.wire-wizard.com/wirepilot.htm
They are now calling it a feed assist.........maybe they always have and its just me calling it wire wizard
Fall over?........you need to do something really stupid to make one fall over......
Actually the wire is better in a drum. You dont have the cast and helix, its basically straight so less spinning and misplacment.....so it suits robots
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We used the 475kg marathon paks, seem to remember they lasted about 6 weeks on double days welding.
I've got a few ESAB wire conduit quick connectors if you need any.
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More the issue of us falling over the drum than it falling over. Not a great deal of spare space at ours.
Jim Davey
R H Davey Welding Supplies Ltd
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I'm going to do some sums and see how much the saving is to switch over to the pay-off packs.
I expect it's significant if roll changes are regular and knock on effects like better feeding add up to a better overall result.
I expect it's significant if roll changes are regular and knock on effects like better feeding add up to a better overall result.
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If we ran a robot on 15kg reels they needed changing once a shift!
There was a "data sheet" from Lincoln showing the savings in time (and time is money)........I wrote it
Kent
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Aye. But robots ain't the same
Head down all day just welding stuff tacked up previously I couldn't come close
Jim Davey
R H Davey Welding Supplies Ltd
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Probably still available Al, I'd say a wire spool every 1-2 days is a lot.
Let's say 2.5 spools a week.
4 minutes to wander off to the stores for another, wander back, remove old roll, fit new one, fiddle with tip, realise it's still hot, wait a bit, chat to colleague and stop him working...
That's 10 minutes a week, 48 weeks of the year, 8 hours lost per station, times that by however many guys you got...
Let's say 2.5 spools a week.
4 minutes to wander off to the stores for another, wander back, remove old roll, fit new one, fiddle with tip, realise it's still hot, wait a bit, chat to colleague and stop him working...
That's 10 minutes a week, 48 weeks of the year, 8 hours lost per station, times that by however many guys you got...
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Very true.
Jim Davey
R H Davey Welding Supplies Ltd
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I bet your Boss didn't share that feeling lol
daleyd
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How long does it take to change a 250kg reel? Do you need any special handling equipment and training to use these?
Not directly related to welding but in a similar way of thinking my previous company developed a new reel unwinder for the newspaper/magazine printing market that could handle 5 tonne reels instead of the industry standard 3 tonne reels, for similar reasons, ie less reel changes, each reel lasts longer. Almost no one took them up because the existing handling equipment eg clamp trucks, warehousing, even existing freight lorries etc were not up to the job, and the extra effort in moving the reels around meant it wasn't worth it. (It was for some places, but generally these were new build factories that could be designed from the outset with these in mind).
Not directly related to welding but in a similar way of thinking my previous company developed a new reel unwinder for the newspaper/magazine printing market that could handle 5 tonne reels instead of the industry standard 3 tonne reels, for similar reasons, ie less reel changes, each reel lasts longer. Almost no one took them up because the existing handling equipment eg clamp trucks, warehousing, even existing freight lorries etc were not up to the job, and the extra effort in moving the reels around meant it wasn't worth it. (It was for some places, but generally these were new build factories that could be designed from the outset with these in mind).
Jim Davey
R H Davey Welding Supplies Ltd
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Pallet truck or fork lift to move it, feed the wire into the funnel and conduit, through the wire feeder rollers and out through the torch, not much longer than a regular wire change really, but even if it took four time as long it would be a massive time saver over individual spools.
