Welding Systems

Automated Welding Systems + Stainless Steel

Stainless steel has been gaining popularity in applications across the fabrication industry for many years. This is mostly due to the material’s corrosion resistance, strength and overall resilience. From kitchen appliances, automotive products, medical equipment and much more, stainless steel is found all around us. While this low-maintenance metal has many benefits, it can cause a variety of welding challenges and frustrations!

Welding Stainless Steel Quick Facts:

• There are hundreds of grades of stainless steel.

• The most commonly used stainless steel includes 304 and 316.

• Stainless steel is best known for its corrosion resistance, strength and workability.

• Stainless steel has low susceptibility for bacterial growth, making it a popular choice for food-grade and medical products.

• Some stainless steels can be 3-5 times more expensive than mild steel.

Choosing the right manual or automated welding system and process is key. Read on to learn about the common challenges to welding stainless steel and tips to overcome them.

Chromium Oxide

The thin layer of chromium oxide provides stainless steel with its “stainless” characteristic. This layer is one of the main attractors as it protects the material from harsh environments. The challenge when welding stainless steel is avoiding damage to this layer with spatter or slag as this can cause vulnerability to the end product. Post weld cleaning with the proper tools is essential to avoid this challenge.

Temperature Input

The alloy content of stainless steel conducts heat at a much slower rate than carbon steel. This means, the heat from the arc won’t distribute as easily throughout the material—causing heat concentration in the weld pool. This will lead to warping, burn-through and oxidation. An indicator that too much heat is being used on stainless steel is when the weld begins to form a rainbow of colors. While the colors may look like a work of art, it’s a red flag that the end product may not pass welding quality tests.

GMAW vs. GTAW

Historically, gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) was the preferable method for working with stainless steels. However, as technology has progressed, gas metal arc welding (GMAW) has become more of a standard. This is due to the use of semi-automated welding equipment combined with state of the art controls which provide fast deposition rates, regulates heat input and improves consistency. Get in touch with Bancroft Engineering to discuss the many benefits of welding automation for stainless steel.

Finishing Processes

Stainless steel requires special finishing processes once the weld is complete. Don’t make the mistake of using steel brushes or polishing pads that have been used before on carbon steel—this will damage the protective oxide layer. Whether you need a matte, brushed or mirror finish, it’s important to use stainless-specific finishing tools such as finishing discs, belts and other tools.

Automated Welding Systems + Stainless Steel

Mastering how to weld stainless steel is a vital part of fabrication. Bancroft Engineering has years of experience building automated welding systems for stainless steel applications. We can help you optimize your production equipment and make huge welding improvements! Ready to upgrade? Give us a call today at 262-786-1880 or email: sales@bancrofteng.com

Getting started with welding automation can be a big task, especially for first-time purchasers. In order to gain the desired results and a justifiable return on investment, it’s important to get started with the right implementation process.

Semi-automated welding machines or fully automated robotic cells can offer huge advantages for fab shops such as improvements in productivity, cost savings, time savings, higher quality parts and so much more.

Take the time to prepare your fab shop for automated welding success with these simple steps.

Get the Team on Board 

One of the main tips we have for preparing your fabrication shop for automation is to adapt your team to the new technology. It’s crucial to consider your existing shop workers and how their jobs may be affected by the shift to robotic automation or the use of semi-automated welding equipment. We recommend you encourage opportunities for advancement, explain potential benefits and be transparent about the company’s goals. This will ensure your team is well informed and ready for the transition.

Identify & Conduct Training

Learning the skills of automation is a huge opportunity for welding professionals. Automation uses cutting-edge technology, which allows welders to gain an entirely new perspective of the manufacturing process—and the art of welding. Welding technology has improved so much over the past decade that it’s made learning automation and robotics easier than ever. With user-friendly interfaces and digital controls, automated welding equipment is designed for ease of use. Here are a few process and training elements to consider:

• Determine which project to start automating
• Select a team of welding system operators
• Utilize training programs for equipment specific applications, software, maintenance, etc..
• Address workflow shifts & action steps
• Develop a clear quality control strategy

Selecting the Right Welding Automation Partner

A professional welding automation equipment builder will have experience with different welding applications and system configurations. The team at Bancroft Engineering has highly experienced engineers and support personnel that are here to help you from first concept, design and build of the automated machine and support through the equipment’s lifecycle.

Welding Automation Equipment Builder

Bancroft Engineering designs and builds welding equipment from standalone semi-automated machinery to large, fully automated weld systems. Located in Waukesha, WI, our team of welding engineers offer full-service welding support to help you automate and optimize your process. We’d love to help you get stared—give us a call today at 262-786-1880, or email: sales@bancrofteng.com.

 Ready to optimize your manual welding process to a more efficient operation and consistently improve your end products? Updating your welding methods with a semi-automatic welding machine will take your manufacturing process to the next level—all while increasing your profit margin.

Robotic or fully automated welding is not ideal for every project—expected lifetime of the job, the cost of tooling and the flexibility required are all factors that should be considered. That being said, semi-automated welding systems are a great option because they can double the output of a skilled manual welder while still maintaining a high level of control.

What is Semi-Automatic Welding?

Semi-automatic welding is a form of manual welding that utilizes the proper equipment which automatically controls one or more of the welding conditions. The machine operator manipulates the controls of the machine to start welding and observes the process and end result for quality. This is helpful to workers as it’s much less physical demanding than manual welding.

Advantages of Semi-Automated Welding Machines

Applications that benefit most from semi-automated equipment is when the quality or function of your weld is highly critical, if repetitive welds must be made, or if the parts already have gone through added-value processes before the welding begins. Semi-automatic welding systems offers a host of advantages for a variety of applications:

• Enhances worker safety
• Maintains high-quality welding output—integrity and repeatability
• Increases overall product output
• Decreased scrap produced
• Less expensive than robotic welding

Ready to upgrade to an automatic welding system? Contact our welding engineers today.

Weld Lathes:  Our line of weld lathes are built for speed and quality output. We also offer lathe machines that include built-in secondary operations such as drilling, milling and cutting to maximize your production line even further.

Rotary Welding Equipment: Economical, compact and robust, our line of Rotary Welda-Round machines are a great option for welding operations dealing with a variety of parts and material types.

Seam Welding Machines: Seam welding is common in many industries after forming materials into cylinders or tubes. Semi-automated seam welders are able to create uniform consistency across the entire length of the material.

Linear Welders:  Linear welding systems are designed to automate straight welding applications. These machines are commonly used for both small and large-scale projects.

Semi-Automatic Welding Systems Built in Waukesha, WI

Our team offers welding equipment from simple rotary and linear drive machines to multi-axis, servo systems with robotic integration. Interested in learning more about Bancroft Engineering and what we can do for your welding process? Get in touch with us to discuss your project!

With the new year right around the corner, it’s a great time to plan for tax savings before it’s too late. Purchase automated welding machines from Bancroft Engineering to not only improve your manufacturing process but also to save your business money during tax time.

How Does Section 179 Expensing Work for Welding Equipment Purchases?

Section 179 of the United States Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. § 179) is now available which allows you to write-off up to $1,000,000 of a qualifying equipment purchase for 2019.

In previous years, when businesses purchased welding equipment, they would write it off little by little through depreciation. For example, if your business spends $75,000 on a piece of machinery, you might write off $15,000 per year for five years.

Now, with Section 179, a business can write-off the entire purchase price of qualifying equipment for the current tax year. As in our previous example, if your manufacturing business spends $75,000 on a piece of automated welding machinery, you can write off all $75,000 in the same tax year using Section 179. This makes a big difference for small and medium-sized businesses as it allows you to accelerate your tax savings!

Automated weld lathe machines are designed and built for both small and large welding applications. Lathe welders are commonly used to weld seams or to join multiple components together. Here at Bancroft Engineering, we take pride in building the best precision weld lathes for manufacturers looking to automate—or just improve their overall welding processes!

About Weld Lathe Equipment

Precision weld lathe machines provide a versatile way to rotary weld production parts. Whether you’re in need of vertical, horizontal or inclined drive orientations, a weld lathe can be aligned to optimize and improve your production line. Check out Bancroft’s line of premium weld lathe machines below: