Lincoln Electric FCAW-G - Manual (Page 3)

SUCCESS
3/4
On-Site Support and Equipment
For the pipe tie-in welding, Lincoln fully
supported the welding efforts from the
initial qualifying of the consumables to
on-site assistance to ensure the inde-
pendent contractors weren’t subject to
any downtime.
According to Dave Thomas, District
Manager in Lincoln’s Tulsa Office, he
and representatives from the Cleveland
headquarters were present while the
Pipeliner G80M consumable was being
tested for the job against competitive
consumables. “We watched as U.S.
Pipeline officials welded with each of
the consumables. The Pipeliner wire
product was much more proficient in
operator appeal and also created a bet-
ter looking weld. In addition, it also
came out on top after destructive tests
on the plate in the lab,” said Thomas.
Thomas also described how once the
G80M product was selected, Lincoln
representatives qualified the procedures
for the wire and were close at hand to
answer questions and provide technical
assistance as U.S. Pipeline qualified their
operators.
During initial start-up of the job in the
field, Lincoln representatives were at the
site three to four days per week, and at
least one day a week on an ongoing
basis throughout the project’s duration.
“The Lincoln consumables ran flawlessly
on the job with great operator appeal
and ease of use,” commented Steve
Duren, Technical Sales Representative
from Lincoln Electric’s Denver office.
“The only issues we addressed with
consumables were questions about
techniques and proper drag and push
angles. On a project of this magnitude,
having so few issues was exceptionally
good.”
David Fullen, Lincoln Electric Denver
District Manager echoed these same
words about the Pipeliner G80M elec-
trode. “For many of the welding opera-
tors on the job, this was one of the first
times they had wire welded. What’s
remarkable is that they adapted so well
and never had any complaints with the
wire. The integration of the wire welding
has gone smoothly and the job finished
ahead of schedule. Most of our time
spent on the job site was addressing
equipment issues.”
Although a competitive
brand of welding equipment
was specified for the job,
its alarming failure rate and
resulting downtime prompted
Lincoln to step in and
provide equipment.“We
received an urgent call
about equipment when the
contractors were struggling
with the competitive wire
feeders. We were able to
answer the call and overnight
equipment to the field,”
said Fullen. “We sent Lincoln
LN-15 wire feeders with
accompanying Magnum
welding guns to the job
which remedied the situation.
We also spent time on site
providing technical assis-
tance, setting up the equipment and
installing wire feed CV modules. We
were dedicated to keeping the customer
up and running.”
“Throughout this project I received
great service from Lincoln,” explained
Bratcher. “With a phone call, I would
have what I needed either hand deliv-
ered or on site the next day.”
For this project, Lincoln Electric
partnered with distributor Airgas
Intermountain to supply select consum-
ables and equipment to the site as well
as an 85 percent/15 percent argon
blend shielding gas. According to
“Every tie-in weld was
inspected with a radiographic
process and throughout
the job the weld quality had
been excellent.”
“The wire is about three
to five times faster than stick
welding,” said Edwards.
“The same length of weld
bead that would take up to
five minutes with stick
welding is now taking me
about one minute.”
Flux-Cored (FCAW-G) Welding
W E L D I N G C O N S U M A B L E S
Cheyenne Plains Pipeline Welding on Pipe
w w w . l i n c o l n e l e c t r i c . c o m