In welding operations, an effective and efficient use of resources is key. Whether your business operates in the construction, metal fabrication, automotive manufacturing, shipbuilding or oil & gas sector, there will always be room for improvement in terms of producing goods more quickly and at lower costs while increasing productivity with reduced downtime. One area of welding that many companies overlook when seeking to improve welding efficiency, is the amount of time needed for post-weld cleanup.

Too much weld spatter can cause production delays, injury to surfaces and/or increase finishing expense. To overcome these post-weld cleanup challenges, many companies today are using anti-spatter spray which is a simple yet very effective solution for reducing post-weld cleaning and helping increase overall productivity.

The following article reviews findings from one company that utilized anti-spatter spray to reduce the amount of time required for post-weld cleanup by (nearly) 50 % while simultaneously; improving the quality of their welded parts, improving their equipment's performance and improving their operational efficiency.

Challenge - Excessive Weld Spatter and Production Delays

A UAE-based metal fabrication company, engaged in structural steel projects, had a growing production problem. The welding team regularly experienced excessive levels of weld spatter during the course of their MIG welding operations.

There were multiple operational challenges caused by the spatter problem such as,

• Increased time to grind and clean

• Increased labour cost

• Surface damage to the finished products

• Frequent clogging of welding nozzles

• Reduced welding productivity 

The welders were spending a large proportion of their workday removing spatter from the surface of the metals and also cleaning their welding equipment.

They have also discovered that although the welding speed was normal, the post-weld clean-up had been slowing down the production rate and delaying the completion schedule of their projects.

This type of situation is very typical of most industrial operations that utilise welding as being integral to their manufacturing and fabrication processes.

What Causes Weld Spatter?

Weld spatter is the result of molten-metal particles that are ejected as a result of welding. The main cause for excessive spatter includes:

• Incorrect voltage

• Incorrect wire-feed speed

• Contaminated surfaces

• Low quality consumables

• Lack of protective anti-spatter solutions

In high-volume industrial applications, there will always be some degree of weld spatter, despite optimally configured welding parameters.

If no protective measures are in place, weld spatter will adhere to:

• Your workpieces

• Welding fixtures

• Your nozzles

• Contact tips

• Surrounding equipment

Manually removing these metal deposits can be very labourious and time-consuming.

The answer: Introducing Anti Spatter Spray

To make operations more efficient, the fabrication company added a professional anti-spatter spray to their welding process.

Anti-spatter spray forms a protective layer around the welded area that will keep hot spatter from permanently sticking.

These surfaces included:

• Weld Nozzles

• Contact Tips

• Fixtures

• Metal surfaces around weld seams

Within days, the welding team was amazed at how much spatter they were able to remove.

In addition to having to grind off hardened spatter, the workers were able to simply wipe off any loose spatter after the weld was made.

The outcome:  Cleanup time was reduced by almost 50%!

With the implementation of anti-spatter spray on a continuous basis throughout their production lines, the company saw an increase in overall production efficiency.

Key performance indicators included:

• Almost 50% reduction in post-weld clean-up time

• Faster welding processes

• Less need for grinding and polishing

• Lower costs for consumables

• Improved appearance of welds

By reducing clean-up time, workers could spend more time on production instead of doing the finishing touches after the fact.

Welding productivity studies show that as much as 30% of total labour time in some fabrication environments is spent on post-weld cleaning and reducing this workload can provide substantial savings and productivity improvements.

In the case of the UAE fabrication company, the initial investment in anti-spatter products produced results immediately.

The answer: Introducing Anti Spatter Spray

To make operations more efficient, the fabrication company added a professional anti-spatter spray to their welding process.

Anti-spatter spray forms a protective layer around the welded area that will keep hot spatter from permanently sticking.

These surfaces included:

• Weld Nozzles

• Contact Tips

• Fixtures

• Metal surfaces around weld seams

Within days, the welding team was amazed at how much spatter they were able to remove.

In addition to having to grind off hardened spatter, the workers were able to simply wipe off any loose spatter after the weld was made.

Why Anti Spatter Spray Matters to UAE Industries

In the UAE, industrial operations typically require a large-scale fabrication project to adhere to tight time frames and operate in an environment that has many adverse conditions. Industrial applications utilize welding to join metals, thus, attaining welding productivity is critical for these industries due to extreme heat, exposure to dust, and constant production schedules.

Today's advanced anti spatter spray options can help the UAE industries achieve new levels of productivity by providing:

• Increased speed of production

• Reduced labour-intensive cleaning of the work area

• Increased longevity of equipment;

• Higher quality of welds

• Lower operating costs

Most advanced anti spatter products are also silicone-free and can be used in conjunction with paint or coating or for galvanizing.

Selecting an Appropriate Anti Spatter Spray

Not all anti spatter products provide the same degree of protection. Commercial businesses should select industrial-grade anti spatter products that provide:

• Long-term protection against spatter

• Easy application (manual or automated) 

• Minimal or no residues

• Non-flammable formulations

• Ability to cooperate with finishing processes of downstream products

When businesses work with reputable suppliers of industrial welding equipment, they can ensure that the products they select will properly meet their welding application and production operation specifications.

Conclusion 

The finishing up of the weld is one of the unrecognized productivity constraints of welding operations in industry. The build-up of excessive spatter adds costs to labour, slows down the production rate and reduces the performance of the welding machine.

As shown in the real life example of this fabrication, an anti spatter spray of good quality will greatly improve welding efficiency through reducing clean up time, protecting the welding machine, and will also enhance the overall quality of the weld.

Therefore, it would be a very wise and financially advantageous business decision for all companies in the UAE that are attempting to improve their fabrication processes, and overall performance, to invest in professionally developed anti spatter solutions because they are a significant step in helping create long term industrial efficiencies.