Welding and fabrication in general often involve an array of activities. The activities differ from each other, depending on the customer requirements. As a result, the contracted welding company may decide to complete the job from their workshop or establish their operating base within their client’s construction site.
Equipment to be used
The type and magnitude of equipment to be used always depend on the nature of the task to be completed. The welding company may consider transporting some of their equipment to the site and hiring others. There are various businesses that hire out welding machines to interested welders. This reduces the luggage to be transported to the welding sites. Some companies may also consider hiring other equipment as an effective way of increasing the number of tools available for use. The aim is to reduce the time required to complete the job at hand.
Available working space
A sufficient working space is a necessity when dealing with fabrication activities. This may explain the large working area in many metal workshops. The large working area is meant to facilitate simultaneous operations within the workshop. Before making a decision to conduct welding activities away from the workshop, it is prudent to visit the expected construction site. The aim is to establish its suitability as a workstation. Other factors, such as the availability of a power source, should be taken into account. That is because a majority of fabrication machines rely on electricity.
Availability of skilled manpower
The availability and flexibility of skilled manpower are an essential factor when deciding on an onsite job. It can only be possible when a company has enough skilled manpower to satisfy the job requirements both in and away from the company’s workshop. For example, a company may have only one welder skilled in tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding. In such a case, it may be impractical to conduct related welding activities away from the workshop since it will result in a skills gap at the workshop. The effect to be felt may be greater where the job location is miles away from a company’s workshop, such as in a different state.
Cost
Establishing a working area away from your usual workshop will always be accompanied by some expenses. Some of the expenses may come in the form of renting a temporary storage space, electricity expenses, transport costs, and the cost of hiring working equipment. All these are factors that will affect the eventual profit margin to be enjoyed by a business. Usually, expenses tend to increase as the distance increases. For example, it is expected to be more expensive to transport your workers and equipment from your current state to another as opposed to transporting them within the same area.
Conducting welding and fabrication activities away from a company’s workshop requires a lot of planning to turn it into a success. There are several essential factors that ought to be considered to establish the feasibility of a project. This is to ensure that a business does not suffer possible losses or even expose their clients to high costs.
