Digitalization
WeldEye enables remote work in welding production
27 December 2020
Managing welding production with a cloud-based software solution has considerable advantages. For one, it gives work supervisors or quality assurance teams the convenience of working remotely from home. It increases transparency, quality and efficiency, thanks to improved information flow and traceability. The welders also receive immediate feedback on their work.
Vesa Tiilikka
Welding quality requirements are increasing all the time. Reducing CO2 emissions requires, among other things, the use of lighter and stronger materials e.g. in the transport industry. At the same time, customers want more accurate documentation and traceability of how successful the welding has been. Compiling the necessary information from separate files or documents needs resources.
The implementation of software solutions will significantly streamline welding production processes and information flow. When welding data is collected and stored in a digital format, the transparency of welding is improved, making quality control easier as well. If the software used is based on a cloud service, the opportunities for working remotely will also improve. In a pandemic situation, this could be vital for occupational safety and risk management.
Kemppi's WeldEye welding management software offers all of this and more. The software functions include, such as sending digital work orders and welding procedure specifications directly to the welder, production management and monitoring, and documentation. This serves the welder, welding management, global subcontracting chains, and remote work in different situations. For example, welding in Asia can be monitored in real time while based in Europe.
Welding machines connect to the cloud service via smartphones
When all the information needed in welding production is transmitted in real time, many tasks based on personal contacts can be adjusted to remote operations. For example, a welding supervisor can send a work order and WPS to a specific welding station, or directly to a certain qualified welder. The welder will receive the task in the WeldEye mobile application of their smartphone, which is connected to the welding machine. The work order can also be sent to a team, in which case the first available welder will take on the job.
The app records the arc-on time and other parameters used in welding and synchronizes them with the WeldEye cloud service. At the end of the welding task, the welder enters only the length of the weld joint into the application and confirms the work order as completed. After that, the welder gets information about heat input as well as immediate feedback on the quality of welding, which many professional welders have previously only been able to dream of.
Comprehensive documentation of each welded piece is stored in the cloud service. The data is easily available for monitoring production, efficiency, and quality.
Real-time welding quality control and production monitoring
The stored data can be used to monitor production steps or the quality of welds centrally and in real time, regardless of where your production facilities are located in the world. Digital tools for welding quality management and process development are constantly available. For example, differences in workstation flow can be observed by looking at arc-on times or lead times.
The benefits compared to traditional paper or file circulation are huge. With welding management software, data management is easy and effortless.
Demanding data transfer steps are eliminated, and documents are always available in the preferred format for both internal and external production needs.
Benefits of welding management software:
Login with a web browser from anywhere
Easy access to work orders, welding specifications, and other data
Comprehensive documentation from one place
Real-time production monitoring
Provides immediate feedback to the welder
Enables remote supervision and quality management
The WeldEye software can be connected to any welding machine using a separate Digital Connectivity Module (DCM) device. The cloud service can be accessed from anywhere in the world via a network connection. WeldEye can also be integrated with other production management systems.
Vesa Tiilikka
Product Manager, Software at Kemppi Oy.
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