LeJeune Steel Company Increases Productivity by 20 Percent with Hobart® Metal-Cored Wire
As a leader in the steel fabrication industry, LeJeune Steel Company was chosen to build the roof trusses for the Minnesota Multipurpose Stadium in Minneapolis, MN. With the goal of putting out two roof trusses a week, LeJeune Steel needed a wire that would allow them to do the job quickly and efficiently. By switching to the Hobart® FabCOR® 86R metal-cored wire, LeJeune Steel has eliminated wire feed issues, increased deposition rates and has created a work environment with less noise and clean up for its welders. With the metal-cored wire, LeJeune is also able to facilitate timing and efficiency with fewer concerns about repairs.
Video Transcript
We’re using the Fabcore 86R to help build the Minnesota multi-purpose stadium. The stadium will be used for the Vikings, concerts, the upcoming Super Bowl, and the Final Four. We are doing the structural steel for it, which consists of all the roof trusses. Our goal is to put out two a week, and we’re doing that pretty consistently.
A lot of the welding is 5/16-inch and half-inch, and there are some full penetration welds that are up to 1 inch. The trusses themselves range from 15 feet long to 80 feet long and anywhere from 10,000 pounds up to 115,000, so they’re pretty heavy.
Since we switched to Hobart Metal Core wire, we get a better deposition rate. We used to have feed issues with our flux core, and we don’t have any feeding issues anymore with the metal core. We found that with the flux core wire, the guys were breaking off wire, and you know, they’d break off 6 inches of wire. With the metal core, we don’t have to do that anymore because we can just stop welding and start welding again without breaking the wire off.
It’s easier to run, it’s cleaner, there’s less noise in the shop, and no air hammers chipping slag all day long. Our success rate on our CJP welds is in the 90 to 95% range for all personnel across the board, which helps facilitate timing and efficiency, and lessens concerns with the additional welding and the problems that you have with additional excavations and repairs and those types of things. Our productivity has increased 20%. It’s a quality product that enables us to do our job quickly and efficiently.