E F F I C I E N C Y

Efficiency F U L LY A U T O M A T E D F A B R I C A T I O N

The quality of the weld is more critical on wind towers than any other product outside of the
nuclear/aerospace industry. A key focus has been to make wind towers taller, reaching higher to
take advantage of stronger air currents in the upper atmosphere, without making them heavier.
Fatigue in the metal is 10 times higher on wind towers than on other machines. To stand up to this
stress, the welded joints must be as strong as the parent metal.
Aerisyn uses approximately

55–60 bags of ESAB OK

Flux 10.72 and 5,200 lbs. of

SpoolArc® 81 wire per day.

When Aerisyn LLC decided to build a new wind tower fabrication plant in Tennessee, the company
wanted to become a sophisticated fabrication shop with a highly consistent welding process.
They also knew that to successfully compete with foreign manufacturers, they needed to automate
as much of the fabrication as possible. They needed to work with a partner with significant
expertise in welding and automation. From the very beginning, ESAB was that partner. From
assisting with plant layout, equipment selection and material flow to developing the weld
procedures, ESAB was there with innovative ideas and proven technology. ESAB supplied all the
cutting, welding and assembly equipment for the plant, including a programmable cutting gantry,
automated welding and material handling equipment, manual cutting and welding equipment,
and all the filler metals to do the job right. With ESAB’s help, Aerisyn’s customers get the best
welds they’ve seen from any of their suppliers around the world.

ESAB’s automation
equipment ranges from single
robotic welders to complete
turnkey systems, including
material handling equipment.
ESAB’s mechanized hybrid
laser welding systems drastically
improve production throughput and
weld quality for structural shapes,
panels and vessels.
ESAB subarc equipment, cladding wires ESAB’s submerged arc welding
and fluxes produce superior results process enhances productivity
in automated cladding operations. and achieves superior results
at the lowest possible cost.

S O L U T I O N S F O R W E L D I N G A N D C U T T I N G 5
 P R O D U C T I V I T Y

Productivity B R I D G E F A B R I C AT I O N

In October 1989, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake severely damaged the eastern span of the San
Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. The project to rebuild this bridge includes some of the largest and
heaviest components ever used in bridge construction, including a state-of-the-art hinge system that
attaches to the concrete deck segments of the bridge. Fabrication of the hinge system was awarded
to Trans Bay Steel, a major steel fabricator with a 250,000-square-foot facility in Napa, California. The subarc welding procedure
Trans Bay was accustomed to fabricating and transporting heavy materials, but fabricating the
used by Trans Bay uses
thick steel plate into cylinders with very tight tolerances and cladding the sliding surface with a
stainless steel overlay presented challenges. Trans Bay turned to BayArc Welding, their local approximately 30 passes for
distributor for ESAB Welding and Cutting Products, for assistance.
the interior diameter weld

Trans Bay and ESAB worked very closely together, developing a unique partnership that maximized and another 30 for the outer
everyone’s talents and tapping into ESAB’s global capabilities to determine the best solutions for diameter weld on each “can.”
this project. From cutting the thick plate on an ESAB cutting gantry equipped with a rotating triple-
torch oxyfuel bevel head, through various stages of automated subarc welding of the cylinders, the
companies worked together every step of the way.

ESAB’s m3® Plasma System
combines multiple plasma cutting and
marking features in a single easy-to-use
system, taking plasma cutting
productivity to new heights.
Coreshield® self-shielding flux cored
wires combine outstanding strength
and superior weld characteristics
to produce the highest welder
appeal in their class.
ESAB’s advanced technology
and fully integrated process
parameters simplify bevel
cutting “on the fly.”
ESAB’s founder, Oscar Kjellberg, invented
the first flux-coated electrode in 1904. This
has become the Atom Arc® of today, which
bridge manufacturers trust for welding
performance and quality.

6 S O L U T I O N S F O R W E L D I N G A N D C U T T I N G