We have 60 years of experience as a leading fabrication company. From construction equipment to rail, automotive, nuclear and recycling, our expert fabricators are relied upon in almost every sector. Continuous investment in training and technology has placed us at the forefront of the metal fabrication industry and established our reputation as an ideal manufacturing partner. Our fabrications meet stringent internal quality control and we are accredited to IATF 16949 – the world’s foremost quality standard for the automotive industry.
MIG, TIG or robotic? We offer a range of fabrication and welding services based on our team’s extensive experience and modern equipment. Our in-house welding processes include MIG, TIG, robotic, spot, stud and projection welding, with our dedicated engineering team able to select the most appropriate method for the part you require.
We can also provide finishing operations, using grinding and sanding techniques to ensure that your parts have the desired surface finish.
Our highly qualified and experienced operators work in advanced, purpose-built welding bays and can undertake both large and small-scale projects. Our dedicated engineering team are trained to follow the Value Analysis Value Engineering (VAVE) process. The technique allows them to significantly reduce the number of components in complex fabrications or minimise the number of required processes, using advanced bending to create your parts at a reduced cost.
Fabrication
Process specialists that deliver high-quality fabrications, from high volume to one-offs.
With just in time (JIT) and Kanban manufacturing capability, Newfield is able to deliver high-quality fabrications precisely when required. Newfield’s continuous investment in equipment and technology has resulted in lean processes and highly capable low-cost manufacturing. We can use a number of quality verification tools, including process failure mode effects analysis (PFMEA), control plans and 8D problem-solving.
Our expert welders are also specialists in one-offs, prototypes and low-volume products, with a capacity for large fabrications up to 10 tonnes. For cost-effective manufacture, we minimise tooling and fixturing, instead relying on the experience and knowledge of our skilled welders to complete the parts to Newfield’s demanding quality standards. If the part is highly complex, then it may be necessary to use a fixture. Likewise, we are open to using a fixture if specifically requested by the customer or fabricating hand-built projects without one.
Robotic Welding
Precision process for the highest quality welds including large workpieces.
Robotic welding is a pioneering process that offers increased efficiency through faster and more consistent cycle times. Our six-axis high-performance robots bring speed, reliability and precision to much of our welding work.
We typically use robotic welding for large production volumes and parts required on regular schedules. The process is ideally suited to these applications as the higher cost is mitigated by the volume of output. If quality is paramount, however, then there are significant benefits to using robotic welding for low and medium volume production runs, as well as single items.
We have developed a significant robot welding capacity, with seven robots onsite, two of which were replaced in 2019 in a £150,000 investment.
Our robots can handle metal fabrications up to 5 tonnes and workpieces 8m long and 2.4m in diameter. All of our robots feature two workstations, allowing one piece to be set up while another is being welded, improving efficiency for large assemblies.
Mig & Tig Welding
A dynamic team of expert welders with an eye for detail and quality processes.
Newfield’s welders use both Metal Inert Gas (MIG) and Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) in a variety of medium to high volume applications, all certified to IATF 16949. We are able to provide Just in Time (JIT) supply, Kanbans and implement Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP).
From support with product design through to cost reductions via a Value Analysis and Value Engineering (VAVE) process, Newfield can work with you from the beginning to hit quality, design and budget targets.
Newfield’s welders receive continuous training to maintain their exceptional level of work. While each process has its advantages, our welders maintain a number of skill sets allowing us to easily accommodate a variety of different projects.
We also ensure our welders have the right equipment and have recently invested in new ESAB MIG welding sets. We believe that providing our professionals with the right tools is essential to the standard of work we produce.
Read our handy guide to the differences between MIG and TIG welding.
More Information
1. Increase in Productivity
Robot welding is often a fast process because it can operate continuously, withstanding a greater arc on-time and moving quickly between weld joint positions. A robotic welding system can provide substantial increases in output.
2. Consistent and Repeatability
Manual welding requires a high level of skill and concentration to achieve reliable consistency. A robotic welder can continue to perform precisely the same weld cycle continuously, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This is particularly important for complex welds with restricted access, where a robot is able to maintain much greater control.
3. Flexibility
Our robots can be programmed with a vast number of parts, enabling us to simply swap the jig on the robot bed, load the materials and begin the programme.
4. Safety
Robotic welding can improve safety through the reduction of handling and operating within an enclosed cell.
5. Quality
A robotic welder can achieve superior quality by ensuring the correct welding angle, speed, and distance, with repeatable accuracy of ±0.04mm. Ensuring that every welding joint is consistently produced to a very high standard significantly reduces the risk of costly rework.
6. Labour
Robotic welding systems are ideal for alleviating workload during busy periods. These systems allow less experienced welders to consistently perform high-quality welds. Our robot operators are all highly experienced and understand the distinct advantages of using our robotic systems.
7. Reduce Consumables
The consistency of robotic welding allows us to optimise the welding processes, reducing costs associated with welding consumables.
8. Reduced Production Costs
Through improvements in quality, consistency and productivity, a robotic welding system can deliver parts at a reduced cost. Further savings can be made through reduced energy consumption and consumable costs, alongside decreased labour and insurance costs.
9. Reduction in Weld Distortion
Distortion in a weld is due to the expansion and contraction of the weld metal and the adjacent base metal during the heating and cooling cycle of the welding process. A manual process is less repeatable – meaning two qualified welders will have slightly different techniques. If there is a difference in the heat applied, it can create distortions. Robotic welding is both accurate and repeatable, reducing the risk of differences between welds and ensuring consistency.
10. Increased Competitive Advantage
Implementing a robotic welding solution can set companies apart from the competition, allowing for faster completion and delivery of products whilst ensuring consistent quality.
MIG Welding
MIG welding is an abbreviation for Metal Inert Gas welding, also known as Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW). It is a process developed in the 1940s and is considered semi-automated.
MIG welding requires three things; electricity to produce heat, an electrode to fill the joint, and shielding gas to protect the weld from the air. MIG welding is done using a very small electrode that is fed continuously, while the operator controls the amount of weld being produced.
The equipment used automatically regulates the electrical characteristics of the arc. The only manual controls required of the welder in semi-automatic operation are travel speed, travel direction and gun (torch) positioning.
Given proper equipment settings, the power supply will provide the necessary amperage to melt the electrode at the rate required to maintain the pre-selected arc length (voltage). As the welder squeezes the trigger of the MIG gun, the electricity charges the electrode while the feeder starts feeding the filler wire, creating the weld material. The shielding gas is also fed through the MIG gun nozzle, isolating the weld from the surrounding air and preventing contamination.
Filler metal selection is closely matched to the base material. The filler metal not only conducts electrical current to the arc zone, melting the base metal and electrode, it also adds reinforcement to the completed weld joint.
MIG Welding can be used with a wide variety of metals and base metal thicknesses. Its successful application depends on the appropriate selection of:
- Electrode – composition, diameter and packaging
- Shielding Gas – type (composition), purity and flow rate
- Process Variables – current, voltage, mode of metal transfer and travel speed
- Equipment – power source, welding gun and wire feeder
TIG Welding
Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG), also known as gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), was originally created by the aircraft industry to weld magnesium in the 1930s and 1940s. It uses the heat generated by an electric arc struck between a non-consumable tungsten electrode and the workpiece. This heat fuses the metal in the joint area and produces a molten weld pool. The arc area is shrouded in an inert gas shield to protect the weld pool and the electrode from oxygen contamination.
The process may be operated autogenously, that is, without filler, or filler may be added by feeding a consumable wire or rod into the established weld pool. TIG produces very high-quality welds across a wide range of materials with thicknesses up to about 8 or 10mm. It is particularly well suited to the welding of sheet material.
One of the greatest advantages of TIG welding is the amount of control it allows. A welder can control heat and amperage with precision using a foot or thumb remote control switch. The TIG gun is thin, which adds to the control a welder can have over the process.
The success of TIG welding hinges on various factors such as the choice of shielding gas, welding wire, tungsten electrode and the user’s technique. The finished product is a sound, slag-free weld that shares the same corrosion resistance properties as the parent metal.
The Differences Between MIG and TIG Welding
MIG and TIG welding both use an electric arc to fuse metal components together. The major difference between MIG and TIG welding is that one process uses a continuously feeding wire (MIG) and the other uses long welding rods that are slowly fed into the weld pool (TIG). TIG is by far the more difficult to learn but both are hard to master.
A MIG welder works by using a continuously feeding spool of welding wire that burns, melts and fuses both the base and parent metals together. You can weld a variety of materials such as mild steel, stainless steel and Aluminium. A range of material thicknesses can be welded from thin gauge sheet metal right up to heavier structural plates. Because it uses filler material, MIG welding often performs better for welding thicker objects, since it doesn’t have to heat the material all the way through to form a bond. Also, the use of filler material makes it slightly easier to control than TIG welding.
TIG welding, on the other hand, can join objects without filler by heating the surfaces to the point where they bond, creating neater welds. It does, however, require a great degree of precision to avoid over-heating the metal, which can cause stress cracks and other issues. TIG welding is more commonly used for thinner gauge materials and is used for things like kitchen sinks and toolboxes. The biggest benefit is that you can use relatively low power and avoid blowing through the metal. It is a much finer and delicate technique that results in a more aesthetic weld.