Page 35 - MetalForming December 2014

MetalCraft Marine produces boats for firefighting, marine patrolling, search-and- rescue and related functions. Most of the metal alloys used in production are aluminum grades from 5⁄32 to 1 in.; welds are either butt or fillet welds, with occasional plug welds.
Charts a Course
...for improved productivity and energy efficiency thanks to new arc-welding equipment—for assembling aluminum boats—with built-in intelligence.
Nearly five years ago, Ontario, Canada-based MetalCraft Marine, an integrated designer and builder of custom high-performance aluminum work boats, faced a much- needed welding-equipment upgrade. Old machines were failing and down- time for maintenance and repairs was on the rise. In addition, inefficiencies in energy consumption forced the com- pany to run fewer welding machines than the workload required. As all of these issues undermined fabricating productivity, management at the boat- building company realized it had to plot a course for more reliable equip- ment, lower operating costs and more efficient processes.
The MetalCraft Marine factory in
Kingston, Ontario (a second factory is in Cape Vincent, NY) produces boats for firefighting, marine patrolling, search- and-rescue and related functions. Founded in 1987, the firm supplies gov- ernment agencies in North America and around the world—the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Coast Guard and various local and regional port authorities. Although 70 percent of its customer base is in Cana- da and the United States, it also servic- es customers in Oman, Zambia, Kuwait and Australia. The company employs a staff of 140 in Canada and 17 in the United States, and registered $20 million in sales in 2013.
The vast majority (97 percent) of alloys used in production are alu- minum grades. Other materials include
mild steel (2 percent) and stainless
steel (1 percent). Plate thickness ranges
5
from ⁄32 to 1 in.; welds are either butt or
fillet welds, with occasional plug welds. Aesthetics play an important role in the MetalCraft Marine work ethic. So, while sound welds may be the back- bone of a well-constructed boat, every member of the MetalCraft construc- tion team also takes pride in the appearance of every weld on every
panel.
Energy and Quality
In 2009, MetalCraft Marine’s arc- welding equipment was approaching the end of its service life. In updating its equipment, general manager Michael Allen and his crew saw an opportunity
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