Welding equipment is evolving; becoming smarter and more efficient and producing better quality welds while being more forgiving for the operator. The increased efficiency of this newer technology comes at a price, in terms of acquisition cost and potentially greater repair and maintenance expenses.
With the current shortage of skilled labor in the welding industry, it’s impossible to ignore the need for modern, automated welding systems in order to maximize productivity and maintain quality. If acquiring equipment to remain competitive places undue strain on a company’s capital resources, it’s worthwhile to consider leasing the equipment that is otherwise out of reach.
For those companies that need equipment for a long period of time, leasing is ideal. For shorter projects, renting is a good pay-as-you-go alternative. Many companies will choose to lease or own their core equipment and rent additional equipment as it’s required.
Rental options
For fabricators with equipment utilization of less than 60 percent, it’s typically more economical to rent than to purchase. The advantages that come from replacing older equipment with newer models include reduced maintenance costs, downtime and repair.
Many rental and leasing companies, such as Red-D-Arc Welderentals, an Airgas company, can also manage the sale of old equipment, saving business owners on the costs associated with storage, handling and freight. Red-D-Arc can also provide its customers with ancillary equipment.
Rental packages include everything from welders and power generators to welding cables and gas hoses to MIG guns and TIG torches. Consumables, such as gases and welding electrodes, are not supplied by Red-D-Arc, but are readily available through Airgas and other local welding distributors.
Lease options
Taking advantage of a lease program has proven to be a cost-effective alternative to equipment ownership for many fabricators. It provides the opportunity to conserve capital, comes with considerable tax advantages and circumvents the need to invest in depreciating assets. Lease customers also have the advantage of being able to perpetually trade in their fleets for new equipment.
Additionally, Red-D-Arc’s Welder-Logistics lease program comes with a full factory warranty, and replacement equipment is provided at no cost in the event of equipment breakdown. The company also provides customers with demonstrations as to how the lease program is more cost effective than ownership, adhering to each customer’s specific requirements.
Equipment offerings
Red-D-Arc carries all major brands from the companies that are taking welding equipment into the next generation.
Pipe welding has seen several technological breakthroughs, which are transforming the highly competitive pipe welding industry. Oscillating pipe welders, orbital welding systems from Lincoln and Axxair, the Miller PipeWorx system and induction heating systems are just a few of the cutting-edge technologies Red-D-Arc offers for pipe welding.
Red-D-Arc also offers induction heating systems, which are evolving as use grows in construction, weld preheating and stress relieving, postweld heat treatment, coating removal and shrink fit applications. Compared to flame or resistance heating, induction heating systems are much safer with fewer fumes and gasses. They are also environment-friendly, resulting in an improved work environment and higher worker productivity.
The company also offers its own line of welders, custom built by leading welding equipment manufacturers. An important differentiator with the Red-D-Arc line of welders is that the equipment is built to “extreme duty” specifications. The commitment to durability has earned Red-D-Arc welders a reputation as tough and dependable.
As well as welders and weld positioning equipment, Red-D-Arc also offers a diverse fleet of welding-related specialty equipment, such as plasma cutters, smoke extractors and electrode ovens.
Knowing that welding projects commonly take place on jobsites where little to no power is available, Red-D-Arc also rents mobile diesel power generators and power distribution panels. A dedicated team of generator specialists is available to support even the most complex and critical jobsite power requirements.
Like most rental and leasing companies, Red-D-Arc also sells used equipment – a boon for customers on many levels. Even though a company may have the capital to update its welding equipment with a cutting-edge fleet, it still has to deal with the extra costs of disposing of obsolete or worn-out equipment. The same is true for companies that are leasing equipment. The old models have to be removed. Anyone who has tried to sell an old welder, or a fleet of older welders, is familiar with this challenge.
Automation options
The main driver for acquiring the latest welding technologies is to stay competitive. But increasingly, fabricators need more than just the latest welder; they also need to invest in automation. Therefore, Red-D-Arc offers a line of welding automation equipment for sale, lease and rent. The equipment has been tested and rated for UL/CSA and CE approval and certification for electrical controls and operational capabilities, a first in the weld automation industry.
Along with standard weld positioning equipment, such as manipulators, positioners and turning rolls, Red-D-Arc also offers fit-up bed rollers, growing line systems (commonly used in wind tower manufacturing), headstocks/tailstocks, TIG cladding systems, seam welders and complete submerged arc welding systems.
The company also offers turnkey weld automation packages where Red-D-Arc’s team of engineers works alongside customers to find a solution for their unique challenges. They can design a customized turnkey package based on the customers’ exact requirements thanks to their extensive experience designing systems for a variety of industries, including oil exploration and refining, nuclear, aerospace, defense, steel mills, mining and wind tower manufacturing.
As an example of the company’s turnkey offerings, Red-D-Arc recently supplied a construction company in Belgium with three custom submerged arc systems. Each of the systems consisted of a 23-ft.-by-23-ft. manipulator equipped with a double-wire welding head, complete with seam tracking, a flux recovery unit and a touchscreen interface.
An industrial general contracting firm in Savannah, Ga., also benefitted from the company’s turnkey offerings for its thin wall tank manufacturing operations. The manufacturer increased productivity by more than 50 percent using a unique fit-up bed system engineered specifically for thin wall can applications.
Yet another example can be found in growing line systems that were supplied to a company for the production of wind tower foundations in the Adriatic Sea. Alongside the growing line systems, a range of manipulators, welders, submerged arc welders and weld monitoring cameras were supplied.
Industry knowledge
When working with a rental and leasing company, it’s important to work with knowledgeable associates for process and equipment selection advice. At Red-D-Arc, sales associates have or are working toward obtaining Certified Welding Sales Representative certification. This allows them to walk customers through their requirements to ensure they select the equipment that best fits their needs and budget.
It’s also helpful when sales associates are up to date with the latest offerings from equipment manufacturers as well as their product roadmaps. In many cases, it’s also beneficial when there is an option to test the latest technology on a try-before-you-buy basis.
Red-D-Arc Welderentals opened its doors in 1955 and has been growing ever since to respond to market demands. Today, Red-D-Arc has a fleet of more than 70,000 welders, 4,000 weld positioners and 4,000 electric-power diesel generators for rent or lease. More than 70 Red-D-Arc branches are strategically located throughout the world.
