"Heavy" Fabrication Processes , Techniques, Design for Mfg.
"Heavy" Fabrication Processes , Techniques, Design for Mfg.
(OP)
I have been involved in many metalworking plants, and structural steel fabrication, along with miscellaneous steel, but would like insights in so called "heavy fabrication" material handling, fixturing protocols, special welding tecniques, and machining (boring) large items.
How would I go about developing process designs and design for manufacturing for these huge products? How much does the HAZ in welding affect large plates? Should plates be horizontal or vertical for work?
Think rail car bodies, agricultural equipment weldments, etc. Thank you very much!
How would I go about developing process designs and design for manufacturing for these huge products? How much does the HAZ in welding affect large plates? Should plates be horizontal or vertical for work?
Think rail car bodies, agricultural equipment weldments, etc. Thank you very much!
RE: "Heavy" Fabrication Processes , Techniques, Design for Mfg.
It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.
RE: "Heavy" Fabrication Processes , Techniques, Design for Mfg.
I have also worked at a large(heavy) job shop with one specialty was tire molds for 8-10 feet in diameter tires. The tire mold castings were cast at the company into the outer case and the inner tread ring. The outer case was machined in the inside and the inner tread ring was machined on the outside and then these pieces were pressed to together with an interference fit.
The machining process and the parts are massive but the biggest problem was material handling. When handling a part which weighs 4 to 20 tons a single mistake will kill you.
Lot sizes were very small. Cycle times were sometimes very long. Think of a high speed steel gear hob 12-14" OD cutting an 96" OD gear with a 10" length of the tooth. First roughing pass starts and the next day you check the progress of the first pass. Cycle time measured in days.
If you want to designate the processes for these parts start talking with the old timers and become very good friends and they will help.
RE: "Heavy" Fabrication Processes , Techniques, Design for Mfg.
rmw