Aumento de produtividade na manutenção de fornos através de melhorias no sistema de gestão da qualidade para o processo de soldagem TIG

Abstract

The objective of this work is to present the main methods for quality control in welding joints of pyrolysis furnaces in a petrochemical industry. From required requisites, it describes the TIG welding process, the X-ray process stages, the causes and corrections of different types of defects in arc welding, and the several steps of the quality control process. It presents a study case that evaluates the quality of the welds through the results from the gammagraphy test. The study embraces a mapping of discontinuities or a mapping of the more frequent and relevant defects in 2010, with the purpose to understand the difficulties and propose corrective actions to ensure an increasing productivity. Through internal audits, related problems were identified: infrastructure, practical and theoretical knowledge of the welding team, quality control management system and team motivation. After mapping the opportunities, a structured corrective action plan was taken. The results were monthly monitored. After that, the joint repair rate decreased 40% in 2010, 28% in 2011, and then, 14.5% in 2012. This improvement in welding quality resulted in lower maintenance periods, greater availability of operating ovens, lower maintenance costs and increase in the profits of the company.