You can optimize workflow by organizing the floor space, simplifying procedures around the shop and assigning the right people to the right tasks. It’s difficult to optimize your fabrication process without a deep understanding of your workflow. To get a clear picture of your operations, identify the necessary pipe fabrication aspects when it comes to the physical layout of your shop. This includes the processes, people, and technology. Then you can ask yourself how all these things interact with one another in the shop.
The first step is having a cohesive team where clear roles are defined. In terms of technology and how that integrates with shopflow it’s important to have the shop foreman, lead pipe-fitter, tech operator and welders all on the same page.
In terms of optimizing shopflow, setting up dedicated stations, and simplifying flow between stations is critical. Let’s look at the actual process. First the pipe comes off the truck to a rack, then to a profiler, from there it’s moved on to pipe stands. The key station is the fitting station, and the closer the fitting station is to the profiler your workflow between welding and fitting will be much faster.
To assist with moving large pipes there are typically three ways to do it: a crane, forklift and pipe stands on wheels. If possible, rolling the pipe on pipe stands will give you more speed and flexibility. However, in order to use this method you need a clean floor devoid of cables (using cable tracks in the right places) and preferably smooth concrete.
Having a small footprint for production and being able to increase your pipe production per square foot will help your shop flow much more freely. Also, when you have a highly customizable layout, you can place positioners in optimal places, and utilize other areas of your shop.
The SWR™ has the smallest footprint in the industry of only 4’ x 4’. It is small enough to give you many options to install in your shop and can drastically improve your workflow as newly freed up space can be used for other tasks and/or material organization. You can also make better use of your welders and fitters. Our team works directly with fabrication shops to go over the best layout and workflow.
What our customers are saying:
“We looked at a few other options when looking for welding solutions. The edge that Novarc has is the footprint of the equipment, we have a lot more flexibility with the SWR™. If the average pipe size of the shop is really small, we can just park the equipment and it does not take a lot of square footage”. Martin Cartier, Director of Ganotec-Muga Fab, Heavy Industrial Contracting Industry.
“You kind of get a triple effect when you look into the ROI situation in that I’m using Lower cost labor, building it faster, and my overall cost is cheaper. Essentially I can produce more units in the same footprint.” – Anonymous Co., Facilities Equipment Superintendent, Offshore Industry
*This post is part of our guide titled “How to Optimize Your Pipe Fabrication Business” – To Download the full guide go HERE