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  • How Welding Automation Streamlines Surface Transport Vehicles Fabrication

    How Welding Automation Streamlines Surface Transport Vehicles Fabrication

    Many industries heavily rely on flatbed trucks and shipping containers for their operational logistics. From manufacturing to construction, distribution, and agriculture, these hardy flatbed trucks are widely used for their flexibility and ability to carry tons of weight.

    Their open roofs and side structures maximize their carriage spaces, making loading and unloading easier while requiring less cleaning and maintenance.

    Shipping containers are also widely used to transport goods by sea and land. They are made with weathering steel, making them durable and suitable for storing, shipping, and handling heavy materials.    

    nexAir: Meeting the Growing Demand

    Because there is a high demand for these surface vehicles, their fabrication has become a thriving industry in many parts of the country and the world. The pace of business and the growing global markets that various companies need to serve require reliable supply and maintenance of this transport equipment. 

    They are crucial in the smooth transit and movement of goods from one point to another in vast distribution networks. 

    To meet this need, fabricators and suppliers have employed welding automation to meet their clients’ requirements through advanced processes. Ensuring improved speed and precision through semi or fully automated functions, this streamlined process offers better cost efficiency, productivity, and profitability. 

    Production lines utilizing nexAir-engineered and installed spot welders and contact welding mechanisms, superior welding techniques, and materials add value to our clients’ operations and the various industries they serve.

    nexAir KnowHow Helps You Go Places

    We understand your need to meet market demands and increase revenue. With nexAir KnowHow, we provide not only the supplies but also the expertise to help fabricators and suppliers automate their process with uncompromised quality. 

    You can rely on our team’s highly trained experts for technical support from technology acquisition to training for robot technology and semi automation. We also provide engineering consultancy, asset management, and repair.  

    From feasibility to development to system specifications, we equip your people with knowledge and skills to make the most of the technology and supplies we provide.

    We offer key process automation including fusion welding, pressure welding, and brazing/soldering.

    Our automation provides:

    • Excellent control systems
    • Efficient production cycles
    • Strong industrial structures
    • An array of precision welding tools to choose from
    • Miniscule tolerances regardless of product size
    • Productivity
    • Superior welding quality

    These benefits optimize your automated processes, revenue, and creates flatbed trucks and shipping containers with long-term durability, improved output, and production speed.

    Our Forge Forward Approach

    The key to business growth is seizing opportunities. As the global market continues to expand, evolve, and raise its demands, businesses must keep up and respond. While there are challenges along the way, we believe that stepping up to enlarge one’s capacity and reach is a matter of performance and having the right partnerships.

    At nexAir, we provide not only products and services but reliable support that goes beyond transactional partnership. We empower businesses to reach their goals — whether it’s increasing production, enhancing logistics, or expanding their market.

    Our products create value-adding machinery with different functions. Similarly, we also equip our clients with the relevant technology to fuel their success. Along the way, we build strong bonds powered by our commitment to create solutions and possibilities for their business. 

    We help our clients Forge Forward by helping them streamline their processes and maximize their growth potential.

    At nexAir, we provide automation that helps you go beyond borders and reach for new heights.

     

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    Manufacturing downtime costs American companies billions annually. When production lines halt due to gas supply issues, every minute translates to lost revenue, missed deadlines, and frustrated customers. At nexAir, we've spent decades developing solutions that keep manufacturing operations running smoothly.

    The Hidden Costs of Gas-Related Downtime

    When manufacturers calculate downtime costs, they typically focus on labor and lost production. However, gas supply disruptions create cascading effects that multiply these losses:

    • Production rescheduling that disrupts carefully optimized sequences
    • Rush shipping fees to meet customer deadlines despite delays
    • Quality inconsistencies when processes restart after interruptions
    • Overtime costs to catch up after unplanned stoppages
    • Reputation damage when delivery commitments are missed

    For a typical mid-sized manufacturer, each hour of downtime represents $5,000-$10,000 in direct and indirect costs. Our analysis shows that gas-related issues cause 7-12% of total manufacturing downtime - a substantial opportunity for improvement.

    From Reactive to Proactive: The Supply Continuum

    Most facilities follow a predictable pattern in their gas management evolution:

    Stage 1: Reactive Management At this stage, facilities order gas when they notice supplies running low or, worse, after running out. Emergencies are common, and disruptions are accepted as "part of doing business." One automotive parts supplier operating this way experienced 14 production interruptions in a single quarter.

    Stage 2: Calendar-Based Management Facilities advance to scheduled deliveries based on estimated usage. While better than the reactive approach, this method still results in either excess inventory (tying up capital and space) or shortages when usage spikes occur. A plastics manufacturer following this model maintained 40% more cylinder inventory than necessary while still experiencing occasional stockouts.

    Stage 3: Consumption-Based Management Our telemetry systems monitor actual gas consumption, automatically triggering orders based on usage patterns rather than calendar dates. This approach virtually eliminates both stockouts and excess inventory. 

    Stage 4: Integrated Supply Management The most advanced approach connects gas management directly to production planning systems. Upcoming production requirements automatically adjust supply parameters, ensuring resources are precisely aligned with needs. A medical device manufacturer using this approach reports zero gas-related downtime for 27 consecutive months while operating with minimal inventory buffers.

    Our expert KnowHow™ in industrial gas applications allows us to guide customers through this evolution at a pace that makes sense for their operations.

    Customizing Solutions for Maximum Uptime

    Manufacturing environments vary dramatically in their gas requirements and operational constraints. We've developed flexible approaches that address these differences:

    • For high-volume, consistent usage operations, our bulk systems eliminate the cylinder handling that frequently causes supply disruptions. Bulk installations include telemetry monitoring and automated ordering to prevent outages.
    • For variable-demand environments, our microbulk delivery systems provide the benefits of bulk supply with lower volume commitments. These systems reduce handling requirements while maintaining the flexibility needed for changing production schedules.
    • For specialized applications requiring multiple gas types, our gas management programs combine cylinder tracking, usage monitoring, and automated replenishment. This comprehensive approach ensures that specialty gases are always available when needed, regardless of how infrequently they might be used.
    • For multi-site operations, our enterprise supply programs coordinate deliveries and optimize inventory across locations. By treating the organization's gas requirements holistically, we minimize both stockouts and excess inventory across the network.

    This consultative approach ensures that manufacturers receive solutions aligned with their specific operational patterns rather than generic "one-size-fits-all" systems.

    Beyond Traditional Supply: Integrated Services for Total Reliability

    Maximum uptime requires more than just reliable gas delivery. Our integrated services address the full spectrum of gas-related reliability factors:

    Equipment maintenance programs that prevent system failures before they impact production Technical gas specialists who resolve application issues that could otherwise cause production problems Safety training that prevents accidents leading to downtime events Emergency response capabilities that minimize impacts when unexpected events occur Supply chain redundancy that ensures continuity despite regional disruptions

    These services complement our supply solutions to form a comprehensive reliability strategy. By addressing both everyday operations and exceptional circumstances, we help manufacturers Forge Forward with confidence that gas-related disruptions won't derail their production targets.

    Measuring Success: The Results That Matter

    The ultimate measure of any downtime reduction strategy is its impact on production metrics. Our manufacturing customers consistently report significant improvements after implementing our comprehensive gas management solutions:

    Downtime reductions of 85-95% for gas-related issues Inventory cost decreases of 20-30% through optimized supply management Administrative time savings of 5-10 hours weekly through automated ordering and tracking Production schedule adherence improvements of 3-7% due to improved supply reliability

    These performance gains translate directly to bottom-line benefits that typically deliver ROI within months rather than years. More importantly, they allow manufacturers to confidently make delivery commitments, knowing that gas supply issues won't compromise their ability to perform.

    Don't let gas supply issues impact your productivity. Contact us today to explore our tailored solutions.

    Looking out for your future

    Get your career going on the right track with nexAir

    Industry Knowledge and Expertise

    Find out how nexAir KnowHow has impacted businesses all over the Southeast

    nexAir in the news

    Our expertise makes us more than a valuable partner, it makes us headlines

    nexAir is always open!