October 15-17, 2024 at Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida
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Expo Hours

Tuesday Oct 15 9 AM — 5 PM
Wednesday Oct 16 9 AM — 5 PM
Thursday Oct 17 9 AM — 4 PM

Venue

Orange County Convention Center

9800 International Drive
Orlando, Florida 32819

About the Expo

North America's largest metal forming, fabricating, welding and finishing event heads to Orange County Convention Center in October 2024. FABTECH provides a convenient "one stop shop" venue where you can meet with world-class suppliers, see the latest industry products and developments, and find the tools to improve productivity, increase profits and discover new solutions to all of your metal forming, fabricating, welding and finishing needs.

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North America's Largest Metal Forming, Fabricating, Welding and Finishing Event

From the Blog

Industrial Internet of Things Provides Fabricators with a Data-Driven Advantage

esab
By Kelly Clark on on
Where does continuous improvement come from after implementing the best manufacturing processes and practices? It comes by harnessing the strength of numbers, enabling machine-to-machine (M2M) and automating activities previously performed manually. Welcome to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), or Industry 4.0. Conceived by the German government in an effort to promote the computerization of manufacturing, the term Industry 4.0 was first used at the Hanover Fair in 2011. Note that the IIoT phrase seems to be more popular in the U.S., where Europeans often use Industry 4.0. No matter what you call it, the adoption of IIoT practices by leading companies will explode in the next decade, driving the next round of productivity and quality improvements. While larger fabricators and manufacturers are leading the way, smaller companies that supply parts and sub-assemblies will likely need to implement IIoT practices to retain their customers.
WeldCloud safety stores data on your company’s intranet, where it is password protected.

WeldCloud safety stores data on your company’s intranet, where it is password protected.

On-line Data Management Software At the heart of IIoT in the fabricating industry are welding power sources and cutting systems that incorporate built-in data gathering capabilities and web servers that enable remote access by a wide range of external devices, including robotic controllers. These power sources then integrate with online data management platforms via Wi-Fi, mobile cellular or hard-wired Ethernet communication. Most of the major power source manufacturers now offer systems with “cloud” capabilities. At FABTECH 2016, ESAB will showcase its Software Hub, which features CutCloud™ and WeldCloud™ on-line data management capabilities. Regardless of the system employed, the larger point is that users can automate many of the activities that surround the welding and cutting processes. With an IIoT platform, users can:
  • Enable bi-directional communication to pull in welding procedures and schedules, verify operator qualifications and confirm machine setup.
  • Develop schedules on a single machine, move them into the cloud and then push them out to other systems, whether that’s one machine, a group of machines or groups of machines in multiple locations.
  • Remotely manage parameters, set limits and set alarms for deviations.
  • Facilitate traceability from single welds to the complete product because the core of a data-gathering system provides a comprehensive database containing key information of every seam. Automated documentation of every step in the process chain (e.g., filler metals, consumables, operator qualifications and welding parameters) is becoming essential for structural steel construction, ship, offshore, pressure vessel, military, automotive, crane and fabrication in many other industries.
  • Job status and real-time response to production situations – such as alerts when consumable levels run low, generation of a predictive maintenance schedule or pushing out a re-stocking text to suppliers.
  • Share and analyze data by teams across multiple data collection sites, using any computer, tablet or smart phone connected to the same internal network as the welding systems and database.
  • Remote connection to experts for process optimization, updates and troubleshooting.
  • Web-based reporting provides up-to-the-second status information, highlighting production and quality concerns to increase overall quality and production performance.
  • Integrate with ERP systems like Oracle®, SAP®, IBM and SharePoint, plus analytics and reporting tools such as ClickView, Qlik®, SAS® and Tableau®.
Actionable Insight
data driven advantage for fabricators

WeldCloud enables managers in a central location to monitor the status of equipment from multiple facilities.

Even if an IIoT platform only offered the functions noted above, a fabricator could make a quantum leap in productivity, quality and machine efficiency. For example, think of all the hours spent manually inputting information into production processes and recording results. Transferring data automatically not only saves hours, it also generates reports with improved quality because automated reports are not subject to human error or intentionally tampering with data to “improve” results. IIoT platforms enable data-driven decision making so that customers can move the true levers of productivity and quality, as well as make better use of working capital. Easy to install, use and maintain, the IIoT “applications” let users access information on any web-enabled device, as well as automatically receive software update notifications and download updates. Because web-based reporting speeds information flow, companies obtain a clearer picture of plant operation. They can eliminate equipment downtime, unscheduled maintenance and process bottlenecks, as well as improve overall equipment effectiveness, speed time-to-market and streamline schedules. Significant ROI can be expected in six to 12 months.

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