Last month we began our series of blog posts discussing each of the eight ways that weld cameras help improve productivity. Our first post in the series discussed the increased health and safety of operators who are removed from hazardous conditions near the weld process. The second benefit that we are going to explore this month is the cost savings realized by the decrease in welding defects or bad welds.
A weld camera with high dynamic range imaging capability, such as the Xiris XVC-1000, significantly improves the visibility of the welding process and enables operators to monitor all the details of the weld scene in real time. Operators are then able to use their skill and experience to catch any problems in the weld process.
Reduced Rework
This high level of process control avoids the need for rework from grinding off spatter, chipping off slag, grinding welds down or even having to redo the weld completely. This also applies to the costs incurred from rework of any customer returns. Operator visibility into the full welding process allows some defects such as impurities or porosity in the weld pool to be detected. This helps ensure the welds meet the quality that customers are expecting and results in fewer customer returns. The costs you save include the cost to rework, the extra shipping and handling costs and any other costs incurred to placate the customer.
Reduced Scrap Volume
When manufacturing processes get out of control, common trial-and-error solutions typically prolong the time needed to correct the process. The result is high scrap rates and repair costs. With a weld camera, operators are able to monitor and use their skilled judgement to detect where the problem exists without having to waste excess materials. Using weld cameras also allow fabricators to easily capture and review the manufacturing process to make any changes for optimization. Reduced scrap volume becomes especially important in high-volume production environments where direct material costs are a major variable cost.
Summary
Using a Xiris weld camera capable of producing high-quality weld images for continuous monitoring can reduce the costs of rework, scrap, and other expenses due to bad welds.
The next article in this series is now available! Click here to read the third way that weld cameras can improve productivity.
