“They love to see the flaming forge; And hear the bellows roar; And watch the burning sparks that fly; Like chaff from a threshing floor.”

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Village Blacksmith

For the most part, open-forge welding has long since been modernized. With today’s equipment and materials, welders are far more precise than the village blacksmith could ever have dreamed.

One thing that has not gone the way of the village blacksmith, though, is the craftsmanship and attention to detail at Van-Am.

Manual welding and cutting

Our manual arc welding capabilities include nine metal inert gas (MIGs) and two tungsten inert gas (TIGs). MIG welding utilizes a consumable wire electrode, while TIG’s electrode is non-consumable. MIG was developed for aluminum and other non-ferrous metals, but soon branched out to include steel when the process allowed for the use of semi-inert gases such as carbon dioxide. TIG welding is limited to thin sections of aluminum and other non-ferrous metals, but gives the welder greater control, creating a stronger weld.

Two oxy-welding and oxy-cutting combine fuel gases with oxygen as a torch to melt the metal. The oxygen enables the welder to control the temperature and, therefore, the welding area. A filler metal helps bond the two molten metals together. When used for cutting, the torch heats the metal until it is cherry red and then uses a stream of oxygen to create the iron-oxide that then produces the heat to cut the metal.

Robotic welding and cutting

Our Motoman Robotic Plasma Welder allows the operator to adjust the temperature and the velocity with a smaller cross section. Two plasma cutters work with electrically conductive metals, shooting a stream of plasma through the material. Its high speed and precision make plasma cutting a low-cost yet accurate option. Three spot welders utilize a combination of pressure and electricity (which creates the heat) to bond metals together. Spot welding works best with thin metals, such as sheet metal, to concentrate the heat in one spot.

Our two Fanuc work cells and one Lincoln weld cell move the metals in and out of the robotics either horizontally or vertically, depending on the design and the cut. The weld cells allow the robots to perform more efficiently and effectively, providing increased speed and accuracy.

Here at Van-Am, we utilize all of our employees’ skills and state-of-the-art equipment to provide real solutions and value to our customers. We can support all of your needs.