The welding of joints is a common application of brazing due to their technical characteristics that are often required for these products. (discover more about joints brazing)
Approaching this kind of of processes, joint designing is a main step in order to better define the clearance and the geometry of the joint and to improve the filling of the brazing alloy maximizing mechanical resistance. In addition to that there are other aspects to consider with the aim to guarantee a world-class quality standard product. Let’s see them in this article!
Brazing joint cost calculation
Calculating the cost of a joint may seem simple:
JOINT COST = MATERIAL COST + LABOUR COST + HEATING TIME + ALLOY COST + FLUX COST
Are we really sure that this calculation is precise and without variation outside of our forecast?
In the real word it is a common situation to find differences between theoretical calculation and the effective cost of the joint. This happens because they come into play several variables that are not under the designer or seller control, which take care of the order.
Out of control variables
In many cases brazing process includes handcrafted operations where the ability and the experience of the operator make the difference not only on the final quality but also on the realization costs: the quality of the alloy, the use of the flame and then the heating time, the quality output due to the use of different technics.
The quantity of the alloy used, for example, becomes an highly variable element and almost ever out of control of who design the production cost.
But, how can we reduce at minimum the variability of cost components and take the control over the production?
Processes optimization
Performance and quality standardization of the product become a main asset when it is requested to improve the business efficiency.
Business’s process for brazed products, such as a brazed joint, needs the participation of different experts which are often not aligned between them: the sales team who close the deal with a defined price, the operator who takes care of the production, the R&D who designs an innovative and quality product.
Through all these processes, if there are not alignment or an optimization of the processes, it may happens inconveniences that regard several aspects, such as the wrong production cost calculation (and then the closing of an improper deal), or the final product quality (that can disappoint the customer’s expectations).
It may happens that even a small mistake in a production batch is enough to compromise the reputation and the perception of the entire production.
Over the years in Saldobrase we have been improving the optimization and the standardization of the processes in order to prevent and minimizing the production unexpected.
We know, for example, that the brazing alloy needs to be correctly oversized to compensate any human errors and to avoid to reach the technical limits of the joint. In this way we have reached shared practical standard with sales team, technical office and production.
Operators training
Another strategic aspect for the brazing processes optimization is the training of operative personnel, in order to improve the awareness of their operations and how they can reflect in the other business steps.
We invest in training of our operators, both internal and those of our clients, starting from basics and the reasons why a given event can realizes, in order to minimize risks and to improve the overall quality of the production.
This is the way operators acquire new hard skills and are independently able to recognize out of standard events and report them.
Saldobrase training sessions have precisely this purpose: according with production manager, quality manager, product manager and those are involved in this process, we define alongside the customer the criteria and the best standard way for brazing, in order to drastically reduce the possibility to have joints with leaks and, in case, to identify them during the production steps rather than after the customer delivery.
Furthermore, during the practical and theoretical sessions the operators of different departments have the possibility to work together in order to enrich the experience trough information sharing that usually stop on the single department.
Taylor made solutions
Analyzing with our customers their brazing processes we could automate several steps of their production with the use of rings and preformed, improving the efficiency and the quality of the final product. Don’t hesitate to contact us: our experts, alongside your technicians, will analyze your requirement to define the best solution for your application!
