Boosting Pipe Welding Productivity by 300% with Novarc's Spool Welding Robots

Novarc’s Spool Welding Robot (SWR) Solution

AT A GLANCE

CLIENT

LOCATION:

Canada

SECTOR:

Heavy Industry & Infrastructure

SUPPLIER:

Novarc Technologies

TECHNOLOGY / PRODUCT USED:

Spool Welding Robot (SWR)

TARGETED APPLICATION

Pipe Welding / 1G Welding/ Fabricating Piping

LEARN MORE

Read The Full Case Study Here

Boosted welding efficiency and overcame labor shortages through the deployment of collaborative spool welding robots delivering consistent high-quality welds.

220-300%

Increase in pipe welding productivity

1-1.5 Weeks

required for welders to

become comfortable using the SWR.

↑↑↑

margins on contracts already won

“We looked at a few other options when looking for welding solutions. The edge that Novarc has is the footprint of the equipment, we have a lot more flexibility with the SWR. If the average pipe size of the shop is really small, we can just park the equipment and it does not take a lot of square footage.”

Martin Cartier, Director of Ganotec-Muga Fab

The Challenge

Ganotec-Muga Fab faced severe challenges around finding skilled labor and needed to increase fabrication shop productivity with fewer welders. They were looking for a solution that would allow an average welder to produce the same quality while increasing the quantity of welds as a highly skilled welder. They were restricted by conventional options where equipment required extensive shop space and lacked flexibility for handling smaller pipe sizes.

The Solution

Ganotec-Muga Fab deployed Novarc's Spool Welding Robot (SWR), a collaborative welding machine designed specifically for 1G welding that has the smallest footprint in the industry. Ganotec-Muga Fab was the very first dual torch unit that Novarc built, establishing a long-term partnership to continuously improve the equipment depending on operational needs. Rather than assigning their top welders to the automated unit, the company intentionally assigned average welders to the SWR to elevate their production and weld quality to the level of top-tier welders. The onboarding and training phase moved quickly, taking only about a week to a week and a half for their shop welders to become completely comfortable operating the SWR.

KEY FEATURES

Smallest Footprint in the Industry:

Occupies minimal square footage, allowing shops to park the equipment and maximize floor space flexibility when average pipe sizes are small.

Collaborative Welding Architecture:

Built specifically for 1G welding, roll welding, pipe, and small pressure vessels.

Dual Torch Unit Construction:

Configured as the first-ever dual torch system built by Novarc to maximize active deposition and shop capability.

NovAI Vision and Cognition integration capability:

Employs AI-powered robotic vision and data systems to deliver non-stop root-to-cap consistency while eliminating human error.

RESULTS

Implementing the Novarc SWR enabled Ganotec-Muga Fab to dramatically boost operational capacity, increasing pipe welding productivity by 220-300%. The system slashed their shop repair rates to just 0.5% when welding 12” – 36” carbon steel and chrome pipes, outperforming the North American shop average of 3-5% and their own historical 10-year repair baseline of just below 2%. These structural quality improvements successfully protected their bottom line by minimizing costly rework. Ultimately, the system reduced dependency on highly skilled welders, increased profit margins on projects already won, and allowed Ganotec-Muga Fab to build a highly competitive edge as the only shop in their market utilizing this equipment. Major clients like TransCanada Energy and Irving Oil fully approved the automated process due to the verified success.

Incresae in pipe welding productivity

repair rate achieved on 12” – 36” carbon steel and chrome pipes.