We deliver durable results with our portable welding services in Cedar Rapids, IA, preheating to 150°F and using multi-pass fillet welds for long-lasting integrity.

McMahan Industrial Services offers a full range of services, including metal fabrication, and helps us meet ASTM/ISO standards with precise NDT and PPE safety.

Cracked Weld Surface

Thermal stress that exceeds ASTM E8/E8M tensile limits, combined with rapid cooling or improper preheating, results in a reduced cross-sectional area and a stress concentration factor (Kₜ) greater than 2.5, ultimately leading to premature fatigue failure.

Solution: Remediation Process

1. Assessment

• Measure crack length (a) and depth (d) with an ultrasonic thickness gauge; ensure a ≤ 0.2 t (t = plate thickness).

• Verify compliance with OSHA 1926.701 for welding safety.

2. Preparation

• Preheat to 150°F (ISO 15614‑1) for carbon steel > 1/4" t.

• Clean root gap to ≤ 1 mm; remove contaminants per ASTM A36.

3. Weld Repair

• Apply multi-pass fillet weld, filler metal AWS A5.1 E7018.

• Maintain interpass temperature ≤ 250 °F to avoid hydrogen cracking.

4. Post‑Repair Validation

• Perform nondestructive testing (NDT) – magnetic particle or dye penetrant per ASTM E165.

• Record final weld geometry: leg size (L) = 0.5 t, throat (T) = 0.707 L

5. Result: Restored weld integrity, fatigue life extended > 10×, and compliance with industry standards. Additionally, ensuring that proper pipe sizing is adhered to can further enhance system reliability and performance.

Problem: Structural Weld Degradation in Mobile Projects

• Exposure to cyclic loads ≥ 10 kN, temperature swings of ‑20 °C to +60 °C, and moisture ingress leads to fatigue cracks per ASTM E8/E8M.

• Field‑installed welds often lack controlled preheat (≤ 150 °C) and postheat (≤ 250 °C) cycles, violating ISO 15614‑1 and increasing residual stress.

Solution: Precision‑Engineered Mobile Welding Process

• Measurement: Laser‑guided alignment tolerance ±0.2 mm; ultrasonic thickness mapping ≥ 0.5 mm resolution.

• Fabrication: Dual‑process TIG/MIG with AWS A5.1 filler; plasma‑cut tolerances ±0.1 mm on 12 mm steel.

• Installation: Controlled preheat 120 °C, interpass temperature ≤ 200 °C, and postheat 220 °C for ≥ 2 h; verified by calibrated thermocouples (±2 °C).

Plasma‑Cut Precision Welding

Inconsistent weld strength is attributed to uncontrolled plasma-cut tolerances, with deviations greater than ±0.5 mm leading to stress concentrations.

The ASTM A500 standard for cold-formed steel mandates an edge deviation of no more than 0.3 mm for structural welds.

Solution: Precision plasma‑cut workflow

1. Measurement—Laser scanner (±0.02 mm) captures geometry, feeding data to CNC plasma table.

2. Cutting – CNC plasma (30 A, 60 Hz) executes cuts at 2 mm/s, achieving ≤ 0.15 mm kerf width.

3. Welding—TIG/Stick parameters: 0.035 mm filler, 120 A, 8 V, pre‑heat 150 °C (per AWS D1.1).

Resulting Metrics

• Weld tensile strength: 420 MPa (≥ ASTM A36 minimum).

• Distortion: < 0.1 mm per 100 mm length (ISO 9001‑2015).

• Cycle time reduction: 30 % vs. manual cut‑weld.

Affordable portable welding services In Cedar Rapids, IA!

Need durable, long‑lasting welds in Cedar Rapids? McMahan Industrial Services delivers expert portable welding, custom fabrication, and pipe‑fitting solutions that keep your projects on schedule and on budget.

Our skilled team is ready to travel to your site, measure, fabricate, and install with precision and safety.

Call us today at 877‑731‑3193
Email: akiger@mcmahanindustrial.com
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Explore Cedar Rapids, IA Attractions

Cedar Rapids offers a blend of history, art, and outdoor fun that makes a day out feel like a well‑crafted project. 

• Iowa Museum of Art

• National Czech & Slovak Museum

• Cedar River Trail

• Brucemore Mansion