JUNE 2016 / WELDING JOURNAL 69 Cutting Capabilities, Forming Craftsmen use plate shears, cut-off wheels, CNC, and plasma cutting machines. Laser and waterjet services are outsourced. A majority of forming takes place in-house thanks to plate roll and bar forming machines. For flanged and dished heads (basically domes), there are two steps: stamping the overall radius and using vendors to hydroform the heads. Jacob Duvall, a newcomer to MCF, has spent time detailing them — Fig. 4. “I really like stainless steel because it’s clean and uniform,” Duvall said. Welding Work Gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) and gas metal arc welding (GMAW) are performed when fabricating the tanks. For GTAW, 1⁄16-, 1⁄8-, and 3⁄32-in. rods are used with argon gas blends, while for GMAW, 0.045-in. wires are used with trimix gas blends. A majority of material thickness is 10 or 12 gauge. Challenges working on this include achieving a balance of penetration without superheating the material or causing porosity. In addition, small tanks can be hard to work on because of accessibility. Large tanks can be difficult because good fitup is required when putting top/bottom halves together, plus welders need lifts for welding up high. Many welds are made to not only provide structural strength but also look ideal cosmetically. These consist of butt and lap joints, fillet welding, and sanitary tube purging. “It really is an art,” Frye emphasized about welding on stainless steel, especially to the level needed for meeting sanitary purposes. Staying Safe, Scheduling Beside the welders wearing personal protective equipment, these safety measures are followed: guards on grinding tools, forklift/fall protection, lockout/tagout OSHA protocols, Oregon state rules, and annual hearing tests. Dave Sage is in charge of human resources and safety. Welders work 8-h shifts Monday through Friday and choose their starting times. Overtime is as needed. “There’s a lot of flexibility with your workweek of 40 hours,” Sage said. “We have low turnover and don’t have to work hard to fill roles. People like working here, it’s a livable place, and the proof is in the retention.” Personal Perspectives Harry Stringer hasn’t been with MCF that long but brings three years of professional welding experience and is getting used to its tank-building methods as he works on his first fermenter. “There’s a lot of independence. You get set on your own project and are trusted with your work until it’s done,” Stringer said. Several welders have been working at the company four or five years, including the gentlemen listed next. In recently making a large manway, for an extension piece to go on a fermenter, Trevor Keith took two pieces of metal rolled in-house, welded them together, and assembled that to fit in front of the tank’s skin — Fig. 5. He can quickly adapt to blueprint modifications. Matt Voss has built stainless steel items for 20 years and likes creatively turning flat metal into something. “I’ve got probably the most diverse background of anyone in the shop,” he said about his metals experience. Voss further feels everything can be challenging, yet “accepting that turns roadblocks into milestones, you turn adversity into a functional way of doing something. It’s a matter of finding ways you can grow from or figure a shortcut around.” Matt Cartwright doesn’t mind welding many feet off of the ground (see Fig. 2). He described GTAW as a “zen-like feel.” He has welded more than 20 years and enjoys this about the job: “Metal fabrication and the lots of talented people here. I’ve learned a lot.” Jorge Gamez is comfortable welding stainless steel pieces much taller than he, likes starting new projects and thinking differently — Fig. 6. “You have the opportunity here to move up,” Gamez added. “When you are happy and you are motivated, you enjoy work.” Jose Reyes Ochoa handles a little of everything, from cutting various parts to installing insulation. He likes keeping everything in order for colleagues to do their jobs. His son shares the same name and is also an employee. “It’s almost like a dream to work alongside your father,” Jr. said. He polishes and housekeeps, but aspires to be a welder. Resistance Welding Addition Recently, MCF purchased a resistance welding machine. Representing an investment of more than $200,000, it will soon be used to spot and lap seam weld the cooling jackets on fermenters (the “dimpled” sheet layer), Fig. 5 — Trevor Keith uses GTAW on a manway more than 22 in. tall and 17 in. wide for a fermenter that will stand 12 ft and hold 30 bbl when finished.
Welding Journal | June 2016
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