Building a body of knowledge and gaining trust in a fiercely competitive industry such as auto racing takes a considerable investment in time, and the courage to rethink and redirect efforts to embrace emerging technologies...without forgetting your roots.
By Harvey J. Arbuckle, Managing Editor
Welding the exotic
materials used in today's competitive racing industry has allowed Lincoln Electric to
engineer new products to offer more speed and safety to the drivers.
The Lincoln Electric Company, Cleveland, OH, has traditionally been known as a steel welding company serving heavy industry. Equipment and consumables for the welding of light gage and structural steels, stainless steels and hardfacing have been their specialty.
Founded by John C. Lincoln in 1895 to design, manufacture and market electric motors, the company has become a world leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of arc welding equipment and consumables used for bridge construction, shipbuilding, offshore drilling platforms, stadiums, major pipelines, etc.
In 1989, the company launched their Motorsports program and challenged their technicians to master the welding processes that would ensure its success. Since that time, The Lincoln Electric Company has been embraced by the racing industry as well as the automotive aftermarket because of their commitment to the industry and to high standards.
With their first visit to the Indianapolis 500 in 1989, partnering with the official welding service, Indiana Oxygen Co., Lincoln Electric moved into the world of competitive racing. Welding plays a very important role in racing and automotive manufacturing. The demand to reduce weight, increase structure strength and safety has driven the welding industry to develop revolutionary methods of fabricating with lighter, stronger, more exotic materials.
In just a few years the program has blossomed to the point that today the company is actively involved with the sports' major sanctioning bodies. "We serve as a major contingency sponsor for the Busch Grand National NASCAR, and NHRA groups, a partial contingency sponsor for the IRL (Indy Racing), series sponsor for the ARCA Midget Series, equipment sponsor for ARCA's Supercar Series and sponsorship of CAM--Championship Association of Mechanics," according to Carl Peters, director of motorsports marketing for Lincoln Electric.
On Gasoline Alley at the
Indianapolis 500, the search for a competitive advantage has resulted in adapting
materials and techniques proven in the aerospace industry. Likewise, manufacturers of
passenger automobiles continuously search for ways to trim pounds, add fuel efficiency and
provide higher performance with a smaller engine. Dennis Klingman (left), director of
technical training, Lincoln Electric Company, Cleveland, OH, is briefed by Darren Russell,
fabricator for the Galles Racing Team on engine and chassis modifications.
Paul "Torch"
LeSage, an independent motorsports consultant and principal of Team Torch, San Juan
Capistrano, CA (left) and Carl Peters, director of motorsports marketing, Lincoln Electric
Company, on the track after the 81st Indianapolis 500. They are shown next to the race car
driven to victory by Arie Luyendyk.
Advancements in the aerospace industry with regard to stronger, lighter and more heat-resistant materials, and the welding and joining techniques necessary for their use, have historically been adopted by competitive racing teams as they search for ways to make their vehicles lighter, faster and stronger. Likewise, such advancements find their way into passenger automobiles as the industry searches for ways to trim pounds, add fuel efficiency and provide more performance with a smaller engine.
Advancements such as electronic fuel control and anti-lock braking systems all were spearheaded years ago in such a fashion. When technological advancements withstand the test of time and are proven to add durability, safety or longevity they are transferred into manufacturing.
In fact, according to Dennis Klingman, director of technical training, "The leading edge of automotive racing is closing the gap, technology wise, to aerospace. The sport is looking further into that field to advance their ability to compete. Aerospace used to be way ahead, but both now are looking more towards composites such as stealth materials, and metals such as titanium and inconnel. Further, automotive technologies are closing the gap on racing. For a company like Lincoln Electric, this is an exciting time.
"We now are studying and mastering many materials other than steel, and our product engineers are developing new equipment and consumables relative to their use. Today, we offer 15 different TIG alloys, before we had none."
Fabricators of race cars are very
particular, so if you build a welding device that pleases the racing industry, it will
succeed in manufacturing applications as well. Parts such as this stainless steel exhaust
piping add tremendously to Lincoln's body of knowledge, and have contributed significantly
in developing user-friendly equipment.
Lincoln Electric Motorsports also aids in ensuring that only a proven design is offered to the consumer. Paul "Torch" LeSage, an independent motorsports consultant and principal of Team Torch, San Juan Capistrano, CA, knows from first-hand experience that fabricators (welders) of race cars are very particular. "With them, everything has to be exactly right, so if you can build a welder that pleases the racing industry, chances are it will work well for almost any other manufacturing application."
In fact, Lincoln Electric basically developed their Square Wave TIG 255 in the welding garage at the Indianapolis 500. According to Klingman, "We provided a prototype welder for their use and solicited comments from the fabricators. They had a lot to say...so much, in fact, that it took a substantial amount of time to redesign, reengineer and incorporate all of their suggestions. This resulted in a product customized to their demands and applications, but which also had widespread appeal to other market sectors."
Richard Fried, president, Palladin
Services, Inc., Danville, IN, uses a Square Wave TIG welder manufactured by Lincoln
Electric in his shop, so when he visited the welding facility at the Indianapolis 500 as a
contract fabricator, he was right at home while welding this cooling system component made
of 6061-T6 high-strength aircraft aluminum.
Involvement in racing also has caused the company to look at smaller machines. Traditionally a heavy-industry supplier with machines in the 600 to 1000 amp range for structural steel and shipbuilding, they have worked to provide the same strength, durability and dependability in a smaller, lighter unit. "Ten years ago, our typical power feeder and power source was huge," according to Klingman. "Today we offer a variety of self-contained wire feeder/power sources that you can carry with you. However, we refuse to give up our industrial mindset. We put our smaller products through the same testing procedures as we do our units for heavy industrial use."
LeSage is quick to add that besides size considerations, the company also had to address the different skill levels of the fabricator. "When you start getting out of the Winston Cup level to the enthusiast building a race car in his own backyard, the need for a perfect weld doesn't diminish. A failure can still send you into the wall at more than 200 mph. Therefore, the quality of the equipment you use to build the car is critical."
An example is cited by Klingman, "The beauty of our compact TIG-175 machine is its simplicity. It has an on-off switch, a polarity switch, a TIG or stick setting and an amperage control. That's as fundamental as it gets. As you select the welding parameters, the machine realizes what you are trying to do and makes the necessary compensations internally. For instance, if you switch from DC to AC, the power source knows that you will require high frequency on at all times. Adding a switch to manually make that change complicates the control and could lead to instances where the operator is trying to weld with the wrong welding parameters."
A prototype for the
Square Wave TIG-255 was tested and comments solicited in the Indiana Oxygen/Lincoln
Electric welding garage at a recent Indianapolis 500. The following year, after
redesigning and reengineering to incorporate suggested improvements, only minor
suggestions, easily applied, resulted in a welder with widespread appeal to manufacturers.
"With the proliferation of racing," adds Peters, "it seems that the number of teams is expanding faster than the number of good welders. The same issue is facing industry today. In technical or trade schools, where 15 years ago you'd have classes of 40 students, today there are seven. Automation and robotic welding are commonplace in industrial settings, but in racing, as in prototype and short-run manufacturing, automation is not a viable option, and everyone is competing for the same skilled people.
"In both racing and industry, weld repeatability is extremely important. Operator to operator, and track to track, it's important to be able to set the car up and get it on the track as quickly as possible. Depositing a weld quickly and of dependable quality is a must when you are setting up a chassis, no matter who is doing the welding."
Klingman explains that another big advantage of Lincoln Electric's Motorsports program is that specialization in different racing classifications has increased their collective body of knowledge. "Indy car racing involves different materials, techniques and applications for welding. This has given us a valuable comparison and breadth of knowledge."
Bob Tabernik, Columbus district
manager for Lincoln Electric, checks with Fabricator Dan Dreisbach on the performance of
welding equipment supplied to Team Rahal, Dublin, OH. The 30,000 sq. ft. facility is one
of the finest of its type in the world, housing all the personnel and equipment necessary
to develop, field and maintain a world-class racing team.
Peters proudly points out that, "Lincoln Electric always tries to give something back to the industries they serve. A long list of educational activities include both classroom and hands-on instruction for novice and advanced welders, as well as welding design, supervisory and welding instructor classes.
Additionally, the James F. Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation provides a low-cost educational resource, publishes textbooks and reference materials and organizes competitions to recognize those who excel in the field of arc welding."
Dennis Klingman at the
Lincoln Electric Welding & Cutting Technology Center, located at the company's
Cleveland, OH, headquarters. A long list of educational activities include both classroom
and hands-on instruction for novice and advanced welders, as well as welding design,
supervisory and welding instructor classes.
"Mechanics love to learn how to weld," according to Klingman, "but many don't think they have the ability. When you take the time and effort to help people learn, they are really appreciative. Then when they see how user-friendly our machines are, and how easy it is to become proficient, you have gained a customer. Before long, we noticed the networking activities of this tightly knit group had expanded our customer base to a whole new group of users.
"In racing, we are in the pits actually doing the welding, helping fabricators prepare their race cars for competition. This hands-on experience teaches us what they need to know. In turn, we are putting together training programs for the fabricators as well as the inspectors of different racing organizations." MF