Home Tech Talk Industrial Welding Back from the brink

Back from the brink

September 12, 2019

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MODERN welding machines are highly sophisticated pieces of equipment that use computer processing to regulate the flow of current, wire, gas and other variables to create the perfect bond between two pieces of metal.

Every machine has a service life but welding equipment seems to do it tougher than most – they are lifted on and off trucks, operated in hot, dusty environments and sometimes just plain abused.

As is the natural order, even the most well-made welders eventually need repair and that is when an experienced technician is required to either bring it back from the brink of oblivion or give it a gentle nudge over the edge.

GSE Weld Pty Ltd, in Kewdale, WA, was born from G&S Welding – a company with more than 20 years’ experience servicing the welding industry – especially companies working in the resources sector.

Many of the original G&S staff members are now with GSE, including Jim, who’s been 27 years in sales, and has more than 20 years’ experience as a boilermaker.

He is also an IWS internationally certified welder with a Certificate 10 in structural pressure vessels.

Ben Cook has a background in electrical engineering and is the service manager at GSE.

He too has over 20 years experience repairing almost every conceivable machine type in all corners of the globe from Russia to Wales, onshore and offshore.

This Lincoln Air Vantage 600SD is having major work performed. It was totally stripped to fit new parts before being re-assembled ready to work another day.

Repair

GSE Weld specialises in the repair and service of all types and brands of welding equipment.

Given the depth of knowledge, it has the practical experience to fault find, assess and repair a welder where others may concede and declare it past its use-by date.

In many cases it is far cheaper and quicker to fix a machine and have it back on site than it is to order a new one, wait for it to be delivered and then commissioned.

However, as GSE Weld also has a fleet of hire welders in stock, being able to supply a replacement unit on short term hire where timing is critical.

This Lincoln Vantage 580 Perkins engine has had the thick layer of red dirt and oil removed prior to servicing. They are reliable and solid engines.

The scope of repairs on offer include electronic boards and control modules, low voltage wiring, high voltage wire replacement, generator rebuilds and the full gamut of diesel engine repairs for generator welders and engine drives – truly a one-stop shop.

Such a comprehensive service is made possible by having ticketed electricians and qualified diesel fitters on staff.

Poor maintenance is often the cause of most problems that machines come with when they arrive at GSE Weld.

So the company offers a Welder Service Program for customers that manages their units on a rotation basis and ensures that every welder is well maintained and operational to minimise downtime from unscheduled repairs.

Three Lincoln Vantage 580s in for repair, with various faults including a solid layer of the red Australian dirt and a combination of iron ore powder and humidity creating the right environment for earth fault situations, thus the importance of regular servicing. These units are fully specced for the mine site and will have all their safety devices tested and qualified during servicing.

Safety is a critical consideration across the resources sector and Voltage Reduction Devices (VRDs) are a vital component of any mine spec welder.

These devices reduce the voltage at the handset to near zero when the machine registers zero load at the electrode, thus reducing the risk of electric shock to the operator.

GSE weld tests, calibrates and certifies the operation of VRDs in all the machines they service, repair or refurbish for resale.

GSE Weld is the authorised service agent for Lincoln Electric, Kemppi, Miller and WIA and carry out their warranty work in-house.

The Lincoln Powerwave AD/DC 1000SD is a heavy-duty work horse. This unit is being serviced and cleaned before being put back into action.

Sales

GSE Weld stocks a comprehensive range of welders from industry leading brands such as Lincoln Electric, Miller, WIA, Kemppi and CIGweld.

Lincoln Electric’s DC600 Multi Process offers powerful stick, TIG, MIG, flux-cored, submerged arc and gouging with 115V, 15A, duplex auxiliary power receptacle and VRD (Voltage Reduction Drive).

These range in size from small portable inverters to large truck-mounted units with fully independent power supplies.

Miller’s Big Blue 800 Duo Air Pak, with ArcReach, is the cleanest, greenest diesel power available in a stand-alone welding machine. It features: one dependable engine; two independent arcs with up to 400A each (or 800A for a single operator) and capacity to plug in additional inverter welders for a true multi-operator (3+ arc) work platform. Exclusive ArcReach technology uses existing weld cables to communicate process adjustment commands back to the welder generator. With an ArcReach system, amperage and voltage are conveniently located at the operator’s fingertips – not back at the power source.

GSE also converts units to full mine specifications by adding a cage, additional air cleaners, a fire extinguisher, a log book and an external E-stop button.

Lincoln Electric’s LN-25 Pro series wire feeders are designed to be simple, reliable and easy to service. Suitable for an ironworker, pipeline welder, or welding at a construction site, shipbuilding facility or metal fabrication shop, the machine also features a semi-automatic wire feeder.

GSE Weld has a machine to cater for every requirement from precision TIG welding, general MIG welding, arc air gouging to metal arc spraying and subarc work – and the consumables to suit.

Hire

The range of hire equipment is just as comprehensive as the sales range.

All GSE Weld’s machines are regularly serviced and maintained to ensure reliability and can be delivered to site.

Every hire machine is set up to suit the client’s nominated process requirements, from wire size to plug top.

Each welder can also be calibrated and electrically safety tagged if required.

GSE Weld has a fleet of 80t rotators for hire for heavy duty pipe welding, which makes even the biggest jobs easy. These come with turning rollers to rotate while you weld.

Additional services

With so much experience on hand, it is little wonder that GSE Weld receives calls for advice from welders of all levels and it is happy to help.

This advice often includes reviewing a client’s mill certificates to determine the exact composition of the materials being worked with and then matching the correct consumables to suit those materials.

GSE Weld has also been called on to assess the productivity and efficiency of welding workshops.

This often entails downloading and assessing the on-board data stored in each welder to look at the amount of time it was actively in use compared to total labour hours consumed in a shift, and then implementing processes and procedures to increase output and reduce costs.

GSE Weld has the knowledge, experience, equipment and parts to assist with any welding operation, no matter how simple or complex.

The team is enthusiastic and always puts customer needs first – whether they need a new welder or an old one brought back from the brink.