A Fusion of Expertise: How McCarthy’s Industrial Team Harnesses Orbital Welding

With pinpoint precision, these craftsmen are delivering the stainless-steel orbital and specialty welding work that is foundational to the $200 million project, which involves adding a third production line, a large warehouse and a utility building to the existing 20-building complex.

The orbital welding work is meticulous and demanding, with precise quality standards for the complex piping infrastructure required to support the facility’s high-volume production demands. In total, McCarthy's industrial team members are welding 50,000 linear feet of process and utility piping—equivalent to the length of more than 75 city blocks.

Self-performing the work enables our team to tightly manage the quality and consistency of each weld, ensuring that the interior surfaces of the pipes are smooth and free from irregularities that can harbor bacteria, mold or other contaminants. Consistent welds are also vital for complying with food safety regulations and supporting the long-term reliability and efficiency of the production process.

And because the orbital welding process is much quicker and more efficient than manual welding, our team can complete the work about four times quicker than if we used a traditional welding approach. 

As a Certified Welding Inspector (CWI), I oversee the welding processes, procedures and workmanship to ensure everything meets the required standards and specifications. I visit the jobsite every couple of weeks to survey the progress and also serve as the quality incident investigator to document any potential quality issues or concerns. 

I’m proud to report that our weld rejection rate currently stands at zero, thanks to the quality-minded project team that we've assembled onsite.

McCarthy’s strong reputation and excellent track record in successfully delivering industrial projects helps us to recruit the best and brightest welders in whatever region we are working.

The Rise of Orbital Welding

Initially developed in the 1960s for use in the aerospace industry, the orbital welding process has become a standard joining technique used by a broad range of industries, including food and beverage, petrochemical, biopharmaceutical and semiconductor.

Unlike the traditional manual welding process, which involves performing the task by hand using a torch or electrode, orbital welding is an automated process that uses tungsten mounted on a rotor that orbits around a pipe or tube. Because the process is controlled by a computer, it produces highly consistent and repeatable welds. 

Though it’s an automated process, orbital welding requires trained operators with a knowledge of the Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) process, which is one of the hardest welding processes to learn. It requires good hand-eye coordination, as you are creating the arc with one hand and feeding the filler metal into the weld with the other hand. It has been said that good welders make good musicians because of the hand-eye coordination involved in both.

My unconventional introduction to welding occurred while pursuing a career as a wildlife biologist. I decided to take a welding elective in college and discovered how much I enjoyed and excelled at it. My instructor encouraged me to consider a welding career, and I began honing my skills in the field before transitioning to roles as a quality manager.

Since joining McCarthy’s Industrial team in 2011, I’ve had the opportunity to work on a wide range of projects spanning many different industries and building types.  

Collaborating with project teams to solve complex challenges is what I enjoy the most about my job. I love getting involved in a project as early as possible so I can help identify the greatest challenges and then equip team members with the tools and knowledge to effectively work through those challenges.

All of us take great pride in working together to bring these intricate industrial projects to life and achieve exceptional outcomes for our clients.