The positive impact of on-staff certified welding inspectors in manufacturing

Gas metal arc welding in an indoor environment is less complicated than trying to do the same thing outdoors.

New endeavors call for new ways of thinking. So, if a company is thinking about a new approach in an established market, it better make sure it can deliver on its promises. Building a business is hard enough and can be impossible without bulletproof quality.

Headquartered in central Louisiana, DIS-TRAN Packaged Substations (DTPS) has designed and packaged high-voltage, open-air substations since 1965. Today, the growing company has completed more than 5,000 substation projects.

Substations are an important step in delivering electricity to homes and businesses. Supporting an array of switches and transformers, substations receive high-voltage electricity from power-generation sites and convert it to a lower-voltage power that can be fed through power lines to nearby neighborhoods and business districts.

Typically, these structures are constructed on-site—understandable given their size. But eight years ago, DTPS leadership began to question the status quo.

Why couldn’t they build substations indoors where welders didn’t have to battle the elements in their quest to deliver high-quality welds? DTPS was already manufacturing complete electrical conductor assemblies in this manner. Taking that process a step further and assembling entire, modular structures would increase benefits to its customers. The structures could be built in a much tighter timeframe because the indoor setting would limit weather-related delays, and the substation modules would arrive ready for quick installation.

The terms modular and custom don’t often go together. But most utility companies have their own standard substations unique to their own system and compatible with their specific electrical grid and infrastructure. With this in mind, DTPS worked closely with its repeat customers and ran pilot testing as it investigated in-house substation fabrication.

DTPS found that it could manufacture its clients’ customized substations consistently using its own factory-built approach—transforming the building and installation process while still meeting the customers’ substation specifications. What DTPS would eventually call its Factory-Built Substations (FBS) product line became a reality.

The next challenge was convincing more large utility companies to embrace this new, more cost-effective way to build substations. To do this, quality and consistency were key.

The FBS product line is designed and fabricated to withstand the rigors of transportation and shipping. Tight delivery windows mean quality checks on the modular structures before delivery are essential. There is no room for error.

Bring in the CWIs

In the early summer of 2015, Tom Malo, a certified welding inspector (CWI), was supervising the quality control team at DTPS’ sister company, DIS-TRAN Steel. DTPS leadership knew Malo’s experience and commitment to safety was just what the company needed to develop quality procedures and standards to make their new product line a success.

DIS-TRAN Packaged Substations, Pineville, La., is a pioneer in fabricating substations indoors and then delivering them for installation. Typically, these types of structures are fabricated on-site, which can be a challenge for welders who have to battle the weather to deliver quality joints.

Malo initially outlined several quality and safety standards needed to successfully launch the FBS business. He then developed a workflow and schedule to improve the welding procedures and effectively train the welding team so they could meet and exceed the American Welding Society (AWS) standards.

“We’re here to promote the craft of welding and the science of it. So, working with our team and helping establish the quality system that we have here, it’s been very rewarding,” said Malo, a lifetime AWS member.

Malo had some help along the way. Brandon Dubroc joined DTPS as a welder 10 years ago and later showed interest in learning more about the craft. He started hitting the CWI exam preparation books in 2014 and took his time before successfully passing the test in 2016.

“I just didn’t want to memorize too much information in a short period of time,” Dubroc said. “I wanted to study it and live it out before jumping into a test.”

Working together, Malo and Dubroc helped the team create a training program.

“We develop our welders’ basic skillset welding with aluminum. Then, we continue to improve their overall skillset,” Malo explained.

DTPS welders primarily work with Lincoln Electric POWER MIG 350MP machines and 4043 wire on 6063 aluminum alloy and 6061-T6 aluminum alloy extrusions. They start off trying to master the 2F position (a horizontal fillet weld) and progress through 3F (vertical fillet weld), 4F (overhead fillet weld), and 5F (horizontal tube welded to a vertical plate). From there, the welders are trained for groove welds in both flats and tubes (1G to 5G; flat, horizontal, vertical, overhead, and horizontal fixed welding of pipe, respectively). Malo said that welders are trained up to 6G (45-degree inclined fixed welding of pipe), but it’s not used too often. The goal is to have the welders trained to the highest qualification possible just in case that skill is needed on a project.

Accomplishing the weld successfully is only one aspect of the welders’ training, however.

“Our quality program is strategically set up so that the welder is the first-line inspector,” Malo said. “As a welder, you should know how to produce your weld and how to inspect your weld. The welders need to anticipate what an inspector might need to see to approve the weld. That way we have built-in quality with the welders.”

That means each welder needs to know the welding procedure specification and how to replicate it in the real world. They must be able to recognize a defect, troubleshoot the cause to avoid the same mistake in the future, and do what is necessary to correct the welding flaw.

Fabricating substations can involve some large structures. One of the largest substations to be sent on one truck was 70 ft. long. In other instances, substations can be sent on multiple trucks and installed together to create a structure that can be up to a quarter mile long.

“We go through all of that training so that they are able to identify defects and then be able to diagnose what their issues were so that they can improve and correct their issues,” Malo added.

The results are impressive. Malo said that within a 2.5-year time frame, the DTPS welders performed more than five miles of linear welds with only 18 in. of defects, and most of the individual defects were only 0.0625 to 0.125 in. long. It is also important to note that those 18 in. of defects never left the company’s Product Support Services Center; all defects were caught by the CWIs. In fact, DTPS customers have not reported any welding defects since Malo and his team created the quality standards and procedures.

It’s easy to see how important the controlled environment is for producing consistent-quality welds. In the past, when DTPS welders worked on-site, they also used the gas metal arc welding process, but they used spool guns and welded underneath a fiberglass blanket or some other sort of wind block. The wind, temperatures, and other variables made delivering consistent-quality welds very hard, according to Dubroc.

Hiring the Right Welders

DTPS now has 16 welders qualified for all aspects of pipe welding, and all but two of the welders were trained in-house.

“Personally, I think one of the biggest contributing factors to our quality is that we don’t hire for the skillset. We hire people who hold the same values and who are the best fit our culture,” Dubroc said.

Dubroc said he looks for young welders that take pride in their work, can get along well with others, can take constructive criticism, and are authentic. All of that helps to make them good teammates and allows DTPS to build a welding team centered on trust.

“We have such a close-knit group of guys, and they are all very critical about their craftsmanship and the overall quality and safety process. We hold each other accountable,” he added. “It’s almost like a competition. We want to do well for our team but also for ourselves. Every one of us wants to be better—to truly master our craft. So, the welding team is constantly looking over and inspecting each weld before I ever get out there to double-check their work.”

So, what’s the biggest challenge for the welders? Dubroc said that the most common defect he sees is associated with termination craters in the aluminum. It’s critical for the welder not to move out of the puddle too quickly at the end of the weld because the wire pulls back in the pulse welding mold, taking molten weld metal with it. That can lead to a spider crack. The welder needs to linger a little longer to ensure the integrity of the puddle and allow the shielding gas to clear out any impurities.

Making Their Mark

Given DTPS’ successful welding efforts and growth of its FBS product line, can CWIs still impact the welding team? Malo is quick to point out the CWIs on the shop floor help to keep processes running smoothly and on schedule at the Product Support Services Center. The CWIs also ensure that new welders are trained consistently, that new welding procedures are proved out, and that welding and ISO certifications are maintained. Simply put, DTPS doesn’t need to wait for a third-party CWI to help with its initiatives.

“In the shop, 30 minutes to an hour after a joint configuration is made, it’s inspected by one of us. The welders can then move on to the next phase of operations,” Dubroc said. “It’s a quick and efficient way to fabricate these projects.”

A surplus of welding knowledge and experience is always a good thing for any metal fabricating company. Soon, DTPS will have a third CWI on its team. Another welder is beginning to pursue his credentials, and the team is excited to support their teammate in his career growth.

Overhead pipe welding is just one of the positions that DTPS welders are trained to do.