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Weld Safely!

Welding is a commonly used practice of joining metals together with extreme heat. The metals are fused, or melted together, and once complete, the process renders a joint that is as strong or stronger than the previously separate pieces.

The process is a common one, but when the proper precautions aren’t taken, it can also be a dangerous one. If you ever find yourself with a welder in-hand, remember these crucial safety tips from Bay Industrial.

  • Always, always, ALWAYS wear a proper face shield.
  • Never, never, NEVER wear open-toed shoes.
  • Always wear a long-sleeved, non-flammable shirt.
  • Never weld on or near surfaces that have been cleaned with a chlorinated hydrocarbon (think brake cleaner). When combined with UV light, this substance turns into phosgene gas, which is incredibly toxic and may cause death.
  • Protect your ears. A spark that flies into your ear canal could puncture your eardrum, and a spark-punctured ear drum will never heal.
  • Clear the welding area of all flammable materials (liquid, paper, etc.), and never wear clothing that may have been exposed to such flammable liquids.
  • Be wary of electrocution hazards. Before starting up the welder, make sure the work surface and the floor nearby are dry. The welder itself should also be dry, including the main box, the torch, the pedal, and the plug.
  • Even after you’ve finished the welding process, the metal will stay hot for several minutes. In the case of most metals, the heat will be contained to the immediate area around the new joints, but when other, more conductive metals (like copper and aluminum) are welded, the heat will radiate throughout the piece.
  • Wear gloves at all times when handling recently welded material. White cotton welding gloves are suitable for TIG welding, but deerskin or heavier duty welding gloves should be used to heavier duty welding.
  • Metal burns are one thing, but UV burns are another. The light emitted from a weld arc is, in fact, brighter than the light from the sun (only because it’s closer). Don a full-faced welding mask before looking at the arc, and always make sure proper weld curtains are hung and in place — to protect the welders and any other people in the shop.
  • When welding with compressed gas, the inherent danger comes from improperly stored tanks. Tanks should always remain upright, and should not ever be stored horizontally. Tanks should be secured to the shop floor so that it will never fall over, and should be securely capped.
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What are Welding and Fabrication?

In industry, the term fabrication refers to the building of structures, machines or other equipment by stamping, cutting, shaping, joining and assembling components from raw materials. These raw materials are usually metals. Typically, a fabrication operation also involves welding. A professional fabrication and welding business can perform many complex activities including:

  • Cutting
  • Burning
  • Bending
  • Wheeling
  • Shearing
  • Folding
  • Forming
  • Punching
  • Milling
  • Tapping
  • Turning
  • Welding
  • Soldering

Welding is usually a major part of metal fabrication. In fact most formed parts and assemblies will be tack welded together prior to being checked for accuracy and fit. Welding is a fabrication method that is essentially about the joining together of metals or thermoplastics by causing coalescence. Coalescence is usually achieved by melting the parts and adding a filler material. This filler material becomes the weld pool and when cooled the weld pool becomes an extremely sturdy joint referred to as the weld. The process of welding is different than brazing or soldering which does not actually cause melting of the initial components but rather the melting of a material between the components in order to form a bond between them.

In addition to the typical gas flame that comes to mind for most people, welding can be accomplished with a variety of different forms of energy including lasers, electric arc, electron beams, friction and ultrasound. Welding is a skilled operation that requires professional expertise and several different safety precautions. Inexperienced welders can easily fall victim to burns, shocks, eye damage and injury from fumes.

There are many different types of welding. Forge welding was first used in Blacksmith shops. Today, shielded metal arc welding is the most common form of welding used. Other commonly used types of welding involve semi and fully automated processes such as gas metal arc welding and flux-cored arc welding. As technology advances so do the welding systems used. Newer welding systems include laser beam welding and electron beam welding.

When it comes to industrial machines, there are many possible configurations and build-out options that require welding or fabrication. Bay Industrial Group’s experienced team of project managers, fabricators, welders and automation designers work directly with businesses in a variety of different industries to help them locate problems and define solutions to help their businesses run more efficiently. For more information on how Bay Industrial Group can assist your business with all of its welding and fabrication needs, please contact them today.

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What Are Bay Industrial Group’s Welding and Fabrication Capabilities?

When it comes to industrial machines, there are several different configurations as well as build-out options possible. Many of these alterations require welding or fabrication. Most manufacturing companies cannot get by with a simple cookie cutter solution. Bay Industrial Group understands these challenges and work directly with their customers to identify the specific problem define a solution and put their experienced welders and fabricators to work on a truly unique solution.

Bay Industrial Group specializes in creating solutions to complex manufacturing challenges. Their highly trained team of expert project managers, fabricators and automation designers work closely together in order to create the perfect solution for many different industrial enterprises.

Bay Industrial Group understands that an industrial or manufacturing facility is only as good as the components that make it function such as the machines, the processes and the people that make them work. When manufacturing machinery is not functioning properly, time and money can be lost. That is where Bay Industrial Group can help. They create custom made solutions to help manufacturers overcome even the toughest manufacturing challenges.

Bay Industrial Group’s experienced designers and fabricators have over twenty years of experience designing and implementing manufacturing processes. They also create workflows and machines that have the ability to make a manufacturing business much more efficient and more successful. Once a solution has been created, all of the machinery and components are fully tested and de-bugged before being presented to the customer. This superb attention to detail ensures that Bay Industrial Group’s customized solutions work right and make operations as efficient as possible with the least amount of downtime possible.

Bay Industrial Group has experience with:

  • Custom design and manufacturing of industrial tools and equipment
  • Fully integrated systems
  • Engineering and process development to meet a wide variety of customer needs
  • Indexing work stations for final and sub-assemblies
  • Assembly and packaging lines
  • Automatic palletizing and de-palletizing stations
  • Hard automation
  • Material handling equipment and systems
  • Ergonomic solutions
  • UL panel shop including engineering and assembly
  • Lifting, positioning and placing loads for all industries
  • Custom tooling and fixtures
  • Custom built carts and dolleys
  • Conveying systems
  • Work station cranes and vertical stackers
  • Overhead fall protection
  • Ergonomic work platforms
  • Structural mezzanines
  • Test equipment and prototypes
  • Build-to-print fabrication
  • Reverse engineering and documentation of existing equipment

For information on how Bay Industrial Group can help your company with its complex manufacturing challenges or welding and fabrication project, please contact Bay Industrial Group today.