OTC Daihen Blog

The cap on Section 179 has gone up again for 2018, and your business may now deduct the full price of qualifying equipment, up to $1,000,000, when that equipment or software is financed from the company's gross income during a tax year. The raise (from $500,000 in 2016) is good news for businesses that were anxiously waiting to see if Congress was going to raise the deduction limit. This deduction can be used as long as the equipment is purchased and put to use between January 1 and December 31 of 2018. Now that you are able to write off the full price, you can get much more for your money and help make the most of your investment dollars.

At OTC Daihen, we believe in offering our clients a one-stop shop for all their robotic welding needs. One option that many of our clients are still unaware of is our hands-on robotic training classes in our Tipp City, Ohio location. Can't get to Ohio? Though our clients typically get the best benefit from our well-equipped classroom, we can also bring our certified OTC Daihen technicians to you. Our training program is designed around real world manufacturing processes and can help you be more self-reliant for programming and maintenance issues. Here's a little more about the courses.

Are you having problems with weld access, torch position, interference or floor space issues? If you are, our 7-axis robot can provide you with superior weld quality and ease of use that outstrips the competition. But what advantages does it provide over the more common 6-axis welding robot? Here are some of the best benefits our customers have noticed.

Working in a welding facility can be one of the hardest jobs on the planet. There's high voltage electricity, serious heat and vaporized metal particulates. How do you keep your workers safe? Here are a few tips to help create a healthy work environment in your production facility.

When you're in business creating products, welding process profitability may seem like a vague concept. But welding operation costs can cause direct impacts on your profitability. Which area of welding causes the highest change in your bottom line? Learn which one has the strongest impact here.

When you're under a deadline to get production completed, the last thing you need is quality control issues. Unfortunately, weld porosity is a common problem in welding applications. Fortunately, it's also relatively easy to fix. How do you reduce porosity in your production line? We've taken a look at causes of porosity and found the easiest ways for reducing porosity in your facility.

In production, we're seeing more automation as time goes by. What started as machinery seen only in the most high-end factories is becoming the standard. If you're planning on using automated welding machinery, you're in good company. But when is the best time to add welding robots to your automated production line? Should you close things down temporarily and try to get them in quickly or wait until a better time? How do you determine when that better time falls? Though these are tough questions that will depend on your company, we've got some easy answers to help you along the way.

As our world becomes more digitized, connected and automated, what does that mean for the welding process in a factory? Many businesses are considering switching from manual welding processes to systems that automate welding. There are many reasons for switching, but some business owners aren't sure if they can justify the expense of robotic welding machines. Here's a quick look at the benefits of automating your welding process and how to justify the expense.

When welding is a vital part of your production line, every component in your machine can make a big difference in your efficiency and in the quality of the finished product. One of the areas where your choice can make a big difference is the welding wire diameter you decide to use. Is the wire you're using too small, too large or right where it should be? Today we'll help you learn how to decide by taking a good look at wire diameter and how to choose welding wire that will work best for your project.

When your operation is dealing with aluminum welding, it can seem as though there's a whole new world of issues to troubleshoot. Porosity, oxidation, weld cracking, wire burn-backs and many more issues tend to plague production lines around the world. One common concern is whether a push-pull gun or a push gun works best when welding aluminum. In this piece, we'll take a solid look at what the advantages and disadvantages are of each type of gun and how to best incorporate them into your production line.