Summit Steel & Manufacturing offers customers options for both robotic and manual welding with a wide range of applications in a variety of industries including consumer products, construction and agriculture.
Each method has a very different set of requirements and advantages that can save both time and money when used appropriately. We have years of experience with both processes, and a team of highly trained specialists that can guide you towards the method that will work best for your project based on budget, time constraints, intended use and required precision.
Benefits of choosing Summit production-welding services include:
- Work performed by AWS-certified welders capable of meeting the highest quality standards
- Eco-friendly production and business practices to promote a more sustainable environment
- Climate-controlled work machine shops for optimal precision and consistent results
- Modern technology for quick and easy uploading of digital files and designs
MIG and TIG Welding Services
Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding is a basic arc welding process wherein an arc is created by DC electric current to create enough heat to fuse metal in the joint area. It works with a wire fed into the weld pool that melts at the same speed at which it is fed into the weld pool. A protective layer of inert gas protects both the arc and the weld pool from contamination by the atmosphere.
Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding is also an arc welding process. It uses a tungsten electrode to fuse the metal in the area of the joint and create the weld pool, while an inert gas layer protects the arc and weld pool from atmospheric contamination.
MIG welding differs from TIG welding services in the wire used for the welding process. MIG welding combines metal pieces together with the energy produced when a consumable wire is connected to an electrode current. TIG welding uses a non-consumable tungsten element, also combined with an inert gas.
While TIG welding services are generally thought of as cleaner, more precise and efficient since it typically does not require a filling agent, MIG welding offers an exceptionally fast, easy and economical process. TIG welding is especially effective for welding thinner sheets and more delicate materials.
When choosing between MIG and TIG manual welding services, it’s equally important to understand the constraints each represents. The downside of MIG welding services is that it’s somewhat less reliable than TIG and can produce more smoke and dangerous fumes. Negatives of TIG to consider include the lengthy set-up times, greater costs and reliance on more complex equipment and procedures.
Whether you are searching for MIG welding or TIG welding companies, contact Summit Steel for your company’s welding needs. We can analyze your project and help determine the most cost-effective and efficient way to perform your welding job.
Advantages of Manual Welding
In this technologically advanced era, a common assumption is that automated is always the best solution in manufacturing and fabrication. While robotic welding is often faster, more cost-effective and more precise than manual welding, there are times when projects will benefit from a manual welding process.
Robotic welding requires a higher initial cost than manual welding, due to the need to create product fixtures, programming and initial set up for the specific process. This means that implementing a robotic welding project has a longer lead-time before it can achieve full-scale production. This makes manual welding ideal for projects with short timelines, small runs and tight budgets.
Another benefit of manual welding services is that if you need any changes made in your welding project, we can make them immediately. Whether we notice an issue with the current process or your needs suddenly change, we won’t need to reprogram any machines or dedicate new ones to the task. We can simply tell our ISO- and AWS-certified expert welders about the change for immediate implementation.
Other companies that offer professional welding services tend to rely too heavily on their machines. If one goes down, everything, including your project, could grind to a halt. We have a full team of professionals who can perform welding services at a high level. If someone can’t work on any given day, plenty of others can jump in and take their place.
Manual Welding Applications
Our MIG and TIG welding services allow us to serve a wide range of applications, because we can join almost any types of metal to create the parts you need, including steel, aluminum, thick pieces and thin pieces.
Contract Welding Services
Some companies may feel they have the facilities to do their own welding, but this is usually not a cost-effective approach. You will have to pay welders or divert current staff to welding duties. To guarantee quality, you will need to make sure your welders are AWS certified, which can be time-consuming and expensive. You will also need to dedicate part of your facility and divert other resources to welding processes. If you have a high volume of projects that require precision welding, trying to do it all in-house can severely restrict your regular workflow.
On the other hand, when you contract Summit Steel for your professional welding services, you are putting your welding responsibilities in the hands of people with decades of experience when it comes to quality welding. We have the best tools, the best materials, the most skilled personnel and the perfect facility to quickly and efficiently perform almost any business’ welding needs.
Not only can our organizational infrastructure save you money over trying to do your welding yourself, but you are almost certainly assured a higher quality product. Welding and other metalworking processes are all we do, and your company deserves to benefit from that expertise.
If you have any questions about the process or how your project is proceeding, you can always call us. We are right here in Pennsylvania — the entire job takes place in this facility, and someone is always on hand during business hours to update you and provide total transparency on your project. Once you have contracted welding services with Summit Steel once, you will wonder why you ever considered doing it any other way.
Specialist Welding Services
Any company that needs joined-metal fabricated parts for its applications can contact Summit Steel for industrial welding service in Reading, PA. However, there are a number of industries that we have a great deal of experience with and are uniquely qualified to perform welding services and other metal working services for.
One of these industries is the automotive industry, where we have the ideal equipment, tools and operational capacity for assembling lightweight, durable car parts. We are also very popular with the alternative energy community because of our ability to use a variety of metals and thicknesses to produce alternative-power-generating devices.
Other areas where you will appreciate our PA welding services include hospitality companies, construction, appliance manufacturing and many more.
Certified Welders at Summit Steel
Summit Steel employs certified welders who have years of experience in precision welding and fabrication with a wide variety of materials and processes.
Our welders have earned several certifications from the American Welding Society, an organization dedicated to advancing the welding industry, for different materials and welding processes.
These certifications ensure that our welders perform with an exceptional level of quality, by employing rigorous testing and regular reinforcement.
Our welding certifications from the American Welding Society include:
- AWS D1.1 – “Structural Welding Code – Steel”
- AWS D1.2 – “Structural Welding Code – Aluminum”
- AWS D1.4 – “Structural Welding Code – Reinforcing Steel”
- AWS D1.5 – “Bridge Welding Code” – State DOT’s
- AWS D1.6 – “Structural Welding Code – Stainless Steel”
- AWS D14.3 – “Specification for Welding Earthmoving, Construction, and Agricultural Equipment”
In addition to these specialized welding certifications, Summit Steel is an ISO 9001-2008 certified company, ensuring that our products not only meet our customer’s requirements but also exceed them. We provide continuing education and training programs in welding theory, workplace safety, technical drawing and design interpretation, and we are always updating and informing our staff on industry best practices.
