African Fusion March 2016

ongoing improvement

Lincoln’s CrossLinc Technology L incoln Electric has launched new CrossLinc™ Technology-enabled weld- ing equipment to provide advantages for the construction, shipbuilding, barge, heavy fabrication and other markets. The Flextec® 350X GMAW power source and the associated LN-25X wire feeder now use a proprietary communications protocol to transfer operator voltage adjustments at the feeder to the power source – which may be 50 m away or more – via standard copper welding cables. No additional control cable is therefore required. The result is greater safety, quality and productivity for site and large fabrication shop environments. Lincoln Electric’s new Flextec 350X multi-process welding power source deliv- ers premiumarc performance for all dcwire, stick and TIG processes and for gouging of plate up to 4.8 mm thick. Engineered for outdoor use and harsh environments, this IP23-rated welder features fully protected components; anoutput range of 5.0 to 425 A: a 100% duty cycle rating of 300 A at 32 V; and a 60% duty cycle rating of 350 A at 34 V. A standard model compatible with a greater selection of feeders is available but the Flextec 350X Construction model is compatiblewithCrossLinc-enabled feeders, such as the LN-25X feeder. Multi-operator 4-pack and 6-pack rack systems are also available, which enable the power sources to be located together in a convenient and safe place, leaving the welders with only simple, reliable and easy to service wire feeders weighing less than 16 kg. The Xs in the Flextec 350X and LN‑25X names indicate that the power source and feeder can communicate using Lincoln Electric’s CrossLinc technology.

Dragline bases are complicated structures that require significant numbers of internal stiffeners. After completing the assembly, the accuracy required has to be “within 6.0 mm across the 17.7 m diameter, in terms of flatness and roundness.”

vessels, although these are generally made from much thinner materials,” Mohan says. “For us, ISO 3834 is a way of life. We have always had ISO 9001, which we implementedproperly, as amanufactur- ing process and quality standard. But in South Africa, ISO 9001 became more of a commercial tool rather than manu- facturing quality system. Hence the need for ISO 3834, which deals directly with fabrication quality requirements,” he argues. DCD is now into its second five-year certification period for ISO 3834 Part 2. “And in terms of auditing, very few ISO 9001 auditors are familiar with weld quality requirements, so the audits are not that detailed and do not focus on a fabricators core competencies. With ISO 3834, the auditors are specialists in welding, which helps our business as their advice is directly relevant to our daily activities. “Our entire business is built on ‘right-first-time’ quality. From our ERP systems, planning, scheduling andqual- ity are all integrated and even if we have a to do a repair, the reason is captured and scheduled before being carried out. “This approach allows us to review and analyse every aspect of a project, enabling us to establish constantly im- proving benchmarks. I have now been involved in quality management for 19 years and DCD is the only company I know that has such a strong and effec- tive focus on quality control,” Mohan concludes.

completed last year,” he reveals. But, apart from some potential re- furbishment work, the power work has largely dried up and, as a result of the collapse of commodity prices, mining projects across Africa are almost all on hold. “We are, therefore, busy securing work from the mining destinations all over the world. “We have excess capacity, the skills and the flexibility to take on work that has been non-traditional for us. We are busy with and R&D project on heavy section exotic materials, for example, for petrochemical and specialist miner- als processing plant equipment. This is free issue proprietary material and we are exploring how it responds to being manipulated – formed, cut, shaped welded and heat-treated. “We have ISO 9001 and ISO 3834 Part 2 certifications, so we are also per- fectly capable of fabricating pressure

Flextec® 350X GMAW power sources and LN-25X wire feeders now use Lincoln’s CrossLinc™ proprietary communications protocol. Voltage adjustment signals from the feeder are sent through the copper welding cables to the power source – which may be 50 m away or more.

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March 2016

AFRICAN FUSION